Last week on 'America's Next Top Model', Amis bit the big one in a beef-related challenge, and Fatima aimed her blissfully illogical rage at plus-size hautie Whitney. But Tyra loves her African sob-stories like she loves being on top, and you know there is nothing Miss Tyra loves more than being on top. Let's join her, shall we?

Dominique loves Dominique in the third person, and Marvita is having trouble connecting to the rest of these girls with their cushy upbringings. Whitney takes objection to the F word - fat - unless it is spelled with a ph. Preach, sister. The Scroll o' Pain reveals something about the "3 C's", and we limocab our way over to a black box theater. And Benny Ninja! And Vendela! Wow, they have found some truly well-preserved supermodels this season. Benny reveals that the 3 C's are commercial, catalog and couture, and the girls demonstrate their posing. Re Lauren, Benny confessionals that "his mama told him if I didn't have anything nice to say..." Oh, girl, you and Miss Jay both.

Back at the house, the girls take turns on the phone, but Dominique forgets her slot and blames Whitney for creating the phone list. Claire, who continues to be far and away the most normal girl this show has ever seen, gently tries to intercede. Dominique crosses a line when she calls Whitney racist - something we the audience haven't seen from her in the least - and Whitney reacts accordingly. Dominique confessionals that Whitney "could be" racist towards a Jewish or Catholic girl, which...religions ain't races, Dominique. The Scroll returns to tell us that the battle is ON. The girls troop on down to Brooklyn, and Benny splits the girls into 2 groups. The teams will battle each other through continuous posing. Team A consists of Anya, Aimee, Lauren, Dominique and Fatima, and Team B is Whitney, Marvita, Stacy-Ann, Claire, and Katarzyna. To paraphrase Mr. Billy Zane, it's a mother-effing pose-off. Dominique and Claire tie their faceoff, Lauren completely crushes Marvita, and Anya ties Stacy-Ann. Fatima, in losing to Whitney, climbs literally on top of her and calls her a slut. Katarzyna beats Aimee although both girls do so, so well. Team B wins a trip to the swag tent, and Claire's prize as challenge winner is a trip to Bora-Bora. Wow. Once again, it must be said, this show has really elevated itself this cycle. Back at the Loft of Enormous Tyra Faces, Fatima practices while Lauren and Marvita drink 40s on the couch. Marvita is owning her ghetto tonight, which always makes me worry about her chances at panel.

OMG Saleisha is STILL working at the Cover Girl Factory! That Damned Scroll says something about coats, and we limocab to the photo shoot, where the girls will be shooting close-ups while splattered in paint. Of course they will. Lauren, again, is pulling this shoot out. She's so strong on camera. Aimee and Stacy-Ann do well, and Katarzyna has learned about smiling with her eyes from the past nine cycles. Whitney takes it to a porn place. Anya looks a little blank, but Claire is perfect as always, and Dominique thinks Dominique is faaaaaaabulous. Fatima smirks, and Marvita looks defeated. She has literally defeated herself. It's so, so sad to watch.

Panel! And Tyra doesn't refer to Nigel Barker as "noted fashion photographer!" He's been demoted! He's no longer notable! Dominique's photo is soft and lovely, but the shot is really 80's to me. Anya isn't doing the eye-open-squint thing, which, thankfully, Tyra is willing to demonstrate. At length. Katarzyna's eyes, thankfully, need no coaching. Fatima's photo features her armpit hair, prompting a rerun of Chantal's neon-thong debacle from last cycle. Lauren's picture is beautiful. Whitney's picture is mediocre, and Vendela doesn't feel like she's taking the work seriously. Claire needs a little more neck but has, as always, a strong photo. Marvita looks like a sad cow in her picture, and Stacy-Ann's picture is good, but her film wasn't. Aimee's chameleonic nature makes her strong. But, as we all know, Tyra sees ten lovely ladies before her, and that number just doesn't match the number of photos in her hand. And although Whitney is still in the running towards (toward! toward!) becoming America's Next Top Model, Marvita has effectively talked herself out of the competition, and she heads home.

Next week: catfight! It appears to be eight against one as the house turns on Dominique.

And what think you of all this, my pretty poseurs? Did you want to slap Dominique for playing the race card? Are you a little disappointed in Whitney's progress. And admit it - don't you miss Amis a little bit?

Comments

Dominique's racist claims were totally uncalled for. I did not understand her logic at all in the argument.

I really want Whitney to go far. At least to the oversees section of the cycle.

No, I don't miss Amis.

I really enjoyed this week's photo shoot. I thought they all looked beautiful (with exception to Marvita, in which I totally agree with your sad cow reference!).

So far this has been a great cycle!

gus | Mar 19, 2008 9:28:17 PM | #

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Dominique is not third-person worthy. I hate it when the annoying ones take good pictures! Like Bianca from the last cycle.

Great comment about Claire being the most normal person this show has ever seen. She and Lauren bring balance to the crazy. This is a fun season.

