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The Pop Culture Audit - Season 3, Episode 2: "The Girls Who Hate Their Makeovers"
48 Plays1 year ago
The toxic abuse continues! Join us as we gasp and cringe at what we used to think was NORMAL ENTERTAINMENT.
There aren't enough trigger warnings for this episode - please stay away if you struggle with body dysphoria, weight triggers, eating disorders...it's a whole mess of traumatic topics in here. Some pedestrian 90s racism thrown in too.
Actually this whole season is a trigger warning.
Join us if you are a glutton for punishment?
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Transcript
Introduction to Pop Culture Audit
00:00:11
Speaker
Welcome to the pop culture audit where we review reality TV and talk about all things pop culture through a contemporary and critical lens.
Deep Dive into ANTM Cycle 4
00:00:20
Speaker
So what exactly is the pop culture audit? Easy. We take a deep dive of pop culture source material. In this case, we are auditing America's Next Top Model season four.
00:00:34
Speaker
um and cycle oh i'm sorry cycle cycle not season um we're gonna come through and highlight some cringy and historical moments in pop culture discourse if you're into that you're in the right place if you're not into that you're still in the right place i'm jasmine
00:00:52
Speaker
Hi, it's Bryn, and we're missing Keyla. We are.
Missing Keyla's Perspective
00:00:55
Speaker
Keyla's gallivanting through the streets of Europe over in Spain for the next couple of weeks, so we're stepping in for her.
00:01:05
Speaker
We're going to do our best. And it really does feel like a sacrilege without her because we know how much she cares about this content.
Reflecting on ANTM and Societal Changes
00:01:13
Speaker
And like, I think specifically this episode, I couldn't, I couldn't not watch it through the lens of like, how did Kela handle this? Yeah. Even I watched all of this when it originally came out and I was screening through this whole episode. I couldn't believe, I was like, I can't believe I was consuming this every single week.
00:01:34
Speaker
And just like not like, yeah, like not even raising eyebrows. Blaming the girls. I was about this. This time. Yes, exactly. This the notes are really about because then you zoom out and you start as we talk about this, you start to think about all of the shows around that time. And you're like, they were all like
00:01:52
Speaker
They were all like, this is how society was and how we used to speak about people. Yeah, it was really intense. This was intense. I'm so proud of us. I'm so proud of us as like, I don't know, I just feel like there was the whole for so long, there's been this like generational thing where generation is like stuck in their ways. And when I do watch this, I'm like, we have changed. I have personally changed. You know, I never even thought about that. But yeah, I feel like maybe we've changed more than most.
00:02:21
Speaker
generations before us, maybe
Critique of ANTM's Production
00:02:24
Speaker
we've made. Yeah, why are you just ready to evolve? Yeah, yeah, millennials here. Okay, are you ready for this recap? I'm ready. Give it to me.
00:02:38
Speaker
All right, y'all. I mean, I want to make them, I go back through my notes and I want to make them more clear and crisp and I cannot. It's so crazy. What we cannot overstate is how poorly produced the show is. It's so bad. The reality, like,
00:03:02
Speaker
structure has gotten so much better at like suspense. And like story, exactly. It is whiplash from like jump on these things and they don't build up key moments and then they hype up other moments that are so, it's so bananas. You can tell there's a lot going on in the back that we didn't see.
00:03:22
Speaker
And then when we hear that like that takes them like 13 hours to film a judging thing and you're like, why?
Living Arrangements and Photo Shoots
00:03:31
Speaker
Also, you can see like people, you can see the exhaustion in the girl's faces.
00:03:37
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. And you're like, how does this take so long? And of course, anyway, we'll get to the annoyance of the production and how it lands on the girls. But let's get into this recap. Okay. All right, here we go. Remember that we are down to 14 girls and I'm going to keep saying girls, but just pretend I'm using air quotes the whole time because I am just quoting. Yes, these young women people, they all are going to live in a house together.
00:04:04
Speaker
So we open this episode with all of the girls just standing in the middle of the street at Paramount Studios. They assume they were going to be going to New York, but instead we find out they are going to stay right here and live in Los Angeles. Woo! There's a lot of like, just assume after everything, there's a lot of woo in like clapping. Yeah, it's a lot of unnecessary excitement. It's like a bachelorette party in Nashville, like nonstop, just a lot of woo in clapping.
00:04:32
Speaker
So now they're on this back lot at Paramount. They're riding around in these golf carts. There's a whole stage set up where they stumble upon a movie filming and there's police in it. Ends up there, the fashion police. Who even knew? I thought that was so corny. Oh, it was so embarrassing. It was so corny. All of the setup is to tell the girls that today is their first photo shoot and they're going to turn the girls into, and I'm quoting this, sexy hot aliens taking over Manhattan. Very strange.
00:05:01
Speaker
I have to pause because I forgot to say the title of this episode and it made me laugh so hard. Cycle four, episode two is the girls who hate their makeovers. Oh, that's fitting. Fine. Yeah, it's really on the note. Right. Specifically on the note of like, these days they do like a cute little, you remember Summerhouse? They're like, Jamaica me crazy. Like they have a little cute thing. And this is just like, this is what happens in this episode.
