I have to admit that between around 2003 and 2010 I watched America’s Next Top Model. Not every cycle, but definitely enough to have an opinion. I was almost as young as the contestants (1st cycles), and perhaps just as naive. I believed what Tyra said about them becoming the next big things in the modeling world, about the contracts that would supposedly come flowing in like bees to honey.
Well, decades later, with many more years and much more awareness under our belts, we now know the truth. The show was toxic. Tyra was toxic. The whole production was toxic. Those poor young gazelles were thrown into a lion’s den with no real help or guidance. I truly feel sorry for them. They were manipulated to such an extent that they were made to suffer simply for millions of views.
What went wrong? Everything. It is as simple as that.
The concept itself was new, fresh, and exciting. Who was not inspired and seduced by the modeling world, the glitz and the glamour? In the 90s-00's, many of us teenagers were obsessed with top models. They seemed to have it all: beauty, fame, money. We were fed an image that we dreamed about, but deep down it was extremely damaging and unrealistic. It contributed to so many eating disorders. Unfortunately, I can confirm that I suffered, and still struggle, with an eating disorder. That world is not entirely to blame, but it certainly did not help.
Going back to the concept, I will not lie: it was exciting. We believed in the show. We believed those girls were opening doors to real opportunities. We believed it, just like they did, and we embraced the show wholeheartedly.
But cycle after cycle, the same concept became more extreme, more dramatic, almost crazier. I began to notice that something felt off. One of the first things that stood out to me was the judging after photoshoots. Each contestant would stand in front of the judges while a huge image of their “best” photo was displayed on the screen. Yet for some contestants, the chosen picture was clearly not flattering. Tyra and her team would say, “This is your best shot,” even when it looked awful.
And that is where I started questioning things. Twenty-four hours earlier, photographers like Nigel Barker would have taken, I assume, hundreds of photos of each contestant, not just a dozen. These were professionals. Their job was to capture the best possible image. The contestants also had full teams of makeup artists, hairstylists, and stylists. So how could the “best” photo sometimes look so bad?
Even back then, I was suspicious. The best one? Really? Show us all the pictures. Let the viewers decide. I refuse to believe that those contestants produced only bad photos. Perhaps some were average, but I am convinced that each of them produced strong images. It often felt like decisions were already made for the sake of drama. If you were selected to go home secretely of course, the edit would make sure it happened, regardless of your actual performance. It was done for the ratings. Nothing more.
Then there was the body shaming. Even back then, I was overweight, and I would have given anything to look like what the show called a “plus-size model.” They were not plus-size. They were healthy. They represented what many real women look like. It never sat right with me. Something inside me knew it was wrong. The very thin contestants were praised, while the curvier women were subtly or openly shamed. It felt off. I did not like it.
That was already my opinion at the time. As I watched more cycles, I began to recognize the toxicity more clearly. I am sure I was not the only one. Back then, however, these discussions were not as common. We did not speak openly about fat shaming or manipulation. We also did not know what was happening behind closed doors. Now we know that the girls were filmed almost 24/7, and that editors and producers shaped footage to create exaggerated or even entirely false storylines for entertainment.
Now we have the Netflix documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. And it did not disappoint.
Where to begin? Tyra Banks, of course. As she explains, she had an idea, and at the time, it was a strong one. A show about creating a top model from aspiring models of different backgrounds and ethnicities sounded revolutionary. Alongside her were Miss J and Jay Manuel, two huge gay personalities in the fashion world. It felt fresh and bold. It promised to open doors for the girl next door. And at first, it worked. But as we now understand, the show quickly became a machine built for ratings and money.
I never truly liked Tyra. I had nothing personal against her at the time; I simply felt she was too much, too intense, too centered on herself. For me, the heart of the show was Miss J and Jay. They brought humor and personality. Yes, they could be harsh at times, but watching the documentary made it clear that they, too, were treated poorly, especially Jay. I am glad they finally spoke openly. For the first time, it feels like we are hearing honest voices without fear of legal consequences.
Tyra, on the other hand, comes across as defensive and unapologetic. Throughout the documentary, she seems to deflect blame onto producers and editors, even though she herself was an executive producer. She saw the money pouring in, and I believe that became the priority. At one point, perhaps she genuinely wanted to change the industry, but that intention was overshadowed by years of harmful practices.
The show, and the environment it created, damaged many of those young women. It capitalized on vulnerability and naivety. That cannot simply be brushed aside. I also strongly believe that some of those aspiring models deserve real justice. Contestants like Shandi, who was put in an incredibly vulnerable situation and received no real protection or support, should never have been left alone to deal with the consequences of what happened. Others who were pressured into altering their appearance against their will, including drastic changes like closing a gap in their teeth or other forced makeovers, were placed in positions where they had little power to refuse. These were young women, often far from home, dependent on the production. I genuinely believe that some of them should consider seeking proper legal support. They deserve accountability. They deserve to be heard. And if wrongdoing occurred, they deserve justice.
If there is ever a cycle 25, I doubt many of us will watch. Trust, once broken, is difficult to rebuild. Perhaps the original idea came from a good place, but what followed left a lasting impact on the contestants and on viewers like me..
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