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The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown
The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown is a satirical look behind the scenes of Model Muse , a fictional reality model competition show and global phenomenon. Seen through the eyes of our moral compass Pablo Michaels—the heart of production in the helter-skelter world of Model Muse —we see behind the scenes and backstage shenanigans of the fashion/reality TV world.
As "The Fixer," Pablo is the man everyone turns to in crisis. Struggling to hold the fledgling production together, he juggles his duties to his "BFF," the ruthless and vulnerable antihero Keisha Kash, his supermodel boss, while trying to hold on to his own soul.
When the show is renewed after its sensational first season, this satire takes up where The Devil Wears Prada left us, only now we're on the runway itself. Think Crazy Rich Asians meets Ladies Who Punch and a dish of Dulce de Leche .
As "The Fixer," Pablo is the man everyone turns to in crisis. Struggling to hold the fledgling production together, he juggles his duties to his "BFF," the ruthless and vulnerable antihero Keisha Kash, his supermodel boss, while trying to hold on to his own soul.
When the show is renewed after its sensational first season, this satire takes up where The Devil Wears Prada left us, only now we're on the runway itself. Think Crazy Rich Asians meets Ladies Who Punch and a dish of Dulce de Leche .
1 pages, Audio CD
First published August 1, 2020
140 people are currently reading
1163 people want to read
About the author
Jay Manuel
5 books24 followersI’ve spent 20 years on both sides of the camera working with the world’s most celebrated celebrities and for fashion industry magazines as a Fashion Correspondent, Series Regular, Host, Judge, Creative Director and Executive Producer on some of the decade’s hottest television shows. I’m most well recognized for my roles as Fashion Correspondent for E! Network and as the Creative Director and Producer of the global phenomenon “America’s Next Top Model.”
I first came up with the idea to write my debut novel in 2014, and like many new writers, I said to myself, “who am I to write a book?” However, the concept and the characters wouldn’t leave my mind. I started writing down story ideas, followed by character studies, and then one day—while on a six-mile run, back in 2017—I saw Chapter One play out in my mind like a movie on a screen. I knew then, I had to put pen to paper, and write the book.
Ultimately, “The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown” was a book I needed to write myself—without a ghostwriter. I had two amazing writing mentors along the way who pushed and empowered me to do the work myself. I’ve always been fascinated with storytelling, and have told many a story through images and interpretation in the world of glamour. But I found that I equally love the world one can create with words. I had taken a few writing classes while at NYU, but, at that time, I ultimately decided I had other passions I needed to explore first and decided to jump into the world of images and fashion. At 47, completing my first novel has become the most fulfilling project I’ve done in my career.
I first came up with the idea to write my debut novel in 2014, and like many new writers, I said to myself, “who am I to write a book?” However, the concept and the characters wouldn’t leave my mind. I started writing down story ideas, followed by character studies, and then one day—while on a six-mile run, back in 2017—I saw Chapter One play out in my mind like a movie on a screen. I knew then, I had to put pen to paper, and write the book.
Ultimately, “The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown” was a book I needed to write myself—without a ghostwriter. I had two amazing writing mentors along the way who pushed and empowered me to do the work myself. I’ve always been fascinated with storytelling, and have told many a story through images and interpretation in the world of glamour. But I found that I equally love the world one can create with words. I had taken a few writing classes while at NYU, but, at that time, I ultimately decided I had other passions I needed to explore first and decided to jump into the world of images and fashion. At 47, completing my first novel has become the most fulfilling project I’ve done in my career.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
October 1, 2021
Jay Manuel's takedown of Tyra Banks and America's Next Top Model on which he was a judge. Andre Leon Talley, also a judge, in his autobiograpy, The Chiffon Trenches didn't even dare mention the show. There are only two reasons for not mentioning someone as famous as Tyra Banks and ANTM, one is that there is nothing to say, everyone was sweet-natured and no one took drugs, smashed cell phones, played queen bee, was an absolute bitch firing people left right and centre or playing them off against each other or she had them tied up in contractual knots. So Jay Manuel decided fiction was the way to go. "Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental." You know when you read that, the characters are actually based on the ones you think they are!
Quite a lot of the characters in this really terrible book are identifiable. One of the funniest (but sympathetic) was Janice Dickinson. Miss Thing is Miss Jaye, Mason Hughes is Nigel Barker - neither portrayed sympathetically. In factNigel Mason is disliked for being so English, probably homophobic (although he is a closet gay) and racist, it was a very mean portrait of the man. I wonder what caused jay Manuel to hate Nigel so much as it is quite obviously meant personally. And Tyra herself is Keisha. Keisha starts off being absolutely lovely to Pablo (who is the author, Jay Manuel) but is a narcissist diva with an overweening sense of her own importance (and she's a bit of a thief with a mother in prison thrown in for extra drama which makes no sense whatsoever).
The author is Pablo who is perfect in all ways and a superman as he can handle Keisha, the judges, the models, the producers, anything and anyone. Coincidentally, Pablo gets the exact same platinum blond makeover as Jay Manuel has - and he looks just the epitome of fabulousness! Pablo just lacks one thing, self-confidence. But he has a life coach who helps him with that. And that is the twist, that if this book had had a star worth dropping, it would have dropped one for that.
Several of the contestants are mocked and not one of them is treated with any respect. Not that any of them actually deserve any respect since drink, drugs, sex and stabbing each other in the back is the name of the game.
Tyra had written a book Modelland which was excreble and she heavily promoted it on ANTM. And so Keisha also has written a terrible book of which Pablo quotes a review. This is actually quite well written and extremely nasty of course.
So the whole book goes from bad to worse, it is at points far too simplistic and at others I had no idea what was going on. But just when you think it can't get any worse it dissolves into some plot to do with jewellery, drugs and getting Keisha's mother out of prison where she was either going to or will in fact 'tell all', whatever the all is.
The twist at the end that deserves a minus star. Pablo's life coach, is a man who always gives him the best advice, who pats him on the back, but he's never met him, he's just a voice on the phone
So there you go, a very bad book badly written, about on par with Tyra's own book, but hers was to glorify herself and her show, and Jay Manuel's is to make himself look really a fabulous person and most of the others, especially Tyra and Nigel Barker, on ANTM absolute shits. In this the book succeeds. Jay, I really liked you as a judge, being on tv in such a major way pays very well. Don't give up the day job!
Quite a lot of the characters in this really terrible book are identifiable. One of the funniest (but sympathetic) was Janice Dickinson. Miss Thing is Miss Jaye, Mason Hughes is Nigel Barker - neither portrayed sympathetically. In fact
The author is Pablo who is perfect in all ways and a superman as he can handle Keisha, the judges, the models, the producers, anything and anyone. Coincidentally, Pablo gets the exact same platinum blond makeover as Jay Manuel has - and he looks just the epitome of fabulousness! Pablo just lacks one thing, self-confidence. But he has a life coach who helps him with that. And that is the twist, that if this book had had a star worth dropping, it would have dropped one for that.
Several of the contestants are mocked and not one of them is treated with any respect. Not that any of them actually deserve any respect since drink, drugs, sex and stabbing each other in the back is the name of the game.
Tyra had written a book Modelland which was excreble and she heavily promoted it on ANTM. And so Keisha also has written a terrible book of which Pablo quotes a review. This is actually quite well written and extremely nasty of course.
So the whole book goes from bad to worse, it is at points far too simplistic and at others I had no idea what was going on. But just when you think it can't get any worse it dissolves into some plot to do with jewellery, drugs and getting Keisha's mother out of prison where she was either going to or will in fact 'tell all', whatever the all is.
The twist at the end that deserves a minus star. Pablo's life coach, is a man who always gives him the best advice, who pats him on the back, but he's never met him, he's just a voice on the phone
So there you go, a very bad book badly written, about on par with Tyra's own book, but hers was to glorify herself and her show, and Jay Manuel's is to make himself look really a fabulous person and most of the others, especially Tyra and Nigel Barker, on ANTM absolute shits. In this the book succeeds. Jay, I really liked you as a judge, being on tv in such a major way pays very well. Don't give up the day job!
November 16, 2025
Ohhhh.....helllllo Mistah Jay Manuel.
So THIS is what you've been up to since America's Next Top Model...
Update
3.5 stars
Alrighty y'all, listen up and I'll serve you all the tea on this book.
This book is about a creative director (Jay/Pablo), who meets a supermodel (Tyra Banks/Keisha Kash) and together they create a sensational TV series about helping models break it into the industry (America's Next Top Model/Muse Models).
This book takes a fast-track through Jay's (excuse me, Pablo's) life as the assistant/creative director/emotional punching bag of Tyra.
If you are a fan of the show - there's a TON of overlap - so much that you really wonder where Jay's book ends and the real world begins (probably by design?).
For example: the judges were thinly veiled replicas of the usual ones - Miss Thing - a gay man who loves to strut his stuff on the runway (Miss Jay), Sasha - the most famous supermodel/plastic surgery addict (Janice Dickinson), and Mason - famous photographer/eye candy (Nigel?).
But there were extra details woven in - Keisha constantly stole lines from Miss Thing and cut out his funny bits so Keisha would look better. Sasha was popping pills and slurping down booze as much as possible much to Keisha's amusement. Mason was homophobic.
In addition, there were other elements that seemed to confirm what most of the longtime fans of ANTM have been saying for years.
Keisha having a heavy-hand in the winners - and when she didn't get what she wanted - MELTDOWN.
Keisha manipulated and back-stabbed - often putting her contestants into increasing difficult or disastrous situations. But then gas-lighting them (and the rest of the crew) in order to always come out in top.
