One thing never changes in the beauty industry, however: an ounce of fat is a greater hurdle than a missing limb. “Rebecca’s disability didn’t cause me any problems,” a photographer says after shooting Rebecca, 27, a stunning brunette who was born with a deformed hip and wears a prosthetic leg. “It was just the fact she’s not really in shape. Most models are pretty toned, slimmer, more agile.”

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Wow!

The author discusses and compares both Britain's Next Top Model to America's Next Top Model. The crazy irony of how Tyra tries to mix it up in her show, but still manages to eliminate a group or offend another.

"it’s a contest designed to raise the profile and confidence of disabled women but makes a spectacle of their hunger for acceptance. “Missing Top Model” tries to bolster self-esteem yet revels in the piquancy of physically imperfect women competing in a profession that demands physical perfection, which one judge defines this way: “It’s what 99 percent of the population do not have and never will.”

So, what does that say about society? Does imperfections determine how far you can go in your life? Will America's Next Top Model tackle women who are disabled?

Does shedding light on young women who are disabled with fashion dreams really make a spectacle of their disability and does it make it harder because 1) they are disabled and 2) they also have to worry about the fashion world and society's obsession with weight on top of having a physical condition?

@BBC/FLICKR Photostream

-click here to view more photos of the other contestants on the FLICKR Photostream for BBC America

During the experience people passing by are introduced to the aspiring models, and many believe this will be both empowering but also cause conflict and discomfort with the readership....especially when they have a disabled model with a amputated leg modeling lingerie...

A young man in a fleece cap says he is impressed that she is not scared to show her stump, “because she’s beautiful at the same time, so she’s got nothing to hide.” A middle-aged woman agrees, but worries about using amputees to appeal to prurient tastes. “Personally I think it should be emphasized,” she says. “But if it’s to sell something like lingerie I think people are going to be troubled.”

Any thoughts? What do you think?

According to the New York Times, "Whatever initial shock there is at seeing pretty young women who are missing an arm or a leg wears off quickly. All eight aspiring models are good-looking and likable, at ease with their disabilities and the camera. They are told by their mentor and coach, Jonathan Phang, a fashion consultant, that they were not chosen to make a political statement but to prove themselves as models: the one with the best chance of actually having a career will win. The contestants’ desire to be desired, not pitied or patronized, makes sense."

My Thoughts....

This is going to be an interesting season to watch. How do you feel each of the contestants will fair with the criticism and questions? Being disabled is not something that is to be glamorized, it's something people have to deal with on a daily basis. They are strong, beautiful, and courageous normal people just like you and I. Do you think this show is making a mockery of being disabled? How do you feel about the fashion industry catering to a new audience? Is this a step in the right direction or is this ridiculous?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

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