For Asia's Next Top Model host Georgina Wilson things aren't what they seem - Asia's Next Top Model photo

Video Beat - ASIA'S NEXT TOP MODLE'S GROWING PAINS

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Fashion and modeling shows continue to attract viewers in Asia. Currently Asia's Next Top Model is airing its third season. In some ways the show has improved BUT there is a GLARING FAULT. One improvement is that their choices of models are more represented from an Asian ancestry than Eurasian or white as in previous seasons. This season the contestants are the more attractive, personable and intelligent. For the FAULT… READ ON… - Recommended TV Listings

Sunday, April 26, 2015

GOING THROUGH THEM CHANGES

BRACE YOURSELF because the subject mater is about to GET REAL! This column is intended for an intelligent, mature, adult audience as the topics can be sensitive to some ad informative to others. You define your own category.

At present television programming targeted for the Asian audience is questionable. Given the content it raises the question is the programming intended to make viewers, as CNN founder Ted Turner famously said, "dumber and dumber" or enlighten minds.

Now in its 14th season American Idol continues to crash and burn as ratings tumble and are in the shadow of The Voice whose rating continues to climb. We find America's top rated show Empire to be a turn off and question why such negative subject matter is valued so highly by viewers in America to earn the number one spot in its ratings. Both Idol and Empire display a negative image of America's black population. It's a subject that needs to be addressed and we will go into depth in a future column that will be titled 'YO MAH NIGGAH'!

Fashion and modeling shows continue to attract viewers in Asia. Currently Asia's Next Top Model is airing its season 3. In some ways the show has improved. One is their choice of models who have are of an Asian ancestry than Eurasian or white. This season the contestants are the most attractive, personable and intelligent.

Gone is the shows selection of contestants that speak English poorly and have virtually no English comprehension. This is not the models fault but poor decision making in the casting process by the shows producers. Given that the show is in English it requires good English speaking and comprehension skills.

As a result three of the 14 models are from the Philippines where the English language is widely spoken making their selections astute casting.

Notwithstanding that three of the 14 contestants are from the Philippines the show also includes contestants: three from Indonesia, two from Hong Kong and Malaysia, and one each from Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Nepal, China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan were not represented this cycle. The show was filmed in Singapore.

The age range of the contestants is 17 to 27. In the real world it is highly unlikely that someone over 20 will be discovered as being a new top model. There is a preference for a mature teenager that can be responsible and handle pressure, than a mature adult who most likely has too much baggage and insecurities regarding her age.

Amanda Chan 17 from Manila, Philippines is the youngest contestant. Barbara Katsuki 27 from Okinawa, Japan and Melissa Tan 27 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are the oldest. All three are among the eight remaining contestants.

Gone is the overly flamboyant gay judge or trainers. As usual gays are included in the show but their personalities are not overbearing and annoying resulting in them being tolerable for a straight viewer. The point being is are these modeling shows about finding top models or selling the gay initiative? Gone is having contestants who have volatile personalities that create conflict. This season's cast is more low key and cooperative.

Gone are representatives of India. In the past two seasons there have been contestants that had bad attitudes and created problems with other models. In many cases the selection of such personalities by producers is intended to ad a spark to the show but the previous two seasons of the show proved to be more is a distraction than an attraction.

A case in point is the recent airing of The Apartment Celebrity Edition where the runner-up Rima Fakih a former Miss USA 2010 went ballistic. Following the judges decision that she lost she was filmed walking off the set, going back stage and went into a rage, cursing and throwing items around.

The point is had she won her charity would be the recipient of the winning prize not her. Prior to her loss in the final in our review we described her as being very outspoken, demanding and loud. By her actions… we were right.

Given that the gay and volatile aspects in the shows casting have improved and toned down there is one glaring mistake, which is subjective, change in the show.

Gone is former host Nadya Hutagalung who was a competent talent who had a pleasant way about herself and an engaging manner with the contestants. The reason for her departure is not clear.

Her replacement is Philippine model and TV personality Georgina Wilson. Wilson is younger than Hutagalung but lacks personality. She can't walk her talk.

In a previous episode she criticized one of the contestants as being, "quite sterile and quite boring." That describes her personality exactly. Her involvement in the show takes the show down several notches as it lacks warmth and personality mostly due to her being the central voice of the program. She has a very stiff, mechanical, contrived personality.

Wilson also has the Tyra Banks wide in the beam and overweight disease. This raises the question of why would one be cast to criticize others when they fail to practice what they preach?

For fans of fashion and modeling shows or simply enjoy watching attractive women and observing their behaviors, ASIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL 3 is a worth watch, therefore you can make up your own mind if you agree with our opinions... OR NOT.

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