I’ll freely admit: I’m an ANTM junkie. I have no idea why the show is so addictive, but I’ve watched much of the three previous seasons on YouTube, and am avidly following the current Cycle 11.
In this cycle, one of the contestants is a French-born, Audrey Tatou-lookalike named Marjorie. This girl’s nervous attitude and negative outlook has been a topic more than once with the other contestants, and I haven’t quite understood why. Marjorie’s attitude hasn’t seemed weird to me at all. Well, last week’s episode explained why. European model and judge Paulina Porizkova described her behaviour as “a socially acceptable way to act in Europe”.
Marjorie does, without doubt, want to be America’s next top model just as much as the rest of the girls. But if there is one rule that’s been hammered into the heads of Europeans since they were small, it’s that you’re not supposed to believe you’re worth anything. If I can assume to know how Marjorie thinks, I’m pretty sure there’s a constant conflict going on in her head, between wanting to succeed, and the complete inability to believe she actually can. And it’s more than a lack of self-esteem. Before she can start building up her self-esteem, she has to overcome a cultural imprint different than the American “can do!” attitude.
Yeah, it sucks. I have no idea why we’re all slaves to the Jante Law. Before watching cycle 11 I actually thought this way of thinking was only predominant in Scandinavia. So maybe this is one area where Americanisation is a good thing?
I just wish I was able to say out loud “I’m good at this”, without getting that twinge in my stomach.
