America’s Next Top Model was a big deal for many millennials. It started in 2003 and gave us iconic moments and phrases like “smize,” which means to “smile with your eyes.” Tyra Banks, who created and hosted the show, became a household name. At its peak, the show attracted over 100 million viewers worldwide. But now, with many Gen Z viewers revisiting the series, it feels different. The harsh criticisms and body shaming don’t sit well today.
Netflix’s new docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, dives into this shift. It features interviews with key players, including Banks and several former contestants. But the series is criticized for being too long and chaotic, which dilutes its impact.
In the series, Banks promotes herself as a pioneer for diversity in modeling. However, the show often reinforces the same old toxic beauty standards. Contestants were publicly weighed and harshly judged. One contestant, Giselle, recalls being mocked for her body, saying it still affects her self-talk years later.
Many of the show’s challenges come off as humiliating today. One contestant had her teeth altered to create a gap, while another posed with a bullet wound—an incredibly painful memory for her. The producers admitted some of these moments were mistakes, yet they seem disconnected from the contestants’ experiences.
Most contestants joined the show hoping for a better life. However, many felt let down when the fashion industry didn’t embrace the change Top Model tried to represent.
Some former contestants did voice their discomfort at the time, but many felt pressured to play along. In one unsettling story, a contestant named Shandi had a troubling experience during a trip to Milan. Under the influence and filmed without her consent, she described the encounter as confusing and distressing. Yet, the production team chose to air her experience.
The crew later apologized, acknowledging the situation wasn’t right, but it highlights the troubling nature of reality TV. Tyra Banks attempted to uplift the women afterwards, glossing over Shandi’s pain.
Throughout the series, Banks seems to deflect responsibility, arguing that the show catered to viewer demands. She reflects on the journey as a learning experience but also suggests that future criticism may come for others.
While the series wraps up with contestants looking happier and healthier now, its portrayal of Top Model as a product of its time feels shallow. The show was always problematic, and these discussions of its past reveal deeper issues in the modeling industry and entertainment. The reality is, many women were harmed, and the reflection on beauty standards remains relevant today.
For further context, recent studies indicate the harmful effects of reality TV on body image, particularly among young women. Many experts, including psychologists, argue that shows showcasing superficial beauty standards can lead to low self-esteem and unhealthy body image perceptions.
For those looking into the impact reality TV has on society, you can read more about the psychological effects in resources from the American Psychological Association here.
