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” woman (or man within the later cycles) within the vogue trade. The mannequin contestants are put by way of quite a lot of challenges and photograph shoots – starting from critical runways to enjoyable commercials to interview-like “go-sees” with designers – within the try and crown a winner.

Little question about it, America’s Subsequent High Mannequin has produced some superb and memorable photograph shoots all through its long term. Nonetheless, being this lovely comes with a value, and ANTM has been lower than applicable in its therapy 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 bought 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.

10

The Highest of Heels

Cycle 6, Episode 4

Underneath the guise of “testing” their fashions, America’s Subsequent High Mannequin ceaselessly put contestants on harmful or humiliating catwalks, but it surely typically felt like bullying. From psychological torture like Cycle 6’s cockroach runway and Cycle 20’s vertical runway – hopefully the fashions weren’t afraid 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 could possibly 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 photograph shoots at nighttime.

A number of runways and challenges featured harmful walks for the fashions – a transferring carousel (Cycle 17), water orbs (Cycle 16), and a wobbling platform on water (Cycle 7) – so there was certain to be an harm or two. Through 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 harm, Danielle remained poised {and professional}.

9

Simply an Inch?

Cycle 5, Episode 4

Excessive makeovers had been a staple of ANTM, and the present appreciated to make use of them to instigate drama. From a Cruella De Vil look to a fauxhawk, Tyra knew how one can push the contestants’ appears and bounds. 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 lower, breaking down in tears. She was subsequently ridiculed by the judges for not being a greater sport about her haircut; they implied she must be grateful and embrace her new look. On the subsequent photograph shoot, when Jay Manuel instructed Cassandra that she’d be getting one other inch or two lower off, she refused. Jay, shocked about being instructed no, kicked her off the set, however Cassandra selected to go away the present on her phrases. If an inch wasn’t a giant deal, as Jay stored insisting, then she ought to’ve been allowed to maintain her present fashion. Tyra, as she typically does, used this as a “instructing second” for the opposite fashions, reinforcing the concept 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, typically leading to various levels of emotional misery. One frequent method to weed out fashions who’re “not prepared to compromise,” was by way of a nude or implied-nude photograph 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 dropped at a “Backyard of Eden”-inspired shoot for contact lenses. Paradoxically, the contact lenses could not even be seen within the ultimate 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 just 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 enamel? 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 enamel, telling her that it will not assist her be a Cowl Woman. Danielle stood agency and refused to get the work performed, stating that it added to her character 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 situation is very hypocritical given mannequin Chelsey Hersley‘s makeover in Cycle 15. Her distinctive smile, together with a niche between her entrance two enamel, 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 wished Danielle to haven’t any hole, after which they wished Chelsey to have a wider hole. The key appears to be: keep true to your self and do not change in an trade 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 trade has all the time been problematic when it comes to weight and look, and ANTM was no completely different. The sequence has praised extraordinarily skinny ladies like Ann Ward in Cycle 15, elevating issues over potential consuming issues. The judges gushed over her throughout casting, noting her impossibly small waist (Mr. Jay might match his palms fully round it!). Cassie Grisham, in Cycle 3, suffered an consuming dysfunction whereas on the present, revealed it to Tyra, refused to get assist, and bought eradicated. And the sequence describes fashions as “plus-sized” when they’re decidedly smaller than the typical American lady. Weight is clearly a giant subject for fashions.

Whereas it is all the time been bizarre to see normal-sized ladies described as plus-sized on ANTM, the fat-shaming was dropped at new ranges in Cycle 4. Keenyah Hill was repeatedly instructed in panel that she was chubby, or not slim sufficient. The mannequin defined that she eats when she’s burdened or underneath strain, 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 a degree to carry up how a lot photoshop the editors used on Keenyah to cover “her intestine.” Though Tyra did acknowledge that the modeling trade has powerful requirements, and he or she believed in Keenyah, sending her by way of to the subsequent week, the underlying message was clear.

