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RSS'America's Next Top Model': Chillin' and Brazilin'
This week on "America's Next Top Model" our aspiring models are asked to play Creative Director and style each other in a challenge, then upstage Ciara in a crazed-fan photo shoot. Who usurps Mr. Jay? Who does Ciara take out a restraining order against? Why are we going to Brazil? Read on for all this and more ....
The Bones
As the episode opens, Allison is upset. The judges are giving her a hard time for only having one look: blank. "Think about sex," Celia counsels. Thank you, Celia. Meanwhile, London spends her camera time talking about how fat she is (okay, she's gained 15 pounds since the show started) or how much she loves God, neither of which are especially positive signs for her longevity in the competition.
In the first challenge, Mr. Jay passes his torch to the ladies: style thyself. The models are paired off, each with a turn to style and be styled, and overall they perform remarkably well. However, while Teyona is making Celia fierce and the other girls are bringing it, Aminat is off wasting time. Not surprisingly, she incurs Jay's wrath ... and the losing slot. Teyona wins a "Seventeen" shoot, nabbing Celia and Aminat to join her.
The photoshoot is all about Ciara, whose record is in stores, yadda yadda yadda. Aminat mauls the pop chanteuse like she's a German polar bear, and the girls get ready for their assignment; they're playing a crazed fan in a shoot with Ciara. The photos turn out pretty well, actually ... well, with the exception of Aminat (who looks like a deer in headlights) and London, who is whipsawed by insecurity about her weight gain.
At panel, Teyona is named winner for her great shot. She's followed by Fo (who looks to-die-for), Natalie, Celia and Allison. Aminat and London are the bottom two, and despite Tyra's approval of her "permanently smiling eyes," London is sent home.
The Pretty
A pretty decent photo shoot! While I am so very tired of group shots, most of the ladies stepped it right up. No easy feat to share the frame with Ciara. Teyona, Fo and Celia were especially good (sorry, Natalie, you're always going to be "Palos Verde's Next Top Model" to me).
The Ugly
In one of the strangest "what foreign city are we going to?" reveals, in which a Speedo-clad cabana boy proffers Tyra nuts -- yes, nuts -- on bended knee, we learn WE'RE GOING TO BRAZIL! (But seriously, what the heck was up with that loincloth lady boy? Brazil nuts? Really? And did you see Fo check his booty out? Ha!)
Are you there, God? It's me, London.
London came out swinging for the God Squad, and my hackles were instantly up. Nothing is worse than someone hell bent -- if you'll pardon the pun -- on shoving their beliefs down your throat, and I don't put it past this show to exploit that caricature. Yet despite her clear enthusiasm for her religion, the London we saw was nothing but graceful, sweet and firmly in the "practice what you preach" camp.
As I shoveled down my steak dinner, it was easy to point and laugh at The Girl Who Got Fat. But only in modeling is a gorgeous girl like this oversized. Seeing her eyes fill with tears when Jay lectured her on staying in shape (and really, he was very sweet about it) just about broke my heart. Here's an idea: why not make ANTM more about "how to stay fit mentally and physically in the big bad modeling world" and less about some of the really stupid challenges?
London, you were one of the coolest girls this cycle. You are beautiful, from your smiling eyes to your unwavering faith. Stay strong, sister.
Poll Big
Last week, you voted Mr. Jay as your favorite Cover Girl (honorable mention to Clay Aiken). This week I'm curious: who do you think rocked the Ciara photo shoot?
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
I can't believe London got the boot just because of her weight. Jay's comment about how she was "too fat for regular modeling but not fat enough to be plus sized" was especially backhanded. She practically has grounds for a wrongful termination suit based on discrimination. I remember the early days of ANTM when Tyra actually arranged for a trainer to come work the girls out. Apparently that's not in the budget anymore. Maybe the reality shows need to do a crossover and have Bob and Jillian, or Sgt. Harvey Walden come over and kick the girls' butts instead of having them sitting around in the pool getting drunk in between photo shoots.
Here's another thought that kept crossing my mind: everybody keeps harping on Allison having only one look, but why hasn't anybody noticed that CELIA is the one who keeps making the same exact expression in every shoot? Go look through the photos from the show and you'll see that she's always got a big scowl on her face with her eyes squinted. London may have "permanent smiling eyes," but Celia has a permanent glare. I'm wondering if the judges will finally notice it when it comes time to create the portfolios for the go see challenge.
I'm not sure that a contest participant and "wrongful termination suit" belong in the same sentence in this situation.
And, I'm ***uming that models have clauses in their contracts that there is a required weight, size, etc., or it's grounds for termination.
Oh, c'mon. London gained a bunch of weight *and* her photo majorly sucked. That's why she got cut. I realize that maybe she wasn't feeling too great about herself and it affected her performance, but just be glad that Jay had his little chat with her after the shoot and not before.
I'm still rooting for Fo, and I think Allison's hair is atrocious. Brazil doesn't really appeal to me all that much, and I didn't know it was a fashion center, but the next episodes should be interesting. Teyona is also a very strong contestant, but I don't think that Natalie is very photogenic, and honestly, Celia is too old to become American's Next Top Model - we've heard that before - so I'm pretty sure she'll be out eventually.
Allison looked exactly like Sonic the Headgehog!!
London was actually much prettier with long hair. Hopefully, she won't lose faith (no pun intended) because of her weight gain. So sad that the fashion industry is completely fixated on rail-thin models. Aminat should have been eliminated instead, and if Teyona wins, I will never watch this show again. She is NOT a good model! Natalie is an ego-maniac, and Alison and Celia have the same look in every photo, so that leaves only two words: GO FO!
KB, wrongful termination. Really, I mean, REALLY. ANTM First, London's not an employee and even if she were, weight is not a protected cl*** that could be the basis of a wrongful termination suit.
Wrongful termination suit for discrimination? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....i was gonna say something, but there are so many things wrong with that statement, i don't have to.
Can you find the US on a map KB?
London took no responsibility for her weight gain and deserved to go home. She said, "My body keeps gaining weight." WOW, how mysterious, maybe it has something to do with those cheetos you keep shoving down your pie-hole? HMMMMMmm, what would Jesus do?