00:05:28
Speaker
Yeah, it's very, very on the nose. Yeah. No. Anyway, sexy hot aliens taking over Manhattan, the girls scream and clap bachelorette party noises, da da da da. Oh my god, it turns out these fake police are actually the judges. So yeah,
Awkward Humor and Alien Makeover
00:05:43
Speaker
I really didn't know this because I've never seen this before. So Nigel, Janice and Nolay are the judges, but they were pretending to be these police. And that was funny to everyone.
00:05:56
Speaker
except for me, because I didn't get it. It was awful. It was just even I knew what was going on and still was like, this sucks.
00:06:02
Speaker
It sucks. It just sucks. Um, okay. So we watch all the girls get ready. They're backstage getting ready for the photo shoot and then they come out for their photo shoot. Everyone's fine. They sort of look like aliens. The makeup is kind of funny. Like some of it is just so phoned in, like just like a circle on your eyebrows. Yeah. They're like, Oh, this looks alien-esque.
00:06:27
Speaker
No, some of them have like super cool like streaks and like really cool colors and really cool like contour and then some of them are like regular day makeup and we just drew a circle around your eye. Yeah, they got lazy at the end for sure. Yeah, eyeliner. It's not it's not giving high fashion. It's so funny to hear them talk about like how high fashion it is. I'm like this is giving like cheap cheap. I could do this in my sleep. Yeah, literally. I think especially maybe we'll get to this especially
00:06:55
Speaker
because of the rise of online makeup, this just looks so amazing. Oh, everyone's basically a makeup artist these days. Absolutely. Somebody on TikTok could run circles around this photo shoot. 100%, yeah. OK. So we're watching Brandy have sort of a temper tantrum because they're taking too long. She's irritated that she was kept waiting. I'm going to say she should maybe not be sharing her truest thoughts in this moment. Yeah.
00:07:24
Speaker
Maybe you should not talk, Brandy, but she is. She's really processing. She's an external processor, let's say that. That's a nice way of putting it. So she comes out there and she's giving Nigel attitude. And she's being honest, to be age. She's like, I was waiting a long time. It kind of sucked. Fair.
00:07:45
Speaker
But then she thinks she did a really great job. She says, on a scale from one to 10, I give myself an 11. So she feels really good about it. And that makes me pretty worried that this is not going to go well. Oh, I'm just going to be throwing in these random shitty things that they
Body Image and Toxic Critiques
00:08:01
Speaker
say to the model. So on one of the models, Nigel says, remember to suck in your gut.
00:08:05
Speaker
And then they said about another person, we have to watch out for her body too. Her body's a little thick. And then he calls her a side of beef. And this is Nolay. And I'm telling you, this man is relatively chubby. And he calls this woman a side of beef. Nolay actually should be single-handedly canceled actually. And I wrote that down in my note. We have to research. Yeah, we'll get to this, but listeners, the several listeners we have, we are, we are going to read.
00:08:35
Speaker
in stated campaigns to find this person and cancel him for sure. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. Leave Lizzo alone. Let's go. We have bigger fish to fry.
00:08:45
Speaker
Whoo. All right. Holy shit. Now he calls Tiffany a ghetto alien. What the fuck is happening? That's what I wrote. Yeah. I pause. I started taking copious notes. That is a whole audit for me. Um, when I tell you, they say the word ghetto in this episode, at least eight. Well, it was horrible.
00:09:07
Speaker
Oh, it's hard not to get into my audit point. Oh, I know. I know. As we go through Mr. J. Mr. J. says that Tiffany has a sad story. So he's sympathizing with her life, but not thinking about whether or not she's a good model. And like, fuck these people. Like they think this is like normal. Anyway,
00:09:28
Speaker
Now the experts, the Jays and Nolay, are openly laughing at them, making fun of these girls as they're doing their best here. So that's how we end that. They get a Tyra mail, remember Tyra mail, that says they are all going to go to a spa for a life of luxury. That doesn't feel like a trick.
00:09:50
Speaker
Oh, wait. Now the van is taking them to a CD part of L.A. and the girls are stressed. So we see all this B roll of what we are supposed to assume is Compton or something. It's probably just downtown. Skid Row. Literally. Like, has anyone been to L.A.? They keep saying, like, why are we in the ghetto? So there's ghetto alert number two. Projects was mentioned as well. Projects. Yep. Yep. We don't want to get out of the car. They do get out of the van and then a group of actual skinheads with the pitbull approach them.
00:10:20
Speaker
looking like village people. I mean, it was just sort of like hippies. What are they? Nazis? Yep. Why do we have a Rottweiler? Yep. Super corny. And like, are we supposed to believe they're getting murdered? Like,
00:10:35
Speaker
These little set ups are you can tell the producers think this is like fucking gold or watching one of the skinhead hippie says hey girls looking good and then they invite the girls in and of course the girls are like yes we should do this.
00:10:50
Speaker
And then he says you're at serious clothing. Ha ha ha. What a trick. These are designers and they have great clothes. What a hilarious trick. First of all, I don't understand any of this. Where are you? What is serious clothing? Why are you? We need to look up serious. Why is it here? Well, who is this person?