And, of course, how Keisha had a complete meltdown over one of the contestants standing up to her (WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU thing). (which, by the way, the book seems to confirm the more wild claims about what actually happened behind the scenes).
So, those parts were hugely interesting to me.
However, the writing varied wildly for me and is what ultimately influenced my rating the most.
There were moments where my eyes could not read fast enough - it was addictive, it was insane, it had just enough overlap with what I saw on-show to really make me wonder if it was all true. (I'm talking about...THE WIG!!)
But there were also moments (lots of moments) that felt underdeveloped - where the actions were blocked and the dialogue was there but it just didn't feel "real" (like when Jay met Keisha and immediately was swept into her world).
The up-down-up of the writing ended up affecting how much I enjoyed the book overall. I feel like if only the drama-less moments were stronger, then the whole book would've hit 5 stars for me.
Ultimately, I feel like this book would hit the best for fans - who have been wondering for years what the "truth" is behind the scenes. But it also fits fairly well for those who like a peek at behind-the-scenes of reality TV.
One thing's for certain though - his writing was leagues better than Tyra's!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Mr. Jay Manuel and the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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August 17, 2020
Dear Mr. Jay Manuel.
You don't know me. It's unlikely you'll ever read this, but writing a review as if I'm talking to you directly is the only way I can get my thoughts out. I can only feel I can obtain justice, if I pretend I'm facing you head on. So, here we go.
First, background. You were my favorite on ANTM. I had no idea what a creative director was, and I know now what you did was far removed from the real thing. Everything about the show was, but that's fine. ANTM was a reality show that did soap opera drama the best. I looked up to you, because you helped me feel connected to the mainstream fashion industry; more than Nigel, whose work was actually relevant to the industry.
Now, here we are, a decade later after the peak of the show that made your name, and we have this....book that's far removed from what it was clearly meant to be.
You clearly wanted to write a memoir, and, maybe you knew your fellow alum was also releasing one on his time in Vogue. But it's likely you're under a strict NDA. So all you are left is doing a roman-a-clef. For anyone who isn't sure what that is, it's autobiography disguised as fiction. Often, people who write them are trying to put someone they knew in a negative light, without being sued for slander. Sometimes, roman-a-clefs are referred to as revenge fiction, which is what this book goes for.
There's nothing wrong with revenge fiction. It's produced some classics. Think Valley of the Dolls. While using revenge fiction to rant about someone is fine, ranting does not make for the actual story.
And that's the big problem with reading Mr. Manuel's debut novel. The intentions were clearly in the wrong place. The real-life person who shall not be named so the author isn't sued is parodied, but each chapter is purely just to look at that parody, and not anything else. Parodies are great, but, in the case of the book, if there's no story to carry the parody, it gets old after the first chapter. No, really, I do mean it gets boring after the first chapter. The only reason we're reading a dramatized (or not so dramatized) version of the lady who shall not be named is this format of writing provides the only medium to "expose" the subject matter, without a lawsuit. Even taking in the argument there is no parody going on, meaning the main character is indeed an accurate portrayal, gawking at someone crazy isn't a story. You know, a story, the thing you need to write a novel?
I'm sorry you're so bitter, Jay. We've known for years she's a mega diva. What happened to Angelea proved that. I'm sorry you can't write the nonfiction book you wanted. It would've been better. I do wonder if you thought you could get away with satirical chick-lit is due to her novels have had some recognition. I mean, that sudden sequel to her TV movie from years ago based off her first novel? That was odd.
Most of all, I'm sorry you couldn't sustain the fame you had from the show. It seems all the alum, including the host, are struggling with that. You definitely deserved it the most. I would like to see you mingling int he public fashion eye again, but, before you do, please take these notes.
While the world of fashion in ANTM's heyday was at its peak lavishness, it's no longer relevant. The viewers grew up and know better. We're not interested in working with divas, anymore, because we're not fascinated by them. It's not a cute novelty. A lot of us would rather give up a dream job than put up with the toxic work culture you did. The next time you write about the industry that made you famous, do it to connect with us, not connect us with what made you important. We already got our fill.
You don't know me. It's unlikely you'll ever read this, but writing a review as if I'm talking to you directly is the only way I can get my thoughts out. I can only feel I can obtain justice, if I pretend I'm facing you head on. So, here we go.
First, background. You were my favorite on ANTM. I had no idea what a creative director was, and I know now what you did was far removed from the real thing. Everything about the show was, but that's fine. ANTM was a reality show that did soap opera drama the best. I looked up to you, because you helped me feel connected to the mainstream fashion industry; more than Nigel, whose work was actually relevant to the industry.
Now, here we are, a decade later after the peak of the show that made your name, and we have this....book that's far removed from what it was clearly meant to be.
