'Make Me a Supermodel' How to create an eating disorder

January 10, 2008 9:01 PM

Last week on Make Me A Supermodel, we met a whole lot of model hopefuls and watched the judges whittle them down to 14 individuals - few of whom whose names I could connect with faces. Only the potentially mentally ill stuck out to me. And Holly, because she is ten shades of adorable.

This week I was able to get a better feel for who was whom, but somehow the show is just not what I had hoped for so far. I don't feel connected or invested in the goings on, except in the most peripheral way. There is an element of fun that is missing to the proceedings and I think a lot has to do with the pacing and the editing. They are packing so much into one hour that we don't stay on one segment long enough to care.

We started this week with the models meeting in Times Square and finding out they were doing a photo-shoot for summer clothes in 20 degree weather. Tyra would have had them in lingerie and boxer briefs. Sorry, boys. Instead, some of the models - like Dominic - are wearing pants, shirts and jackets. Summer wear? Not in Miami. Meanwhile, others (read: the girls) are in micro minis and sleeveless dresses. I can't figure out where they got this "fashion", which is all fluorescent and day-glo and very 1987 and not in an ironic way. The photographer declares Stephanie his favorite, Sarah as too girl next door, Jackie too bony and he thinks Katy and Frankie will be among the first to go. I wonder how hysterical Frankie would be if he was the first one eliminated, considering he thinks of himself as the best looking guy in the country.

The models get the their house for the first time, and it's about what we've come to expect from these types of shows - it's hip, it's chic, it's designed to within an inch of its existence - it's nothing new. Tyson shows up the next morning to rouse the models and send them on their first go-see. But first he takes them to a detour, where they've set up a flaming trash can and he tells each model that he wants them to burn something to symbolize letting go of the old them. This turns into a competition of 'who can show how much they want this by burning the most clothing' and we end up with a few models in their underwear. Dominic camera talks that he's not about to look like a tool by freezing on national television while Ronnie stands in his jockeys and pouts, saying "Smell that? That's the smell of an amazing suit...that I was wearing". o, Ronnie, I think that is the smell of desperation. And perhaps Axe (this generation's Drakkar Noir).

It turns out their "go-see" is at NY Models, which seems disingenuous to me. The big exec tells them to strip to their underwear and lines them all up and starts picking them apart. Didn't we see this last week? He tells Aryn that her hips are too big at 35", and I wish someone were there to slap some sense into his size 48" ass. He continues to engender dislike in me when he looks at Holly and asks "What possessed you to cut your hair like that? That won't fly in New York". Um Hello, that is the style showing up all over the place. Ever hear of Rhianna? Christina Ricci? He asks Jackie is she is self-conscious about her ears and when she says yes he basically says 'You should be. Keep them covered'. He tells Katy her size 34 B breasts are too big, like the rest of her. And on top of it all, he's going to do this to them each and every week. I have a feeling I am going to hate him more and more.

The models get back to the house and are told they have 20 minutes to get ready to a GQ party - which we see very little of. They are back at the house by midnight, and Perry and Casey have a Zoolander style walk off before going to bed. They are up the next day and introduced to a current pro model and a casting agent, who dresses them in leotards and then watches them all walk and gives them pointers. Ronnie cups his chest and tells us he's got "Madonna & Cher" with him and ready to go and I'm afraid of him, a little. They get back to the house to find their portfolios waiting. They all seemed thrilled with them, except Aryn, who cries that her picture isn't as good as everyone else's. We've found the one with the low self-esteem! Additionally, Perry's foot looks dreadful and he ends up going to the hospital to find out that it is broken. He swears it won't slow him down.

At the end of the show, they are taken to a catwalk competition, where they will be in swim wear. And a lucky 4 will be in thongs. They picks names out of a hat and Jackie, Shannon, Casey and Ben are the thong winners. The audience loses when we watch Casey getting his ass cheeks shaved. Jackie cries that she doesn't want to wear a thong and I have to admit, I'm with her. Then again, my size 6 ass is way too big by their standards. Shannon, meanwhile, snobs that as models they should be comfortable enough with their bodies to wear anything. That's an awfully high horse she's got there.

In the end, Jackie doesn't wear the thong, but the camera zooms in on the behinds of the 3 models that do. Afterward, all the models are lined up for a few questions from the judges. They review their photos from the beginning of the show as well as their walks. Sarah throws the photographer under the bus by blaming her posing on his instruction, and Katy is told, yet again, that she's fat. In specifically, that her thighs are so big that she would never get sent out for job opportunities in the shape she's in. The continue to try and demoralize her by asking her if she really wants to change her body for the professional and she affirms that she does through a veil of unshed tears and I want to shake her and talk her into slapping the smarmy expressions off a few faces. The models are told that Perry walked circles around them, even with his broken foot, and Dominic whines that - get this - his necklace was too heavy and made his back hurt, negatively affecting his work. Seriously?

In private the judges continue to harp on how Katy isn't model material (read: doesn't have an eating disorder. Yet.), that Holly is quirky and fantastic, that Casey and Shannon have terrible walks, and that Dominic has no aspirations. In the least gripping final judging of all time, we see a pre-selected "best & worst" group. Holly is immediately announced as the winner and Perry, and Shannon are dismissed from the catwalk as well. After that, there's only Sarah, Katy, Jackie, and Dominic left. Jackie is told that if the swim wear walk had been an actual job, she likely would have been fired, but she's still in. Thus, it is left to America to vote for the models they want to remain on the show - Sarah, Katy or Dominic. I dearly hope American votes overwhelmingly to keep Katy, if only to show that real people don;t look at the body type and think "fat", but she sniffles and tries to encourage herself by saying "don't take it to the heart, take it to the gym".

I say take it to heart, reinforce your self-esteem, and flip Mr. NY Models off while you head down to enroll in college and get an ice cream - but that's just me.

in Make Me A Supermodel

Permalink

| Comments (6)

| Trackbacks (0)

Comments

Holly is awesome! I don't know why they were complaining about her hair. Can't they give her extensions? Or wigs. On "Top Model" they screw with everyone's hair and then cover it during almost every shoot anyway.

Jenny | Jan 11, 2008 12:21:04 AM | #

I definitely am voting for katy. she is a great example for girls all over america. she wears maybe a size 2 or 4 and she is too fat? come on, we want to see real girls on the pictures b/c real girls are the consumers. this show is just pushing the idea that you have to be 5'10 and a 105 lbs to be pretty. lets change that america. vote katy!!!!!!

macdaddy booyah | Jan 14, 2008 7:50:02 PM | #

Hi everyone. Great site. Hold on.

Assissotom | Jan 17, 2008 3:13:51 AM | #

Sometimes people have eating disorders, yes. It's a sad fact. Eating disorders would exist with or without models. Some people really enjoy working out, staying fit, and having a beautiful body. Oh, and some people can't eat ice cream. Models don't creat eating disorders, bad parents create eating disorders.

jami | Jan 21, 2008 6:57:13 PM | #

MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL!!!!!!
HOW DO I ENROL? im stunning ?
no joke... i reallllly am,
all my friends think so,
im quite tall, with lushious brown hair and GORGEOUS blue eyes... please please please accept m e? PLEASE?
tell me how to enrol?
email me back letting me know how to enrol...
this is not taking the piss, im just a bit... excited
ILOOVEYOUUUX

Lucy Log | May 12, 2008 12:15:27 PM | #

Lucy Log | May 12, 2008 12:15:38 PM | #

TV Listings & Movie Times

Find it fast

Zap2it Twitter Talk

Name:
Email Address:	optional
URL:	optional
Comments: