Were you a fan of America’s Next Top Model? Did you wonder how the models felt when the judges were so harsh about their looks and abilities? If so, You Wanna Be on Top? is a must read because behind-the-scenes it was so much worse.
Girls treated like cattle, shoved into hot windowless rooms for hours or even weeks at a time. Told when to eat, sleep, and even when to go to the bathroom. Cameras everywhere but no talking aloud except when cameras were filming, which they did for up to 17 hours per day. Is this torture, reality television, or perhaps both combined?
The worst part for the author, who finished eighth in cycle 9, was that they weren’t paid. For the entire months long cycle. Even after elimination, the models were kept in isolation to be used as decoys for the paparazzi. Still, for no pay.
While You Wanna Be on Top? is about America’s Next Top Model, its methods could apply to almost any reality competition. Treating the contestants like set pieces. Manipulating their discussions to mold them into any character the producers want, from villain to hero. And, of course, not paying them for their time unless they win. It is hard not to wonder about what goes on behind-the-scenes at modern shows like Love Island, Big Brother, and The Bachelor. I can’t wait for similar memoirs about those shows to appear.
I highly recommend reading You Wanna Be on Top? if you watch any reality television. It is an eye-opening memoir that just confirms that sleazy feeling given off occasionally by even the best of these shows. 5 stars and a favorite!
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown for providing me with an advanced review copy.