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Post by Claire on Jul 10, 2008 20:26:40 GMT -5
This just started July 1. It's similar to "America's Top Model" except all of the models have disabilities.
I think the idea is great. Time will tell if the show is actually great in and of itself.
What do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea? A step in the right direction or disability awareness gone horribly wrong?
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§cαrL£t
Full Member
Posts: 143
Gender: Female
Dev Status: Devotee
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Post by §cαrL£t on Jul 10, 2008 23:47:51 GMT -5
I'm holding out for Britain's Missing Top Male Model.
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Post by Claire on Jul 11, 2008 8:08:09 GMT -5
Yeah, me too, but in the mean time, it's all about how the mainstream society perceives attractiveness and sex appeal in the disabled.
I've watched both episodes now and it's fascinating. It's especially interesting watching the paraplegic girl get so frustrated and angry at the success of the deaf girl because her disability isn't visibly apparent, and the para has to deal with her chair all the time.
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Post by Pony on Jul 11, 2008 12:11:29 GMT -5
Hey, I give it thumbs up, although none of the models rolled me over (pun intended) in the looks department, but I'm a picky bastard. However, I think it helps chip away at some social barriers, like sayin, 'Here, look at us...stare at us, we can be alluring, provocative, silly, proud-not embarrassed...disabled.' Look, the more we enter the visual mainstream media, the more accepted as a viable group we will be. I'm not sure Devs even want that, not sure, coz the fascination might suffer some. I don't really know, so don't jump me.  You know, as modeling goes, it's usually used to SELL something, right? What better way than to have a model that REALLY stands, or sits, out among the others, which, in turn, brings attention to a product. i've noticed a Wal-Mart commercial lately that uses a chairdude, looks like a c5c6 quad to me that pushes, mixed in with other ABs...it's a small speaking-part, too! I think it shows commitment to ALL people, and made my ass remember it. I work for Nielsen Company, and I can tell you companies are veryyy interested in their commercial being remembered for ANY reason. |
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Post by matisse on Jul 11, 2008 15:42:20 GMT -5
I've watched both episodes now and it's fascinating. It's especially interesting watching the paraplegic girl get so frustrated and angry at the success of the deaf girl because her disability isn't visibly apparent, and the para has to deal with her chair all the time. Yeah it's kind of annoying how they dump all the disabilities in there. I guess it promotes the conflict/drama they like to contrive in these shows. |
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Post by BA on Jul 11, 2008 16:02:01 GMT -5
I've watched both episodes now and it's fascinating. It's especially interesting watching the paraplegic girl get so frustrated and angry at the success of the deaf girl because her disability isn't visibly apparent, and the para has to deal with her chair all the time. Yeah it's kind of annoying how they dump all the disabilities in there. I guess it promotes the conflict/drama they like to contrive in these shows. I agree - think it's just stupid. I hate reality shows in general. Just mix the disabled girls in the with regular 'Top Model' shows. It's all a bunch of contrived crap. |
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Post by Ouch on Jul 11, 2008 17:50:32 GMT -5
While it probably sounded nice on paper, I have to agree with AB. The better idea would just to have a singular show with disabled and non-disabled persons.
...I think the direct competition would actually do better to increase 'awareness'...
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Post by Claire on Jul 11, 2008 18:45:07 GMT -5
It does seem quite unfair to make the models with obvious physical disabilities compete alongside those who have no cosmetic/mobility issues. And on the other hand, it seems unfair to discriminate against deaf models in such a competition. Honestly I'm of two minds about it. It's not like they're going to do a show for paraplegic models and another show for deaf models and another show for SAKs.
Either way, it's obviously contrived. I was on a BBC bulletin board where a few of the participants were posting and the para who was complaining about the deaf girl said that the editing was horrible, the way they edited it made it look much worse than it actually was, trying to falsely create "friction" and drama though editing.
I have to say I disagree, though, about having the disabled girls in the regular "Top Model" shows. In theory, it's good, but in practice, I think of the "token plus-sized model" that they always put in the other model shows and who always get eliminated half-way through. That seems incredibly patronizing to me, and I'd rather they just have a Plus-Sized Top Model show. It's like they put her in to be politically correct but they're not really interested in the possibility of a plus-sized winner. I wouldn't want that in a show that had a "token disabled model." I prefer this format to that.
