America's Next Top Model might just be the most iconic reality franchise to ever grace the small
screen. With a mega-famous host, jaw-dropping challenges, and plenty of over-the-top-drama,
this competition modeling show has it all. But not everything is what it seems on ANTM.
Here's the dish on the false information you can definitely stop believing.
"You wanna be on top?" As the title of the show would imply,
America's Next Top Model is all about the search for the next hot model to take the
fashion world by storm. After all, the grand prize for each cycle is an industry modeling contract,
on top of other perks. But that doesn't mean it's easy for former contestants to
find fame after the show. As Cycle 3 contestant Yaya DaCosta revealed,
a bad reputation followed her after the cameras wrapped. She told Complex,
"There was such a stigma in Hollywood, and people don't realize that. The very directors and writers
that were hiring me had just gotten their shows denied by a network because a new reality show
was taking up that time slot, so the stigma didn't just have to do with being a model,
it was reality TV in general. You didn't talk about it. It wasn't on your résumé."
"They just think it's a lot easier than it is. And it's not. It's hard. Takes a lot of
grinding and I hibernated for a long time"
O.G. host Tyra Banks and the judges' panel have always thrown a wide net as far as diversity,
but that doesn't mean the show itself has always featured the same sorts of faces.
In fact, it wasn't until 2018 that the show slightly-more-regularly featured plus-sized
contestants, women of color, and even an older model. At the time, Banks said via Us Weekly,
"America's Next Top Model has changed the definition of beauty, and empowered women
when they needed it the most. We celebrate the beauty in all of us: all shapes, all sizes,
and all colors. The fight continues to show you that you are beautiful."
Even though the show didn't exactly portray it, Banks had an aspirational
view of the model lineup throughout the show's run, telling Vulture,
"I had what we called at the time a plus-size
girl. Now they're calling them curvy girls. I've had transgender girls.
All these things that weren't necessarily cool or in the mainstream when we did it."
"Trans people work so hard to build yourself up, as the person you feel that you've always been"
But as Mic pointed out, that promise of inclusivity has never really become reality
on the show. Even during the most diverse season of the show in 2018, production
eliminated almost all of the women of color and plus-sized contestants before the Top 14.
As one of the most successful supermodels of all time,
it's no wonder that Banks was the host of America's Next Top Model for so long.
"It was an out of body experience. She was like a real life Barbie doll"
Of course, someone so immersed in the modeling industry would surely have great pointers for
a group of contestants just starting out. Right? Well, it turns out that, for at least
one former contestant, Banks' mentoring style was a lot harsher than it appeared.
Former Top Model Tiffany Richardson detailed her experience, telling BuzzFeed,
"Every time I did something wrong, I'd shut down a little bit more, and it just got to
the point where I was over it. I felt like we were just there to be humiliated. It was like,
'What the f--- [else] could we do to them?'"
"I have a new strategy. I'm being Tiffany, like either love it or hate me for it"
Richardson also claimed that, though it was edited out of the show,
there was a point when Banks had yelled at her, allegedly telling her, quote,
"Go back to your house and sleep on your mattress on the floor with your baby."
"It's really hard."
But it's not completely true to think that Banks doesn't care at all about the contestants on the
show. During one of the most iconic moments from the series, in 2005, Banks got extremely
mad at Richardson, leading to the iconic "We were rooting for you" we all know and love.
"When my mother yells like this it's because she loves me. I was rooting for you,
we were all rooting for you, how dare you"
But all Banks was feeling in that moment, was love. She told BuzzFeed News,
"It was such an emotional, visceral moment for me. I had so much love for
this girl. […] It can be very harsh, but the real industry is harsher."
As much as reality shows like to maintain the front that they are completely real and
unscripted, we all know not many actually are. While there might not be traditional
scripts like sitcoms or movies, producers will often push contestants in certain directions
and even stir up the drama so viewers stay tuned in. Just take The Bachelor, for example. But on
America's Next Top Model, there was definitely no script. In fact, Cycle 9 contestant Sarah
Hartshorne claimed there was enough conflict for the show on its own, telling Bustle,
"They didn't need a script because they knew what we were going to do before we
did. And that was drama enough. Everybody's a b---- sometimes. Now imagine the second
you feel less than awesome there's a camera two inches from your face."
"Lisa is insecure. It's very annoying. Like Debbie Downer"
While America's Next Top Model, and Banks, in particular, like to operate
under the impression that the show has been progressive, that isn't exactly true. In fact,
the show hasn't really done too much to change the modeling industry's views on size,
despite Banks' claims that they have. Banks told BuzzFeed News,
"I do feel like girls everywhere either feel better about themselves
or are recognizing certain things that aren't like the stereotype as beautiful.
I think Top Model has a lot to do with that, and I think it's worldwide."
But as BuzzFeed News pointed out, there is no real world evidence of this.
Even in 2016, curvy model Ashley Graham claimed designers had
difficulty dressing her for the cover of British Vogue, according to National Post.
"Women of all shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicities, are beautiful"
The modeling industry may be becoming more diverse, but as far as we can tell,
ANTM has nothing to do with that.
