After more than 20 seasons, America's Next Top Model has become a hallmark of reality TV shows. The show's creator and fashion icon Tyra Banks has been celebrated for helping build the careers and brands of women of color and other minorities in her career's second act. 


In a Tuesday Twitter thread, Twitter user Aisha Oladapo noted a particular scene in which Banks advises season six contestant Danielle Evans to have the gap in her front teeth closed because it wasn't “marketable.”

The tweet went viral and prompted commentary from other users who, in hindsight, found some of Banks' guidance on the show to be problematic. 

Years later, in 2010, the show had cycle 15 contestant Chelsey Hersley get her gap professionally widened. 

In a 2018 conversation with Fashionista, 23-year-old model Slick Woods, whose gap is part of her famous look, recalled the cringe-worthy ANTM moment. 

"There was this girl that Tyra [Banks] convinced that her gap was ugly, and she needed to remove it. She didn't give her braces or Invisalign," Woods said. "She f**king removed every single one of her top row of teeth and put them closer together. Imagine being a kid watching that. I was like, modeling is the last thing I ever want to do. I was showing my grandma like, 'Look what they're doing out here to girls!'"

Someone also pointed out the time Banks told season three finalist Yaya DaCosta that her look was "too natural." 

“This [photo] is amazing, but what’s not amazing is your appearance," Banks said as she and the judges analyzed one of DaCosta's photos. "Think a little more glamour as opposed to natural."

Another realized just how much clarity hindsight offers and expressed a slight disappointment in her younger self. 

And who could forget that beard weave on season 21 contestant, Denzel? Less problematic, more odd. 


Some of Banks' fans think the show might have lost touch. Relationship and sexuality critic Ella Dawson claimed showrunners reached out to her about an episode centered on STIs but deemed her not "tragic enough."

Another pointed out the show's use of blackface. 

Then, there was the tweet that brought down the house. 

But speaking of being out of touch, Banks was criticized in a separate incident earlier this week. In a strange video, delivered in the form of "Tyra Mail" — an ANTM staple in which the show's host would deliver messages to contestants — Banks said the project would have officially launched on May 1 if not for the coronavirus pandemic. As Jezebel noted, the video was a tad tone-deaf given the significantly more pressing occurrences. 

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