J. E. Bright

America's Next Top Model is one of my campy tv pleasures. I don't watch it all the time, but it's a good show to watch with friends. I really sort of hoped this book would be a similar silly pleasure. And it's not a terrible book; it actually has some decent advice if you're planning to get into modeling (or so I assume, I have no idea what modeling entails other than what I've seen on the show).

My problem with the book is that I wanted to be able to recommend it for teen girls. And I just... can't. It's clearly aimed at them, and I can't imagine that most of the information in it would be useful to anyone else. I also understand that it's a guide to how to be a model, thus not aimed at all teen girls. But I can't see myself ever reccing something that emphasizes traditional beauty standards so strongly.

I was a total bundle of awkward when I was a teenager, and a book that spells out exactly how not skinny enough, not pretty enough, and not hairless enough my body type is would have made me feel awful about myself. Not to say that I wouldn't have picked it up as a teen, and if a girl wants to read it I wouldn't try to dissuade her, but there's no way I'm gonna be comfortable telling a teenager to read something that might make her feel like she is anything less than awesome just the way she is. Girls and women get enough of that from the media on a daily basis without my help.

All that said, it gets two stars because I totally laughed out loud at the facial exercises page.… (meer)