In the face of post finals freedom, I have fallen into an endless black hole of television. In this black hole I have discovered "America’s Next Top Model." My first impression of the show was that it would be full of petty nonsense, unrealistic beauty expectations, and basically just something mindless that I could watch. While I did find some of the show to be a little petty and harmful to the wide definitions of what is beautiful, I was surprised to find promising lessons throughout the show. These ideas were actually positive messages that people could take and apply into their everyday lives.
One of the biggest and most important messages I received from "American’s Next Top Model" is that confidence is key. No matter how you feel or look in a present situation, if you hold yourself with poise and confidence, you will be respected. The contestants who were very unsure of themselves never were able to gain the trust of the judges, because to the judges a lack of confidence is a weakness. Even in the real world, people will respect you more if you are confident in yourself and your actions. Granted, none of us are ever fully sure of ourselves on the inside, but the show has reminded me that if I am confident in myself I can conquer almost anything.
From the drastic makeovers and the crazy photo shoots that involved hanging upside down or holding scary creatures I learned the importance of being adventurous and trying new things. Often we hold ourselves back from adventure or new opportunities because we are scared or uneasy about the unknown. However, sometimes facing the fear of the unknown can have the best outcomes. Each woman who faced the unknown in "America’s Next Top Model" allowed herself to open up to a new opportunity that could change her life. Too often we shy away from the unknown, but by facing it head on we can change our lives.
Finally, each contestant on that show represents a person who is following their dreams in life. They work hard and are dedicated to unlocking their dream of modeling. Even though I never had the urge to model, I respect these women for identifying what they want in life and doing all that they can in order to reach that goal. The photo shoots, activities, and judging on that show is not easy, and living in a house full of women is definitely not easy, no matter how nice the house is. However, no matter the obstacles, most of those women do not give up. Their drive is inspiring.
Now, I do not approve of everything that "America’s Next Top Model" represents. Throughout the show I’ve seen girls be critiqued and ridiculed over their bodies, and while I do understand this is the modeling business, comments like that can cause serious damage. I also believe that while the show represents a lot of different types of women, there is not enough variety in body image to really send a positive message to viewers. Of course, I am watching older reruns of the show, and the media was different back then, which could be attributing to the messages I see. However, despite the negatives, I do find value in some of the shows messages that I could definitely use in my own model-less life.
