Australia's Next Top Model's 'Size 8' Issue: Bullying or Industry's Harsh Reality? [PHOTOS]
Just a day after its first episode, the popular Foxtel reality show is being slammed for bullying a size 8 contestant.
The "size 8 model," Alissandra Moone, was slammed by one of the judges for being "too fat," particularly by the show's judge, Alex Perry. The 18-year-old's body was compared to the bulbous appeal of an "overstuffed luggage," a comment many viewers and pro-self-esteem organizations did not take too lightly.
According to Peter Garrett, the country's Ministry of Youth, suggests Moone did not deserve the kind of criticism, especially on national television. Moone's size 8 body is not only perfectly acceptable for modeling, but is a lot smaller than the usual size 12- 14, the normal size of an Australian teen at age 18.
"Comments like these send the wrong message to young people who watch the program and I find them very concerning - what planet is he on? Promoting positive body image has been one of my priorities as the Youth Minister." Says Garett in a report by News.com.au
"In July we sent every school in the country a poster and information pack as part of our 'Respect Every Body' campaign, and we've also given funding to the Butterfly Foundation for its 'Free to BE' body esteem resources." continues Garett in the same News.com.au post.
Moone herself isn't too happy, nor cold about Perry's comment towards her physique.
"It's a very bad message to be sending to young girls who watch the show. It's harsh. It's stupid. And it's out of touch. I understand it's a reality of the (modelling) industry but this is a TV show and they should have a responsibility to censor that kind of thing." responded Moone in the same report.
Meanwhile the judge being flamed by angry tweets and comments say that criticism is a reality in the modeling industry, and that the issue was just a result of "bad reporting." In his Twitter page, Perry says he was merely "referring to Moone's posing skills in a confined space," and "not her size." In a different report by the Herald Sun, Perry insists that models should be able to take criticism well to succeed and to have a hard skin in the industry.