MTV’s “Model Maker” Reality Show
Oh this is a fucking wonderful idea: an MTV reality show called Model Maker that asks women to lose up to eighty pounds in twelve weeks. Doing the math, that’s approximately seven pounds per week. The goal is, of course, to be “thin” and “beautiful” enough to be a model. (One of the prizes is a personal trainer.)
“We are looking for girls with a great attitude, a pretty face and the endurance to sweat off the pounds during a 3 month boot camp style show,” the announcement reads…
“Anything more than 25 pounds in 12 weeks is really over-stepping the boundaries,” said obesity expert Keith Ayoob… For the young girls already hooked to all-things MTV…a show such as “Model Makers” may not only be a source of entertainment but also a vehicle promoting unhealthy dieting habits.
“You can get very caught up in these shows — especially young girls who are still building their self-esteem,” said Leslie Goldman… “It’s very difficult and crushing to have someone look at you and say you’re very pretty but you’d be beautiful if you were 30 pounds lighter,” said Goldman.
I love how the casting announcement even says they’re looking for the girls who have “such a pretty face.” Seriously, this is everything that ever damaged my self-esteem as a teenager wrapped up into one reality show. (I mean, really: I once took a modeling class, and one of the other parents said I’d be so pretty if I only lost some weight. And my mother passed it along as “motivation” for me. I was fifteen years old.) The only way I could possibly lose seven pounds per week is by thinking about Model Maker after every meal, and thus vomiting. Just revolting.
Via Defamer.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Eating Disorders, Feminism, Health, Media, Personal, TV, Weight Loss
Sheesh! Seriously, did they learn nothing from the deaths resulting from rapid weightloss in the ’80s?
How incredibly irresponsible. Though not completely out of character for MTV considering their usual reality line-up of drunken violent sex addicts on the Real World followed by the superficial nastiness on The Hills. These shows may in fact be more damaging than Jackass was. At least that one had a disclaimer at the beginning warning kids not to try that stuff at home.
Wow, might as well call it ED Makers.
Disclaimer:
WARNING this show is beyond offensive and dangerous. Anyone with slightly low self esteem (ie teenagers) should NOT WATCH AT ALL because you will be told how fat, unattractive and unworthy of breathing you are. You will then be given physically and mentally harmful advice on how to be skinny and thus attractive and worthy in MTV’s eyes to breathe.
My Lord….and I thought Biggest Loser was extreme.
Disgusting.
I had called a moratorium on television a few years back, and in March, I started watchng again when I got cable, high-speed internet service and phone service.
When I saw just a snippet of a reality television show called “Bad Girls Club,” I was revolted. The girls were taking bottles out of the refridgerator and sticking them up their anuses to get back at some other girls in the club. They also urinated on a willing guy’s face.
Janet Jackson gets nailed for showing her breast during the superbowl, but this stuff gets on the air?
Yech.
This MTV nugget is a trainwreck.
This is AWFUL. I can’t even imagine who could’ve come up with the idea for this. It’s so wrong. My GOD.
It is just scary because it will give young girls the idea that this is how weight loss is supposed to be, and if they are not losing pounds a week, then they are doing something wrong. Damn- thats a pound per day. Thats what I strived when I was anorexic.
I’m sure I’m too old for the show (only in MTV-Land is 31 considered old) but I would love to go on there as a contestant and subvert it. I’d exercise appropriately, eat healthfully and question all the BS unhealthy behaviors they were promoting. Then I’d radiate self-esteem and encourage the other girls to love themselves as they are. Heads would explode all over the MTV corporate offices.
Cubical girl….great thought but I’m sure you’d end up right on the cutting room floor.
Read about this earlier. How utterly disgusting and yet completely unsurprising. MTV sucks, and needs to go down.
Maybe if there’s enough uproar over the show it’ll get canceled?
Oh. Right. Not likely, huh?
I’m gonna go watch the Womens’ Olympic water polo team. They’re strong and athletic.
Isn’t this the show that Torrid is sponsoring? It seems like I have heard of it before.
Yes it is!! OH MY GOD FLAMES OF HATE.
MTV used to stand for Music Television and in the eighties, I loved watching it. Today guess what the M stands for?
According to wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn, the definition of Misogynous is “hating women in particular.”
Skinny, fat, young, old, white, black, gay, straight, big-boobed, flat chested, rich, or poor…this channel makes us all feel badly.
I saw an ad for a casting call for this show and almost wanted to shoot myself.
I have been struggling with anorexia for the past 10 years.. it has been pure HELL recovering in America.
With new shows like this.. God forbid anyone watch it.
I just can’t believe what this world has come to.
Makes me sick to say I am an American.
ok for those of you who don’t know, here’s a quick rundown on the HIGH FASHION MODELING INDUSTRY:
1. u have to be tall
2. U HAVE TO BE SKINNY!!!!
look at any D&G ad and 100% of the time you will see models that are 20 lbs UNDERWEIGHT!
so what’s so bad about the model maker show? well yes i understand it’s damaging for the teens, but that is how the editorial modeling industry is, regardless of how many of us are against it. the clients are those big brand names and they will only cast you if you fit their requirements.