I’m a huge fan of the nonstop camp rollercoaster that is America’s Next Top Model. But this season, er, cycle — the show’s 12th — I’ve found myself building up a DVR backlog, and when I finally got a chance to catch up this weekend, I had to (blasphemy alert!) fight the urge to hit the fast-forward button on my DVR. It’s not that there aren’t contestants to love (Aminat!!) and loathe (Sandra, Natalie), it’s just that the show’s formula of mentally and emotionally torturing pretty young ladies has grown suddenly stale. Which got me thinking about five ways Tyra & Co. can freshen things up for Cycle 13. Read on, then make your own suggestions for reviving Top Model in the comments section below!
1. Turn the contact sheets over to the contestants and let them choose their own "best shots." Think about it: In its current incarnation, Tyra and the producers have way too much power to script and manipulate the outcome of the competition. "Here’s your best shot" could easily be translated as "here’s your worst shot because we’ve determined your story arc is ovah!" Why not let the show’s dim-witted mannequins have a larger hand in determining their own fates? Especially if it allows us to see a weekly range of pho-tos — the fierce, the hideous, the ones that fail to capture this season’s keyword of "tension!" — for every girl in the competition.
2. Make sure there’s something at stake at each week’s photo shoot. Come on, there are hundreds of magazines, Web sites, clothing labels, and retailers that would kill for some free publicity. Instead of draping the models with meat-kinis (remember THAT one?) or making them try to scale the Great Wall of China, why not have ‘em compete to land actual spots in editorial or advertising spreads, and thereby see on a week-to-week basis who’s got the goods to survive in the real world. It’d sure beat having the week’s winning shot displayed as digital art in the Top Model house. (Bunk!)
3. Replace the man at Tyra’s right hand — at the judges’ table, that is. Keeping it really real, Miss J and her growing bowtie simply isn’t cutting it when it comes to delivering the funny — or the pertinent critiques. Why not bring back Nolé Marin, who slayed during deliberations in the March 25 episode.
4. Turn Paulina into Top Model’s Tim Gunn. Seriously! She’s smart, she’s funny, she actually knows a thing or two about modeling. Bring Paulina on to the set to help advise clueless contestants as they try to smile with their eyes while fighting back the tears that result from listening to Mr. Jay’s patented brand of bitchery.
5. And finally…bring on Princess Thursday! (If you don’t know who that is, then it’s time to familiarize yourself with America’s Next Top Doll…after the jump. And fret not, ANTD fans, the long-awaited series finale will be filmed when Idol season is over!)
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It’s true, y’all. Slezak rules!
Get rid of the art director Jay Manuel or whatever his name is. He’s repulsive to look at, dresses like a clown, wears too much foundation which makes his face look grey and has no charisma.
Princess Thursday. Bwah!
I miss Twiggy!! She’s ever so much better than Paulina. She was always the nice, sweet, voice of reason on the show. (Nigel’s pretty reasonable too — and pretty!)
Paulina is so much better than Twiggy. She’s not as nice but she is funnier and offers better critiques.
I think it would be interesting if contestant scores were cumulative from week to week. It would make it much more of a game, from the contestant point of view.
Bring Nolé back, he was awsome in the cycle 3 (specially when he cat fought with Janice), and change the prizes, I mean seventeen? there was a time when they had a spread in Marie Claire or Elle magazine. And the panel challenges were great too, bring them back
DUMP. BENNY. NINJA.
I am SO OVER Benny Ninja it’s not even funny. I actually found myself not watching ANTM last week in lieu of American Idol(go ADAM!!), and I have NEVER done that. And it was because of Benny.
Benny Ninja is not funny, and his schtick has overstayed its welcome. Remember when Stacey McKenzie did the posing class in Cycle 7? Bring her back. Or even better: remember JANICE DICKINSON’S POSING CLASS?! Bring that one back! Pleeease!
this show sucks. 12 seasons, NO top models.
Watch Bravo’s “Make Me A Supermodel” instead. It’s hands down better than ANTM.
First of all cast actually pretty girls who can be models. The first three seasons girls looked like actually models. Lately only about 3 girls out of the 9 seasons look like models and got actually jobs as models. Tyra always want to make sure no one is prettier than her. Well her is my suggestion:TYRA STOP WITH THE STUPID TYRA MAIL. STOP HAVING YOUR PICTURE ALL OVER THE MODELS’ HOUSE AND STOP SHOWING YOUR STUPID PICTURE BEFORE ELIMINATION!
How about real modeling criteria.. Younger, taller, and thinner girls that would really have a shot. Cindy Crawford was discovered from a model search when she was 15 and almost 5′11. She had a chance… These girls don’t. ANTM is a REALITY show.. not a model search.