00:11:09
Speaker
They gave us no context. I think even if it was filmed, what is that? Like they're pulling out mini skirts and then one of the walls moves and it's actually where they're going to live. So not only is it this fake clothing store run by hippie Nazis with pit bulls, but it's also their apartment. And I am like fully completely lost. Apartment, AKA production studio because nothing is cozy about this.
00:11:35
Speaker
No, it's this huge open space that they clearly just threw rugs and beads and like, and then there's a whole like just giant pictures of Tyra everywhere. This is so weird. unnecessary pictures of Tyra. I mean, whenever these
00:11:52
Speaker
reality shows show the sleeping quarters and they're sharing all these rooms. I just think like how on top of everything else, I would sleep like shit. I think about that too. Why saw this open space? How are they actually sleeping at night? No. And like, yeah, you're on edge. You're with people you don't know in a room you're unfamiliar with. Like, I just cameras go for hours. Yeah. No, no, no.
00:12:19
Speaker
Anyway, they all choose beds and then Tyra shows up. Tyra explains why they are in Los Angeles. It's important for them to see this other side of the business besides the New York side. Now it's morning time and Ms. J is in the house. She's wearing a shirt that says, don't feed the models. J announces that they are there to do weights and measures to see who is fat and who thinks she's fat and who is not fat.
00:12:44
Speaker
Here we go. So I started to try and like write down all the weights of everyone and I got lost because they were moving to the highest weight that we hear is 138 pounds and they're making a huge deal about it. And when I tell you that this girl's Brita, it's the one they call the side of beef.
00:13:01
Speaker
Stunning and not only sending slender like thin if I was 138 pounds I would be in a hospital with an IV in my arm like that's way that's so that's not even big you know what I mean like that's small I just feel like I'm just saying when you see her like her body looks like Jasmine from Aladdin
00:13:20
Speaker
The way that her stomach curves in, inward. I know, she's so beautiful. The rest of these women are between, she's so beautiful, she actually looks maybe not emaciated, but the rest of them are between 100 and 123 pounds. I think the smallest person there was like 113 or something like that.
00:13:45
Speaker
I thought somebody was right at a hundred. I don't know. Oh, they were. But I have to also say that they're like five 10 y'all. Okay. So it's not like, yes, they're very tall. Their normal body weight should probably be like a buck 65 bucks 17 for their height. You know, like this is to be a hundred and some pounds and five 10 is upsetting.
00:14:10
Speaker
Anyway, they get another tire mail that says someone will go home tomorrow. That really makes them sad as if they didn't know how the show was going to go. Right, right. So they're very sad. Next day, or in the next day, the days fly by in this show. They go to a salon and they realize it's a makeover day, which we knew the whole time. There's going to be a sexy photo shoot after makeover day.
00:14:36
Speaker
Why goes through the day that they leave? That was so dumb. Like you already did a photo shoot, like a whole thing. And now you're doing the second, like it is just so chaotic. Like that's not, I don't know. That's strange.
00:14:53
Speaker
Also, Tyra goes through and tells each of them what they're gonna do. We literally sit here as the audience and watch her go through and tell each of these 14 girls, we're gonna do this to you and we want your hair to be like this. First of all, it's just hair, so whatever. And you're like, from a producing perspective,
00:15:12
Speaker
We would just never do that now. It would all be this big surprise reveal at the end, but she basically tells everyone what's about to happen, which is very boring TV and like kills the surprise and kind of underwhelms at the end. But anyway, they're going through and telling everyone the plans and then they end with Brandy and they tell her she is fierce as she is and they aren't going to do anything to her, which is very annoying to her, understandably so. Like it's makeover day. She keeps complaining about this weave.
00:15:40
Speaker
And then they're like, you look great. They're clearly like punishing her for her attitude the day before, but whatever. No, they finally agree to take her weave off, which makes her happy. So now they're doing this, they're doing the makeover, they're shooting, they're doing the photo shoot, also complete sidebar that I didn't catch. They have to be topless during the photo shoot. What was that about too? Why was that necessary?
00:16:07
Speaker
Literally just thrown in. Also take off your shirt. You have a new hairdo. So here we are. They are cruising through this. So it is really hard to follow. And this is when I noticed like most of these girls are just getting blowouts and like basic 90s highlights and they're calling it a makeover. Yeah. Yeah. I noticed that it felt more at the time watching it, it felt more of a bigger deal. But I was like, oh, everyone's just getting extensions.
00:16:34
Speaker
like, that's it. Yeah, so yeah, like you just you just gave them like lowlights. They are fucking with Michelle Michelle with the man neck. Remember, they're bleaching her dark hair. And as a platinum blonde, they're bleaching it really poorly. And she is literally shaking because it hurts her so bad. And they're all like, oh my god, she is like convulsing. So they're doing a terrible job of bleaching her hair.
00:17:01
Speaker
And like, as we know now, because of like Kardashians and how Kim went to complete blonde, it should take you a day. It should take 12 hours. They are ruining her hair. And then they're all but they're complimenting the hell out of Michelle for how she doesn't complain. Okay, Kenya, am I saying her name right Kenya?
