No “Italian Vogue” for PETITES

Another season of “hype,” …I mean “height” hits the airwaves as America’s Next Top Model launches Cycle 15. September 8th’s premiere proved to be another demonstration of how “petite” models just do not have a chance for “High Fashion Modeling.”

This season’s ANTM-Cycle 15 advertises that it’s going “high-fashion,”…um, not to sound naïve or anything, but isn’t that what Tyra Banks, always says? The blurb goes on to say that the show “gives real women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of high fashion supermodeling.” HUH? First of all, “Super Modeling” isn’t ONE WORD…. Nor, should it be just ONE SIZE.

The “HYPE” – No Petites Here

In reading the ANTM advertisement, one is led to believe that they will be watching a modeling competition; one in which “all sizes” will get to compete for a once in a lifetime chance. I was excited, thinking I would see petite, amazon and plus-size women duking it out for the title of “America’s Next Top Model!” Sorry to say, not so. The girls, indeed, come from various background’s creating the typical mixture of contestants as we usually see on this show: the” pageant-girl,” the “country-bumpkin-girl,” the “awkward-amazon-girl,” and the “ugly-pretty-girl” (to name a few), but this season, NO “petite-girl.” Don’t you just love how ANTM dressed the petite models like kids for cycle 13, no discrimination here…

“Drama…Drama…and…, Semen??

However, there were a few non-petites who stood out the first episode who warranted jaw-dropping moments; like, “Kendal” who claims “purity.” When asked why she decided to remain pure, the lanky-link simply stated: “I don’t like semen…I don’t like semen on my hands…I just like to cuddle.” ALRIGHTY THEN! Moving on….

Then there was “Emily,” who didn’t make the cut, but wrote in her diary the day before, “I almost got stuck rooming with a black girl, eww,” (in which, ironically, two black-girls read and confronted her about). Although the anxious-amazon explained she didn’t “mean it that way,” and the episode showed Tyra not really reacting to the comment (except at the end of judging when Tyra states, “I think she [Emily] learned a lesson.”), I had to wonder if it isn’t what got her a one-way tickethome? And then there is “Lexie,” the Uma Thurman look-a-like, and the girl who claims she’s the complete opposite of “consumerism and materialism…,” hmm, really? Perhaps she’s on the wrong reality-show? I’m just saying….

Home on the “Range”

Even though the “model-making-machine” Tyra Banks says she created this platform for “all-size-modeling,” we don’t see it in this cycle; with the most petite-girl (which isn’t petite), “Terra,” a 5’8” Texan, ranging to the tallest amazon-contender, “Ann,” another tall (6’2”) Texan. I guess everything really is big in Texas!  Full breakdown on the ANTM AMAZON model profiles.

Petites Can’t Play

Tyra’s monopoly madness ensured that petite and plus-size models had no chance on the show this season.   Given the fact that Tyra is going to catapult the winner directly into “high fashion, super modeling” fame. One doesn’t have to land on Park Place Avenue to know that petite models do not make it in the “high fashion” modeling world.

The, pay-no-heed-to-petites, “Banks” will be weaving…, um, I mean, waving her magical height-hype-stick, creating an instant eminent-Amazon-model by placing her with a top, international, agency – “IMG Models” (no petite or plus-size division here).

Giving  the  winner a  “Go directly to Italy“ card where she’ll complete a fashion spread in “Vogue Italia” and an additional spread and COVER with “Beauty in Vogue” (let’s not forget the usual $100,000 contract with “CoverGirl-Cosmetics”); thus creating the biggest grand prizepackage ever offered on ANTM. Now wouldn’t that have been nice for the same, hard-working “petite” model out there? Complete series on ANTM.

The good news is now petite women have Bella Petite Magazine here to set new high fashion standards!

Written by: Tana Corporon