The coronavirus safe-at-home orders seemed to be a vacation for many. A lot of people jumped on social media and engaged in Tik Tok and Triller challenges. Others temporarily left their professions to become extemporaneous journalists and podcasters as they posted news on their feeds and stories.
But, when those things became redundant and a bore, people decided to go back into history to pick out and on things of the past. No, they didn’t go back in important history, the kind of history that really matters to the progress and reserving of the world. Instead, the topic of choice was Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model, a now canceled reality show where aspiring models competed for a modeling contract.
People played a weary game of “remember when…” and started posting clips of episodes from the popular show that has been on the air for 24 seasons. Yes, 24 seasons people!
Some points were valid, like when they questioned why the show made one of the models close her gap or the models do blackface. But, then it just became straight petty as bored individuals posted about how the models had to wear huge high heels or complained about the models having to cut their hair.
It all started when people tuned into ANTM reruns available on Amazon Prime and Hulu streaming services during the coronavirus shutdown. As these “new to Earth humans” started to watch the show, they began to use today’s politically correct standards to judge the culture of America back then when shows like P. Diddy’s Diddy’s Making the Band and Donald Trump’s The Apprentice were popular reality shows.
By the way, it’s not like the TV pickings are better today. We still have ridiculous reality shows that really push the limit on PC culture, including those VH1, Bravo and MTV shows. So, it’s really hypocritical that people on social media are picking and choosing what they want to be mad about and hoping to ruin a black woman’s legacy that they possibly helped support throughout all these years.
Banks did respond to the criticism.
“Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you,” Banks posted on Twitter. “Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs.”
Ken Mok, producer and writer of the show, apologized for some of the insensitive moments on ANTM.
Some fans came to the supermodel’s defense, as well.
“I honestly don’t understand all the heat @TyraBanks & #ANTM is getting NOW,” @SGavis posted on Twitter. “The show has been on forever. The choices they made w the contestants back then may not be acceptable by today’s standards, but nobody batted an eye. I think its a little hypocritical to be mad now.”
The backlash doesn’t stop at social media, however. Now, former ANTM creative director Jay Manuel announced that he will be releasing a book based on his experience working on the ANTM called The Wig, The B—- & The Meltdown.
Honestly, Banks has not been the most lovable famous person as she would often seem to draw conversations back to herself on her talk show and sometimes come off as self-centered. But, for people to go in on her for the behavior of contestants on ANTM is trivial in nature.
For those concerned about Banks picking at the weaknesses of the contestants, granted that today it wouldn’t be acceptable, she had purpose in doing so. Time and time again, Banks has dealt with judgement, racism, competitiveness and more in the modeling industry. She landed the title of “first black woman to…” often during her reign in the fashion world. It’s not easy. Oftentimes, she had to deal with her insecurities and perceived flaws head on.
So, when she was challenging the contestants, Banks was training them to not be setback by people’s opinions or to not be hung up on keeping their looks. She taught them that they needed to be flexible and have tough skin to survive in the industry at that time.
Even still, with the nasty opinions of people on social media, the lessons are still useful today. How many times have we witnessed people fat shame or hair shame? It’s in society’s DNA to build up only to tear down. But, guess what. Tyra Banks already made it. To criticize her for what made the show interesting in the first place is hypocritical because you watched and you didn’t say anything back then. You, the one that’s now on social media posting clips for fodder, let it take place for 24 seasons.
Sad thing about it is that taking Banks down will not make the world better or change the infrastructure of the U.S. We could use this time to focus on real underlying issues in the U.S. and around the world that would directly impact our lives, such as the continuous use of the confederate flag in the deep south, or the ill-fated foster care system, or the rising sex trafficking epidemic, or the unspoken segregation that’s occurring in places such as Los Angeles and New York, or how about this, the state of America’s future with only Donald Trump or Joe Biden to choose from. Or here’s one, how the f— are Americans going to pay their bills after the coronavirus orders are eased?
ANTM is not the only thing that’s problematic, it’s the people who watched the show years ago and didn’t say a word but digested it for their own entertainment and now want to dig up the canceled show again — for their own entertainment — in hopes to stain someone’s legacy. Now, that’s problematic.
