TRIGGER WARNING: This text discusses delicate subjects that will upset readers.
You wanna be on high? Created by tremendous mannequin Tyra Banks, popular culture sensation America’s Subsequent High Mannequin ran for twenty-four seasons, or cycles as they’re referred to as. Tyra and a panel of rotating judges search to search out the subsequent “It” lady (or man within the later cycles) within the style business. The mannequin contestants are put by means of quite a lot of challenges and picture shoots – starting from critical runways to enjoyable commercials to interview-like “go-sees” with designers – within the try to crown a winner.
Little doubt about it, America’s Subsequent High Mannequin has produced some superb and memorable picture shoots all through its long term. Nonetheless, being this lovely comes with a price, and ANTM has been lower than acceptable in its remedy of contestants. The sequence particularly attracted extra scrutiny when viewers revisited previous episodes in the course of the pandemic, with many followers questioning how ANTM obtained away with sure behaviors. That is nowhere close to a complete checklist, however listed here are a few of the most problematic moments in America’s Subsequent High Mannequin historical past.
- Launch Date
-
Could 19, 2003
- Forged
-
Tyra Banks
, Jay Manuel
, Nigel Barker
, J. Alexander
, Kelly Cutrone
, Twiggy
, André Leon Talley
, Janice Dickinson - Major Style
-
Actuality
- Creator(s)
-
Tyra Banks
- Seasons
-
24
10
The Highest of Heels
Cycle 6, Episode 4
Beneath the guise of “testing” their fashions, America’s Subsequent High Mannequin regularly put contestants on harmful or humiliating catwalks, but it surely usually felt like bullying. From psychological torture like Cycle 6’s cockroach runway and Cycle 20’s vertical runway – hopefully the fashions weren’t terrified 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 might be seen within the viewers laughing on the contestants’ struggles. They’ve made vision-impaired fashions stroll dimly lit runways, and hearing-impaired fashions do picture shoots at midnight.
A number of runways and challenges featured harmful walks for the fashions – a shifting 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. In the course of 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 lots 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 preferred to make use of them to instigate drama. From a Cruella De Vil look to a fauxhawk, Tyra knew how you can push the contestants’ appears to be like and limits. There have been rashy weaves, bizarre faux beards, and extensions which were put in and instantly taken out. In Cycle 5, Cassandra Jean Whitehead was Tyra’s goal. 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 positive to smell it out.
For her makeover, Cassandra was devastated when she was given a brief, blonde pixie reduce, breaking down in tears. She was subsequently ridiculed by the judges for not being a greater sport about her haircut; they implied she ought to be grateful and embrace her new look. On the subsequent picture shoot, when Jay Manuel informed Cassandra that she’d be getting one other inch or two reduce off, she refused. Jay, shocked about being informed no, kicked her off the set, however Cassandra selected to depart 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 model. Tyra, as she usually 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 High Mannequin was identified for pushing the fashions exterior their consolation zones, usually leading to various levels of emotional misery. One widespread strategy to weed out fashions who’re “not prepared to compromise,” was by means of a nude or implied-nude picture 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. Evidently, Anna served as a warning to the opposite ladies that physique autonomy isn’t prioritized within the sequence.
7
A Hole-Toothed Hypocrisy
Cycle 15, Episode 3
Altering your hair for ANTM is one factor, however altering your physique or tooth? It appears absurd, and it did to Danielle in Cycle 6 as effectively. The judges implored her to shut the hole between her entrance two tooth, telling her that it could 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 specific their disappointment in her. Nonetheless, Danielle caught to her weapons and left with the Cycle 6 ANTM crown.
This complete state of affairs is particularly hypocritical given mannequin Chelsey Hersley‘s makeover in Cycle 15. Her distinctive smile, together with a spot between her entrance two tooth, 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 needed Danielle to haven’t any hole, after which they needed Chelsey to have a wider hole. The key appears to be: keep true to your self and do not change in an business with fickle magnificence requirements. 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 completely different. The sequence has praised extraordinarily skinny girls like Ann Ward in Cycle 15, elevating issues over potential consuming problems. The judges gushed over her throughout casting, noting her impossibly small waist (Mr. Jay might match his palms totally round it!). Cassie Grisham, in Cycle 3, suffered an consuming dysfunction whereas on the present, revealed it to Tyra, refused to get assist, and obtained eradicated. And the sequence describes fashions as “plus-sized” when they’re decidedly smaller than the typical American girl. Weight is clearly an enormous challenge 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 informed in panel that she was obese, or not slim sufficient. The mannequin defined that she eats when she’s burdened or below stress, which naturally comes with the competitors sequence. 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 deliver 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 by means of to the subsequent week, the underlying message was clear.
