Watching fashion icon and model Tyra Banks’ competition show “America’s Next Top Model” was a TV staple in many households. The show brought us endless modeling tips,
iconic new models,
and some of the best meme-worthy moments.
With all the good memories we have of the show, we don’t believe it could be problematic, right?
Don‘t let the glitz and glamour fool you. ”America’s Next Top Model” is one of the most problematic reality/competition shows ever made.
1. Yoanna House and Her Negative Body Image
Cycle 2 winner Yoanna House is known for her distinct and sharp features that always took the forefront in her photo shoots, but, aside from her facial features, Tyra and the judges didn't like all of her. After House opened up about losing weight and being proud of how far she’s come in her weight loss journey, she was shut down by being told she needed to ”tone up” and constantly critiqued her clothing and how it fit on her, even going as far as to say she had more “rolls” on her waist than the other girls.
2. Using Mental Illness as a Dramatic Storyline
Its no secret that the modeling industry is all about appearance and all of the models know it, especially cycle 3’s Cassie Grisham. Grisham suffered from bulimia and body image issues. In her one-on-one interview, she mentioned that being plus sized was “not for me“ and that if throwing up after meals was what could prevent her from being plus sized, she would be “happy” to do it. When her cast mates discovered this, they used it against her and with any argument in the house, they would mention she was bulimic. Instead of using this as a means to get help or show that it wasn’t okay, the show instead almost praised it and showed it as a way of staying in the industry and being dedicated to modeling.
3. Not Catering to Contestant's Needs
Cycle 3 was a MESS, y'all. Motherly hippie contestant Amanda Swafford was the first contestant on the show to suffer from partial blindness. This partial blindness made it difficult for her to see in the dark, making her completely blind in the dark, but that wasn't an issue for good ol' Tyra Banks, who set up a challenge for the girls to walk on the runway in a dark room. Swafford asked to see the runway beforehand, but her request was rejected and she was told to walk anyway. Fortunately, the sparkle from the glitter on the runway provided enough light for Swafford to know where she needed to walk. Swafford mentioned in the one-on-one interview that she understood that the judges didn't want her to have an "unfair advantage", but she was "just trying to get up to the same playing field as everyone else"
4. The Reoccurring Use of Blackface and Race-Switching
The idea to have contestants of one race model as another completely different race than their own first appeared on ANTM in cycle 4. Makeup artist Jay Manuel said that the objective of the photoshoot was to really "take on the persona of the ethnicity in the photograph and really own it". Sis, what? One of the models, who was Caucasian btw, was painted in pure blackface and a nappy afro to portray an African-American woman. In the judging process, Tyra herself said she "loved" the photograph and said it reminded her of a picture of her and her mom back in the day. I can't make this up.
5. Contestants Facing Elimination for Illness
Yes, you read it right. Contestants would be in danger of being eliminated if they missed a photoshoot or challenge due to an illness, no matter the circumstances. Cycle 1 winner Adrianne Curry was in danger of being eliminated for missing a shoot after being hospitalized for food poisoning. She mustered up enough strength to stand through judging and eliminations and was not eliminated. Tyra explained her danger of elimination saying, "I would never cut Adrianne for being sick, but unfortunately the judges came to the decision that if she was not present during the judging, she would be eliminated because it wouldn't be fair to the other girls that would be present." And that's not all. In cycle 6, Danielle Evans was hospitalized for food poisoning (why do all these girls get food poisoning on this show???), dehydration, and exhaustion. Despite the doctors begging her to stay in the hospital, Evans left early to do the photoshoot because she didn't want to be eliminated. Y'ALL.
6. Models Facing Elimination for Not Wanting to Pose Nude
Everyone isn't comfortable showing all their glory to the world and that is just fine, but not on "America's Next Top Model". Cycle 1's Robin Manning was a devout Christian and drew the line at nude photoshoots. She told Jay Manuel that she knew she was at risk of being eliminated for not participating in the photoshoot but that she would be "fine with that" as long as she stood up for what she believed in. She was eliminated in the episode because Tyra and the judges felt she was trying to be too perfect. Oh, and another thing - they considered her to be a plus-sized model. Yes, the girl in that picture was considered a plus-sized model.
7. Forcing Models to Model Through Triggers
In cycle 4, Kahlen Rondot was forced to participate in a photoshoot that required her to be filmed inside of a casket eight feet underground during the same week she discovered that her best friend had died. When they arrived to the cemetary, Rondot began crying as the scene triggered the feelings she was trying to put aside for the sake of the photoshoot. I say "forced", but of course Rondot was not forced. The photographers gave her the option to opt out of the shoot, but told her she would be up for elimination. And as if that wasn't enough, this happened again in a similar situation in cycle 8 with Jael Strauss. Strauss discovered her friend overdosed while she was on the show and had to participate in a shoot soon after where she had to pose dead.
8. Stripping Contestants Titles Due to Their Past
Angelea Preston was one of the three finalists modeling for the crown on cycle 17, but many were confused when the cycle finale was re-filmed to feature two models instead of three - leaving Preston out of the race as if she were never there. After years of speculation, Preston came out in 2015, stating the reasoning for Tyra and the producers to shut her out of the finale was because she used to be an escort before modeling on the show. Preston later ended up suing Tyra Banks and the show. Preston spilled hot and fresh tea when she was interviewed by the Daily Mail and definitely provided a lot more information and proof as to how problematic and unhealthy the show really is.
9. THE DAMN MAKEOVERS
Chile, these makeovers. Let's talk about it! These judges called themselves "helpful" when giving the models makeovers but really did nothing but tell them the way they naturally were wasn't good enough and they needed to fix it. I mean, look at this. Why couldn't this girl keep her long brown hair? How was she not model material with the hair? And most of the time, girls who got dramatic makeovers like these almost ALWAYS got eliminated the day of the makeover of the day after. Tomfoolery at its finest.
10. Rumors of Models Not Eating for Hours Due to Filming
Of all the tea that was spilled in Angelea Preston's "Daily Mail" interview, the tidbit about the treatment of the models is one that stuck. Preston says that people don't see the "insane" things the models went through. She mentions that they would miss out on meals for 15-18 on end because they were demanded to "film straight through". She said this was done to make the models more irritable and make them more prone to start drama, so ratings would get higher. Cycle 10's Fatima Siad backs up Preston's claim saying, "It brings out the worst in you".
11. Their Insensitivity to Contestant's Rough Pasts
In cycle 10, contestant Kayla Ferrel opened up about an incident that happened to her in her past. Ferrel was the victim of sexual abuse as a child. In a photoshoot where she had to pose sexually with a man, Ferrel was evidently uncomfortable. When she told photographers why she was uncomfortable and how she didn't want to pose sexy with this man she didn't know and who triggered events in her past, she was of course, told that if she didn't she would face elimination and that she needed to heal her past and do the shoot by "tackling her problems head-on". Yikes.
I could honestly go on and on about how disgusting and problematic this show is, especially now that I'm old enough to recognize the terrible generalizations and body stigma inflicted on the models. I'm gonna need Ms. Banks to explain allll of this.