Being a big fan who have chased after every single cycles and episodes of the America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), I decided to use observations I have made from the show on the wiki page for this gender studies module. So I tried to recall certain personalities or features of the show that stood out drastically and that’s when many unconventional notions of gender and sexuality, and challenges to the feminine ideal that occurred throughout the show began popping up in my mind!

Executive producer of ANTM, Ken Mok: “redefining what beauty is, is one of Tyra’s original missions for the show.”

Size matters

As seen from advertisements in magazines and runways, models embody feminine beauty ideals by being tall and skinny. This is often also the basic requirements that needed to be met in model agencies’ selection of their models. However, on ANTM, we see acceptance of models that faced difficulties to be recruited by typical modelling agencies, either because they were too fat (you mean, average size??) or too short. The show’s acknowledgement of the relevance of plus-size models in the fashion industry is displayed with the emergence of, Whitney Thompson, a plus-sized model as Cycle 10’s winner, who is the first full-figured winner in ANTM’s history. Other plus-sized contestants on ANTM include Alexandra Underwood from Cycle 14 and Toccara Jones from Cycle 3. However, the winning of a plus-sized model was definitely a meaningful moment as it proves to the audience that physical beauty is not equated to one’s clothing size. In fact, Tyra often used herself as an example to point to the girls that one does not have to be skinny to be beautiful, as she has gained 10kgs after she stopped modelling but yet she felt happier now.


Alexandra Underwood Whitney Thompson


Also, the creative director of the show, Jay Manuel, who is in-charge of guiding the contestants, mentioned in an interview that a reason why he joined the business was because he believes that having a man to empower women is important for ANTM. As such, he often encourages the models to maintain a healthy body so as to alter females’ perception of ideal beauty. In addition, to prevent inappropriate messages on body image from being sent across the ANTM audience, who are largely young females who are still highly influenced by the media messages, models who are too skinny are eliminated. One notorious example is Anamaria Mirdita who was sent home because of concerns that her poor body image may send the wrong messages to the girls out there, as Tyra felt that Anamaria’s body doesn't look healthy and it makes her very uncomfortable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btSHw_knb-A

Too short?

Other than one’s body size, females are also concerned about their height and often sighed about how they wish they were born taller, which may impact their self-confidence negatively. This is especially important in the modelling industry unless the model is willing to be limited to commercial photoshoots. To resist against such standards of “tall and beautiful” in the modelling industry, ANTM Cycle 13 was dedicated to petite girls, with limits of height set to 5’7’’ feet.



There are also other challenges to the conventional gender and sexuality in the show:

Lesbian and transgender

In ANTM, it is observable that the lesbian models are open about their sexuality and how this difference is embraced by Tyra and the other contestants although gossips about the lesbian model occurred at times. An unforgettable scene in Cycle 5 involved the lesbian model, Kimberly Stolz, kissing another girl in the competition, and then feeling guilty that she had betrayed her girlfriend outside. Other than Kim, another lesbian contestant in ANTM is Cycle 15’s Kayla Ferrel.

Another, or perhaps the most shocking contestant in ANTM, would definitely be Isis King from Cycle 11 who till today is one of the most visible transgender on US television. her participation on the show was approved by the executive producers as it challenges the hegemonic ideal beauty that is so firmly rooted in the society.



For anyone who is interested in the analysis of ANTM in terms of challenging gender stereotypes and gender roles, I highly recommend you click on this link:
http://knol.google.com/k/america-s-next-top-model#


sources:
http://www.suite101.com/content/jay-manuel-talks-body-image-a22685
http://antm411.wordpress.com/