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America's Next Top Model

(Rated TV-PG, Reality TV, Starring Tyra Banks, Where to watch: VH1, CW, DVD, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    A guilty pleasure in model form -- OK for teens.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Tyra visits the contestants each episode and tries to teach them appreciation for modeling. Contestants can be aggressive or catty toward one another, and judges have made derogatory comments about contestants' bodies (posture, butt, height, etc.). One contestant was given surgery to fix her crooked tooth. The show has featured plus-size models and women from diverse ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations.
  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    Revealing outfits for photo shoots. One contestant talks about being a "fornicator," a same-sex kiss occurs, a contestant cheats on her boyfriend.
  • Language:

    "Ass," "damn," "hell," etc. Stronger swearing is bleeped.
  • Consumerism:

    Cosmetics brand Cover Girl, a sponsor of the show, is referenced by name at several points. The winner receives a contract with Cover Girl, and occasionally products/photographers/fashion lines are promoted in photo shoots.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters drink in moderation. It was suggested that one contestant had a drinking problem. Some smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About America's Next Top Model

Parents need to know that despite talk of modeling "talent," this is a show in which women are judged ultimately on their appearance. Contestants are often shown making disparaging comments about one another. There has been a same-sex kiss between two contestants, and a girl has cheated on her boyfriend. One contestant talks about being a "fornicator." Product placement and tie-ins figure prominently; Cover Girl (a sponsor of the show) is referenced regularly. Although host Tyra Banks stresses that the most beautiful contestant won't necessarily win, the women are still judged on their looks and how well they photograph.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how important beauty is to a person's success. What messages does the show send about body image? Do shows like this make girls feel bad about themselves? Parents might also discuss the role of makeup, lighting, airbrushing, etc. in creating the images that teens see in magazines.

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Our Members Say

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  • What did you think about America's Next Top Model?
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See all 51 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Parent presence is adviced for young teens

    It's true what the reviewers are saying, the show can be really good for a teenager's self-esteem but I recommend that is watched, if possible, with a parent. There is an episode that I watched were contestant cheats on her boyfriend after she gets really drunk. They all get in a hot tub with a guy each and... well, she does it. But later on she suffers, showing that actions like the one she did have consecuences. The kisses that are shown are intense and... well, although the couples don't go too far, It's better for you to be there. About Tyra Banks, she is a good role model. She talks to each girl individually when they are feeling down and cheers them up. My does seem to give really good advices to the contestants. I watched the first season with my brother and my little sister, she's 13 now. We stopped except her because she was and still is interesed in the fashion world. Sadly, Internet made her wish come true and kept on watching the show on her own. I found out too late what kind of show she was watching alone. My advice is to encourage your kids to watch it with you so that they don't feel the need to watch it by themselves, specially when they are younger than 14 and they are interested in being fashion designers or models (they will find a way to be informed)

  2. I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative role models

  3. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title off for age 15 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    I do not like this show at all. The contestants often come from circumstances so difficult that this show is a huge gamble for them, an all or nothing attempt to make it big on nothing more than their currently fashionable looks and photographability, and when only one woman wins and the rest go back to what they came from it must be devastating for them. In addition,the message is that a worthy model will do anything asked of them, including giving their all when seriously ill, or undergoing painful beauty treatments, or posing nude and/or kissing someone (often not well-known to them) just for the sake of a photo. These are not the values I want my three girls to embrace. Though the show claims to promote healthy values for girls, such as an episode that discouraged eating disorders, a perfectly beautiful and healthy-looking contestant was eliminated for being a few pounds overweight. (She looked just right, so she must have even been a bit on the too skinny side if t.v. adds wight to people's appearances.) Several of these down-and-out contestants are mothers who have left their babies for a long time to be on this show. I don't know why people want to watch often desperately unfortunate women gambling and putting everything on the line for a chance at stardom instead of encouraging them to work equally hard at furthering their educations and get work that would give them and their families security and stability. I hate how the contestants grovel at the feet of Tyra Banks who acts like an omnipotent Goddess who holds their entire futures in the palms of her hands. She and the other judges are often so cruel in their discourse on the worthiness of the contestants based solely on their appearances. Though there may be profanity, I am much less offended by that than the messages insidiously delivered to us on a silver platter. The whole show makes me really sad for the state of our values.

  4. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title off for age 15 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    I do not like this show at all. The contestants often come from circumstances so difficult that this show is a huge gamble for them, an all or nothing attempt to make it big on nothing more than their currently fashionable looks and photographability, and when only one woman wins and the rest go back to what they came from it must be devastating for them. In addition,the message is that a worthy model will do anything asked of them, including giving their all when seriously ill, or undergoing painful beauty treatments, or posing nude and/or kissing someone (often not well-known to them) just for the sake of a photo. These are not the values I want my three girls to embrace. Though the show claims to promote healthy values for girls, such as an episode that discouraged eating disorders, a perfectly beautiful and healthy-looking contestant was eliminated for being a few pounds overweight. (She looked just right, so she must have even been a bit on the too skinny side if t.v. adds wight to people's appearances.) Several of these down-and-out contestants are mothers who have left their babies for a long time to be on this show. I don't know why people want to watch often desperately unfortunate women gambling and putting everything on the line for a chance at stardom instead of encouraging them to work equally hard at furthering their educations and get work that would give them and their families security and stability. I hate how the contestants grovel at the feet of Tyra Banks who acts like an omnipotent Goddess who holds their entire futures in the palms of her hands. She and the other judges are often so cruel in their discourse on the worthiness of the contestants based solely on their appearances. Though there may be profanity, I am much less offended by that than the messages insidiously delivered to us on a silver platter. The whole show makes me really sad for the state of our values.

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    Women argue, including Bre pouring Nicole's Red Bull in the sink in cycle 5. Fatima uses F*ck in cycle 10. Anchal in cycle 7, uses the same word, but several times. Monique uses it too. Some words like Hate are used. Unbleeped words include H*ll, D*mn, A*s, and B*tch.

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