As Susan Bordo explains, anorexia nervosa вЂњcan be seen as at least in part a defense against the вЂfemalenessвЂ™ of the body and a punishment of its desiresвЂќ (8). So, no wonder so many women in high fashion struggle with anorexia вЂ“ itвЂ™s not just about the industry wanting skinny models, itвЂ™s about them rejecting female bodies, which they seem to think equates to sexualized bodies that appeal to other people. This editorial вЂњartвЂќ apparently must be far removed from the sexualized nature of womenвЂ™s bodies. These editorial models must have вЂњperfectly discreet bodies that will display the clothes but not detract from themвЂќ (Mears 35) by having curves that remind the viewer that a woman is wearing them. There is a вЂњclassic tension between art and commerceвЂќ in the fashion industry, where models who are вЂњconventionally attractiveвЂќ (which equates to being someone women want to look like and men adore) become commercial models while women who are вЂњuniqueвЂќ looking become editorial models (Mears 28-29). In her dissertation, she explains that contestants with large breasts would вЂњoften hear comments that have to do with their appearance being more suitable to menвЂ™s magazines, not high fashionвЂќ (Fetters). Rhonda Loverude, who wrote a 352-page doctoral dissertation, commented in an interview that if a viewer had never been exposed to America before, they would think that вЂњin the United States you absolutely have to be thinвЂќ (Fetters). Ultimately, вЂњfashion models represent what feminist scholarship has critiqued as oppressive beauty standards and the objectification of womenвЂ™s bodies for patriarchal and capitalist gainвЂќ (Mears 23). while the average woman in America is 5вЂ™4вЂ™вЂ™ and weighs about 163 lbs. As Ashley Mears points out in her research, the average fashion model in America is 5вЂ™11вЂ™вЂ™ tall and weighs 117 lbs. Yet, the contestantsвЂ™ body weights are still grossly far from average. Missinger argues that вЂњTyra Banks has been careful to highlight the importance of maintaining a proper body weight,вЂќ (76) even having models pose for pictures that depict anorexia (such as the image featured in this post). ANTM judge, Jay, demonstrating how little AnnвЂ™s waist wasДЇor instance, I distinctly remember the episodes where the contestants would comment on each otherвЂ™s eating and exercise habits, and one particular episode where Tyra even staged an intervention for one contestant, Ann (pictured to the left), who everyone thought was suffering from anorexic tendencies (Missinger 76). Although I admired Tyra and thought the show might have had some elements of female empowerment, I recognized that the fashion industry was overly concerned with appearance and I worried about the effects the show might have on my perceptions of my body. вЂњGuiltyвЂќ because I felt like I was doing something wrong by watching it.

I grew up watching AmericaвЂ™s Next Top Model вЂ“ it was my guilty pleasure.

Americas next top model cycle 20