America's Next Top Model: Changing Standards?

In cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model, plus-size model Whitney Thomson was crowned the winner.  This was the first time in ANTM history that a plus sized girl had won the competition.  Was this just a publicity stunt? Or is America’s Next Top Model trying to acknowledge that there is more than one standard of beauty?  The show first introduced plus-sized contestants to the show in cycle 8, and it took two more seasons for a plus-sized girl to win.  Having girls that are more than a size 2 on the show could help the perception in the media that to be beautiful, a girl has to be skinny.  That message is unhealthy, and just plain wrong.  Models are generally very very skinny, but I believe that many of them would not be considered attractive or beautiful outside of their profession. By introducing plus-sized models into the competition, America’s Next Top Model is sending a positive message to its viewers that it is okay to look like a normal, healthy person and still be considered a beautiful person. 

There have been numerous campaigns, such as the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, that are aimed at changing the standards of beauty and allowing people to be comfortable with who they are.  The obsession that has arisen in society with being stick thin negatively affects thousands of men and women around the world.  Positive messages from television shows and companies is only the first step to combating this issue.  Pop culture is a valuable and effective tool to convey messages.  Hopefully more shows will follow in ANTM’s footsteps and continue to challenge the current standards of beauty.