ANTM--Body size vs. Racist commentary

During this week's America's Next Top Model, I witnessed an all too common, and unfortunate occurrence--when criticism from one person results in another using racist commentary as revenge. The drama on this week's show involved Allison, a Caucasian outspoken, confident, and cocky eighteen-year-old from Wisconsin, and Fatima an outspoken, opinionated, 22-year- old, African-American woman who constantly puts her foot in her mouth.


The big drama began when all the aspiring models received gift bags from Apple Bottoms jeans. All the girls put their jeans on, and were crazy excited. Allison, on the other hand, was bored, and irritated by what she saw as reactions from inexperienced, less-talented models. The conversation eventually turned to the meaning behind Apple Bottoms. In case you didn't know, Apple Bottoms refers to the booty resembling like the bottom of an apple. Fatima, in the guise of a compliment, offended Allison when she said Allison looked better in the jeans because Allison's butt was bigger. Allison, a recovering anorexic, did not take this comment very well, told Fatima what she thought, and left the room in shock and disbelief. Fatima, to her credit, apologized, and tried to move beyond the drama. Allison, on the other hand, proceded to play with her Barbie-type dolls. The girl actually had some dolls with her--a Caucasian doll, and an African-American doll. Allison stuffed the African-American doll's pants with paper to make it bigger, and replayed the events of the evening before, this time with Allison's Caucasian doll making the big butt comments to the African-American doll. Then she did the unexcusable--she went racist to get revenge. Allison said, in the character of the African-American doll, "I am black; so I like to take it from the back."


Racism is one of the ultimate evils against humanity. When someone makes any type of comment, criticism, or derrogatory remark based on race or ethnicity, he or she automatically shows that he or she does not view the other person as a human being of equal value. My sisters are prone to this horrendous practice, and no matter how much I try to reason with them, and redirect their anger, I can't get them to change their ways. We all have the responsibility to bemoan racial injustice, and fight for recognition of all people as human beings with equally trying issues, as well as interesting, and valuable assets. But if I can't even get my own sisters to see the light, how can we convince complete strangers?

Here are excerpts from the show. The first exchange occurs 3 minutes into the first part of the show, and the second exchange happens right at the beginning of the second part.