Parents' Guide to

Model Employee

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Modeling contest highlights catty behavior, humiliation.

TV VH1 Reality TV 2013
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What's the Story?

MODEL EMPLOYEE is a reality competition to find the face and spokeswoman of the MGM Mandalay Bay Hotel brand. Hosted by supermodel Chrissy Teigen, eight successful models who are used to being pampered arrive ready to pose for photo shoots, walk the catwalk, and flaunt their fashion savvy in hopes of landing the $100,000 contract. But they soon discover that in order to win, they must do all the resort's ground level jobs in order to understand the business from the bottom up. Each week they must successfully perform some of the hotel's grittiest behind-the-scenes tasks, like picking through trash for recyclables, scrubbing the shark pool, and washing thousands of dishes, in order to learn more about what goes into keeping the luxury hotel up and running. The panel of judges, including spokesmodel Vanessa Branch, marketing exec Jimmy Smith, and Mandalay Bay marketing VP Patrick Miller, assess the women according to their character, poise, and esteem. Those who perform the best get to participate in spokesmodeling events that let them show off their skills, while those on the bottom risk getting sent home. The final victor gets the contract and a substantial amount of training to represent her new client.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Model Employee offers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running a luxury resort while highlighting the skills necessary to market it. It also underscores some of the high expectations many of today's employers place on their staff, like being well-informed about every aspect of their business in order to represent it, and acting professionally at all times. The importance of learning from one's mistakes and resolving them constructively is also discussed.

Like most reality modeling competitions, much of the show's focus is on the catty arguments between the women involved. Meanwhile, the models are often depicted as being spoiled, uneducated, and/or unable to cope with hard work outside of the modeling profession, which adds to the voyeuristic reality drama. The show does pause occasionally to acknowledge the hard and unglamorous work that many folks do every day, but these moments are eclipsed by the focus on the over-the-top behavior of the models.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the modeling profession. What are the different kinds of things models have to do to be good at their job? Do all models make a lot of money or live luxurious lifestyles? What are some of the stereotypes about models and the work they do? How do televised modeling competitions like this one contribute to (or challenge) these generalizations?

  • Why do you think so many TV shows pit women against each other? What messages do shows like this send to kids about how women behave and what they can expect from each other?

  • Why do you think these women agree to be on this show? What do they stand to gain or lose by appearing on TV? Do you think they are playing up the drama, or is what you see on this show realistic?

TV Details

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