Behavior Warnings and Photo Critiques
00:17:24
Speaker
I'm trying to fill it for you. Yes. Yes, you are. Yes. Ginya asked questions about the cut they want to do, and then Mr. J loses his shit on her that she's not trusting them. Tyra comes over. Tyra shows up out of nowhere just to say that being a top model is about embracing change, being open, and being a blank slate. She says 12 of you have been open, but two of you, and you know who you are, have pissed me off. And the next time I see you, you'll be judging, and this will affect that.
00:17:54
Speaker
We got, we're going to come back to it. Yeah. I have that in my notes. Holy shit. Holy shit. Okay. They get home. There's a tire mail that once again tells them that someone's getting eliminated. We know Kenya is worried. It will be between her and Brandy because duh. Um, all right. Next day, next day we're in the judges room. Janice is here. Nigel is here. No, Lee, the shitty, no lay the shitty fat phobic person is here.
00:18:20
Speaker
and they're gonna go one by one and they pull up their best picks one at a time, right? This is the end of the judging. Tyra commends Michelle for pushing through the pain because that's what it's all about. Fucking toxic. They tell Brita that she looks worried and old and not even a one on the scale. Not even a one. You look worried and old. It's Kenya's turn and I shit you not, the music goes,
00:18:48
Speaker
Duh. Music gets like so dramatic. Of those times on reality TV, hilarious.
00:18:57
Speaker
hilarious. Tyra says, so they already got kind of mad and skip this part, they got kind of mad at one girl who got a blowout. But then she had her regular curly hair for the judging. And they're like, wow, why didn't you keep that blowout we gave you? And she was like, Oh, just because it's easier. And they were like mad at her about that. So now Kenya is there and her hair is not exactly the same as the way they did it. Tyra's like, is your hairstyle the same? And you're like, bitch, you know, it's not right. Huge curly poof on the side of my head. You know, it's not the same.
00:19:27
Speaker
And King is like, oh, actually, it's not. She's been really nice. Actually, it's not. I put some oil on it, and it got really stringy. And then Janice yells at her. Tyra is still mad at her. And so she just gets all this smoke from them. We go to Tiffany. We once again hear about how this show is saving Tiffany from the gutter. Oh my gosh, that's in my notes as well. Jeez, can we stop talking about Tiffany's fast story? Jesus Christ, this trauma.
00:19:56
Speaker
Now, Brandi is in front of them, and they are going in on her. Like, Jesus Christ, she's a kid. Like, this kid is 19. She's a fucking kid. Tyra says, where is that thankful person when I called your name? And they want these girls to kiss their ass. I did write this, and I thought about Kela and our little buddies that are on the Gen Z cusp. I'm like, I would love to see them try to recreate this show, like line for line with Gen Zers. I want to see Gen Z girls in there, just like,
00:20:26
Speaker
I'm sure it's on TikTok. I'm going to look for it. Any of this. We have to. Because the way that the Gen Z girls would be like, fuck. Yeah, there's no way. Toxic piece of shit. I do love our Gen Z comrades. So the judges go back through the photos and discuss. Here are some comments that they say about the girls. She has man hands. She has zero sex appeal. Her attitude sucks.
00:20:54
Speaker
She's seen those red lights before, meaning from the ghetto.
Elimination and Beauty Standards
00:20:58
Speaker
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Who even wants her around. She's 25 and holding too much weight, meaning old and fat. She looked drab. Her face is pugsly, meaning her nose and her features are all too close together. Too close together. She's so big, she looks like someone in drag. And then they call her Michelle slash Michael to like make a joke about her being a man.
00:21:25
Speaker
Now all the girls come in to find out who is cut. Tyra has 14 women in front of her and only 13 pictures in her hands. The way that they do this so specifically every time while they like shittily produce the rest of it sends me because this is stupid. She hands out the pictures and everyone knows like who it's coming down to so they pretend to be super relieved but like you knew you weren't going home because you're not one of these fat or black girls. Right, right.
00:21:54
Speaker
Now we're down to four girls and three photos. Kenya gets a photo and Tyra said that she learned a big lesson this week. The last two girls are Brandy with the bad attitude and Brita, the fatty. They step forward. As we have already been informed, Tyra has only one photo.
00:22:13
Speaker
She recaps for each of them. Breda is amazingly beautiful in person, but when the judges evaluate her photo, they don't want to see her anymore. With no explanation at all. They don't say why. They just say they don't want to see you anymore. No, they already said it. Because you're old and fat. When I tell you this is the hottest girl in the room that will never been in. It's so beautiful.
00:22:36
Speaker
Whoo! Brandy, you have all the potential in the world, but your attitude sucks. They don't want to see you either. Holy fucking shit. But some of them do. So Brandy is saved. Being fat and old is worse than being an asshole. Being fat, and by fat I mean 138 pounds, is the worst thing you can be. Old at 25, the worst thing you can be.
00:23:04
Speaker
Brandi cries and swears she will work on her attitude. Brita, this is my favorite moment. Brita says, I'm pissed right now. And to be honest, I'm regretting this experience. Thank God that is your reaction. It is the only reaction. I hope you carry that energy. I hope you didn't watch this show. I'm a finder. I'm a finder on social media.
