Tyra Banks has gone too far for ratings on America's Next Top Model. She had the contestants dress-up in what is essentially black-face to alter their racial identities. I dont think she was even thinking. She always mentions how hard it is to be African American in the fashion business, but I just cant believe that she would overlook how offensive the use of black-face is.

In tonight's episode of 'America's Next Top Model,' Tyra Banks re-imagines the remaining contestants as biracial models through the use of skin darkening agents and ethnic costumes. Or, in other words, blackface.

Photos of the models -- Jennifer An, Nicole Fox, Laura Kirkpatrick, Sundai Love, Brittany Markert and Erin Wagner -- can be seen atEntertainment Tonight.

This isn't the first time that the use of blackface has caused controversy recently. Just two weeks ago, the French edition of 'Vogue' sparked outrage when it published a spread featuring Dutch model Lara Stone done up in full-body blackface, while earlier this month Harry Connick, Jr. blasted an Australian talent show for featuring a troupe of blackface performers on an episode he was guest judging. And two months ago, one of the characters in the 1960s-era 'Mad Men' performed a song in blackface.

Whether or not 'Top Model' and its host Tyra Banks will garner the same level of consternation remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that blackface remains as controversial a topic now as ever. Dating back to the mid-19th century, the practice of white performers darkening their skin to perform racial caricatures is considered highly offensive to most Americans, making the recent upswing in incidents difficult to explain.

Of course, you can decide for yourself whether it's offensive when the episode airs tonight at 8PM ET on the CW. And perhaps that's all the explanation necessary.

Because we have a strange feeling that's what the producers intended all along.