America’s Next Top Model
I am obsessed with exactly two TV shows (America’s Next Top Model, The L Word), although I enjoy a total of four TV shows currently in syndication (LOST, The Office). I know my purpose here is generally to write about society and my university experience, but I have to talk a little about pop culture. Specifically, I have to talk about ANTM.
ANTM is currently in its tenth cycle, an impressive run for a series helmed by the rather unpredictable (to put it mildly) Tyra Banks. I see ANTM as kind of starting it all: without it there would be no Project Runway or Biggest Loser or the host of other cable shows capitalizing off a similar format of famous host, less-famous lackey that does all the actual work, challenges and tasks for contestants, and elimination rounds every week, with the drama piled on thick and extra foamy. Arguably, no contestants are more dramatic than teen girls, who are all competing against each other for the title of “America’s Next Top Model” and a contract with a modeling agency, which will, in theory, lead to a successful modeling career.
This cycle, there are some interesting contestant choices. One of the girls, originally from Somalia, revealed during the episode that she was “circumcised” as a seven-year-old child. I thought Tyra’s reaction to this was excellent. Knowing that her audience is largely composed of other teenagers and tweens, she used the opportunity to provide a little off-the-cuff education about FGM (female genital mutilation). Where else would girls hear about that? Definitely not school; definitely not the media. Point: Tyra.
Issues around race always come up during the course of ANTM cycles, too. Tyra tends to choose a full palette of skin colors for each season, which sharply contrasts with the modeling industry itself–if you are interested in that sort of thing, you will note the army of pale white stick figures on the high fashion runways and in the magazines. For many of the white contestants, this is the first time they’ve really come into much contact with girls of color. Intra-ethnic battles are also common, as the Black contestants–intuiting that the modeling industry doesn’t have much room for them–often size each other up and reserve their harshest criticisms for each other. It’s often painful to watch, and there are no easy answers. Tyra herself has long been a vocal critic of the racist standards inherent in the fashion world, which pitted her against Naomi Campbell in the 90s for no other reason than, apparently, that TWO Black models on the cover of Vogue or walking down the runway would make everyone’s head explode. Tyra always takes the opportunity to educate the contestants about this. Where else do you hear frank talk to teenage girls about the impact of racism in ways that they may have never considered and surely aren’t going to hear elsewhere? Point: Tyra.
Of course there are problems. Sometimes the photo shoot concepts in which the contestants participate are disturbing; most notably the one from Cycle 8 that fetishized violent death in a “glamorous, high fashion” way, which was so sickening that I turned it off. There is also the extreme body type standards for the girls, some of whom are so painfully thin that you wonder what kind of person could possibly find this sort of thing attractive. The skinniest ones are always praised the most for their “proportions” and body types and pretty fawn-like legs; it’s perhaps the highest compliment one can receive on the show. Tyra’s made it a habit to select at least one “plus-sized” girl for the show (read: generally a size 7 or 8), but unsurprisingly these “bigger” girls almost always crumble under the pressure and are eliminated. They face a constant barrage of criticism not only from the photographers, judges, and creative directors, but also from their fellow contestants and it always breaks them in half. It’s often pretty horrible to watch, especially since you know it’s these “plus-sized” girls who resemble the viewers at home most closely. Finally, and very predictably, the girl-on-girl infighting is really emphasized in the show. Many of the contestants come off looking shallow, stupid, or plain bitchy, and even the most vanilla gossip is played for maximum effect. Without a critical eye, the show reinforces every stereotype about pretty teenage girls that you’ve ever heard: vapid, utterly devoid of thought, incapable of offering the world anything but a pretty face to look at.
It’s not a perfect show, and perhaps I’m over-rationalizing my addiction to it in sociological terms. On some level I suppose I find it satisfying to see these flawless women get a gently-delivered comeuppance from Ms. Jay or Nigel Barker; you get the sense NO ONE stands up to them because they are just so pretty. It’s a constant tug-of-war between the me who wants the girls to succeed in a world that chews them up and spits them out before the age of 25 and the me who longs for the days when Janice Dickinson regularly reduced everyone on the panel to tears. I’ll write about this tug-of-war every week after each new episode of ANTM Cycle 10.
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February 24th, 2008 at 10:42 am
You should put all of your energies into watching “The Wire.” ASAP.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
“Good?” It’s not good, it’s probably the best dramatic television show of all-time–it’s excellent.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I agree, if Lost is television’s version of peanut butter -sweet and generally appealing to most tasters, but without the nutritional fortitude to maintain survival- then The Wire is broccoli - plenty of vitamins and roughage but its onerous taste (to some) may be caustic to a few diners.
It helps to have a theme song written by Tom Waits.
(here we are running off far from topic but I’d be happy to read about ANTM as long as its with your insight into the show)
February 29th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I totally hear what you’re saying about (gasp) TYRA BANKS being an important voice of reason to young girls. There was a Times article about a show she did about smoking, where the girls did a modeling shoot where they got uglified cancer and trachiotomy-style. And then Tyra sat ‘em down and talked to the audience/models about not smoking-which the former are supposedly not allowed to do anymore on camera. Apparently, it spoke to young girls who are all well aware that smoking is bad for you, but had no idea that it could make you, “like, UGLY.” Thanks Tyra, –no really. Somebody’s got to do it.