00:23:27
Speaker
We could find any of these girls to come on this show. I mean, that would be amazing too. The way I just want to gas them up and pour into them and try to undo any damage. We're rewatching the show. You were done. We're huge fans. We were done so dirty.
00:23:46
Speaker
Oh my God. Okay. And I also forgot that at the end of every episode, they have this group shot with all the girls. In this one, they happened to be topless and then they fade away. The person who's gone, so they just fade away. I know. And I also laugh because I'm like, this must've been the height of Photoshop at the time. They think this is the most high production value trick. It is so tacky.
00:24:11
Speaker
Anyway, that's the end. That's where we end. Oh, goodness. Oh, where do we start? Give me one of your points.
Disproportionate Treatment of Black Contestants
00:24:20
Speaker
I will say my very first audit point is, and just simply put, black girls. Because the way the black girls are being treated on this show is so disproportionate to everyone else.
00:24:34
Speaker
And it's at the helm of a black woman who gets so hard to watch. So Brandi acting like a diva immediately. Obviously that was like, okay girl, try to get a better attitude, but also they saved her to be the last girl.
00:24:57
Speaker
it seems or like second to the last. And so I was like, Hmm, I wonder if this was all produced to trigger her because they kind of know she has a spicy attitude a little bit. I didn't like that. And then Tiffany gets called a ghetto alien.
00:25:16
Speaker
when she was hosing on the police car and saying that she hopped in and out of that car as if she's seen those red lights before. Like, you didn't say that about anyone else. And every time that word ghetto is mentioned outside of when they went to that non ghetto place where they live was all about the black girls. You know, it was just it was just so
00:25:44
Speaker
It was horrible. Also, not having anyone on set that knew how to fix the black girl's hair. The first photo shoot when Brandy got home and she's like combing through her hair. She's like, oh my gosh, this is a knot. They just, you know, did me any kind of way on this set. And then they weren't going to do anything. So yeah, make her live with that. Yeah.
00:26:09
Speaker
It just that was really hard to watch. I also feel like I wrote here in my notes when Tyra was speaking to
00:26:21
Speaker
into the one of the girls I think she was talking to oh yeah when she was talking to Tiffany when they were doing the makeovers she was like oh well but she was talking to the other girl she was oh you're gonna look like this you're gonna look like this she gets to take you have this big ass attitude so we're gonna make you look I'm like why why this energy why this dialect why why are you speaking to her like this and so it just felt like I can't believe it was 2000 anything watching this
00:26:51
Speaker
But I have some notes about this too.
00:26:57
Speaker
I mean, we're going to keep coming back to it. This is such a specific type of woman, of racialized woman, for sure. The more marginalized you get, this type of early 2000s, this generational, I went through shit, and so I'm going to be a foreigner. Oh, yeah. Because I am building you up. I've been in boot camp because I love you, right?
00:27:22
Speaker
No, you got abused and now you're abusing others. There's no other way around this. You were abused, Tyra. And now you are abusing other people. That is the beginning and end of it. And it is so painful to watch. It's painful to watch this like blatant racism on anything, but then to watch it at the hands of one of the most famous black women in the world. And then to like coast, like no way walking around being able to say things like,
00:27:51
Speaker
a yellow alien, like being able to- Sight of beef. Yes. Like just watching them feeling comfortable to say things that I know for a fact would never be said. One in front of a black person and two on national television today. No. It was just, it was astounding. I just couldn't believe that the black girls were immediately stereotyped even by Tyra.
00:28:27
Speaker
you know, all of it, all of it. They were totally trying to trigger them. They're trying to use their trauma stories. I said, they keep showing the black women sticking up for themselves. Like, literally, Kenya was just like, I'm not sure how explain it to me, right? Like, tell me what's going on. So she's like, she's not, she's got a bad attitude. She's sticking up for herself. She has agency. She asked the question. She just said, Oh, I didn't wear it because we're going to do things this way.
00:28:41
Speaker
and treat it that way. And that was just really hard.
00:28:56
Speaker
Yeah. And the way that they were reacting to her, it was just like she just asked a question. And everybody else is just a complete pushover. And we just watched them get dragged for it. Yes. It was unnecessary. And also, too, like,
00:29:11
Speaker
being a black woman, our hair is everything, everything. So I have some questions to ask as well. If you're doing anything to my hair, if you just come in, rub your hands through my hair. I have some questions, some push backs, some anything, you know, and so to act as if they weren't supposed to like, just want to be informed.
00:29:33
Speaker
was absolutely ridiculous. Tyrant as a black woman fully understands that notion. And for her to show up like looking like, Oh, two of you and I just this cryptic language about them. Just say it. You have a problem with Kenya and not Tiffany. It was brandy. Just say it. You know, I just didn't like I have not been liking
00:29:55
Speaker
Any other conversations or treatment surrounding the black women? I have a feeling I can't remember all of this verbatim. I know I watched it many years ago, but I feel like it gets worse. Yeah, I'm sure it does. I'm sure it does. For sure. Can I say something about because this kind of ties into what you're saying. Can I say something about the sheer audacity of these makeovers?
