By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
The competition for the latest 'America's Next Top Model' will officially be on and popping when Tyra Banks' wildly popular show debuts its eight cycle Feb. 28 on The CW network.
According to a spokesperson, this finalists for this season will face tougher challenges and photo shoots ranging from the very glamorous to high-tech to controversial, all while living under one roof in a posh Los Angeles mansion.
Some of this cycle's participants will include Britney, a 21 year old bartender from Savannah; Cassandra, a 24 year old college student hailing from Seattle, Jaslin, a 20 year old Chicago native who's an online college admission advisor; a 22 year old band manager from Detroit named Jael; Brooklyn-based hairstylist Kathleen; and Renee, a 20 year old stay-at-home mom from Maui.
Sounds like a bunch of drama already.
As with seasons before, Banks and her fashionista cohorts -- art director of photo shoots Jay Manuel, and runway guru J. Alexander -- will mentor the participants, while former fashion icon Twiggy and famed fashion photographer Nigel Barker join in on the judging. The grand prize winner will be managed by Elite Model Management. She also receives a $100,000 contract with cosmetics giant CoverGirl and will appear on the cover and six-page fashion spread in 'Seventeen 'magazine.
If she's black, she may wind up hosting her own fashion competition on BET J, like Eva Marcelle (The America's Next Top Model Winner Formely Known As Eva Pigford).
Ain't no telling how long this show will go on but if last fall's successful season (which helped launch the new network) is any indication, it is showing no signs of slowing down.
So maybe we'll be talking about Cycle 10 in the near future.
Comments: (46)
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By: CAROLYN on 2/06/2007 6:49AM
go trya you're the best
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By: areatha on 2/18/2007 3:47PM
I have been watching the show since the first season. Tyra has opened the door for alot of young women to get into the fashion industry.I also would like to comment on the "fat" issue the media has going about Tyra.Tyra is not fat she is realistic.Clothes should be based and created from a realistic body not from women who is are size 0 with no curves.Just maybe Tyra would come out with a Top Model for plus size women sizes 16 and up and older than 25 years old and limit to just that criteria.
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By: prentice on 2/06/2007 10:21AM
NEXT TOP MODEL IS A CULT CLASSIC, i cannot imagine life without it. we've all seen the horrible young ladies in our communities, with the show, i can tell someones paying attention. from one of the sissies thats not in the industry, i applaud miss j. (i laugh too). we're not all like that, dont judge us all from miss thing. thank you tyra for putting something worth watching on the air
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By: diane on 2/06/2007 4:17PM
hi Tyra i like the show, the experience for the girls are great.Sometimes i think that the judges are a little
harsh, but i guess they have to be that way , it is a
doggie , doggie world , and you have to be strong, and steadfast to make it. I wish all the contestants luck,i would also love to see more full figured women on the
show.
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By: Janice Murry-Bailey on 2/06/2007 11:21AM
I've been watching "Top Model" since its inception. I want to applaud Ms. Banks for this giant step and oh, what a success it has been. In addressing the "Plus Size" model saga, There are soo many beautiful women out there who are not a size "2" or "4". Some are a size 14-18, maybe even a size 20. But, nevertheless, they too are beautiful and some so graceful in their own right.
I hope that the 2 Plus Size Models selected for this season will be given a fair chance to succeed and advance. The judges need to really take into consideration that you have made this a choice to these girls and they deserve recoginition.
Ms. J from Kansas
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By: shanita on 2/06/2007 11:17AM
can we get a top model for short girls. u seem to do a good job in adding a plus side model, why not a short girl?
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By: ABENA on 2/06/2007 11:34AM
TRYA YOUR SHOPW IS GREAT, GOOD LUCK FOR THE YEARS TO COME. MY 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WANTS YOU DO AMERICAS TOP MODEL KIDS OR JUST SOMETHING FOR THE GIRLS SHE LOVE YOU.
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By: MA on 2/06/2007 11:50AM
Hey i love the show but, the boney girls need to go, the young women in the picture above isnt a plus size person!!!!! she is healthy.....the other models look like skelitons yuck ewwww they are pritty dont get me wrong but were is da booty the body !!!!!
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By: Faith on 2/06/2007 11:57AM
It seems to me like Tyra doesn't have a majority of black girls. There are five black girls and 7 white girls, and I don't know the origin of the other girl - probably spanish or native american. However, I'd love to see more black girls and more plus size models because I want to believe that Tyra isn't going to keep meeting these white people's status quo especially on her own show.
Nonetheless, I love the show for the drama, the way Tyra connects with them on a spiritual level, and the process they go through.
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By: Chatita on 2/06/2007 7:00PM
I am so happy to tyra doing Cycle 8 of Americas Next Top Model. To all those haters saying that she fat, stop hatin and give her the props she deserves. So what she gain the weight she is still beautiful and fabulous
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