Mean judges like Gordon and Simon are able to fit cozily into the mean role, and to profit from it, in part because of who they are. If you look at articles and listicles dedicated to the “meanest” or “harshest” or “worst” competition judges, a pattern emerges: they’re predominantly white men. Yes, sometimes a person of color and/or a woman sneaks on there. For instance, Janice Dickinson from vintage America’s Next Top Model makes the cut sometimes, but she also lasted only four seasons of the show, which persisted into its mid-twenties. The harsh judges who have really had legs, though?
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