Rioting ANTM contestants take ‘fierceness’ to a new level

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We all know not to yell ‘fire!’ in a crowded movie theater: now add to that, don’t shout ‘bomb!’ around a herd of tired, thin petite women in heels.

After announcing that the next season of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ would feature models 5-foot-7 and shorter, an already-tense casting call turned into bedlam in Manhattan on Saturday. According to the New York Daily News, a crowd of aspiring contestants was already frustrated because of unclear line protocol when an overheating car was mistaken by some to be a bomb, which led to a model riot.

It seems like injuries from the incident were minor, except for a few dreams: the auditions were canceled after the melee. ‘I’m 5-foot-3. There’s no way I can make it into a model agency,’ a contestant told the Daily News. ‘They would turn me away at the door. We had an opportunity, and it was taken away from us.’

According to show producers Tyra Banks and Ken Mok: ‘We are concerned by the events that occurred Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of the New York City casting call for the next cycle of ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ At this time, we still don’t know all the details of what happened or what triggered the incident. We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter.’

For those objective readers who need to view the situation for themselves before they can pass judgment, video of the incident is available here.

-- Claire Zulkey

(Photo: Tyra Banks Credit: Peter Kramer / AP)