The show is just to scripted now. I haven’t watched since Saliesha won (that entire season was a set up)
It’s just too fake. I liked it when the girls actually had a chance of becoming models. Now Tyra’s picking, essentially, ugly girls (“not your stereotypical beauties”). Come on, we all know these girls won’t make it in the modelling world. She tries to cut boundaries by letting women of all weights on the show – yet she only allows short girls on for one specific season? This show sucks.
Hey Mo! Where is Larry and Curly? Bwah-haw-haaa!! You need a new do man, er’ girl, er’ whatever…..
I used to love this show but I stopped watching it two cycles(seasons)ago. I cringe while watching it because I’ve seen it all before. I really don’t enjoy it anymore.
I love ANTM but yeah, these past few cycles have been pretty stale. However, tonights episode gave me hope and showed me glimpses of what made the show so addictive. First off, bring back the judging test! those were always worth a good laugh and no matter what, they were entertaining. Second, focus more on the girls who matter, the ones with all the drama and personalty. AKA, concentrate on these girls, Aminat, Fo, Celia, Tahlia, Natalie, and Allison, each one is both unique, interesting, and start massive drama! Third, shake things up a little and do something diffrent, like for the upcoming Cycle 13 with the whole 5′7 and under girls, thats new! thats interesting! I do love this show and maybe it has pass its prime somewhat but there is still hope. Oh and one more thing, bring back Janice!!!!!
a season with only men. Tyra’s next cycle is going to have short people(which is kinda of lame).
America’s Next Top Model + these suggestions = Make Me a SuperModel
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but MMASM is way better than ANTM this season. Hopefully, ANTM can step it up next season.
Let’s face it. The show has gone downhill because every season Tyra makes it a little bit more about her. I just saw a commercial that showed the models posing behind cutouts of Tyra’s body so they had to do their best “Tyra.” Seriously? Unless this women can get over herself, this show is just going to keep getting worse.
I stopped watching after eva won. i just fell off. cuz yeah, it had become mundane and boring. but i really like this season. there’s better drama. and yeah. they should introduce crazier challenges. the show has definitely slipped since the first three seasons. but i really like this one.
No one at mansion thought I would enjoy watching this show! Here how it happened: When I first watch the 1st episode of ANTM, I thought it was really, really stupid show but at the same entertaining. Err… I kept coming back for more since then, lol!!! However, I don’t remember when this occurred exactly, Tyra Banks, aka America’s Top Self-Promoter started to be really annoying and painful to watch, yup you heard that right. The show is pretty much about Tyra, and in addition to that, ANTM has gotten to be the stupidest show on American TV, EVER, EVER, EVER!!!
Tyra Banks has too much power over the show. Watching the 1st season, NO SHE DIDN’T! She didn’t have that power over the other judges and that’s how Adrien won, followed by the big fallout and a complaint the first winner to Top Model.
Ok, ok, I seemed to have gone on for too long here. Anyway, here what’s I think ANTM should do to improve the show and its longevity, WATCH MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL AND LEARN FROM IT!
6. Get rid of Tyra Banks! I’m tired of hearing her talk about herself and I am tired of seeing her pictures everywhere. She needs to get over herself. I do agree, though, with letting the models choose their own pictures. Ever notice how Jay is saying “oh, these are beautiful” and then Tyra shows some horrible picture. I think she sabotages all the time.
I used to love this campy show but it started going downhill after Danielle won. Then when Heather was eliminated I just threw in the towel…that was a girl who actually could have been a model.
I’m sick of dumb photo shoots, ugly girls who don’t have a shot at being a model, the manipulative schemes to send home the girls the judges don’t like, and photos of Tyra EVERYWHERE.
I’m so over Binny Ninja (or whatever his name is), Miss Jay and Tyra Mail. I would love to see interesting, beautiful fashion forward clothes instead of plain girls spray painted, dressed up in salami or swimming underwater with sharks.
I totally agree with numbers 1-4. You should really send ideas to the producers!!
why is caly aiken even in the show next week! I’d fix that
It’s time to bring JANICE DICKINSON back to the judging table. Can her and Tyra just kiss and get over their “feud”?
6- Cancel it along with other tiresome shows where a person desperate for fifteen minutes of fame and a moderate fortune stands in front of a panel of judges and gets slaughtered with scripted insults.
BRING JANICE BACK!!
The fiercest woman ever to be on ANTM.
Get Janice Dickinson, Kimora Lee AND Nole Marin back to the table, and get rid of Miss J and Mr Jay. Grrrl please, those two have fallen off the runway!
The fact that Miss J tells people how they look is a joke to me, he’s a modern minstrel. And Jay Emanuel thinks he’s better than a woman period.
Seriously, women taking advice from men these men about how to be a woman makes me sick. Get back Kimora, Janice and Twiggy. Real models, real women. It’s a joke.