Cat | Mar 19, 2008 11:14:27 PM | #

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Glad to see Marvita go, Cant stand Dominique, isnt she a guy really? Stacy Ann is Saleshia looking, been there, seen that,Love Whitney, great face, and fab body for "plus"{what IS their idea of plus, size 4?}Fatima, she has a back story but thats it,poor imitation of Iman,lauren, gotta love the geeky,Claire,totally fab,the rest,who cares?

pattie | Mar 20, 2008 6:02:53 AM | #

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Though I know most people are getting on Dominque for attitude I just think she looks to old to be a Cover girl model please put her out of our misery and send her home.

NayNay

Spicyj6 | Mar 20, 2008 6:05:01 AM | #

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i LOVED marvita, hated her leaving....AGREED with Dominque (love her btw) on Whitney being racist (she thinks shes hot shit, LOL) she is not!!!! her face looks like a typical southern hick wanna be city chic...you are far from it and with that mentality she will never there more than a few instances where she demonstrated racist behaviors ie.."i don't have to respect you" whats that? come on people get real! if this is what real is to you were going down fast!!! ...

| Mar 20, 2008 8:11:28 AM | #

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ok I wasnt done..I pressed some button and whoosh ! my reply was posted any way .I guess I went to far with the state of the world. lol....

..I prefer a mature look, than hick.

| Mar 20, 2008 8:21:04 AM | #

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I don't agree with Mr. Dominique's "racist" comment at all. It seems as though, if an ignorant person runs out of insults, they always turn to racist. Now, Allison...she was RACIST. Whitney is just intolerant of Dominique's self-absorbed, won't-shut-up, picks-a-fight-to-make-herself-feel-superior insanity. I'm with Whitney on that. And while Whitney saying "I don't have to respect you" was a bit much, you generally have to EARN respect, and Dominique has not earned it. Especially when she doesn't seem to respect others' right to not have to listen to her batty, thrid-person banter.

MT | Mar 20, 2008 8:49:19 AM | #

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Sorry, that should've been "third", not thrid.

MT | Mar 20, 2008 8:50:40 AM | #

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How is "I don't have to respect you" racist? Respect is something that is earned.

saundra | Mar 20, 2008 8:57:51 AM | #

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About Dominique, I think Whitney said it best when she said Dom looked 30 and acted like a 12-year-old.
Whitney can be a little over the top on some things, but Dom is just over the moon crazy.

MGC | Mar 20, 2008 10:44:41 AM | #

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Love, love, LOVE Claire! Can we just proclaim her the winner, now? She's beautiful, talented, and decent/"normal."
Dominique is way too impressed with herself. It's not warranted, girlfriend!
I'd like to see a "plus-size" gal get a little farther than they have in the past. I didn't get Vendela's feeling that Whitney wasn't trying or committed, or whatever it was she was saying.

Jan | Mar 20, 2008 11:02:35 AM | #

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I don't blame Whitney for saying she doesn't respect Dominique. I actually think everyone deserves respect until they lose it, and Dominique has lost it on numerous occasions. Suck it up, just because someone doesn't like you, it doesn't make them racist. It makes you ignorant (hey look at that, Whitney was right). Especially when you're over the top, in their face constantly. Actually, calling Whitney white trash was more racist that Whitney has ever been. Turn that critical eye on yourself there Dominique.

K | Mar 20, 2008 11:05:45 AM | #

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Maybe when Dominique stops referring to herself in the third person she will realize that she is a repellant freak who is extremely lucky to be on a national television series. Her personality is as severe as her face. Dom, honey, the phone schedule that Whitney set up was designed to prevent just the kind of spat that you instigated. In the real world, should you ever book an assignment, no one is going to come looking for you if you miss your call time for a shoot. They fire you. Snooze and loose. As for Whitney, I love a girl who says it like it is when she is provoked. She's got a good head on her shoulders and no patience for BS. When she was called "fat" she handled it with humor and dignity. She tried to defuse the Dominique tirade several times until it was obvious she needed to shut the nut ball off with a sharp retort. Go Whitney!!! Whitney had no business being in the bottom two. Any time Benny Ninja is on the show I always cringe. I'm sorry, he's just ridiculous. I don't blame Whitney for camping it up (and the crowd seemed to love it). My new fave has to be Paulina on the judging panel. She knows her stuff, is not afraid to stand up to the rest of the panel and she shut that obnoxious Vendela down at least twice. Vendela, when you get that severe overbite of yours fixed perhaps then you can sit in judgement of others. Until then, fade back into supermodel obscurity where you clearly belong.