You clearly wanted to write a memoir, and, maybe you knew your fellow alum was also releasing one on his time in Vogue. But it's likely you're under a strict NDA. So all you are left is doing a roman-a-clef. For anyone who isn't sure what that is, it's autobiography disguised as fiction. Often, people who write them are trying to put someone they knew in a negative light, without being sued for slander. Sometimes, roman-a-clefs are referred to as revenge fiction, which is what this book goes for.
There's nothing wrong with revenge fiction. It's produced some classics. Think Valley of the Dolls. While using revenge fiction to rant about someone is fine, ranting does not make for the actual story.
And that's the big problem with reading Mr. Manuel's debut novel. The intentions were clearly in the wrong place. The real-life person who shall not be named so the author isn't sued is parodied, but each chapter is purely just to look at that parody, and not anything else. Parodies are great, but, in the case of the book, if there's no story to carry the parody, it gets old after the first chapter. No, really, I do mean it gets boring after the first chapter. The only reason we're reading a dramatized (or not so dramatized) version of the lady who shall not be named is this format of writing provides the only medium to "expose" the subject matter, without a lawsuit. Even taking in the argument there is no parody going on, meaning the main character is indeed an accurate portrayal, gawking at someone crazy isn't a story. You know, a story, the thing you need to write a novel?
I'm sorry you're so bitter, Jay. We've known for years she's a mega diva. What happened to Angelea proved that. I'm sorry you can't write the nonfiction book you wanted. It would've been better. I do wonder if you thought you could get away with satirical chick-lit is due to her novels have had some recognition. I mean, that sudden sequel to her TV movie from years ago based off her first novel? That was odd.
Most of all, I'm sorry you couldn't sustain the fame you had from the show. It seems all the alum, including the host, are struggling with that. You definitely deserved it the most. I would like to see you mingling int he public fashion eye again, but, before you do, please take these notes.
While the world of fashion in ANTM's heyday was at its peak lavishness, it's no longer relevant. The viewers grew up and know better. We're not interested in working with divas, anymore, because we're not fascinated by them. It's not a cute novelty. A lot of us would rather give up a dream job than put up with the toxic work culture you did. The next time you write about the industry that made you famous, do it to connect with us, not connect us with what made you important. We already got our fill.
September 15, 2020
Sigh. I wanted to like this. I really did. But the writing was frankly atrocious. I feel like elementary school kids could take one creative writing course and come out of it writing a better story than this.
September 7, 2020
This book is exactly like watching ANTM, in that it was absolute garbage and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
January 3, 2023
JAY MANUEL CREATED A FAKE AVATAR OF HIMSELF TO IDOLIZE HIS REAL SELF AND INCLUDED A THREE-PAGE BLISTERING FAKE REVIEW OF WHAT WAS CLEARLY A FAKE VERSION OF MODELLAND WRITTEN BY A FAKE AVATAR OF TYRA...I TAUGHT CREATIVE WRITING BUT YOU CAN’T TEACH THIS KIND OF NATURAL GIFT
November 9, 2020
lmao this book is so bad in so many ways and like TRULY makes me wonder what his endgame was here if not just to burn every bridge had had in the fashion world??? MUCH TO DISCUSS.
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...
May 4, 2023
I mean, it’s exactly what you think it’s gonna be if one of your favorite past times is binging ANTM. It’s just a trashy and fun beach read for people who know the show.
May 22, 2020
The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown is so engrossing, you don’t want to put it down! Pablo Michaels’ experiences and dilemmas are really felt by the reader, who is rooting for him (we are all rooting for him!). Fans of the show, “America’s Next Top Model” will devour the book in one sitting, as it features numerous references to the show (including infamous quotes and certain scandalous situations). They will also have many questions for Jay Manuel regarding how much of the story is actually true and how much is fiction.
August 10, 2020
Don't let the three stars make you think I didn't enjoy every minute of reading this book--if you were ever a fan of ANTM, you'll enjoy the tea this story serves. It may not be the greatest novel ever written, but it's Jay Manuel's story, it has heart, and it's hopeful. It's also funny as hell if you can spot the Easter eggs (they're pretty obvious if you know the show), and even if you didn't watch the show this could still be a fun read. I really just hope the things Keisha does and says in this novel aren't 100% taken from her inspiration because DAMN.
August 20, 2020
I wanted to like it so much, but it was so hard to get through. In particular, the exhaustive overuse of proper nouns and adjectives. There weren't any characters that had redeeming qualities and all seemed to be written with a condescending tone. Perhaps a co-writer could have helped Jay sift out the kinks and polish this up better.
August 10, 2020
A literary masterpiece this is not. But it is a fun light summer read and especially enjoyable if you're an ANTM fan. (I did wonder if Miss J approved of the Miss Thing character.)
August 13, 2020
OMG, this book is just too much! Y'all probably know Jay Manuel from his fashion correspondence and from America's Next Top Model. Who else is better qualified to write a satirical fiction novel about the behind the scenes act of a reality modeling competition? Exactly.
