So I guess I'll start it off. My name's Joneen, I'm 26, and I've been an ANTM fan since Cycle 7. I've never been too invested in who won, I moreso just liked watching the show progress. However, this season, I was a fan of Whitney from the start. As I saw her continue to maintain her confidence, I was rooting for her more and more. I was also truly impressed with her talent, and thought she really did deserve to be the winner. I LOVE that she's a "full-figured" model - that's just icing on the cake (especially for another size 14 girl like me) - but I truly am impressed with her talent as well. One of the best winners so far, I think!

Hello, tigrisjasmine, I'm so glad I found your forum. I've been dying to express my views on Whitney winning ANTM.

I also love watching the show because it gives the girls a taste of how hard a model's life is and how it takes so much more to be a model than just being pretty.

Like you I also didn't really care about the previous winners because I couldn't relate to them (they being sizes 1-4 and I being size 10). But Whitney Thompson has given me hope. Even if it is a publicity scheme that the producers thought up (like a lot of people speculate) I still look up to her.

Whitney Thompson winning ANTM is such a big step in a positive direction (whether Vogue likes it or not). Now let me just start by saying that I absolutely loathe when people refer to larger girls as "plus-sized" models. In my eyes that's the polite way of calling a model fat. Whitney is by no means fat. I believe she's between sizes 8-10. Shame on the fashion industry and its mindless followers for making women feel that if they aren't a size two or three they're ugly and obese. Being around the same height and size as Whitney (I'm sixteen by the way) gives me hope that I'm not as ugly and pathetic as I thought.

I agree that she is one of the best winners so far. Time will only tell if she really breaks into the real modeling world and can become a new role-model for girls to look up to. Her career is undecided. Everyone knows how unforgiving, vicious, and ignorant the fashion industry is. Designers are open to creating the most beautiful articles of clothing but detest the idea of donning them on a girl who actually has womanly curves. Everythings going retro right? Hopefully one day we'll revert back to the ideals of the past when women that had double-digit sizes were sexy and sought after (Marilyn Monroe?).

I'm rambling on, sorry. I do that a lot. Anyway I love, thank, and respect Whitney Thompson for all of the dreams and hope she's most likely given girls like me. I wish her the best of luck in the world.

Hey, Glowinthelight, sorry it took ages for me to reply!! I've gotten horrendously busy these past couple weeks (feels more like a month! blyech!).

Anyway, I'm very impressed with your writing - not at all rambly, I loved reading it, and THANK YOU for replying to my post! You have more coherent thoughts than most girls your age. Definitely cultivate that strong mind - it's one of a girl's best assets!! I empathize with what you said about Whitney's win giving you hope that you're not as "ugly and pathetic" as you previously thought - it's very affirming to finally see the media accepting (if grudgingly) a change in the standard image promoted by the beauty/modeling industry... we fight our internal critic enough without having the media on the critic's side as well!

Speaking of our internal critics, I want to insert a small aside here and tell you that you need to promise me (or at the very least yourself) that you'll never use those words "ugly and pathetic" in reference to yourself again, girl! Confidence is ALL ABOUT self-talk, and you're 10 years ahead of me in the game. Start changing it now... because it's harder with each year! (Okay, I'll stop sounding like a mom now.) ;-)

Anyway, that whole internal critic thing is the main reason why I'm so psyched about Whitney winning - the media is a powerful influence on our self-attitude, even if we're experts at overcoming our feelings of insecurity. (And really, how many of us are?) Having a healthy role model in the media arena really makes the battle a lot easier!

In regards to the possible puclicity scheme of Whitney's win, I'm with you. Even if it was a stunt, at least message is getting promoted - whether just for the ratings or not. It's getting out there, and can help girls like you and me overcome our critical selves and live *fiercely* as the women we know we can be. :)