00:30:19
Speaker
They did no tests. They did no strand tests. They are just out here putting basic ass box chemicals on people's heads. This is the lowest quality garbage materials. They rush the shit out of them. I'm focused on the bleach because it's so damaging. I feel so bad for her.
00:30:45
Speaker
They didn't even tone it right. But then like, if you compare this to like, what you're doing, what they're doing on queer right now, you know, with makeovers, and you're like, this is a joke. Also, and I'm out of my lane here, but I'm going to tee it up so you can hit out of the park. These are bad weaves. Okay, those were so bad, high quality. Oh, my goodness. When you're okay, so they had the wind blowing on the ladies when they were taking their photos.
00:31:11
Speaker
you know, after all of these, you know, huge makeovers were done. And you can tell, like, there was a line of demarcation between the natural hair of all of the girls and then this weave. That is a horrible weave.
00:31:27
Speaker
When your hair blows in the wind, everything is supposed to blow. You're not supposed to see a hair hat, essentially, of your real hair laying on top of this beautiful weave and you could see that on every single person. I was just like,
00:31:42
Speaker
What is going on? No, Tiffany's hair in the interviews was laying so poorly. It just looked synthetic. It was such a cheap weave. And I'm like, Tyra would never wear hair like this. No, we wear Tyra's hair even for the times. It was just so good because back then weaves in general just weren't that great. But Tyra is stunning.
00:32:07
Speaker
And so seeing everyone else, and she's like, these are the people that work on the high fashion, this and that. And I'm like, absolutely not. These people did a horrible job. This is a five and dime weave. Totally. This is so bad. It's so bad. And back to your point about when somebody touches, I go back to Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness, with any person of color, and especially Black people, asks every time, can I touch your hair? Then you should.
00:32:33
Speaker
and they're doing, they're a hairdresser. But before they start, they say, is it okay if I had to put my hands on your hair? Like, so respectful. Oh my God, just watching it now is such a bomb. And you're like, they weigh that they just, yeah, it is, it is abusive. I have no other way to say it. It is abusive and what a gaslight for these women. And like, Oh, my heart is broken. I know. And it's only episode two.
00:33:03
Speaker
Uh, yeah. So I also have, um, Oh yeah. Okay. So we can get to my second one, which is, uh, maybe I have three, but my second one is the body shaming. Um, so they, one of the girls were, oh, it was Kenya being told on the scale, you're shaped like a boy minus the breast.
00:33:27
Speaker
as she stepped up on the scale and she's like, oh, oh, okay. Then one girl who had the smallest butt I've ever seen, Ms. J said to her, she has a future behind her. I mean, what? Like, it was just like, okay, all right. Obviously you mentioned the holding too much weight. That she's so big, she looks like someone in drag. I mean, being,
00:33:56
Speaker
publicly weighed alone. Forget about it. I would have quit the show. That would have been the day that they're like, Jasmine, you're up. I'm out like that alone. I don't even know how
00:34:07
Speaker
anyone was able to get through that. And when Brita, the 138 pound girl or young lady stepped on the scale, she's like, Oh, I've been sick. And, and Miss J is like, Yeah, that means you would lose weight. It was just so embarrassed. She's like, I can lose it. I can lose it. Oh, yeah. When she said I can lose it. I was like, and is anyone concerned how she's going to lose this in such a short time?
00:34:34
Speaker
No. Tell me this, in two episodes, have you seen them put anything in their mouths? No, I haven't seen anyone eat. Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen anyone eat a thing.
00:34:42
Speaker
And everyone always looks so tired. Everyone looks tired. Because they're not sleeping in their weird production studio. What a horrible thing. They should file a class action. I think so. I think they would actually win. I was just looking at everyone's bodies, and I was like, no, not the weigh-in. What was the point of that?
00:35:05
Speaker
I mean, of course, they would say like, this is what it is. This is like, we're not saying it's great. But if you want to be in this industry, you know, that whole attitude of like, this is the reality of the industry. Are they weighing girls when they go for go sees? Like, if you're showing up with your portfolio, are they weighing those girls?
00:35:25
Speaker
I mean, I don't know. Your agent probably is. Your manager probably is. This kind of stuff is probably still happening. I was thinking about that too. I was like, I bet you anything, this is quietly happening still.
00:35:38
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I think the actual industry is very slow to change. Yeah, very ridiculous. Because secretly, many, many women still want to be super thin, right? Even though we have a part of these, the Jables, the Megan Thee Stallions, all of these people, but still, thinness will always be in. Yeah, because it's white. Again, I think I said this in a previous episode, but one of my friends had said,
00:36:09
Speaker
hair is to black women, what skinny is to white women. And because skinny is the thing for white women, it will always be weaponized against everybody. Jeez Louise. I mean, really, really hard to see. Also, I was thinking about when I was watching them do the weigh-ins on all the insecurities that I had in high school and
00:36:34
Speaker
all regarding my weight and this was around the time that i was in high school and i was like oh it wasn't just me society was you know i mean like it was society that expected me to be a certain weight a certain size i remember telling my mom we went shopping
00:36:53
Speaker
And I was like a size four or something. And we went to the store and I had to get a size five and an outfit and I cried. Like I went into the fitting room and balled and she came in there. She's like, what is going on? And I was like, I'm a five now. And she's like, what?
