UPN’s America’s Next Top Model is not just your average pretty girl situation. The competition is intense and down right hard to win. Fourteen women are chosen to live together in a New York City apartment to compete for the title. The winner will receive a grand prize of a contract with Ford Models, a spread in Elle magazine, and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl. UPN’s Tyra Banks produces the show. On the past episode [October 13], the ladies are critiqued on their cat walking skills by the infamous Ms. J, “queen” of the cat walk and openly gay fashion diva, known for teaching top models how to strut their way on the cat walk. All the ladies have their terrible flaws, from Yaya putting too much of her dancing into her walk, to Jennipher’s boyish, ungraceful stomp down the runway. Ms. J shares tips to help the ladies improve their walk. After the cat- walk instruction the ladies are surprised to find they are to walk later on that night in a Heatherette fashion show. The women strut their stuff to perfection at the fashion show, except Norelle, the 19-year-old sales associate from California, who falls on her way down the catwalk. Early the next morning Ms. J announces Eva the winner of the runway competition. Her reward is an all day pampering on a yacht with two other women from the house.
The next morning the ladies receive some Tyra mail. The mail informs the women that later on that day they will pose in a group shot for Lee Jeans, wearing only Lee Jeans and nothing else, for a spread in People magazine. None of the ladies seem to care too much about the shoot being topless, and all willingly agree to participate.
Later the women are judged on their performance at both the fashion show, with Heartherette and the topless shoot for Lee Jeans. In the judging the girls are asked to wear skimpy pink hooker looking dresses and black heels two sizes too small to show off poise and walking ability. Kelle does the worst by nearly falling down upon entering and complaining about the pain the shoes cause to the judges. Toccara, the only plus size model in the group is given praise for her poise and beauty. Jennipher is scorned for writing ‘ANTM’ on her buttocks and showing the judges by lifting her dress while walking away. Judge Nigel Barker specifically says “he has nothing positive to say,” in referring to the peep show Jennipher has just given the panel. The judges continue to critique the women on their flaws and their best qualities. Kristi, a student from Missouri, is critiqued for her being too stiff and not being able to control her mouth and jaw in photo shoots. Yaya on the other hand is praised for her beautiful topless shot for Lee Jeans.
The last two up for elimination boils down to Jennipher and Kristi. In the end Kristi is chosen to go home due to the fact that she doesn’t seem to want to win as much as the other girls, and her inability to control her mouth and jaw is not convincing to the judges. The women are excused and head back to their loft in the city, to await their next competition.
Tune in next week to see who makes big hits and misses. And what unlucky woman will be going back home, without the opportunity to become America’s Next Top Model.