Netflix’s America’s Next Top Model Doc Has One Shocking Takeaway Thanks to Tyra Banks

Netflix arguably releases the best documentaries from any streamer currently available. From Fyre to Tiger King to Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, Netflix has a knack for releasing some of the most thought-provoking and talked-about documentaries ever. It should come as no surprise, then, that the new documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, is joining the fold. Although it was just released on February 16, it’s already causing a stir on social media and in pop culture. 

The three-part docuseries pulls the curtain back on one of the most popular reality series of the early 2000s, which followed supermodel Tyra Banks in her quest to discover top models across the United States.  However, what was a source of entertainment back then has become a contentious topic of conversation in the present, as culture has shifted in terms of what is deemed “acceptable.” 

Throughout the doc, past contestants, former judges, and executive producers Ken Mok and Banks discuss some of the more controversial aspects about the show in some eye-opening discussions. However, most of these jaw-dropping revelations boil down to one shocking truth that Banks shares, but is sure not to be popular among viewers. 

Ken Mok and Trya Banks Share the Photoshoots They Regret, and Contestants Vent

Before we get to the biggest takeaway from Banks, let’s talk about some things that were exposed in the documentary first. For example, Mok doesn’t appear to have many regrets about how he guided the creative direction of the series, but he did share which photoshoot he realizes probably shouldn’t have been done. During America’s Next Top Model Season 7, there was a shoot in which the contestants were tasked with playing victims of violent crimes (essentially, they were crime scene corpses). Mok realizes today that there’s a certain distastefulness about that kind of theme. 

Banks, on the otherhand, was a bit remorseful about doing the infamous “Got Milk?” photoshoot in which contestants were made up to look like another ethnicity. Although Banks sees the problem with the concept today, she largely chalks up the idea to being reflective of that day and age. 

Other big moments from the documentary include Banks expressing remorse for her legendary “We were all rooting for you” moment, for not doing more to support Keenyah Hill when she expressed feeling uncomfortable on a shoot, and for pressuring Dani Evans to close her gap. It was also interesting to see Banks allege that despite public perception, she was not responsible for the public firings of Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, and Nigel Barker. 

Unpopular Opinion: Tyra Banks May Be Right about This One Thing 

With all the controversies surrounding America’s Next Top Model, there is plenty for viewers of the doc to discuss. However, what Banks says in response to that ethnicity swap photoshoot, and repeats in similar sentiments throughout the docuseries, is what stands out to me the most. In Episode 2, she states, “Looking at the show now through the 2020 lens, it’s an issue, and I understand 100% why. “

Banks leans on the fact that at the time the reality series was airing, versus now, there was a different standard of what could pass for entertainment and what boundaries could be “crossed.” While there may have been voices back then that objected to some of America’s Next Top Model stunts, they weren’t nearly as loud as those viewers who sat back, reveling in the show. 

Here’s the thing, were there many aspects about the show that were problematic? Of course. However, America’s Next Top Model honestly is reflective of what was deemed “acceptable” at that time. Actor Hank Azaria only officially stopped voicing Apu on The Simpsons in 2020 and apologized for the cultural insensitivity of his voicing the role. Simon Cowell only recently came out in 2025 to acknowledge that his earlier brutal critiques on American Idol went too far. 

To be clear, I’m not excusing the off-putting and troublesome behavior associated with America’s Next Top Model. But I am saying that the series got away with what society allowed it to get away with, based on what was deemed appropriate and inappropriate at the time. 

So if rumors are true that America’s Next Top Model is returning with a new season, I hope the new episodes will be developed wth a heightened sensitivity to respecting cultural diversity, promoting healthy body images, and an understanding that what’s done on TV or streaming matters.

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