Possible unpopular opinion ahead (?) -- be warned.

I'm quite the fan of America's Next Top Model. I remember watching each episode with so much excitement when I was in the 4th grade, until about the end of my 6th year. After that time, I stopped watching because I was busy with moving houses, etc. etc.

I loved watching the, then, would-be models trying their best, as well as the judges training each lady in how to pose, walk down the aisle, as well as controlling their facial expressions. I also loved seeing the many fashion trends and styles portrayed in each photoshoot, final photos, and walked down in the aisle.

Aside from that, I also liked the judges in the series: Tyra Banks was absolutely gorgeous. Not only that, but she was also appropriately sassy, elegant, respectful, and full of wisdom, of which she wasn't afraid to share to the girls whenever she saw they needed it. I remember Twiggy as well, though I sadly do not remember their personalities, except they seemed to be quiet to me. However, aside from Tyra Banks, I also especially remember Miss J. Miss J was sassy, expressive and fun, and alongside Tyra Banks, they were the greatest duo. They were supportive and outgoing, which I liked to watch.

I have never known there was an Asian version of the series, until only about 3 weeks ago, when I came upon a Facebook post about the fourth cycle first episode airing. Curious, I watched the first episode and found that it wasn't all that bad. Although Tyra Banks wasn't the main judge for that show, Cindy Bishop was alright in judging in that first episode of the fourth cycle, thus I didn't really complain.

What I complained about was one of the contestants, but I'll probably talk about that at a later post (or never, lol).

Only about 4 hours ago did I watch the fourth episode of the fourth cycle of AsNTM, and I have to say that the episode was a complete mess.

Of course, the brief was difficult to the girls, and I saw them struggle a lot in trying to control themselves against large gusts of wind from a ginormous electric fan, while the girls wore beautiful long gowns with extra fabric that's meant to "fly with the wind". If that wasn't enough, a Subaru car also drives in full speed towards them from behind.

The brief was difficult, but the girls managed to go through the challenge.

The judging however... That's a different story.

First issue is the guest judge: Mr. Glenn Tan, the supposed executive of Subaru, a well-known car brand.

His attitude is downright ugly. I know it was said that he's "a tough judge to please" and very serious, but he still definitely had no right to yell, especially CURSE, at someone like he did in the fourth episode.

Sang In, from South Korea, did a mistake by rolling her eyes and looking away while the brief was being explained. She was rude in that moment in time, yes. The cameras saw it, recorded it, and it was shown in the episode and viewed by many. She was wrong for her attitude on that front, yes.

But that still doesn't give Mr. Tan the right to yell, curse, and humiliate her in front of the other judges.

"Who the f*** do you think you are to roll your eyes at me? If I'm the client, I am never ever going to hire you!"

Whoa there, Mr. Tan! What's that display of rage for? Was it absolutely necessary?

Perhaps it was done to also show to the other contestants that these certain behaviours are a definite no-no in the industry.

However, I think the matter could have been done in a different way. Outrage from so many fans would have been absolutely avoided if Mr. Glenn Tan simply plucked out that ridiculous cactus up his , fixed his vocabulary, and discussed the matter with the model in a more professional way.

Sang In is a rookie. Obviously, she joined the competition to improve her skills and learn about the industry, while competing against others to get to the top. She's also human, and bound to make mistakes here and there.

Simply pointing out her faults in a respectful and lighter way would have been enough to allow her to reflect on her mistakes and fix them in her own time.

Instead, Mr. Tan reduced her into tears, which she bravely tried to hold back by lifting her chin up and maintaining eye contact throughout the whole ordeal, as he spat in her face about one single mistake. She also apologized, with a traditional Korean bow to boot, respectfully.

I don't know about you, Mr Tan, but I think that's the moment you should've thought, "Oh . I made a mistake by yelling at a poor lady." Yet, you let her walk away without an apology for that kind of ridiculous outburst.

What's even more baffling is the fact that the rest of the judges allowed the man to do this. Of course, Mr Tan endorses, but still: are you really going to let him get away with yelling at your girls like that, Cindy Bishop, Daniel Boey? How about you, Yu Tsai? I don't know about you, but if I were in your shoes, I would be speaking up for Sang In.

Another thing is Cindy Bishop.

Now, let's set the scene for a bit: it had come down to the final judging, where the girls were called in one-by-one to receive their photos whilst they were told that they would still be in the running of Asia's Next Top Model. There's the final three left, and the episode was apparently a double-elimination round. The remaining three were Sang In, Aldilla and Gwen. Unfortunately, Gwen was eliminated, which was fair game. Thus, she was sent home.

Therefore, there was Sang In and Aldilla left, and it turned out that Aldilla was to be sent home alongside Gwen.

Except, Cindy Bishop decided to take this matter and bend some unspoken rules.

She called up Alaiza to the center and asked her for the third time if she really wanted to stay in the competition, because the other two girls before her apparently had better intentions than Alaiza did.

Okay, let's pause this for a bit. Cindy Bishop, what in the heavens are you doing?

Never, in Next Top Model history, has this ever happened before! No judge has ever pressured a contestant in NTM if she/he wanted to leave the competition because others' futures looked brighter than another's!

Yes, Alaiza told you, in front of the other judges and the rest of the contestants, that she was unsure about the career path given to her through the competition, but obviously, she wanted some time to think about it, one which you, Cindy Bishop, did not give to her. Only 10 minutes after she told you her thoughts, you repeated the same question and gave a ridiculous reason as to why she should give up her spot.

Alaiza was obviously humiliated as well. She was unexpectedly put in the spot, and suddenly, the sparkle in her eyes and the determination to ponder about her modeling dream vanished. In the end, she decided to leave, not because she didn't want the modeling life anymore, but because it looked like she had enough of the treatment she was receiving in the show.

This treatment is really terrible to the emotional wellbeing of the girls. Is this really how you treat would-be models? Especially in such a competition such as NTM?

Aldilla is, of course, beautiful and talented as well, but you have contributed to her final score in which she was supposed to be eliminated. Alaiza was meant to stay, but pressured to leave for Aldilla to take her spot, which is very unfair.

I'm seriously disappointed in this series. In one episode alone, a lot of terrible things have happened, and most of which was unprofessional. I believe apologies are in order, not only for the contestants, but also for the audience watching the series. In the meantime, I think I'll stick to watching Tyra Banks professionally run her show, rather than watch clowns try to host what Tyra Banks has worked hard for.