The other day
we reported on Tyra Banks responding to the backlash she was receiving on social media for old
America’s Next Top Model clips that featured some questionable and problematic moments from the show’s 20-year history. Fans and viewers alike were disappointed to see her admonishing model-wannabes for their natural beauty, for embracing their ethnicity, or for not hiding their sexual orientation.Other moments from the show, like the time white models were asked to wear blackface (yikes) also made the rounds, and so Tyra
tweeted an apology of sorts, where she agreed with the criticism.
ANTM producer Ken Mok also
weighed in on the subject at the time, tweeting that he and the creative team should also shoulder the blame, not just Tyra. Well, now former
ANTM creative director and on-screen personality Jay Manuel is adding his voice to the mix, and let’s just say he disagrees somewhat with Mok and Tyra.[video_embed id='1752866']RELATED: Tyra Banks is living in a dorm at Harvard[/video_embed]“Many times when you’re working in an environment like that, you have to listen to your executive producers, and ultimately the two voices at the top were Ken and Tyra,” Manuel told
Variety. “There were sometimes several objections by other producers and myself about layers that were added to creative, and we were just told to execute. I think it’s a little unfair to throw the whole team under the bus. The whole team wasn’t there on the front side when they were making decisions about the show in its heyday. The team wasn’t really supported, so to speak.”Dang, it sounds like things behind the scenes were a little more heated than anybody knew. Manuel, who recently left the show, clears up any rumours that he left because of tension between him and Tyra. Turns out it was simply because he didn’t want to renew his contract and favoured other career opportunities. “It was 100% my decision to leave the show, as I was ready to move my career in a different direction, but unfortunately at the time, my departure was misreported to the press.”That may be true, but maybe that decision was propelled by some of those problematic and dubious old
ANTM clips where models were given cringeworthy advice. Specifically recalling Tyra’s advice to a gay contestant in Cycle 5 to not shine a spotlight on her sexual orientation, Manuel recalls the moment thusly: “I remember feeling a little uncomfortable with the statement [. . .] I was confused by it because we ask these girls to come in the room and the producers remind the girls before they come in, ‘Tell them who you are. You’re not just a pretty face. You have to have a discussion about who you are.’ These girls are coached to speak their truth and tell Tyra who they are, and then Tyra said that, so it seemed a bit unfair.”And what about the notorious moment in Cycle 4 where models were told to put on blackface for a “race-swapping” photoshoot? Manuel, who reveals in the piece that he grew up identifying as black, does not mince words when he speaks about it. “I was so, so, so uncomfortable with this,” he says. “I was so afraid that I would wear this because I was the creative director, but it was not my idea [ . . . ] I remember that very, very clearly. I was basically told that I had to execute the creative, and it made me very uncomfortable.”The interview with Manuel also reveals that he and Tyra don’t really have a relationship to speak of anymore, apart from the odd email. So does he think Tyra deserves to shoulder the blame for the backlash, or is it a bit unfounded?“I can’t really defend her either,” he adds, “because when ratings were high and things were great, she remained a clear figurehead, because it was her show. Consistently, when s**t hit the fan and people wanted to talk about some of the things that were said on the show, we would have another singular EP come forward to claim that all creative decisions were made as the team .”Someone put the kettle on, because we need to drink all of this burning hot tea.[video_embed id='1957807']BEFORE YOU GO: This video shows how easily germs spread at a buffet[/video_embed]
