Tyra's Back On Top
I’ve been watching America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) since I was about 10 years old. Judge me all you want, but there is nothing more exciting than watching a model struggle to fulfill the go-see challenge or waiting for Tyra Banks to hand out the final photo at eliminations. So as a loyal fan, I was distraught when Tyra announced that she would be leaving the Top Model empire that she so successfully built. The show would not be the same without Tyra, who had successfully created a modeling show that celebrated models of all different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.
Thankfully, this year she came back fiercer than ever, and eliminated the age limit (in previous seasons she has gotten rid of height and weight limits). Any model aged 18 and up can participate in Top Model, further showing how the modeling industry is developing and becoming more inclusive. Yes, there are always tall, blonde beautiful models, but there have also been plus-sized models, petite models, and even a model with the skin condition vitiligo. As the seasons have progressed, Tyra has continued to break barriers, allowing models of all sizes, genders and races to have a chance to show their inner and outer beauty to all of America.
This season, Tyra aimed to give the show a more inclusive feel than ever. One of the judges is Ashley Graham, a plus-sized model and body positivity activist. One of the models is a 42-year-old model who has grandchildren, competing against models much younger than her. Tyra manages to make the models with insecurities face them head on, and throughout the season, it is obvious that the contestants gain better modeling skills and confidence. In the recent makeover episode, Tyra asked a model with alopecia to remove her wig. At first, she was scared to embrace her bald scalp, and tears streamed down her face as they removed her wig. Once it was off, she felt more confident and free. Panel judge Law Roach, even shaved his head in solidarity, and judge Drew Elliot revealed that he had vitiligo. Seeing people so high up in the fashion industry support these models through their insecurities is always inspiring to watch, and is a rarity on any form of reality TV.
America’s Next Top Model has led the way for the modeling industry to become more inclusive. Since its premiere in 2003, the modeling industry has changed rapidly. Models that were once considered “too curvy” for the industry are now embraced on the runway and models of different ethnicities and backgrounds are being featured on magazine covers. It is no surprise that this show has made such a difference, for Tyra herself has always been a trailblazer in the modeling industry. As a curvy, African American woman, Tyra has continued to be an emblem of diversity in the modeling industry. Banks was the first African-American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She worked hard to break into the industry, being rejected by four agencies before making it at age 16. Tyra brings forward her own experiences with hardship to the show in order to advise models who have had similar struggles.
While ANTM has made huge strides towards achieving diversity and inclusivity, it still has a long way to go, as does the modeling industry itself. As usual, many of the “plus-sized models” are hardly what a normal person would call curvy. There is still more diversity in age, race, and gender that needs to be shown. People will always complain that America’s Next Top Model is not diverse enough, but I am proud of what Tyra is trying to achieve. She spotlights beautiful models who would never have had a chance to break through in the industry years ago. As silly as it sounds, America’s Next Top Model has helped me feel more confident about myself. Tyra is and always has been a champion for positive change in the modeling industry.