ANTM

Last night was the season premier of the 11th Cycle of America's Next Top Model. The focus of the episode was on the model Isis. For any who missed the show or didn't hear the gossip, Isis is an out transwoman (the first transwoman to appear on ANTM). There are many who saw this as being a positive move, both for ANTM as well as for the trans community in general. There was hope that ANTM's treatment of trans issues would be well done. Any hope of that was quickly shot down.

Before I say much more, I need to give the disclaimer that I never finished watching the episode- I was watching with a friend and we had to get up and leave. It didn't take long for Isis' fellow housemates to air their "concerns" about living with a "he-she". There was one who said it made her uncomfortable that Isis has a body different than hers (the actual model was much more offensive in how she said that, though). There was another model that talked about how when she grew up she was given "good, solid values". The implication is that Isis received poor values, that she is less moral, etc. I'm not sure, but I also think I heard some pronoun mishaps in the conversations as well- referring to Isis as "he".

So, what did ANTM hope to get out of having Isis in the cast? Ratings. I predict that at some point in this season, the models will be asked to do a nude photo shoot (thus putting Isis in a very precarious situation). I'm also predicting that during a photo shoot there will be a well-filmed and highly embarrassing mishap involving the failure of the tape Isis uses to tuck/bind with. And then, after ANTM has milked all the ratings they can get out of Isis they're going to ditch her (and thus also receive the approval and ratings of the conservatives who are pissed off that Isis got on in the first place.)