'ANTM' doc sparks trend mocking the show's controversial photo shoots

Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAYThu, February 26, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC

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The latest viral obsession is adding humor to the chaos surrounding the popular reality competition show “America’s Next Top Model".

The trend, which has been taking over TikTok and Instagram, shows social media users jokingly doing photo shoots after sharing something traumatic with the show’s creator, Tyra Banks.

It caught steam following the release of Netflix’s “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” which pulled back the curtain on the cultural phenomenon.

One of the show's staples was its over-the-top creative direction, which has been widely criticized over time.

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'POV: You told Tyra ' (insert trauma here)

In one TikTok, a woman is seen posing with peanut butter smeared on her face, captioned, “POV you told Tyra you had a peanut allergy.”

The comedic videos have caught the attention of past contestants, including Joanie Sprague, the runner-up of Cycle 6. In her version, she posed with a ladder and wood panels.

“You told Tyra your father was injured in a construction accident, and this is your next photoshoot,” the caption said. Other "ANTM" alumni commented on her post with laughing emojis.

“It's kind of laughing at Tyra and her craziness,” Sprague said in an interview with USA TODAY. “It is true, Tyra will take the worst part of your life, and you're like, ‘What the heck,’ you know?”

She added, “The internet is always there to say, ‘Hey, let's turn this into something and make everybody laugh.'"

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Netflix doc exposes behind the scenes of 'ANTM'

Sprague is one of the former participants who spoke about their "ANTM" experiences on “Reality Check." The viral three-part docuseries shed light on the drama behind the scenes, from the extreme makeovers to the challenges.

“It was a time in the world where there was the show ‘Fear Factor,’ ‘Survivor,’ and all of these things of like pushing the limits,” Banks said on the program. “The viewers wanted more, and more and more.”

Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.

In addition to the challenges, the show’s photo shoots have been called out as inappropriate, dangerous and racially insensitive. They suspended the models from ledges, had them pretend to be homeless, swapped their ethnicities, and pushed them to pose with live animals, among other wacky ideas.

Speaking throughout “Reality Check,” contestants accused the show of exploiting their dreams, trauma and fears for the sake of good television. In Cycle 8’s crime scene photo shoot, Dionne Walters had to pretend she was shot in the head by another model.

“When I was a kid, my mom was shot, and she was paralyzed from the waist down,” Walters shared in the doc. “They knew about it from the application process, but they still chose to have me do this particular photo shoot that involved gun violence. I thought it was a coincidence at the time, but I don’t think it was.”

'That was wild,' Joanie Sprague said about 'ANTM' photo shoot

Joanie Sprague in "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model."

Sprague recalled a photo shoot from her season, where the models were mermaids and placed upside down in a net over a Thailand market.

“That was some ‘Fear Factor’ stuff right there. That was wild,” she told USA TODAY. “The harness and being upside down and you're really tight, and you can't breathe, that was just super weird.”

Post-show, Sprague said she modeled for a few years, with brief stints in Hong Kong and Milan. When she returned to the United States, she wound up back in the television space, most notably on DIY Network’s “Run My Renovation” and other shows. Now, she’s a full-time carpenter and content creator who has her own workshop.

“I teach ladies woodworking, and I just love it. It's just become my lifestyle," Sprague said. "For the past 16 years, I've just been crushing it and just enjoying this new chapter."

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'ANTM' fans, alumni participate in viral photo shoot trend

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