5

Tragedy = Scores

Cycle 8, Episode 4

America’s Subsequent High Mannequin has put two contestants by way of excessive emotional turmoil with photograph shoots specializing in demise. In Cycle 4, Episode 8, mannequin Kahlen Rondot bought a cellphone name informing her of her highschool good friend’s passing in a automobile accident. The next day’s photograph 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 virtually quitting the present, she was given the sin of “Wrath” and was capable of set free her feelings and ache. Mr. Jay claims he did not know concerning the scenario earlier than he requested the opposite fashions on the day, and the panel awarded Kahlen with photograph of the week.

In Cycle 8 of ANTM, an analogous 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 bought the information that her shut good friend had handed away as a result of a drug overdose. That very same episode, the problem was a criminal offense scene photograph shoot, for which the fashions needed to pose as corpses. Jael was assigned a strangulation demise and located it understandably tough to pay attention. She was criticized for letting her feelings overwhelm her, and, not like 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 result of her being married and having a baby. Cycle 4’s Tiffany Richardson – in essentially the most quoted scene in High Mannequin historical past (“We had been all rooting for you!”) – alternatively, was humiliated by Tyra, with the choose cruelly mentioning 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 bought her formally forged in Cycle 14. Regardless of doing extraordinarily effectively on her season – she bought six top-three call-outs at panel, and received the go-see problem – she bought eradicated earlier than the finale. Angelea once more fell on laborious instances and resorted to intercourse work, which she instructed the ANTM group earlier than being forged in Cycle 17’s All-Star iteration. Apparently not a difficulty, Angelea received the title that cycle, however was disqualified after the very 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 eager to be hit on by different ladies. 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 ultimate images. Coming again as a contestant herself in Cycle 11, Isis was the primary overtly transgender mannequin within the sequence and confronted many microaggressions from different fashions and Tyra herself. In Episode 1, Isis’ gender id was questioned by the opposite fashions, and Tyra bought 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 temporary 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 after they really feel uncomfortable round male fashions. For instance, all the best way again in Cycle 1, eventual winner Adrianne Curry was assaulted on her go-sees in Paris, with the digicam 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 instructed 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 night time earlier than, regardless that she tearfully instructed 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 photograph shoot in Episode 3. Within the new industrial for a faux ANTM water, Kayla needed to recite her strains whereas rollerskating, after which finish by kissing a male mannequin. A member of the LGBTQ+ group, Kayla was already uncomfortable with the whole 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 way of her discomfort and perhaps get some remedy. As an alternative of adjusting the trajectory of the industrial by merely eradicating the kiss (which was superfluous anyway), ANTM primarily 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 girl who has made historical past a number of instances as a Black supermodel, it’s particularly questionable when racist habits was displayed. Generally 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 choose the stereotypical African hat, calling it low cost, the designer took offense, and instructed Yaya that her “African-ness is overbearing.” Cycle 21’s Chantelle Younger (now often called Winnie Harlow) was constantly referred to as “panda” (as a result of her vitilligo) by artistic marketing consultant Yu Tsai. When Chantelle expressed her issues over the time period and the way it may have an effect on viewers, Yu Tsai bought 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 meant).

Cycle 4’s infamous fifth episode, dubbed the “race swap” photograph shoot, included all of the contestants in its problematic habits. Whereas 2005 was “a special time,” it was nonetheless obvious to viewers and a few of the fashions that primarily 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 standard, not considering it was that deep, whereas others now have a look at it by way of a brand new lens and cringe. ANTM introduced the concept 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 ladies get their pores and skin lightened, and apparel that bolstered stereotypes. Whereas the sequence has argued that they had been attempting to rejoice cultures and variations by way of the shoots, followers have robust opinions about these problematic images, even all these years later.

Preserve Studying: The Finest ‘America’s Subsequent High Mannequin’ Photoshoots From Every Cycle