Tyra Banks' version of America's Next Top Model, while not always the most inclusive, did dip its toe in the small sector of the modeling industry that's accepting of diverse body types. Cycle 13 featured exclusively girls who were 5'7'' and under. And Cycle 10 gave us the series' one-and-only plus-size winner, Whitney Thompson.
So when we heard the series was returning on VH1, we hoped a new wave of body positivity would take over. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Just ask Orange Is The New Black actress Danielle Brooks, who took to social media to air her frustration after watching the Cycle 23 premiere of ANTM.
Brooks, a strong advocate for body positivity, was disappointed by the lack of plus-sized models in this season's lineup. In an Instagram post, she wrote, "Out of all 24 girls not one was plus. You had an Asian, African, a red head, transgender, an androgynous sister, even twins...(much love for that) but not 1 plus size woman-when 67% of women are plus in the US??"
While Brooks feels that the show is diverse in several ways, she pointed out that the Rita Ora-fronted iteration missed out on a huge opportunity to showcase not only a variety of body types but also designers of plus-sized fashion.
Preach, girl!
Brooks ended her post by addressing plus-size women. "We are worth these incredible opportunities. We deserve to be seen. I'm going to continue to push back and speak up for that young girl that wants to model, wants to act, wants to be upfront and needs to be reminded that she is just as deserving as anyone else."
We need more voices like Danielle's advocating for ALL body types. It's great to see such an influential actress loving her body and taking a stand for those who aren't being represented!