More Miraculous Tales Of Calm Top Model Auditions

Yesterday's re-do of America's Next Top Model (under 5'7") auditions was apparently a resounding success—if success is not having a riot stem from rumors of an exploding car. It was less fierce and more friendly and follow-the-rules outside the Hotel Pennsylvania: NY1 reports, "Only 50 women entered the hotel at one time. They were searched and given wrist bands to indicate their scheduled audition time." Also, last time, police weren't informed of the auditions; this time, there were 40 cops stationed. The NY Times found a line of "Women of all shapes and sizes arrived from the five boroughs and beyond: supermarket cashiers, store clerks, Federal Express employees, students, dropouts, all eager, even desperate, to be plucked from their regular lives and transformed into fodder for the reality television mill." Though few were deemed ANTM-worthy (the Times: "More often than not, the young women emerged from the judging rooms with long faces and teary, red-rimmed eyes"), one woman put it into perspective for the Daily News, "I'm just taking a shot at a dream. I have nothing to lose, unless of course I get trampled."

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By Jen Chung in News on April 12, 2009 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

jaycjay

"The NY Times found a line of 'Women of all shapes and sizes arrived from the five boroughs and beyond: supermarket cashiers, store clerks, Federal Express employees, students, dropouts, all eager, even desperate, to be plucked from their regular lives and transformed into fodder for the reality television mill'"

Wow. So very colorful, yet actually inaccurate. They weren't of all shapes and sizes; that was the point of this event: they had to be under 5'7".

OK, it's just a style piece, and it's a very minor point. But still, it's "the paper of record." Should you let your desire to turn a pretty phrase impinge upon the accuracy of your reporting.

Spirit of 76

Read the article again. They were right. They noted the height requirement but pointed out that some tall women ignored it. And in fact, the rules apparently say the producers can make exceptions to the rule on a case by case basis.

Personally, I find women who are too tall to be out of proportion. 5'4" to 5'8" is good, but not too much taller or shorter.

Pharmer

"...all eager, even desperate, to be plucked from their regular lives and transformed into fodder for the reality television mill."

It's absolutely more about being on reality tv than anything else. You don't need to be on ANTM to model.