millennials are now getting the horrors of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans behind the shows we grew up watching.
what a time to be alive!
/s

there are gonna be future generations watching the 20s and shaking their heads too.
influencers?
this political climate?
music for the drug addicted and suicidal?

there was a time when we watched america’s next top model as pure entertainment.
we laughed.
we quoted it.
we argued about winners like it was the super bowl.
so many iconic memes and gifs came from that show like:

we didn’t question the cruelty because we were focused on being entertained.
did we really believe those vixens would become top models?
we sure did,
the same way we believed other shows would create idols,
survivors,
and millionaires.
watching “reality check: inside america’s next top model” on netflix felt like…

reopening a bandage only to realize the wound underneath had gotten infected.

…and suddenly,
it wasn’t in the running of being an iconic show anymore.
hand it a blank sheet and send it back to the hotel.

we learned how little we knew about what was happening behind the camera.
one thing i always suspected:

tyra was both mentor and tormentor.

she built a show that told vixens they could be more,
regardless of shape or size,
but many of them ended up broken in the process.
that’s the part that gave me pause.
some of the challenges were weird and outrageous,
but it made me wonder:

was this an exaggerated version of what chasing your dreams actually looks like?

maybe not by posing in a bowl of salad,
but still being pushed,
tested,
and humiliated by an industry that demands resilience,
while still trying to give your best looks no matter how broken you are.

there were moments that sat with me:

vixens forced into situations that blurred comfort and coercion
the original trio being pushed out as the show lost its grounding. karma?
the update of miss jay and losing the ability to use what made
the update of tyra not even speaking to her so-called friends after she dropped em
a pattern where darker-skinned models seemed to carry the heaviest burden

…but oddly enough,
like life,
that experience did teach them all something.

endurance
adaptability
how to keep your composure while being pushed past your limits
trying to please TPTB in order to get your foot in the door

so maybe the real competition wasn’t modeling at all.

maybe it was survival.

…and only a handful of them made it to the top.

lowkey: we do not need a season 25 of ANTM.
let it lay in the mausoleum where we can view the body on streaming platforms.