‘America’s Next Top Model’ Premieres With Surprises
“America’s Next Top Model” has been through ten long successful seasons and as usual this new one was different in its own way. The theme in the beginning was ‘technology’ and would have been great without all of the special effects and the robotic way that Tyra showed up and talked. I know it was on purpose - but not very flattering for her.
However, the theme was not the thing to shock us. In the very first episode we find that one of the girls is actually a transgender named Isis. Naturally many of the girls were taken aback by this bit of news and some of them did not take to it kindly.
Sharaun stated that “America’s Next Top Model is not going to be a drag queen. I’m sorry. It’s not.” Her pals Hannah and Clark bonded over their bigotry, which they justify with their “small town” upbringings.
Hannah: “I think the thing about Isis though is, like, I was like trying to convince myself I was comfortable. I can’t even comprehend I’m comfortable. But really, I’m not. Sometimes people have a really warped view of transgender people… Coming from a small town, hell yeah we have a warped view.”
Clark: “Hell yeah. You walk around like that in a small town, you get shot. And it’s not so much a close-minded view, it’s just more traditional. Coming from a good Southern family I was really thrown back by Isis. Growing up in the South you don’t exactly run into a ‘he-she’ every day. Isis has no place in this competition.”
Yet, her strange news did nothing to change the fact that she was accepted into the top 14. I suppose the panel saw something in Isis that looked like potential. Now we will wait and see if the show will still be based on talent or god PR.