00:37:14
Speaker
of five and I was I felt I remember running like more and like even less to get back to that four I was a dancer in high school and I just felt like you know that I just into think that way that my niece my 13 year old niece would even
00:37:33
Speaker
have an experience even similar to that just makes me cringe. And watching this reminds me of like, Oh, yeah, like, look at what was going on during that time. Of course, I was crying about being a five, you know? It's a crazy time. Yeah. Yeah, it was a crazy time. It's it.
00:37:54
Speaker
Yeah. I'm like, yep. It tracks all of that tracks, all of that tracks. And this is why it is so important. I know a lot of women now who won't be weighed as a doctor, and not because it triggers them, but because they don't even want to go down that right. I think my strategy is I don't engage with my weight at all. I don't think about it. I don't talk about it when my doctor is like,
00:38:23
Speaker
you know, do you want to talk about this or that? I'm like, nope, every like, and not and I don't, I don't think in like an unhealthy or denial way, but in a way that I'm like, because it is all still there, this concept of weight, and it's so close to the surface. And I'm like, No, if I give it an inch, it will take a mile. Oh, it's easy to set into. Yeah. And so I'm just like, No, because I know I remember when I got married, the
00:38:47
Speaker
the seamstress was like after she did the alterations and I went to try it on like right before the wedding and she was like, Oh, okay. It's good. It's a little tight. So just don't eat on your wedding day. And I was like, no, no, I am going to eat on my wedding. Like are you crazy? Right. Like I'm just, there's an end. It's just such a normalized thing to be like, no, you just skip these females or even that idea of getting in shape for your wedding. I was like, I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it because it just takes you down.
00:39:18
Speaker
It's just, it's just a rabbit hole. Yeah. Yeah. It's dark. So I have to completely disengage from it. Um, and it's because of shit like this, right? I know. I know. It's, it's, it's a battle for sure. And then my last one is just age. Talking about 25, like it was 50 amongst teenagers. Like she just, how old are you?
00:39:40
Speaker
How old do I look like? When people ask that question, I know that they are ashamed of their age. Like, off the road. It's so weird. And it's like, oh, I'm 25. I couldn't wait to be older. I just wanted to be grown. Me too. Me too.
00:39:56
Speaker
I was embarrassed to be a teenager. So it's just so funny. Me too. Me too. I always- We're queer girls. I'm definitely, I knew that my best life was going to be unlocked as an adult and I can say that's been confirmed.
00:40:12
Speaker
Like it is, it has been, my best life has been unlocked being an adult and I always knew it. Absolutely, absolutely. But like, yeah, if this is the path you want and like your commodity is skinny and young, that's just like, that's why it's so inherently toxic because you can't do anything about that. Like literally two things you can't really control as much as you want, you can have an eating disorder, but even that like,
00:40:39
Speaker
What a fucking mind fuck. Like to make someone's worth around two things they can't control. 25, 25, I'm 38. That feels like a baby. And they were older than, I'm pretty sure Nigel and all of them were like my age now. So you know what I mean? Or at least they look that way or more. It also speaks to, I feel like us like at our millennial bracket, like,
00:41:06
Speaker
we have such a weird age dysphoria, where when I see their pictures and stuff, I'm like, I could do that. Yeah. I look like that right as me. And I am them. And like, it is not. Yeah, I mean, you're right about the age. How can I be 40 and 20 at the same time, but I completely think that I am? Well, that's because we I will say that, like,
00:41:31
Speaker
We tend to like skew younger now. I think the pressure, there's certain, somehow even throughout all of the stuff that we're talking about that we experienced growing up, we decided to take that pressure off.
00:41:44
Speaker
at some point. And now there is an unapologetic youthfulness about millennials that I love being a part of. And that's why you're able to look at something and say, Oh yeah, me too, girl. 25. Me too. You know what I mean? Give me a little alien makeup and give me on that car. I'll show you.
00:42:09
Speaker
No, I do. And I do. I think it comes back. I think it also goes hand in hand with what we were saying generationally of it used to be like you are in this generation and there is a grand canyon between you and the next generation that no one shall ever cross. But now that we have decided it's okay to change your mind.
00:42:26
Speaker
and let grow and evolve as a person, even as an adult, that keeps us young too. We still identify with Gen Z. We're like, we have the same ideas about things. Whereas Gen Xers, certainly Boomers, not all of them, but categorically speaking, would be like, we are fundamentally different than you.
00:42:47
Speaker
Yeah, but it definitely, you got to think like the Gen Z'ers were our little cousins, our little, you know, our younger siblings. And so, yeah, so they watched us cross
00:43:01
Speaker
certain barriers and they're taking it as they should to the next level. They're out here killing it. Yeah, I'm so proud of them. Very proud. I know. I thought I'm like, as we get older and we're in some positions with power, like how can we clear more space for them? I know. I love that our generation is thinking that way too. Unlike other generations who are stroking out at the podium holding on to their power. You know what I mean? Yeah.
