Mongolia's Next Top Model

One of the things I have often praised Mongolian culture for is its ties to tradition. In my short visit there, at least, I didn't notice the mad rush for American pop culture that I saw in the Philippines. That may all be changing. America's Next Top Model is one of the most popular TV shows in Mongolia, and now they are making their own version of the show. This report explains how a group of professional Mongolian models will vie to be Supermodel 2008 in a reality TV show being billed as a fashion "festival." One unusual twist is that the judges are being kept secret in the competition so that there are fewer opportunities for bribery. Do you think corruption might be endemic to Mongolian culture?