America's Next Top Model, the reality show that aimed to disrupt the fashion industry, is now being re-evaluated as a hotbed of toxicity, according to a new Netflix docuseries. The series, titled Reality Check, examines how the show, which aired from 2003 to 2018, both championed diversity and perpetuated harm.
Creator and host Tyra Banks, who was the first Black woman on the covers of Sports Illustrated and GQ, intended the show to challenge industry norms. However, critics argue that while it featured women of colour, queer and trans contestants, and plus-sized models, it also upheld the same standards Banks claimed to oppose.
The docuseries highlights incidents such as Banks's infamous 2005 outburst at contestant Tiffany Richardson, which has become a viral meme. Former on-screen right-hand man Jay Manuel reveals that the scene was darker than it appeared, stating, 'I will probably never repeat the lines that were actually said in the room that day.'
Co-director Mor Loushy notes, 'There was a lot of beauty in this show. There was a lot of ugliness in this show. But let's talk about all of it.' Co-director Daniel Sivan adds, 'They started as misfits with very good intentions. They were starting as disruptors but as power grew, they became bullies.'
The series documents how Banks and her panel, including gay men of colour, created magnetic television but often at the expense of contestants' wellbeing. The re-assessment gained momentum during the pandemic, with younger viewers using a '2020 lens' to critique the show's bodyshaming, racism, and other problematic elements.