Ron H. | Mar 20, 2008 1:44:09 PM | #

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The Whitney/Dragonique battle aside, I have to comment on the Fatima hairy-pits situation. Oh that was just nasty! And it's how many weeks already? Hasn't she worn plenty of pit-baring tops and dresses? I'm sure someone would have noticed and mentioned something to her. Unless, of course, the producers wanted to hold off so they could use it for maximum gross-out value on last night's show. And excuse me, Mr. Nigel Barker (noted fashion photographer)? Did you actually say that "photo touch-up work was TOO EXPENSIVE and that she should spend a dollar on a razor"?? Are you m*fg serious???? First, let's talk about how much money went into the trash wasting all that MEAT last week!! Also, as a graphic designer, I can tell you that it can't possibly cost more to digitally clean up a hairy pit than it does to digitally disguise the gradually expanding Miss Tyra in those "I can do it better than them" shots each week. Lastly, something tells me that your average model probably gets a wax job as opposed to shaving with a razor...and that costs more than a dollar, Mr. Nigel Barker (noted fashion photographer).

ShameAboutRaisins | Mar 20, 2008 3:11:03 PM | #

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Changing the subject from the tirades to the actual elimination, is it just me, or did anybody else notice that as they showed each of Marvita's past photos while she packed, they were all exactly the same pose?? How on earth did the judges not notice that? I honestly don't think the panel pays as much attention as they should (or rather as they say they do), to what goes on in the house and at the shoots/ challenges, or some very different decisions would have been made during the course of the series; watching the old cycle reruns proves that to me, and this season is no different.

K | Mar 21, 2008 4:54:09 PM | #

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Somebody's comments about Fatima's hair reminded me of something that was done early in the series-- apparently Tyra is not providing the models with waxing services like she did in Cycle 1, when she had beauticians burst into the house and FORCE the models to get bikini waxed, whether they liked it or not. EWWW!

K | Mar 21, 2008 5:00:02 PM | #

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Dominque is my FAVORITE. She's different and she's funny. I liked Whitney a lot until tonight. She is funny but she is immature too. Fatima is the worst. Please. Leave. Katryzna? is the prettiest. But I hope Dominque makes it far. I love Tyra's eye talks, hahahaha.

Simone | Mar 22, 2008 4:28:39 PM | #

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I must say, I only liked Dominique while she was mediocre. Now she's become pretty darn good, and her head just keeps getting bigger. Normally when the bad contestants become good, they start to act better! (Natasha, Jael, Furonda, and Kim, for example.) Dominique is...well, she's Jade's long-lost twin sister.

And poor Marvita! I expected her to last at least a little while longer. It's really a shame when the talented contestants start to bomb (like Rebecca, AJ, Felicia, Heather, Lisa, and Jenah.)

Now, on to the other contestants. I really liked Whitney's photo this week. *shrugs* To each his own. Besides, Whitney is amazingly talented, and I really want her to crack the top six. It's time for a NON-ultra-religious plus-size model to rise.
And then there's Claire, who is perfect in every way, and who could easily be the next Kahlen or Joanie (in terms of taking great pictures, not coming in second. Why is it that the blond has ALWAYS lost?)
Lauren's also perfect too, except for her runway walk. Ouch. Fatima is sweet, but insensitive to social cues. Very strange. Aimee is lovely, but I think she's doomed. Katarzyna is increasingly awkward in her photographs. Anya is talented, but a wee bit annoying. Stacy-Ann is sweet, but she's not quite on my good side just yet.

Methinks that Aimee will be the next to go.

And, OKAY, FINE, I MISS AMIS. ARE YOU HAPPY?!

Jhg812 | Mar 24, 2008 6:30:30 PM | #

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Blondes don't always loose. Um, Hello, CariDee?

gus | Mar 24, 2008 8:17:47 PM | #

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I think Dominique is either blowing off steam, a bad actress, or just losing it a little or something. Between her racist comment and Whitney's reaction to it, it was almost painful to watch. Both of them dropped down in the rankings pretty decently for me on the show after that. I thought they sounded somewhat intelligent prior to that however. Hopefully the two can get above and beyond that moment.
Fatima, doesn't seem to be into Americanized or Westernized head games, which I can appreciate and she somewhat of another version of Iman, although maybe not as gorgeous. Although she does seem a little too clueless at times, like with the lack of shaving thing though, which is a bit disconcerting.

navara | Mar 26, 2008 12:56:21 PM | #

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The fat comment by Stacy-Anne to Whitney was maybe meant to be good naturedly cutesy or humorous or something but I don't think it quite came off that way first hearing it. I guess there's still going to be that little bit of the I'm black and I can say shit to white people that they can't necessarily say to me perception by some of us I suppose, which is fine and understandable. I'm not crazy about Whitney's comment to Dominique either, when talking about respect, saying something to the tune, why should I have respect for you? A lot of drama there, that's for sure.

Lasso | Mar 26, 2008 1:16:15 PM | #

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gus, that was a good point. Darn gaps in logic.

Still, CariDee and Melrose both had blonde hair (albeit not natural in the latter's case), so either way a blonde was going to win and another was going to lose.

No, I'm not ignoring Eugena, or any other non-blonde contestants. I'm just pointing out that up to this point, except for Eva's case (she had blonde highlights), the blonde girl in the final TWO has lost.

Jhg812 | Mar 26, 2008 5:32:55 PM | #

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What race is that girl anyway?

Digital | Mar 30, 2008 4:28:31 PM | #

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