If you've ever wondered what it might be like to be behind the scenes of a reality show, here's your very big story. Every character is so very extra and I was here for every single sip of tea. Manuel gives us the story of Pablo... who has a chance meeting with Keisha Kash that propels him into the reality world, the struggles of being a jack of all trades without the accolades of being the master of most, and a whirlwind of responsibility ... now where's the damn glory?
Fans of ANTM will notice parallels in Model Muse. While you can't help but notice SO many similarities, keep in mind... this is SATIRE and FICTIONAL. There are some truly hilarious and cringe worthy that had my face doing expression gymnastics (in the very best way). For pure entertainment alone, if you like this subject matter, this is absolutely worth the read. One of my favorite moments was the article included about the book within a book mention of Planet Fierce - a sci-fi adventure about alien models with superpowers who save Earth. The critique had me rolling!
And while this is a very humorous read through and through, at the end of the day, it's a story about the reconciliation of your own past and recognizing your deeper self in a world where everything can seem extremely shallow. And that was an unexpected lesson can appreciate.
If you've ever wondered what it might be like to be behind the scenes of a reality show, here's your very big story. Every character is so very extra and I was here for every single sip of tea. Manuel gives us the story of Pablo... who has a chance meeting with Keisha Kash that propels him into the reality world, the struggles of being a jack of all trades without the accolades of being the master of most, and a whirlwind of responsibility ... now where's the damn glory?
Fans of ANTM will notice parallels in Model Muse. While you can't help but notice SO many similarities, keep in mind... this is SATIRE and FICTIONAL. There are some truly hilarious and cringe worthy that had my face doing expression gymnastics (in the very best way). For pure entertainment alone, if you like this subject matter, this is absolutely worth the read. One of my favorite moments was the article included about the book within a book mention of Planet Fierce - a sci-fi adventure about alien models with superpowers who save Earth. The critique had me rolling!
And while this is a very humorous read through and through, at the end of the day, it's a story about the reconciliation of your own past and recognizing your deeper self in a world where everything can seem extremely shallow. And that was an unexpected lesson can appreciate.
May 11, 2021
This is a poorly written mess of a book. But it's so good!!
If you grew up watching America's Next Top Model in the early 2000's, you'll look this very thinly veiled look behind the curtains. This is totally a memoir disguised as fiction, and I'm living for all the tea! It's pretty obvious who he's talking about in this book (Keisha Kash=Tyra Banks and so on) and it's pretty entertaining to try and knit pick which scenes from ANTM and actions of the cast are in fact fiction and which ones are true. Jay Manuel's self glorification while simultaneously annihilating the other characters is hilariously good fun. It is salacious, ridiculous and just so fun!
If you're a fan of ANTM, give this book a read. Just don't take it too seriously, and you'll enjoy it.
If you grew up watching America's Next Top Model in the early 2000's, you'll look this very thinly veiled look behind the curtains. This is totally a memoir disguised as fiction, and I'm living for all the tea! It's pretty obvious who he's talking about in this book (Keisha Kash=Tyra Banks and so on) and it's pretty entertaining to try and knit pick which scenes from ANTM and actions of the cast are in fact fiction and which ones are true. Jay Manuel's self glorification while simultaneously annihilating the other characters is hilariously good fun. It is salacious, ridiculous and just so fun!
If you're a fan of ANTM, give this book a read. Just don't take it too seriously, and you'll enjoy it.
December 12, 2023
the most bizarre piece of top model metafiction... which is already saying a lot because modelland exists? i have no grasp on how true this book actually is but i think no matter how you slice it the sheer act of publishing this while remaining at least cordial with almost everyone involved is wild. cartoonishly evil especially regarding the tyra character but even the accusations made about all the others is so extreme like?! how are we supposed to react to the nigel character or even the miss jay character and not be enraged one way or another. idk it's so hateful but also obtuse enough that it can evade any sort of actual critique... other than the writing of course but tbh it was not even half as bad as i was expecting. i guess i had fun but now i need the full breakdown
September 12, 2020
Truly sad that Jay Manuel would throw his reputation away on a book that could be easily mistaken for 3AM Top Model fanfic.
He should have either written about his experiences at ANTM or made a plot that was completely separate from the series. Instead, the book is in the unsatisfactory middle, where the characters are clearly based on Top Model folks (you know who) but the plot points are so deranged that they’re not credible. So, like I said earlier, it reads like fanfic.
If you want a relatively quick read by the pool, this book will be a fine but unsatisfying read. Everyone else should stay away.
He should have either written about his experiences at ANTM or made a plot that was completely separate from the series. Instead, the book is in the unsatisfactory middle, where the characters are clearly based on Top Model folks (you know who) but the plot points are so deranged that they’re not credible. So, like I said earlier, it reads like fanfic.
