10 Times ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Was Very Problematic

TRIGGER WARNING: This text discusses delicate matters that will upset readers.

You wanna be on prime? Created by tremendous mannequin Tyra Banks, popular culture sensation America’s Next Top Model ran for twenty-four seasons, or cycles as they’re referred to as. Tyra and a panel of rotating judges search to seek out the subsequent “It” woman (or man within the later cycles) within the trend business. The mannequin contestants are put via quite a lot of challenges and photograph shoots – starting from severe runways to enjoyable commercials to interview-like “go-sees” with designers – within the try to crown a winner.

Little question about it, America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin has produced some amazing and memorable photo shoots all through its long term. Nonetheless, being this stunning comes with a price, and ANTM has been lower than acceptable in its remedy of contestants. The collection particularly attracted extra scrutiny when viewers revisited outdated episodes in the course of the pandemic, with many followers questioning how ANTM received away with sure behaviors. That is nowhere close to a complete record, however listed below are a number of the most problematic moments in America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin historical past.

10

The Highest of Heels

Cycle 6, Episode 4

Underneath the guise of “testing” their fashions, America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin steadily put contestants on harmful or humiliating catwalks, nevertheless it typically felt like bullying. From psychological torture like Cycle 6’s cockroach runway and Cycle 20’s vertical runway – hopefully the fashions weren’t petrified of bugs or heights! – to bodily impossibilities just like the conveyor belt of Cycle 15 or the swinging pendulums that took out Alexandra Underwood in Cycle 14 – twice! – ANTM challenged their fashions in ridiculous methods. More often than not, the judges may very well be seen within the viewers laughing on the contestants’ struggles. They’ve made vision-impaired fashions stroll dimly lit runways, and hearing-impaired models do photo shoots at the hours of darkness.

A number of runways and challenges featured harmful walks for the fashions – a transferring carousel (Cycle 17), water orbs (Cycle 16), and a wobbling platform on water (Cycle 7) – so there was sure to be an damage or two. Throughout the panel in Cycle 6, Episode 4, the fashions had been made to put on extraordinarily excessive heels and stroll for the judges. Most of them struggled and plenty of fell, all whereas the judges giggled from their seats. Contestant Danielle Evans fell and twisted her ankle so badly that she got here again to judging with crutches. Regardless of her damage, Danielle remained poised {and professional}.

9

Simply an Inch?

Cycle 5, Episode 4

Excessive makeovers had been a staple of ANTM, and the present appreciated to make use of them to instigate drama. From a Cruella De Vil look to a fauxhawk, Tyra knew methods to push the contestants’ appears to be like and bounds. There have been rashy weaves, bizarre pretend beards, and extensions which have been put in and instantly taken out. In Cycle 5, Cassandra Jean Whitehead was Tyra’s target. With a background in pageantry, Cassandra had lengthy, brown hair that she was reluctant to chop. If a mannequin talked about a fear or concern of theirs, Tyra was certain to smell it out.

For her makeover, Cassandra was devastated when she was given a brief, blonde pixie minimize, breaking down in tears. She was subsequently ridiculed by the judges for not being a greater sport about her haircut; they implied she needs to be grateful and embrace her new look. On the subsequent photograph shoot, when Jay Manuel instructed Cassandra that she’d be getting one other inch or two minimize off, she refused. Jay, shocked about being instructed no, kicked her off the set, however Cassandra selected to go away the present on her phrases. If an inch wasn’t an enormous deal, as Jay stored insisting, then she ought to’ve been allowed to maintain her present fashion. Tyra, as she typically does, used this as a “educating second” for the opposite fashions, reinforcing the concept that their our bodies had been owned by the present.

8

Naked It All, or Depart

Cycle 2, Episode 1

America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin was identified for pushing the fashions outdoors their consolation zones, typically leading to various levels of emotional misery. One frequent approach to weed out fashions who’re “not prepared to compromise,” was via a nude or implied-nude photograph shoot. In Cycle 1, they held off till the highest few contestants, however in Cycle 2, they used this tactic in Episode 1, when the contestants had been delivered to a “Backyard of Eden”-inspired shoot for contact lenses. Paradoxically, the contact lenses could not even be seen within the last product.

Anna Bradfield, a spouse and mom, felt uncomfortable with the physique paint and implied nudity within the shoot, which additionally featured a nude male mannequin, and expressed her issues to photographer and choose Nigel Barker. He tried to coerce her into the shoot, however she stood her floor and Nigel kicked her off the set. That very same day, one other mannequin overslept and arrived late, however she did take part within the shoot. At panel, the judges gave each ladies a verbal lashing, with many of the vitriol directed at Anna, who remained steadfast in her morals. For sure, Anna served as a warning to the opposite ladies that physique autonomy isn’t prioritized within the collection.