Though Banks has long been the host and head judge of the show, she hasn't always loved the
job. Banks even claimed that she almost left the show back in 2007, telling Entertainment Weekly,
"Many years ago, I was stressed with starting new businesses.
I went to [my lawyer] and I was like, you know what, I'm ready to bring someone else
in. […] I was so tired. [But] I was like, fine, fine, I'll just continue."
"Sorry, but not sorry, we're about to throw you straight into the deep end"
When she handed the reins over to Rita Ora for Cycle 23,
she said it was, quote, "Something that's been on the tip of my fingers for so long,
so it wasn't necessarily difficult. It was actually exciting."
Just because a person's landed a reality show and there are cameras
around at all times doesn't necessarily mean they'll be on their best behavior.
And if you watch any reality TV, you know the opposite is largely true — and that's what makes
it so fun to watch. But on America's Next Top Model, bad behavior took on a whole new meaning.
According to TMZ, back in Cycle 10, contestants got into some hot water for causing $500,000 worth
of damage to a Manhattan loft in which they were staying. Sources revealed to the outlet,
"The place was 'trashed,' and […] the management
company has had 'serious' problems with their not-so-model neighbors."
"It was so bad" One of the downsides to
being on a reality show is that you lose a lot of personal freedoms. From having to live with
other contestants to not being able to see your own family and friends while filming,
there are a lot of negative aspects to aspiring toward reality stardom. But one thing you can
stop thinking about, when it comes to America's Next Top Model, is that the contestants can sneak
phone time whenever they want — because they definitely can't. Cycle 20's Don Benjamin — one
of the most successful contestants to ever grace the show — told BuzzFeed,
"We had maybe five minutes [of] phone call time a week,
so it was really hard to not be able to talk to nobody, to know what was going
on in the regular world. There was no news. We all kept each other pretty entertained."
"Five minutes"
Only being able to use your phone for five minutes per week doesn't sound all that ideal,
but as always, the models made it work. In 2012, there was quite a bit of tabloid
drama surrounding some casting decisions on the show, with Page Six reporting,
"Tyra Banks swung the ax at her longtime America's Next Top Model co-stars
J. Alexander, Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker yesterday,
dismissing three of the competition's longest-running personalities in one fell swoop."
While the outlet made it sound like there was drama behind the decision,
it doesn't seem to actually be the case. J. Alexander later told Perez Hilton,
"I was never fired, get the record straight"
"My contract was just not renewed."
Alexander went on to add that he was also not currently afraid of Tyra,
as Hilton had seemed to suggest. It would be impossible to discuss modeling without
also touching on the rampant eating disorders that have plagued the industry for years.
According to The Establishment, America's Next Top Model has actually reinforced harmful behaviors.
"Let's play a game and see who has an eating disorder."
"Ain't nobody got no eating disorder."
"All ya'll are skinny."
"Why would you say something like that?"
"Because I wanted to"
During Cycle 12, London had been honest in sharing that she struggled with an eating disorder,
but was still put through the ringer for her body, allegedly thanks to creative director Jay Manuel.
"You can tell me honestly, has she gained a lot of weight? She's gotten very big"
The outlet reported,
"When formerly anorexic and bulimic Lauren 'London' Levi put on some weight during cycle 12,
[Jay Manuel] scolded the eighteen-year-old for this 'really shocking' development,
[saying,] 'It's just clear that you're not taking care of your body. […] As a model you're expected
to treat your body like a temple.' Then, the […] eighteen-year-old was eliminated."
"I literally walked off that stage, and I was like ugh, it just hurt me at the time"
As a reality show with a pretty awesome prize for the winners, you might assume that America's Next
Top Model is a pretty cushy gig for all the contestants. After all, you get to live in a
sweet setup, shoot with legendary photographers, and yeah, star on a TV show. But really, that
couldn't be further from the truth. In addition to being isolated from friends and family,
dealing with harsh critiques from the judges, and not being able to use a phone, the contestants
also have to endure extremely long days while filming the show. As Don Benjamin told BuzzFeed,
"Oh my God, we were there for like 13 hours at least
every day. We'd get up at five in the morning, get home at midnight."
"This shoot is definitely the most uncomfortable I've ever been. Not only is my body uncomfortable,
my face is uncomfortable, and I know I'm not performing to the best of my ability"
Shooting the judges' panel was also reportedly challenging, with Benjamin adding,
"We're up there all day. It's freezing in there. Your legs are shaking,
because you're like, Did I do good? Panel is very stressful."
As with most reality shows, America's Next Top Model featured many so-called "confessionals," in
which the contestants got a chance to speak their mind about the experience. ANTM is no different,
but a lot of people assume that confessionals were optional — which they definitely weren't.
In fact, contestants had to do a confessional every single night. Benjamin told BuzzFeed,
"I think we did 20 or 30 minutes a night, everybody."
"I know that I belong in the competition, I know that I can be a model. I know that I deserve this"
Of course, the show didn't air every confessional. Cycle 20's Mike Scocozza explained,
"They hardly used any of that footage. I'm sure there's some really good stuff
on there. […] I [would] get drunk and fall asleep. That's what happens."
"If you want it that bad you better figure it out"
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