I like how the show with many different disabled models is showing the diversity of disability, different conditions and levels of impairment. It's not perfect, but I actually think it's a step in the right direction and something positive could come of it.
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Post by Pony on Jul 12, 2008 13:33:19 GMT -5
Look, I hate to break the news, but TV is mostly 'contrived' - even news questions to reporters, and reality TV has to make damn sure there's some 'interesting moments', or tension, better yet, sensationalism. Ok, the program is pushing disability as it's new 'raw reality', or new groundbreaking territory to explore, but WTF, would you rather the disabled stay in the shadows? I always though MTV's "Real World" should've added a para to one of their episodes.
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Post by dolly on Jul 12, 2008 19:11:10 GMT -5
I always thought MTV's "Real World" should've added a para to one of their episodes. i believe strongly that a male para or quad should be added to the cast of every show!  lol i think sweden (?) had a female para on one of their big brother seasons... claire, fwiw, i don't watch the Top Model shows but i could swear one of the 'plus size' models won the top prize... perhaps just recently. i happened upon it one evening but i have no idea if it was the british, american or canadian version... anyway, i thought that was cool. i haven't watched the video you posted yet, but i do remember the para from the beyond boundaries series on which i personally found her to be rather whiny. i'm going to bookmark the youtube page and might watch the show when i have more time. but ya, scarlett, britains missing top MALE model would be fantastic!  |
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Post by Claire on Jul 13, 2008 7:18:15 GMT -5
i believe strongly that a male para or quad should be added to the cast of every show! lol Okay, I'll go for that. OMG you're right! Well, that shows how much I actually keep up with these things. Thanks for the tip.  I looked it up: it was America's Next Top Model, her name is Whitney Thompson, and she's a size...8 to 10! I agree with you, it *is* cool. But since when is a size 8 "plus-sized"? Good God! What kind of message are they sending when a size 8 is overweight?? I'm built kind of, uh, top-heavy, and I usually have to buy my tops in the plus-sized section, where my bottoms are always in the regular section. So I *know* that plus-sized ALWAYS starts at size 14. And I absolutely will not apologize for not being a size 2. Well, this is a discussion for another forum altogether, but I will say that if the "plus-sized" model who won is a size 8, I am guessing that a disabled model, if she won, would be of the deaf or otherwise "invisible disability" variety. |
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Post by BA on Jul 13, 2008 7:40:18 GMT -5
A size 8-10 used to be what was called a "fit model". These were all the sizes of the sample clothes. They used size 8 and 10 women who were approximately 5'6" tall to cut and sew the patterns for the ready-to-wear clothing in stores, since they represented the very 'perfect' size. A size 8 is a small-medium. How do they get that to mean plus?
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Post by dolly on Jul 13, 2008 9:46:14 GMT -5
agreed!
i thought she was the only one who looked healthy and normal. that's why i put 'plus size' in quotes...
i do also agree that the odds of the deaf girl (or someone with a less visible disability, anyway) winning this new show would seem to be very very good.
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Post by Claire on Jul 13, 2008 12:07:17 GMT -5
For your amusement: there is a "plus-sized model" in this photo. Can you find her? LOL!  |
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Post by E on Jul 13, 2008 16:55:16 GMT -5
Bottom right?
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lol
I looked it up: it was America's Next Top Model, her name is Whitney Thompson, and she's a size...8 to 10! I agree with you, it *is* cool. But since when is a size 8 "plus-sized"? Good God! What kind of message are they sending when a size 8 is overweight?? I'm built kind of, uh, top-heavy, and I usually have to buy my tops in the plus-sized section, where my bottoms are always in the regular section. So I *know* that plus-sized ALWAYS starts at size 14. And I absolutely will not apologize for not being a size 2. Well, this is a discussion for another forum altogether, but I will say that if the "plus-sized" model who won is a size 8, I am guessing that a disabled model, if she won, would be of the deaf or otherwise "invisible disability" variety. 