7

A Hole-Toothed Hypocrisy

Cycle 15, Episode 3

Altering your hair for ANTM is one factor, however altering your physique or enamel? It appears absurd, and it did to Danielle in Cycle 6 as nicely. The judges implored her to shut the hole between her entrance two enamel, telling her that it will not assist her be a Cowl Lady. Danielle stood agency and refused to get the work completed, stating that it added to her persona and look. The judges chastised her and used their passive aggressiveness to precise their disappointment in her. Nonetheless, Danielle caught to her weapons and left with the Cycle 6 ANTM crown.

This complete state of affairs is very hypocritical given mannequin Chelsey Hersley‘s makeover in Cycle 15. Her distinctive smile, together with a spot between her entrance two enamel, was praised by the judges. For the makeover episode, they requested her to widen the hole, so she went off to the dentist. First, the judges wished Danielle to don’t have any hole, after which they wished Chelsey to have a wider hole. The key appears to be: keep true to your self and do not change in an industry with fickle beauty standards. And even in spite of everything of that, Chelsey did not even win her cycle (however she was runner-up).

6

Fats-Shaming

Cycle 4, Episode 9

The modeling business has all the time been problematic by way of weight and look, and ANTM was no totally different. The collection has praised extraordinarily skinny girls like Ann Ward in Cycle 15, elevating issues over potential consuming issues. The judges gushed over her throughout casting, noting her impossibly small waist (Mr. Jay may match his palms completely round it!). Cassie Grisham, in Cycle 3, suffered an consuming dysfunction whereas on the present, revealed it to Tyra, refused to get assist, and received eradicated. And the collection describes fashions as “plus-sized” when they’re decidedly smaller than the typical American girl. Weight is clearly a big issue for fashions.

Whereas it is all the time been bizarre to see normal-sized girls described as plus-sized on ANTM, the fat-shaming was delivered to new ranges in Cycle 4. Keenyah Hill was repeatedly instructed in panel that she was obese, or not slim sufficient. The mannequin defined that she eats when she’s burdened or beneath strain, which naturally comes with the competitors collection. The judges humiliated Keenyah by assigning her “Gluttony” in a seven lethal sins shoot. And, in Episode 9, Mr. Jay designated her the elephant throughout an animal-inspired shoot. Throughout panel, Tyra made some extent to convey up how a lot photoshop the editors used on Keenyah to cover “her intestine.” Though Tyra did acknowledge that the modeling business has powerful requirements, and he or she believed in Keenyah, sending her via to the subsequent week, the underlying message was clear.

5

Tragedy = Rankings

Cycle 8, Episode 4

America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin has put two contestants via excessive emotional turmoil with photograph shoots specializing in loss of life. In Cycle 4, Episode 8, mannequin Kahlen Rondot received a telephone name informing her of her highschool pal’s passing in a automotive accident. The next day’s photograph shoot featured the fashions embodying the seven lethal sins, and from the underside of an 8-foot precise grave – in a coffin. Kahlen’s turmoil was clear however, regardless of virtually quitting the present, she was given the sin of “Wrath” and was in a position to let loose her feelings and ache. Mr. Jay claims he did not know in regards to the scenario earlier than he requested the opposite fashions on the day, and the panel awarded Kahlen with photograph of the week.

In Cycle 8 of ANTM, the same factor occurred with contestant Jael Strauss. After a painful and unsuccessful makeover (an extended weave was put in for over eight hours, and instantly eliminated), Jael received the information that her shut pal had handed away attributable to a drug overdose. That very same episode, the problem was against the law scene photograph shoot, for which the fashions needed to pose as corpses. Jael was assigned a strangulation loss of life and located it understandably tough to pay attention. She was criticized for letting her feelings overwhelm her, and, not like Kahlen, landed towards the underside of the pack. This example was made extra ominous when, in 2018, Jael handed away after battling breast most cancers.

4

Simply Kidding!

Cycle 17, Episode 12

ANTM has all the time judged the fashions for his or her pasts and private lives, even when claiming to not. Cycle 2’s Anna was mocked and eradicated for being too “pure” attributable to her being married and having a baby. Cycle 4’s Tiffany Richardson – in essentially the most quoted scene in Prime Mannequin historical past (“We had been all rooting for you!”) – alternatively, was humiliated by Tyra, with the choose cruelly mentioning Tiffany’s troubled previous with medicine and her not with the ability to help her child. In a grim show of the “virgin/whore” hypocrisy, fashions had been severely judged by their private lives, generally extra so than their modeling expertise.

Angelea Preston is a transparent case. Coming simply shy of constructing Cycle 12, Angelea was up entrance about her troubled previous, however her tenacity introduced her again and received her formally solid in Cycle 14. Regardless of doing extraordinarily nicely on her season – she received six top-three call-outs at panel, and gained the go-see problem – she received eradicated earlier than the finale. Angelea once more fell on exhausting instances and resorted to intercourse work, which she instructed the ANTM crew earlier than being solid in Cycle 17’s All-Star iteration. Apparently not a problem, Angelea gained the title that cycle, however was disqualified after the very fact for her honesty about her earlier work as an escort. In a hypocritical transfer, the finale was reshot to crown Lisa D’Amato the winner, with Angelea nowhere in sight.

