Artsyfutsy's Blog

Recognize her?

Tyra Banks, retired supermodel

If you don’t, then you’ve probably been living under a rock.

Tyra Banks, supermodel-turned-media mogul, has risen to become probably one of the most recognizable faces on television in the last few years with the rising popularity of the reality television series, America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), co-produced and hosted by Banks herself.

ANTM Cycle 10 cast

As the brainchild of a person who has spent nearly half of her life strutting down runways and posing for photo shoots, the show, naturally, revolves around her life passion – modeling. The series, as its name suggests, is a competition which main aim is to provide a stepping stone for the contestants to break into the modeling industry, and, hopefully, find the next new face of the fashion world. Every cycle, 13 to 14 girls are chosen, out of a pool of applicants from all over the country, to compete on the show, where they are required to live together and compete with each other over a period of 13 weeks for the coveted title of America’s Next Top Model.

Over time, the show has been bashed by harsh critics as an ‘unrealistic portrayal’ of the actual industry and how it never fails to embarrass the girls on the judging panel and during shoots. As an avid follower of the series, I cannot deny that some of the critiques given to the contestants are indeed overly harsh, since Tyra and Co. simply can’t stand keeping quiet for two seconds without commenting on some ‘un-model-ly’ aspect of the girls. However, I do feel that some of the critiques, too, are a bit too harsh on the show. Here are a few reasons why:

1. “Unrealistic portrayal” 

Before we start cringing and going “OMG! Are they for real??!!” at the things that go on in the series, let’s face the facts – how many of us have actually BEEN a model? Or even known one or have been a part of the industry? For the average person, a taking a photograph ends after ‘stand, smile and do a cheesy pose’; for models, getting a good photograph means spending hour after hour taking countless photographs just to get that one shot that says it all.

For most of us, who live comfortably in ignorance, watching television at home, we do not know much, if any, about the workings or hardships of the modeling world. We do not have the experience or knowledge to base our judgments. And precisely because we know nothing about modeling, it is hence easy for us to make assumptions based on our abysmal expertise with taking photographs. The same goes for many of the critics who have bashed the show. Not many of them have actually been models, which is why they can condemn the show so easily – because they think you can only go so far to get a good picture. 

2. ‘Top Model’? Haven’t seen any. 

Giselle Bundchen, highest-paid model in the world

To those who say that the show hasn’t produced any notably recognizable faces, I’d like to ask a question: how many magazines are there out there that actually feature fashion spreads as a main? After the 90s, models have gradually gone into obscurity as celebrities started ruling the cover pages and ad campaigns. The general trend now is that celebrities are focal point of the public’s attention. Whether on ad billboards, fashion spreads or cover pages, faces of celebrities are everywhere. The tide has turned and the world now focuses much more on celebrities than on models. Celebrities, not models, are now the new icon of what’s ‘in’ and what’s not. Even fashion brands are turning towards celebrities to help them market their products. With so little attention bestowed upon them, how are models to ever see the light of day? 

3. ‘Reality T.V.’

There is a saying ‘Money makes the world go round’. In our modern society, money is the basis for everything we do – we study, work and do just about everything for the sake of earning that buck for our living. So television show producers, whose earnings are in direct proportion to the popularity of their shows, would naturally create their shows to suit the preference of their audience. Many critics accuse ANTM for ‘exaggerating the conflicts in the Top Model house’. The reason for that is very simple: Because conflict sells. Just take a look through the lists of the highest grossing movies. Many of them are shows heavily packed with fighting scenes or oriented around some conflict or the other. And if violence and conflict are what the audience desire, the producers will happily give it to them – because so long as their ratings soar, their wallets will remain nice and fat, which is by no means a bad thing. So who exactly then, is to blame for all of the ‘un-reality’ in the show?

It has been advised time and time again, that the media is not an accurate reflection of real life and viewers should remain objective to whatever they see on-screen. So critics, too, should take a step back to think –and consider whether they have truly discarded their bias and assumptions–, before getting all vocal and ranting about how T.V. is becoming visual trash.

All in all, what goes on on television is just that. A last word to all who still cringe upon seeing the exaggerated stuff on television: Take a break, have a Kit-kat. Come back, and take everything with a pinch of salt.

After all, how real can you get when you’re under the scrutiny of a camera –that broadcasts on national television, no less– 24/7?

~ e3m1n