00:43:28
Speaker
Absolutely. Because they grew up in the like, it was bad for me and I'm going to make it 10 times worse for you. And that's an act of love. I have another, I have another point we have to talk about Jasmine. We got to talk about belts, my girl. We were wearing some belts. We were like embellished belts, large belts, statement belts, belts. Some of them are just like big man belts. Like you want to talk about man hands? I used to have a belt collection. You're right.
00:43:59
Speaker
Now that I think about it. I haven't worn a belt in 100 years. I wore a belt for the first time in like 10 years, a few weeks ago. And I thought, wow, this is different. It's like, ooh. Put on a belt like around a dress to like give me a little like, you know, empire waist or something if it goes with it. But that's, but yeah, like these belts are,
00:44:22
Speaker
Just remember the look of like the low rise. I was just gonna say the low rise. Crop top. Yes. And then it's like. A belt to try to hold on for dear life. From Sears. Yeah. Like it's a thick brown belt. Yes, these thick brown belts. Do you remember the belts that had the big like metal buckles and they would say like your name in the front? Yep. Yep. I had one of those that had my name. How
00:44:47
Speaker
Awful. If I can find a picture, man, oh, how awful. We get those cinch belts too, right? The ones that like slid that you would like cinch with the bump. Oh, yeah. I forgot about those. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you would let it like hang down like the extra. The fashion. This is my least favorite era of fashion, early 2000s. It's so bad. It was the worst.
00:45:10
Speaker
terrible. They all look terrible. I think this is even worse than the grunge 90s, which I also didn't like, but this is... Oh, I like it. You like that? I like it. I didn't like it, but now... This is so basic. Yeah. This is worse. Baby doll tease. Haring around the dogs. Did you see that? The dogs just were not allowed to walk. If you were a small dog, run for your life. Someone was going to pick you up and never put you down.
00:45:39
Speaker
Cause I saw, I can't remember his name, problematic guy. What's his name? Nolay. Nolay with that dog. And I'm like, let him down. Let him run free. What are we doing?
00:45:51
Speaker
No, we're doing it. We're simple lifing it. It's so bad. It's so bad. The belts are so bad. And then my last point that I wrote, and I want Keila to be part of this because I think this is an essay and maybe not an audit point, but I'm very interested. So in Chicago, I first moved here 15 or so years ago and I lived over near the West side in Humboldt Park of Chicago.
00:46:12
Speaker
And everybody who had like a lot of the white, I mean, it was being gentrified. So a lot of the white folks that lived there were artists, you know, how the artists come in first, right? And then like, it gentrifies whatever. But they had lived there for a long time. And they were like, oh, yeah, it used to be like people like you, meaning me, gentrifier, wouldn't live here like a few years ago. But people would be like,
00:46:35
Speaker
like rolling dice in the streets and basically calling it the ghetto. Yeah, the hood. But then the real world films, the real world had a house in Wicker Park, which is really close to where I was living, and then everything changed.
00:46:50
Speaker
So then I'm like, I really want to understand these reality show locations because they put their fucking house in the middle of this area. They were all pretending to be. So I'm like, what is that area like now? Yes. I'll tell you that Wicker Park right now, we could not afford a house there. Yeah, I know. I went over there the last time I was in Chicago. I was like, oh. Oh yeah. Yeah. No, it's fancy fancy. Yeah. But it was like,
00:47:14
Speaker
no man's land when the real world, they bought an apartment there and put people in it. And now it's like everything. So I'm really interested in the reality show, like location gentrification. For sure. This definitely looked like a downtown LA, probably like the outskirts. I haven't been to LA in a while, but that just looked exactly like how those buildings look and all of that. I bet there's a Starbucks there. For sure.
00:47:41
Speaker
obscure area, for sure, somewhere heading towards like Inglewood, like you just never know. But yeah, I think that is an essay actually, like the gentrification of areas. For your reality TV. Yeah. Yeah. So bizarre. For sure. Anyway. Interesting. That's all I got. I mean, whew, baby. Actually, I will say that there's not a lot of action happening, I guess, yet.
00:48:11
Speaker
Um, but there's so much microaggression and shocking moments to see and take in. So I feel like all of our audits moving forward is just going to be our reactions to like shock, shock, shock, shock. Where are we at? Where are we doing? You know, shock and less like capturing moment for moment. Um, like we did previously with summer house when there was more action. You know what I mean?
00:48:39
Speaker
I feel like it's really triggering. Like, oh, I feel like y'all are gonna walk like this is Yeah, that's why we had to pay for a first season for it. She's trying to hide it, tuck it away. If you want to see how bad I was, you're gonna have to pay for it for sure. Yeah, yeah, I just feel bad. Like really, we're really in this, huh? We're really doing this. This is more triggering than I know you said summer house was tough. This is tough.
00:49:07
Speaker
This is tough to watch. Yeah. Wait, no, this is much, much different than summer house. Summer house was a lot of drinking and I don't like it, but this is like, yeah. This is hard. And we're only on episode two, you guys.
00:49:21
Speaker
All right, stick with us. Join us next time. Stick with us. Join us next time. We'll be covering episode three. God only knows what will be going on then, but stick with us. Follow us on Instagram at the Pop Culture Audit, right in the US, anywhere that you listen to podcasts.
00:49:45
Speaker
And that's it. We'll talk next week, y'all. We'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.