The Social Pecking Order on America's Next Top Model (aka Tyra Banks' Wet Dream)

Last night's episode of America's Next Top Model really made me think (wow! When is the last time anyone said that about something produced by Tyra Banks?) about the social constructs of female friendships. Our little glimpse into the model fishbowl revealed not one but two slams against Whitney about her weight. One was very blatant: Whitney asks Stacy-Ann if she wanted to eat something and Stacy-Ann dismisses her, saying, "Nah, I don't want to end up fat like you." Whitney fights back (go Whitney!) and says something like, "Uh, that better have been a "ph" phat!" and Stacy-Ann, covering her little slam, backs down and says, "Uh, yeah!"

The second instance was a little more subtle: during an argument with Whitney, Dominique says that talking to Whitney is like talking to "a BIG brick wall." The emphasis is hers, not mine. While granted, the pre-models are in a competition, they are regularly swatting Whitney on the nose to remind her that she's still a lesser being by the very nature of her thighs.

When I was in high school, my (plus-size) friend Fern and I knew that our perceived inability to be popular had a lot to do with being fat. However, we were puzzled when a new girl transferred to our school. Shelly had thickly applied eyeliner and a tight spiral perm. She was a cheerleader, dated a football player, and hung out with all of the Heathers. And she was easily a size 16 or more. We ended up sort of hating her because she blew our theory completely out of the water.

Looking back now, I realize that Shelly worked very hard to maintain her veneer of thin. She squeezed herself into Benetton sweaters and T-shirts from The Limited. She wore the tiny little cheerleading skirts as though she didn't care that her thighs were visible. But she was mocked openly by the opposing teams, and she just pretended it didn't bother her one bit. I was busy viewing the Populars as the finish line, and I didn't realize it was just the first step in a constant struggle against a hierarchy. The Populars had an internal caste system too, and I'm certain that Shelly must have been fighting tooth and nail to maintain her low position in that group. She just might have been the Whitney.

At my ten-year high school reunion, I told Esteban that the most surprising thing was how many people had the perception that I had been popular back then. He said, "Well, there's a difference between being well-known and being defended." Truer words have never been spoken. A few weeks ago, Whitney defended Amie when Marvita was picking on her, but when Dominique launched her attack, there was no rush to defend Whitney. I fear for Whitney. On the show, the editors are giving her so much airtime already that my hopes of having a plus-sized winner are circling the drain. But in real life, she's always going to be fighting against the pecking order within the pretty girls, and that sucks way more than losing a stupid Cover Girl contract.