ANTM: ego/enlightenment of Tyra

I have watched America's Next Top Model faithfully since my former roommate introduced it to me (thank you xaprilx). It is always one of those horrible shows that I can't stop watching. I love that.

Some of the most uncomfortable moments happen in regards to race. Egomaniacal Tyra Banks blatantly uses the show as a vehicle to let us all know how enlightened she is. With race, sexuality, and gender coming up so frequently and in such random ways, it leaves me feeling it is, in large part, due to the coaxing of producers and editing. So, as Tyra attempts to create some dialogue on race (and sexuality/gender or any number of socially relevant issues) in an industry based on shallow objectification, we end up with 19 year old girls talking out their asses to get screen time while Tyra and her Jays employ as many big words and stereotypes as they seemingly can.

In this new Cycle 11, I felt like the show let on Isis (a transgender) so that Tyra could throw out "gay lesbian bisexual transgender" as many times as possible and earn some kind of solidarity points. (Not that Isis isn't as capable of posing and being thin as any of the other girls.)
(The scariest part was when the hater from South Carolina said that "he/she's" get killed where she is from and that isn't a matter of being closed minded- just traditional!)


Tyra awards the vegan lesbian with moving on to the next round with the jewel that being true to her beliefs got her through. I am sure the modeling industry is all about substance over style, huh?

Cycle 11 isn't the 1st season with an Asian contestant but everytime that girl, Sheena, comes on screen, she is accompanied by some racist comment from fellow contestants or the hosts. She is called "Oriental", "Korean Princess", told she moves like a "geisha" and then insecently compared to Kimora Lee (who is a different ethnicity and has nothing in common with her other than being tall, skinny, and part Asian).


The whole show is just chilly (thank you Dustin). Tyra is trying to promote some sort of kinder, gentler, progressive world of fake modeling. However, it just ends up promoting fucked up notions of race and unhealthy body image under the cloak of enlightened Liberalism.

Check out FourFour for a lot more coverage on this trainwreck.