3

Transphobia

Cycle 11, Episode 1

Whereas America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin featured many LGBTQ+ contestants over its many cycles, these members weren’t all the time handled nicely. Kim Stolz in Cycle 5, for instance, was given the side-eye by the hetero fashions, with a number of of them making insensitive feedback about not eager to be hit on by different girls. Kim was additionally questioned by Tyra throughout her preliminary casting audition, with Tyra implying Kim ought to tone down her delight, and in panel Kim was referred to as “unapproachable.”

Mannequin Isis King first appeared as a background mannequin for the Cycle 10 contestants, and stole the highlight within the last images. Coming again as a contestant herself in Cycle 11, Isis was the primary brazenly transgender mannequin within the collection and confronted many microaggressions from different fashions and Tyra herself. In Episode 1, Isis’ gender id was questioned by the opposite fashions, and Tyra received private in asking about Isis’ transition. It was good to see future actor Analeigh Tipton bond with Isis throughout her hormone injections in Episode 2, however when a mannequin pushed Isis away from her within the pool that very same episode, the unfairness was obvious. Isis confirmed class and development throughout her temporary stint on Cycle 11, coming again as an All Star in Cycle 17.

2

Consent Was NOT Given

Cycle 15, Episode 8

ANTM has a historical past of not serving to the fashions once they really feel uncomfortable round male fashions. For instance, all the way in which again in Cycle 1, eventual winner Adrianne Curry was assaulted on her go-sees in Paris, with the digicam crew doing nothing to assist. Keenyah from Cycle 4 had a problem with a male mannequin she needed to pose with. He was whispering sexual issues in her ear and touching her inappropriately. After tolerating it for a second, Keenyah defined her frustrations to Mr. Jay, who instructed her to suck it up and proceed modeling. Then, at panel, the judges chastised her for making the scenario worse by talking up for herself. Equally, Jaeda Younger (who had a boyfriend) from Cycle 7 needed to have a kissing scene with a mannequin who had degraded her verbally the night time earlier than, regardless that she tearfully instructed Mr. Jay she was uncomfortable interacting intimately with a racist.

However one of many worst moments of ANTM letting their fashions down on this regard was throughout a industrial shoot with Kayla Ferrel, who had beforehand addressed her discomfort with male fashions in an angel photograph shoot in Episode 3. Within the new industrial for a pretend ANTM water, Kayla needed to recite her strains whereas rollerskating, after which finish by kissing a male mannequin. A member of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, Kayla was already uncomfortable with the whole interplay, however she had additionally been sexually abused in her previous. When she tearfully revealed to Mr. Jay about how her trauma was affecting her. He defaulted to telling her to push via her discomfort and perhaps get some remedy. As an alternative of adjusting the trajectory of the industrial by merely eradicating the kiss (which was superfluous anyway), ANTM basically made Kayla relive her trauma, after which judged her for it.

1

Racism

Cycle 4, Episode 5

For a collection spearheaded by Tyra Banks, a lady who has made historical past a number of instances as a Black supermodel, it’s particularly questionable when racist habits was displayed. Typically these microaggressions had been focused at particular contestants, like Cycle 3’s Yaya DaCosta. In Episode 8’s panel, the fashions needed to choose a hat to mannequin. When Yaya did not decide the stereotypical African hat, calling it low cost, the designer took offense, and instructed Yaya that her “African-ness is overbearing.” Cycle 21’s Chantelle Younger (now generally known as Winnie Harlow) was repeatedly referred to as “panda” (attributable to her vitilligo) by inventive marketing consultant Yu Tsai. When Chantelle expressed her issues over the time period and the way it may have an effect on viewers, Yu Tsai received defensive and mentioned that she did not “deserve the nickname” anyway – he’d as an alternative name her “porcupine,” utterly lacking her level (no pun meant).

Cycle 4’s infamous fifth episode, dubbed the “race swap” photograph shoot, included all of the contestants in its problematic habits. Whereas 2005 was “a distinct time,” it was nonetheless obvious to viewers and a number of the fashions that basically getting blackface to pose as an individual of shade, and vice versa, was not okay. A number of members within the shoot have since come ahead with diverse views; some had been simply modeling as common, not pondering it was that deep, whereas others now take a look at it via a brand new lens and cringe. ANTM introduced the concept again in Cycle 13 for a biracial shoot; the fashions could be dressed as two ethnicities mixed. This shoot once more noticed lighter complexions get darkened with make-up, darker girls get their pores and skin lightened, and apparel that bolstered stereotypes. Whereas the collection has argued that they had been making an attempt to have a good time cultures and variations via the shoots, followers have sturdy opinions about these problematic images, even all these years later.

Preserve Studying: The Best ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Photoshoots From Each Cycle