Next Top Model

Yesterday as I was partaking in the Italian Sunday tradition of doing absolutely nothing and feeling good about it (okay, I'll admit, I'm still trying to suppress that last shred of American-needing-to-be-continuously-productive guilt, but I'm gettin' there), I sat back on the retro couch of our 70s-style bright-yellow walled living room and enjoyed me some good ol' reality TV: Jersey Shore, America's Next Top Model, and finally, Italia's Next Top Model. On Jersey Shore Snooki got arrested and on America's Next Top Model Nicole won. Both shows are quite telling, as "reality TV" should be, of true American spirit and culture: I don't think I know an American who doesn't live in a town with crazy, midget guidettes run around plastered on the beach at 11:00 in the morning and thank god for that. That spells Freedom, my friends. And yes, I meant to capitalize that "F". Because it means transcendental freedom, the kind of idealistic freedom desired by all. The Freedom to get wasted on the beach at 11:00 or the kind of Freedom to compete to become a sponsored rack on which expensive clothing can hang regardless of race, creed, financial status, sex, height, weight... oh, wait.

Anyway, it was far too easy to make a mini cultural analysis based on the two NTM shows because America's Next Top Model and Italia's Next Top Model were back-to-back on the same channel. In America's Next Top Model it was the finale episode of cycle 13, of which Nicole Fox won. In ANTM, the judges seem to always stress the importance on the personality of the remaining girls and the final show is supposed to keep you on your toes the whole time. The commercial breaks at crucial moments, Tyra's dramatic pauses and crazy eyes, Miss J's elaborate costumes.

The Italian NTM was much different. First of all, when the show first came on, there was a warning on the tivù to let you know that this was a show that contained product placement. Talk about transparency! At least if they're going to try to force their products into your subconscious they let you know first: "Hey, um, just wanted to give you a heads up that I'm going to try to brainwash you into buying a new macbook. And probably some diet coke, too."

Also, one of the things I've noticed in Italy is the stress they place on cleaning their apartments. In the beginning one of the leaders of our program told us that this is così because their apartments and living quarters are generally much smaller than the homes of Americans, so they just keep their spaces much tidier. I've certainly found this to be true with my roommates, 30-year-old dudes who are wayyyy cleaner than me and most college kids I know. Anyway, in INTM, their version of Mr. Jay came into their house, turned up his nose at how messy it was, and made them clean it.

Beauty and fitness are also very important to Italians, and on this episode, it was all about working out. This would never happen on ANTM! ANTM always tries to stress how natural the girls are and most American models say that they are naturally that thin due to their sickeningly high metabolism and blah blah blah. The Italians, on the other hand, aren't afraid to say that they work for their bodies. After studying fascism, I wonder how much of this is a cultural remnant from Mussolini's propaganda. Under fascism, Mussolini strove to construct the "new fascist man" who would be brawn and not brains. Mussolini built tons of sports complexes, sought to implement more athletic programs in schools, and was all about telling his people that young and beautiful warriors were the best fascists. He placed stress on the body, it would seem, to take away emphasis from the sharpening of the mind's critical thinking skills (I mean, the motto of fascism was "obey, believe, fight").

Anyway, I hope Ginevra wins.