ANTM Does Blackface

You may not be watching America’s Next Top Model, but last night’s episode definitely left us with something to talk about. The remaining six models were “transformed” to portray individuals with biracial identities. Long story short, most of the models were asked to perform in blackface But should it be considered offensive when the photo shoot was meant to celebrate diversity?

Well, pretty much. I was less taken aback by the make-up than the refusal to educate the models on the cultures they were portraying. When Erin was asked to pose as someone of a Tibetan and Egyptian background, she admitted to the camera that the only thing she knew about Tibet is that “it needs to be freed”. Brittany‘s ideas of Native Americans were based upon her childhood textbooks.

If Tyra Banks‘ intention was to stir up conversation, I’m pretty sure this is going to be a successful endeavor. The episode oddly coincides with two other blackface controversies–Lara Stone‘s French Vogue spread and a Jackson 5 skit on Australian television. Tyra may not be good with the whole cultural sensitivity thing, but at least she’s good with timing!

– Dewitt

To check out this week’s photo shoot, follow the JUMP:

NICOLE (Malagasy & Japanese): As skeptical as I was of this photo shoot’s theme, Nicole turned it out in this photo. I’ve stated this before, but there are going to be serious problems if this girl isn’t the winner. And I mean serious problems with the judges’ brains. Her portfolio is consistently brilliant, and despite her occasional awkwardness… she always delivers.

JENNIFER (Botswanan & Polynesian): Even though her name may have been called second, I don’t think Jennifer deserved such affirmation. Yes, this photo is stunning on a purely aesthetic level, but it’s mostly because she’s a damn beautiful person. I guess she just lucked out?

LAURA (Mexican & Greek): I’ve constantly been worried about Laura, because she doesn’t look like a model. There have been several photo shoots where I’ve been less than impressed, but this isn’t one of them. Though you may not be able to see it here, Laura had a scalding sunburn under all that make-up. She worked through all that discomfort and delivered a stellar pose.

SUNDAI (Moroccan & Russian): Why is Sundai still in this competition? The judges know she’s too damn short to make it in the modeling industry. And beyond that, there doesn’t seem to be a “fierce” bone in her body. She looks like any other girl I went to high school middle school with. For real!

ERIN (Tibetan & Egyptian): Yup, Erin was in the bottom two again. While I personally feel like she should have been eliminated for her ignorant (yet honest) commentary alone, it’s even worse that she looks entirely blank in her selected photo. There are rumors that Erin will win the competition, but how would they justify that when she’s been deteriorating rather than improving?

BRITTANY (Native American and East Indian): Brittany’s pose may have been calculated and boring, but there’s no denying that it’s absolutely striking. It’s a crime that she went home in place of Erin or Sundai. Even if she was slightly misguided, she was one of the few girls to put some cultural insight into her pose.