If you want a relatively quick read by the pool, this book will be a fine but unsatisfying read. Everyone else should stay away.
January 25, 2021
As someone who has watched her fair share of ANTM episodes while growing up and (must confess recently - hello, pandemic bingeing) this book was a riot!
Was it well written? Hell no! It is the kind of book that explains itself when it is attempting to be meta and repeats certain phrases ad nauseum.
It’s ridiculous yet hilarious and so entertaining!
It’s the kind of book I would only recommend to those who have watched America’s next top model.
It’s the kind of book that I would call a ‘guilty pleasure’ if not for the words of the awesome Fran Leibowitz, who declared that as long as whatever you are doing gives you pleasure and doesn’t harm anyone, there is no need to feel guilty about it.
So yes, I had fun reading this book and feeling like a fly on the wall of the reality show that I enjoyed watching too.
Was it well written? Hell no! It is the kind of book that explains itself when it is attempting to be meta and repeats certain phrases ad nauseum.
It’s ridiculous yet hilarious and so entertaining!
It’s the kind of book I would only recommend to those who have watched America’s next top model.
It’s the kind of book that I would call a ‘guilty pleasure’ if not for the words of the awesome Fran Leibowitz, who declared that as long as whatever you are doing gives you pleasure and doesn’t harm anyone, there is no need to feel guilty about it.
So yes, I had fun reading this book and feeling like a fly on the wall of the reality show that I enjoyed watching too.
September 25, 2022
This was utter garbage. Not to mention the blatant racism, homophobia, body shaming, sex shaming and transphobia that ran rampant throughout. Truly and utterly disgusted by the willingness to publish and/or endorse this “book.”
November 29, 2021
This book made me dislike Mr. J. A tell-all is one thing, but mean-spirited and vicious attacks on people, even "fictional ones," based oftentimes on their appearance or struggles, are not a cute look.
BUT I seriously enjoyed listening to the POD LEDOM podcast cover this book and I will carry that joy with me as long as I love ANTM, which is forever, no matter how trainwreck-y it gets.
BUT I seriously enjoyed listening to the POD LEDOM podcast cover this book and I will carry that joy with me as long as I love ANTM, which is forever, no matter how trainwreck-y it gets.
August 18, 2022
it’s just really bad. lol
i wanted to like this book. i was excited about it. but the writing is awful and this is clearly his way of talking about everyone involved with antm…but trying to do so in a way that avoids a lawsuit.
i only finished because i’m not a quitter lol
i wanted to like this book. i was excited about it. but the writing is awful and this is clearly his way of talking about everyone involved with antm…but trying to do so in a way that avoids a lawsuit.
i only finished because i’m not a quitter lol
September 16, 2020
I wouldn't call this good, but it is a funny light satire if you've ever spent a Saturday watching ANTM on VH1.
May 8, 2021
This book was so terrible that I finished it and my immediate desire was to block Jay on instagram.
April 25, 2025
I got this because I used to watch ANTM, so I remember watching Jay on it. I did like it, but It just wasn't for me truthfully.
June 3, 2022
Well. I really didn't think I would be finding anything with worse writing than Tyra Banks's Modelland, and yet here we are.
This was horrendous. The writing was absolutely terrible- much like Tyra Banks's book, it was painfully obvious that this was written by someone who does not know how to write. The dialogue (...and narrative, and just about everything else) was cringe as fuck. Especially the places where the author decides to let us know that he is, in fact, WOKE!, and wants to make sure we know that HE knows about the plight of black women. Say what you will about Tyra's book, but at least she didn't have any characters get on a soapbox and start preaching about sexism, racism, homophobia, etc.
Then we have the fact that it's thinly-veiled revenge fiction against actual people. Tyra Banks (Keisha), Janice Dickinson (Sasha), Nigel Barker (Mason), Miss J (Miss Thing). It is painfully obvious who these characters are meant to represent.
And see, what pisses me off about that is:
Jay Manuel's character (Pablo) is, of course, an absolute angel. Never does a bad thing ever, never says a wrong thing ever, never acts badly at all. Long-suffering, good-natured, and the only people who don't like him are assholes. Obviously this is entirely realistic and does not at all come across as egotistical tripe lacking in any self-awareness.
But Tyra and the judges' characters? Boy, does he drag them through the mud. The Tyra stand-in is a psychopathic monster; Miss J's is a flamboyant backstabbing lunatic; Janice's is a drunk pill-popper who's had too much plastic surgery; Nigel Barker's stand-in is portrayed as a racist homophobe who is accused of committing sexual assault.
That last one is a big one for me. This book treads way, WAY too close to the real to be completely considered fiction. You blatantly based these characters off of real people. And so the natural conclusion that's going to be drawn is that what you're saying about these characters is roughly on the mark for the people they represent.
