Very well put. my thoughts as well. It's not purely offensive, just...unnecessary. I too dislike it when people of different ethnicities are made up to look like people from others. If it's just an experiment or something, hey, fine: that's "art" i guess. But when it teeters on being caricature or replacing people from those groups, it's not good.
----- Original Message ----- From: "michellelaurenbooks" <miche...@michellelaurenbooks.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 7:14:51 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: 'America's Next Top Model' Creates Stir After 'Bi-Racial' Photo Shoot Interesting indeed. As someone noted in the article's comments, this isn't the first time Top Model has done this. In fact, it's not even new in Hollywood or in modeling. Not saying it's "right" or "wrong." I just feel it's difficult to know where to draw the line. When does something stop being art and become offensive? And what's offensive to some people in a racial group might not be offensive to others. For instance, I remember when the whole French Vogue thing happened (i.e. where white models wore black face). Many American black people were upset, whereas some of my European friends of Jamaican and African descent weren't bothered at all. It's a very nuanced topic, and people have deep emotions attached to the notion of "black face." Understandably so. I dislike the idea of anyone doing that -- even for art. I don't like when I see white models made up to appear Native American or Asian. Why not just use a model of that ethnicity or nationality? Either way, this gives Tyra's show more publicity. I'm sure there are some people who will be tuning in to watch her upcoming episodes to see if she stirs up any more controversy. Michelle Lauren ~ www.michellelaurenbooks.com Passion. Betrayal. Love that's out of this world. STARSTRUCK HUNTER: Buy @ Liquid Silver Books Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMw6jm73mw TEMPTATION EVE: Coming 11/2009 from Cobblestone Press Video: http://tinyurl.com/yldvtra --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > Interesting... > > ********************************************************** > > http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/tv.accesshollywood.com/americas-next-top-model-creates-stir-after-biracial-photo-shoot-20091029 > > > 'America's Next Top Model' Creates Stir After 'Bi-Racial' Photo Shoot > Thu Oct 29, 12:28 PM PDT > > > > Weeks after an Australian variety show made headlines around the world after > a group of white performers donned blackface to perform as the Jackson > brothers, Tyra Banks is making headlines herself for turning her latest > "America's Next Top Model" candidates bi-racial for a photo shoot. > > > > > During Wednesday night's "ANTM" episode on The CW, Tyra took the remaining > six young women of Cycle 13 to Hawaii, where she took pictures of the models > after they were transformed into different races. > > VIEW THE PHOTOS: Scenes From Tyra's Bi-Racial Photo Shoot On 'America's Next > Top Model' Cycle 13 > > Tyra told bleach blonde Erin Wagner she was going to be "Tibetan, like the > Dali Lama, and Egyptian"; Southern belle Laura Kirkpatrick was put into > makeup to look "Mexican and Greek"; Jennifer An, who is Korean, was told she > was going to be "Botswanan and Polynesian"; African-American Sundai Love was > made to look "Moroccan and Russian"; redheaded Nicole Fox was "Malagasy and > Japanese," while blonde Brittany Markert was put into makeup to look "Native > American and East Indian." > > > > > While the only things that seemed to confuse the lithe models on the show > were particulars about the countries, nationalities and races they were > representing, some members of the press are calling foul. > > VIEW THE PHOTOS: Model Mania: Hot Shots Of The World's Catwalkin' Beauties > > E! News asked whether the shoot was "Racy or Racist?" noting the girls were > "coated in creams to darken their skin tone." Over at Entertainment Weekly, a > writer noted that the models acted "like there's nothing socially charged at > all about race-as-costume." And AOL TV, ran a recap under the headline "Tyra > Banks Puts 'Top Models' In Blackface. When Did This Become OK?" > > > > > But while the current controversy is new, "America's Next Top Model" has > changed the skin tone of their models before, back during Season 4. > > > > > A rep for "American's Next Top Mode" had no comment when contacted by Access > about the controversy. >
