041 - Smize! It's Reality Check: ANTM

041 - Smize! It's Reality Check: ANTM

From Midnight Cheesecake by Ruha Tacey and Bekah Rodgers

March 13, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

Bekah and Ruha discuss the impact and legacy of America's Next Top Model in light of Netflix's Reality Check.

✨ Bekah and Ruha Discuss Netflix's Reality Check: America’s Next Top Model ✨ Welcome back to the couch, besties — the kids are occupied (for now), the dog is slurping water and squeaking his loudest toys like it’s his full‑time job, and we are settling in with warm drinks and warmer opinions. Today’s episode is a nostalgic deep dive into the cultural fever dream that was America’s Next Top Model — the marathons, the smizing, the questionable editing, the iconic photo shoots, and the impact it had on a generation of girls who were just trying to survive the cultural transition to skinny jeans. Ruha and Bekah revisit their own ANTM eras: dorm‑room marathons, cafeteria sprints during commercial breaks, and the absolute transcendence of seeing those final photos each episode. But with Netflix’s new docuseries Reality Check stirring up old memories (and new critiques), it’s time to talk about what the show got right, what it definitely didn’t, and how Tyra Banks continues to be one of the most fascinatingly intentional figures in pop culture. We get into body image, editing manipulation (allegedly), the infamous Shandi storyline, Tyra’s executive‑producer accountability (or lack…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ruha Tacey, Bekah Rodgers

Topics covered

  • America's Next Top Model
  • Reality TV
  • body image
  • pop culture
  • nostalgia

Keywords

  • ANTM
  • Reality Check
  • Tyra Banks
  • body image
  • 2000s fashion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disney & Pixar

Books & works: America’s Next Top Model, Reality Check

More episodes of Midnight Cheesecake

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Midnight Cheesecake podcast page.