To have a character that is a recognizable copy of Nigel Barker and then portray him as a racist homophobe who touches and/or kisses people without their consent crosses a line for me. People are going to look at this and assume there's a grain of truth to it.
And if it is true, you need to not be pussy-footing around by putting it in a "tee-hee! satire!" book and actually say something about it. This just comes across as so slimy to me: Either Barker's being unfairly labeled a racist homophobic perv, or he IS one and the author has declined to go through the proper channels to have him be held accountable.
A satire book is not the appropriate venue to be lowkey labeling a real person as a someone who commits sexual assault- period, end of sentence, thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, no I will not be taking questions.
This entire book comes across to me like a slimy, passive-aggressive, "tee hee I'm going to accuse people of being awful in my book- but I'll give them all fake names and call it "fiction" so they can't sue me, and if anyone calls me out on this I'll just say it's satire that can't be taken seriously! But people still will take it seriously- I know that because I work in and have worked in the entertainment business for twenty years and know EXACTLY how celebrity gossip works."
But Jay Manuel, meanwhile, was an innocent angel in all of this, as his avatar suggests. Never did a bad or wrong thing irl, whereas everyone else did and therefore deserves all the mean-spirited mockery they get. The end.
Garbage. Pure, hot garbage.
This was horrendous. The writing was absolutely terrible- much like Tyra Banks's book, it was painfully obvious that this was written by someone who does not know how to write. The dialogue (...and narrative, and just about everything else) was cringe as fuck. Especially the places where the author decides to let us know that he is, in fact, WOKE!, and wants to make sure we know that HE knows about the plight of black women. Say what you will about Tyra's book, but at least she didn't have any characters get on a soapbox and start preaching about sexism, racism, homophobia, etc.
Then we have the fact that it's thinly-veiled revenge fiction against actual people. Tyra Banks (Keisha), Janice Dickinson (Sasha), Nigel Barker (Mason), Miss J (Miss Thing). It is painfully obvious who these characters are meant to represent.
And see, what pisses me off about that is:
Jay Manuel's character (Pablo) is, of course, an absolute angel. Never does a bad thing ever, never says a wrong thing ever, never acts badly at all. Long-suffering, good-natured, and the only people who don't like him are assholes. Obviously this is entirely realistic and does not at all come across as egotistical tripe lacking in any self-awareness.
But Tyra and the judges' characters? Boy, does he drag them through the mud. The Tyra stand-in is a psychopathic monster; Miss J's is a flamboyant backstabbing lunatic; Janice's is a drunk pill-popper who's had too much plastic surgery; Nigel Barker's stand-in is portrayed as a racist homophobe who is accused of committing sexual assault.
That last one is a big one for me. This book treads way, WAY too close to the real to be completely considered fiction. You blatantly based these characters off of real people. And so the natural conclusion that's going to be drawn is that what you're saying about these characters is roughly on the mark for the people they represent.
To have a character that is a recognizable copy of Nigel Barker and then portray him as a racist homophobe who touches and/or kisses people without their consent crosses a line for me. People are going to look at this and assume there's a grain of truth to it.
And if it is true, you need to not be pussy-footing around by putting it in a "tee-hee! satire!" book and actually say something about it. This just comes across as so slimy to me: Either Barker's being unfairly labeled a racist homophobic perv, or he IS one and the author has declined to go through the proper channels to have him be held accountable.
A satire book is not the appropriate venue to be lowkey labeling a real person as a someone who commits sexual assault- period, end of sentence, thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, no I will not be taking questions.
This entire book comes across to me like a slimy, passive-aggressive, "tee hee I'm going to accuse people of being awful in my book- but I'll give them all fake names and call it "fiction" so they can't sue me, and if anyone calls me out on this I'll just say it's satire that can't be taken seriously! But people still will take it seriously- I know that because I work in and have worked in the entertainment business for twenty years and know EXACTLY how celebrity gossip works."
But Jay Manuel, meanwhile, was an innocent angel in all of this, as his avatar suggests. Never did a bad or wrong thing irl, whereas everyone else did and therefore deserves all the mean-spirited mockery they get. The end.
Garbage. Pure, hot garbage.
October 20, 2024
This book is poorly written, vapid, and much too long. I am still going to give it 2 stars because there were some parts that were mildly entertaining. But Jay didn’t even remotely try to hide who each of his fictional characters were modeled after which made reading the story a bit more cringe. There are some despicable acts described in here and if they are even remotely true then ANTM was just a cesspool of debauchery, over inflated egos, bullying, and childish drama. I have a hard time believing Jay’s narrative fully simply because he portrays himself as a kind, naive, person whose only goal was to be a friend to Keisha and help everyone else accomplish their dreams (while at the same time hoping his own dreams would come true just by virtue of his hard work). There’s no way everyone else was as awful as he described and he was as innocent as he described while managing to work on the show for as long as he did. Plus anyone who watched the show knows that he too engaged in some problematic behaviors. I should point out that this is allegedly a work of fiction (insert side eye) but all I can imagine is Jay sitting at his computer furiously typing all his ANTM frustrations a la Regina George. But if Jay just made this all up for such a poorly written book knowing he made the characters so true to life and that people would accept his narrative as having some basis in fact, then that is even worse.
