On Monday night’s episode of America’s Next Top Model, Matthew got over Marjana by getting closer to Will. Will, who witnesses the way Marjana flirts with and manipulates the guys, clearly feels bad for Matt, and thinks he can do better. Could that “better” possibly be him? Obviously, this foreshadows the drunken kiss these two guys have later on in the episode when everyone decides to get wasted on Tyra’s dime. It’s awesome that a) Will found somebody. Besides Romeo, I think Will might be my favorite Top Model contestant because he’s so sweet, and b) Matt shamelessly admits he finds Will attractive, and finds nothing unnatural about this. However, does ANTM properly encourage a conversation about LGBTQ issues like coming out and sexual fluidity?
Matthew and Will’s Relationship
Matt and Will’s relationship kind of blossomed a bit randomly, but so did everyone else’s. Suddenly, Marjana is all over Denzel, Kari and Keith are an item, and who knows who will actually think Adam’s frat boy charm is actually appealing (surprisingly, no one yet).
I think it’s really touching how Will has become so defensive about Matt, who clearly has been hurting from Marjana’s callous views on relationships (but seriously, isn’t her boyfriend watching this?). Will, who has been standing idly and watching other contestants hook up, finally gets a friend. I don’t know if it’s anything serious, but the two seem to really have some chemistry.
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The Other Models’ Reactions
What really bothered me was Marjana’s reaction to Matt and Will’s drunken kiss. She repeatedly kept saying, “that’s super gay,” as though a kiss between two men can only equal one thing, and that thing is homosexuality. Obviously, I don’t know Matthew’s relationship or sexual history for sure, but to me, he seems very open to new experiences. And that’s great for him; I’m so impressed that he stood by his views, and he wasn’t ashamed or guilty about his shared kiss with Will. The models were really pressuring him to say whether he’s gay or straight, and it’s admirable he didn’t give in to that kind of thinking. Sometimes, sexuality is not clear cut. It’s not white or black, and as Piper Chapman from Orange Is the New Black would say, sexual orientation rather “falls on a spectrum, like a Kinsey scale.”
The other male models seem very, very alienated by the experience. Denzel (who has made it very clear he’s a conservative dude) clarifies for America’s Next Top Model that he’s only into women, and that he would NEVER experiment. Thank you for that, Denzel. I would have never known.
Will Awesomely Defends Matt, Both Will and Matt Challenges Labels
The contestants push the guys into describing what happened between Will and Matt, and Matt finally says, “It doesn’t matter if people think that I’m gay. I am what I am,” and later he says to everyone, “I’m a super horny dude, and girls are what do it for me, but Will is a super attractive guy. I’m not into guys. Will I investigate to figure it out? Yeah!” Basically, Matt is not into labels. He is clearly on a road to sexual discovery, and he’s probably realized that sexuality is a fluid, multi-dimensional thing.
Will found the debacle annoying and bothersome, and obviously that’s understandable. “Hearing people interrogate Matt about who he is and his life decisions really upset me a lot because it felt like I was witnessing what happened to me as a child,” Will says. “I don’t like when people are judgmental because I’ve been judged my entire life, ” Will tells everyone. And my heart burst into emotional confetti. Will, you are the best.
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So What’s Next?
Who knows if this was a one time deal or not? Perhaps Will and Matt could very well realize they are truly compatible for each other romantically, emotionally, and physically. Or maybe not. After all, their time is truly ephemeral, and let’s hope neither get kicked off soon.
Watch an all new episode of America’s Next Top Model on Monday at 9pm on The CW.
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(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
