On the October 28th episode of the CW reality series America's Next Top Model, host Tyra Banks conducted a photo shoot in which the six surviving runway wannabes (4 Caucasian, an Asian, and an African-American) were made up to represent women of mixed heritage. The breakdown is as follows:| Contestant | Ethnicities |
|---|---|
| Brittany | East Indian & Native American |
| Erin | Tibetan & Egyptian |
| Jennifer | Batswana & Polynesian |
| Laura | Mexican & Greek |
| Nicole | Japanese & Malagasy |
| Sundai | Russian & Moroccan |
The ANTM photo shoot has stirred up controversy, with many deeming it racially offensive. Various posts have stated that the models appeared in blackface, which I think is very misleading. I don't know about you, but when I hear the term "blackface" I have visions of Al Jolson down on one knee belting out "Mammy". I saw the photo shoot as a celebration of multi-culturalism. It wasn't as if the models were transformed into offensive caricatures like the aforementioned Jolson or Mickey Rooney's embarrassing portrayal of an Asian in the 1961 film Breakfast At Tiffany's.
Due to my schedule, I didn't get a chance to post about the ANTM controversy when I read about it late last month. Although the episode has already aired, I think the topic is still worthy of discussion.
Below is a clip from the ANTM episode:
Do you think the photo shoot was offensive?