Anyway I only listened to this book because it was free on audible plus and my curiosity got the best of me. I really should have skipped it, and so should you.
Anyway I only listened to this book because it was free on audible plus and my curiosity got the best of me. I really should have skipped it, and so should you.
April 12, 2023
This is so, so petty and ridiculous, but it's ludicrously entertaining and a fast read. People think back on Jay Manuel as being nicer than Tyra Banks was on ANTM, but he was always as problematic as she was. This viciously calls out all the judges (Nigel Barker was a misogynist creep from Day One and I'm not shocked that he's probably a homophobe like this suggests. Jay is also too nice to Janice Dickinson, probably because he's scared of her.). This book would be a fantastic parody if he hadn't tried to make his stand-in main character seem like an innocent caught up in "Keisha"'s web of drama, or if it wasn't quite so poorly written and edited (I let out a sort of scream/cry/laugh every time I had to read "Veronica's Privates"!!!). Though I guess Mr. Jay should get some credit, at least, for not using a ghostwriter.
November 13, 2020
This needed an editor. A copyeditor might have taken care of the surface-level typos and general errors before it went on sale, but a story editor might have caught some of the biggest issues with story structure. The narrative goes two-thirds of the way harmlessly, with the Mad Libs-style fictionalization of events that wink and nod to Top Model fans. But there is a particular nod to "meta" that opens the final third and sours the experience with a hamfisted fourth-wall break that isn't nearly as clever as Manuel seems to believe it is.
I read the reviews before picking the book up, and spent most of the ride appreciating how firmly its tongue remains in its cheek. But the final third cheapens everything that came before. It's only a joke until you realize that the author was being serious.
I'm still not sure how to feel about the ending. It's over the top, but clumsily thrown together. But at the same time it's not so overdone that it enters "so-bad-it's-great" territory.
It's harmless. It's even fun at times. But it gets in its own way and leaves the reader in a mess.
I read the reviews before picking the book up, and spent most of the ride appreciating how firmly its tongue remains in its cheek. But the final third cheapens everything that came before. It's only a joke until you realize that the author was being serious.
I'm still not sure how to feel about the ending. It's over the top, but clumsily thrown together. But at the same time it's not so overdone that it enters "so-bad-it's-great" territory.
It's harmless. It's even fun at times. But it gets in its own way and leaves the reader in a mess.
September 29, 2023
Easy, lighthearted read. Loved the comparisons between Model Muse and America’s Next Top Model, definitely filled the void of not having the show on TV anymore.
I gave the book 4/5 stars as for me, there was just something missing to the story. I feel like maybe the ending could have been slightly less rushed. I just felt the strong didn’t finish as to what I thought it would.
A negative of mine would be the use of unnecessary swearing. I didn’t feel the novel needed as much swearing as it had.
I would read another book like this if it was made, or if this became a series as I would like to continue the life of Pablo.
Would recommend this book for sure, but as a holiday read.
I gave the book 4/5 stars as for me, there was just something missing to the story. I feel like maybe the ending could have been slightly less rushed. I just felt the strong didn’t finish as to what I thought it would.
A negative of mine would be the use of unnecessary swearing. I didn’t feel the novel needed as much swearing as it had.
I would read another book like this if it was made, or if this became a series as I would like to continue the life of Pablo.
Would recommend this book for sure, but as a holiday read.
September 8, 2021
Do not read this unless you are a fan of ANTM. It really is geared toward people with background on the show and the endless seasons it was in production.
I knew going into this that Jay wrote this himself, and I applaud him for that. With that being said, it was very campy and I felt the storyline and dialogue were written more for a YA audience than an adult.
The story was only compelling because I am familiar with ANTM, it’s contestants and it’s past seasons. All the hidden gems of details would be lost on people with no background knowledge.
Overall, it was what I expected and the writing was reflective of a first time writer.
I knew going into this that Jay wrote this himself, and I applaud him for that. With that being said, it was very campy and I felt the storyline and dialogue were written more for a YA audience than an adult.
The story was only compelling because I am familiar with ANTM, it’s contestants and it’s past seasons. All the hidden gems of details would be lost on people with no background knowledge.
Overall, it was what I expected and the writing was reflective of a first time writer.
dnf
November 10, 2020I remember Jay Manuel from America's Next Top Model in high school and college. Obviously this book is loosely based on his experiences on and off the show with a specifically unnamed Supermodel. Although I loved Jay on the show I don't love his writing for this book. It just didn't work for me.
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