ANTM - Netflix (smize!)

[NooNakedJacuzziness]

Anyone watching the America’s Next Top Model expose on Netflix? Just watched the first episode, it’s quite compelling. I used to love it back in the day, what with Noted Fashion Photographer Mr Nigel Barker, the go-sees, makeovers, the two Jays, etc. Shame it seems things were a bit toxic behind the scenes (still gonna watch the whole thing though!)

She was awful. Would not take accountability for her actions

Things were changing in the early 00,s but sexual offences were still not being taken seriously enough
Im 52 and it was fairly common place for minor assault g, ie bum pinching etc to take place in pubs and clubs IME at least
Shandi said she had blacked out
So clearly she couldnt consent
So she was raped
But it was framed as she cheated on her
Boyfriend .

The fact that we all loved this show and didn't see it as an issue suggests it was in many ways. There really was no outcry at the time. I was in my twenties in the 00s by the way. I'm not saying there has been a revolution since then, but it is actually a testament to our growing awareness around a lot of issues to do with women that we are seeing it so differently now. There is clearly much, much more to be done, but there definitely has been a big shift in some areas, otherwise the reaction would not be so different.

Loved this back in the day but agree it’s a very tough watch now.

As a side though - Danielle looked absolutely incredible in the documentary.

I think at that time there was still a lot of victim blaming going on and the perception that if a man took advantage of a drunk woman, it was in the 'regrettable sex' category rather than assault. Which is clearly wrong.

I've watched all 3 episodes, I was such a huge fan of ANTM until I stopped watching when I moved house and didn't have the right channel. I didn't know she fired the Jays and Nigel.

Watching it as a teen so much of it didn't register as wrong or problematic, but as an adult watching it back in the documentary I was amazed at what they filmed and how they treated the contestants.

I used to idolise Tyra Banks, watching it back it's so clear she is not a good person. In fact, I'd say she's a pretty terrible person.

Does anyone recall how old Shandi was at the time? Drinking age in America is 21, Milan lower, so giving them alcohol when they previously wouldn't have been legal to drink it, and definitely not used to drinking it, was even more irresponsible of the production team. Did they intentionally give girls, who would have been underage in their home country, lots of alcohol for drama?

She was always my favourite, I was delighted when she won but always wondered why she didn’t become bigger so it was awful to hear about how she was blocked from casting.

I loved this show but stopped watching around the time they did that advert and picked bad takes for some of the girls, you could just see the poor choices that were being made.

As much as it was not really about modelling in the end, it was still a reflection of the fashion and modelling world in many ways, and that is not an industry that looks pretty when you hold a mirror up to it.

Just finished them all. Tyra comes across so disingenuous! I also felt really sad for Miss J - I had no idea about his health issues. Also agree Danielle is stunning.

That was quite a depressing watch. Tyra come across as a ruthless narcissist. I also can’t stand the way she speaks so slowly with so much emphasis, as if she is weighty and important. All the women shown have more beauty and integrity in their little finger than Tyra has.

Jay Manuel came across well.

I used to watch the show but don’t remember the teeth removal, incredible. Though I guess we used to have the show ‘10 years younger’ where they would do fillers, teeth etc. Shandi’s story was so awful. When her name was raised to Tyra you could see her trying to decide how to play it, completely disingenuous. Telling that Tyra’s big regret was Tiffany, only because Tyra absolutely showed herself up on camera. It had nothing to do with regret about Tiffany.

Danielle is very beautiful.

Finished the final episode last night. I can’t believe they tried to show Shandi the footage of that night on Tyra’s other show and Tyra saying “you didn’t look at that, why not?” Urrg.

Watched it all,Tyra does not come across well, seemed like she had no empathy and was only there to say I'm not to blame for what happened. Poor Jay Manuel went through some stuff and he was treated so poorly by Tyra and Miss Jay has been through so much.

Yes, that was awful.

Felt so bad for Joanie. She was so excited to get her teeth fixed but said it was purely cosmetic and she has been left with a lot of orthodontic issues and a misaligned bite. So unethical that a dentist would do a quick fix like that which was so extreme.

I like Jay Manuel, and he was a very handsome man before whatever treatments he has now had done. He was absolutely beautiful.

The clips of the final cycles were so cringeworthy. Just constantly trying to stay relevant / shock value.

I do agree with this. I watched the doc and felt awful for Shandi but was talking to my friend about how common this type of thing was then - consent really wasn’t talked about like it is now and it would have been seen widely at the time as a drunken mistake.
yet again another example of how the ‘good old days’ weren’t the picnic people paint them out to be

Thats the most horrifying thing ,that it would have been viewed as her cheating on her boyfriend rather than rape
Victim blaming at it
s finest
They got her drunk and therefore vulnerable, ok she was kissing him ,but women csn kiss a man without it meaning sex
But ultimately if she was blacked out she couldn't consent therfore rape
Just how far would they have filmed, as this was bad enough .

There, s a fine line i think between regrettable sex and rape and
And I had regrettable sex a few times in my younger days ,but I consented at the time
The film crew though must have been aware of whst what was going on yet they still filmed it, its outrageous they didnt step in.

Heard theres another one coming out not sure what channel be on over here but this is without Tyra and co so less sugarcoated in a sense..be interesting to see who is involved in that and what that comes out with

I wanted to shout through the screen for Tyra to take that silly Mac/Dress off.
It was completely distracting.

Poor Shandi.
I wonder if her ex now also views it as SA and not Cheating?
I also think Shandi was being VERY careful with her wording around the whole sorry episode.

Shocking to watch.

Tyra comes across as a stone cold ruthless bitch…Good God - just goes to show what you can get away with when you have good looks and charm. She certainly let the mask slip when she was screaming at someone who she’d taken the credit for curing their ‘anger issues’. Ironic.

Janice Dickensen is vile. No inner beauty there. And Nigel Barker came across as a reptile too - still smug and with no remorse. Jay Emmanuel’s story didn’t add up given he took the pay check right ‘til the bitter end.

Ugh. I feel culpable for having watched the exploitative shit over the years, and feel so sorry for those vulnerable young women who ultimately paid the price. Having watched it now I suspect that documentary was only the tip of the iceberg.

Loved antm back in the day (I also recall Britain’s next top model being far less ridiculous and of course, boring in comparison) - this doc is a tough watch

I don’t recall the Shandi episode but that’s horrific. Tyra comes over dreadfully. Mr Jay probably comes off ok, always liked him

Nigel was so hot then. Sadly he hasn’t aged well and also seems to have low accountability for his involvement.

Did any of them actually get proper modelling success out of it I wonder.

She's so oblivious to how she comes off too.

The single thing that fascinated me most about Reality Check was Tyra Banks' dead-eyed smile, where she looked as if she were hoisting the corners of her mouth upward in nearly every clip where she was speaking in her trenchcoat look, but it never reached her eyes, which were flat and calculating.

For someone who spent all of ANTM telling people to know their angles, and demonstrating her various facial techniques for getting a particular look in a photo, I wondered what on earth she was going for here. Surely she's aware of what she's projecting, if anyone is?

@MertonDensher I agree, she was almost like a caricature it was so over the top, I can only assume it was purposeful in some way.

Nothing appeared to be down to Mr Jay - but he directed the photo shoots, gave the girls feedback and carried on (while being paid handsomely and becoming a household name) for how many seasons?

And now he's trying to brush away any responsibility.