"Germany's premier modeling contest" - The reception of the initial male-dominated season.
This upcoming season of "Germany's Next Topmodel" is breaking new ground: For the very first time, men will be allowed to compete - in their very own category. Commencing June 13th, Heidi Klum (51), the show's host, will be selecting two winners. As a result, the age-old classic phrase "There can only be one Germany's Next Topmodel" has been rendered outdated in the previous episodes. The viewers' reactions have been quite diverse in relation to these alterations.
Across the Instagram page of the show, the discussions have run rampant over the past few weeks. Sentiments range from joy to resentment. What's more, speculations about the potential continuation of this format have surfaced.
"I've never witnessed a more harmonious season!"
Multiple critics have admitted that there were fewer clashes in the show than in previous years - and that's been mostly well-received. As one viewer commented,"I'm thoroughly enjoying this season. There was almost no drama or conflict shown." Previously, the seasons were defined by the drama and scandal. However, this year was different, and that change might be attributed to the new additions. "The men get along exceptionally well." Another fan expressed their delight by stating, "I've never seen such a harmonious season!" Such viewers particularly appreciated the fact that the candidates and contestants seemed to understand one another well. Furthermore, the lack of romantic relationships between them garnered a positive response from several participants.
Yet, for some viewers, the absence of squabbles and love affairs turned out to be a downside. There is a significant percentage who found the season a tad mundane. Ex-contestant Marvin de Graft (23), who was eliminated as the 12th-placed participant, shared this sentiment after his dismissal. He stated, "Honestly, I've been watching it for 15 weeks now, and I think it's quite boring."
Could it be the lack of conflicts and lack of content?
This possibly isn't just due to the harmonious vibes, but also to something else: This season's photo shoots were less dramatic compared to the past seasons. A few viewers believe that the producers may have been hesitant in delving into a season with male contestants gradually. Some also accuse the show of containing less model-related content.
"I've never had as little interest in watching 'GNTM' as this year... It could have been so exciting, especially in the photo shoots... but no." The criticism continued: "There were too few photo shoots, too few lessons, and too few jobs." The question was also raised if the show's budget had been sliced. "It seemed so cheap." However, it's also argued that the show followed a different principle this year than in earlier times, and the formula "photo shoot - conflict - walk - decision" had gotten stale.
At the casting stage, some people maintain that men heighten the entertainment value, while others lament that women vanished from the spotlight because of it. Therefore, they advocate for separate seasons for men and women in the future. On the other hand, others hope for the same format next year.
The premiere episode of the new season drew a decent viewership with 2.32 million people in February. Nonetheless, the numbers plummeted significantly. The Umstyling, a generally well-liked episode, attracted the same number - 2.32 million viewers. The penultimate episode on June 6th lured 1.55 million spectators. For reference, the average viewer-ship for the 18th season was approximately 1.86 million individuals over three years.
Since 2006, Heidi Klum has been the face of "Germany's Next Topmodel." It serves as a spin-off of the American format. Over the decades, this modeling competition has embraced diversity with open arms. In 2021, Alex Mariah Peter (26) emerged as the first transgender model victor, and in 2023, Vivien Blotzki (23) clinched the title as the first plus-size model. With the onset of 2022, the age limit was revoked, and for the first time, women above 60 years old took part in the quest for the title. And of course, Klum had to forfeit her famed "girls" catchphrase. And in the summer of 2023, she announced she'd be introducing men into the 19th season.