5
Tragedy = Rankings
Cycle 8, Episode 4
America’s Subsequent High Mannequin has put two contestants by means of excessive emotional turmoil with picture shoots specializing in dying. In Cycle 4, Episode 8, mannequin Kahlen Rondot obtained a telephone name informing her of her highschool good friend’s passing in a automobile accident. The next day’s picture 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 nearly quitting the present, she was given the sin of “Wrath” and was in a position to set free 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 picture of the week.
In Cycle 8 of ANTM, an identical 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 obtained the information that her shut good friend had handed away as a consequence of a drug overdose. That very same episode, the problem was a criminal offense scene picture shoot, for which the fashions needed to pose as corpses. Jael was assigned a strangulation dying and located it understandably troublesome to pay attention. She was criticized for letting her feelings overwhelm her, and, in contrast to 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” as a consequence of her being married and having a baby. Cycle 4’s Tiffany Richardson – in probably the most quoted scene in High Mannequin historical past (“We had been all rooting for you!”) – then again, was humiliated by Tyra, with the choose cruelly citing Tiffany’s troubled previous with medication and her not having 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 obtained her formally solid in Cycle 14. Regardless of doing extraordinarily effectively on her season – she obtained six top-three call-outs at panel, and gained the go-see problem – she obtained eradicated earlier than the finale. Angelea once more fell on exhausting instances and resorted to intercourse work, which she informed the ANTM crew earlier than being solid in Cycle 17’s All-Star iteration. Apparently not a difficulty, Angelea gained the title that cycle, however was disqualified after the actual 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 High Mannequin featured many LGBTQ+ contestants over its many cycles, these individuals weren’t all the time handled effectively. 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 desirous 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 satisfaction, 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 photographs. Coming again as a contestant herself in Cycle 11, Isis was the primary brazenly transgender mannequin within the sequence and confronted many microaggressions from different fashions and Tyra herself. In Episode 1, Isis’ gender identification was questioned by the opposite fashions, and Tyra obtained 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 bias was obvious. Isis confirmed class and development throughout her transient 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 digital camera crew doing nothing to assist. Keenyah from Cycle 4 had a difficulty 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 informed 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 evening earlier than, despite the fact that she tearfully informed 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 picture shoot in Episode 3. Within the new industrial for a faux ANTM water, Kayla needed to recite her traces whereas rollerskating, after which finish by kissing a male mannequin. A member of the LGBTQ+ group, Kayla was already uncomfortable with all the 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 by means of her discomfort and perhaps get some remedy. As a substitute 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 sequence 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 informed Yaya that her “African-ness is overbearing.” Cycle 21’s Chantelle Younger (now often known as Winnie Harlow) was repeatedly referred to as “panda” (as a consequence of her vitilligo) by inventive advisor Yu Tsai. When Chantelle expressed her issues over the time period and the way it would possibly have an effect on viewers, Yu Tsai obtained defensive and mentioned that she did not “deserve the nickname” anyway – he’d as a substitute name her “porcupine,” fully lacking her level (no pun supposed).
Cycle 4’s infamous fifth episode, dubbed the “race swap” picture shoot, included all of the contestants in its problematic habits. Whereas 2005 was “a distinct time,” it was nonetheless obvious to viewers and a few of the fashions that basically getting blackface to pose as an individual of shade, and vice versa, was not okay. A number of individuals within the shoot have since come ahead with diversified views; some had been simply modeling as normal, not considering it was that deep, whereas others now take a look at it by means of a brand new lens and cringe. ANTM introduced the thought again in Cycle 13 for a biracial shoot; the fashions can 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 strengthened stereotypes. Whereas the sequence has argued that they had been attempting to rejoice cultures and variations by means of the shoots, followers have sturdy opinions about these problematic photographs, even all these years later.
