America's Next Top Model Versus Make Me a Supermodel

Retired supermodel Tyra Banks has come a long way over the years. America first got to know Tyra Banks when she was a supermodel. Then, in 2003, she delved into television with her hit show, America's Next Top Model. Later, she developed her own talk show, TheTyra Banks Show. The prototype for America's Next Top Model has now spread worldwide, with franchises on every continent except Antarctica. There's no question that the CW's America's Next Top Model, which has now run for eleven cycles, is a smash hit.

I have been a devoted Top Model follower and watched as the show has gone from being a low-budget, gritty lesson in reality about the modeling business to a hit show that has models getting crazy makeovers and doing wacky photo shoots. I can't help but notice that the show seems to have shifted away from being about modeling. When I watch Top Model nowadays I expect to see lots of drama, not on the photo shoot, but in the house where the contestants live and at the judging panel, where Tyra Banks often seems intent on indulging in some self-absorbed histrionics of her own. Of course, I tune in every week anyway.

A few days ago, I was searching iTunes for something new to watch. Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model just ended and I needed a new fix. That's when I stumbled across Bravo's debut reality show Make Me A Supermodel, starring supermodels Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford. I didn't quite know what to expect, but downloaded the show anyway. And now, having watched the entire season, I have to say I much prefer Make Me A Supermodel over America's Next Top Model.

How the two shows are similar

The formats for Make Me A Supermodel and America's Next Top Model definitely share some similarities. First off, the first show of each season is a casting special, in which each show's hosts choose contestants from a large pool of hopefuls. After the cast is chosen, the contestants all live together in a house. During the first season of Make Me A Supermodel, the contestants lived in New York City. America's Next Top Model has also been shot there, though the most recent cycle was shot in Los Angeles.

The grand prize offered for each show is also somewhat similar. On America's Next Top Model, the contestants vie for a $100,000 contract with Elite Model Management, an ad campaign for Cover Girl cosmetics, and a spread in Seventeen magazine. On Make Me A Supermodel, the contestants compete for a $100,000 contract with New York Model Management.

Both Top Model and Make Me A Supermodel challenge the contestants with teaching sessions and special tasks that prepare them for each phase of the competition. And both shows generally eliminate at least one contestant each episode.

How the two shows are different

First off, the cast for Make Me A Supermodel consists of both men and women, who live together in a loft in New York City. Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford share top billing on the show, which seems to help keep the show's focus on modeling instead of just one "star's" antics.

Secondly, at the end of each episode of Make Me A Supermodel, the three worst performers are put up for a vote and America chooses who gets to stay and who has to go. After each episode, viewers can either log on the Internet or call a toll free number to vote for the model they think could still be a supermodel. The model with the least number of votes is sent home at the beginning of the next episode. I like this cliffhanger format because it makes me want to keep watching. On Top Model, the judges choose who goes home and reveal that person at the end of each show. When my favorite model gets cut, I sometimes don't want to keep watching.

A third difference is in the actual contestants. The contestants on Make Me A Supermodel really do look like models. They are all tall, thin, and exotic looking. It doesn't appear that the producers tried to come up with a cross-section of people to suit certain demographics. When I watch Top Model, I sometimes get the feeling that contestants are chosen based on a quota. I also sometimes feel like the winner is chosen on the first day of casting. It's as if someone decides what the Cover Girl look will be for the upcoming season and chooses the appropriate contestant accordingly. On Make Me A Supermodel, it seems like there's more of an element of surprise. It's left up to America, which may mean that someone who's popular but not necessarily the best model can keep coming back.

Finally, I think the things the models are asked to do on Make Me A Supermodel are a lot more interesting than they are on Top Model. On Top Model, it seems like the models are asked to do wacky stunts that have little to do with actual fashion. On Make Me A Supermodel, the models are given assignments that are edgy and interesting, and actually seem plausible. Most shows feature both a photo shoot and a catwalk. Each week, the photo shoot and the catwalk are different and the models are asked to show their versatility. Again, the emphasis is on the models, not the hosts!

One last point...

One thing that I really like about Make Me A Supermodel that I don't see on Top Model is that the hosts Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford and fellow judges, modeling agent Cory Bautista and casting director Jennifer Starr, all seem very grounded. I am especially impressed by Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford, who truly come across as genuinely caring about the modeling industry and the models themselves. Toward the end of the first season, when Taylor and Beckford tell the models they can count on them for help and advice, I really believe they mean what they say. I'm sorry to say that I don't believe Tyra Banks when she says something similar. I might have believed her when Top Model first started, but I certainly don't now. She seems to have let success go to her head. Lately, when I watch Top Model, I find myself really rooting for Tyra's fellow judge Paulina Porizkova to take over. She comes across as a lot more sincere and down to earth than Tyra Banks does.

I really hope to see Make Me A Supermodel back on Bravo's lineup next season. I think it's a great alternative to America's Next Top Model.