America’s Next Top Model 2, Episode 5: Ethnicity Adversity

Back at the house, Mercedes is feeling sick again, and lying down. She says that she is going to push herself and stay in the competition until the end. Shandi is still rambling about how she always used to dress like a boy and her mom would yell at her. She’s happy to be out on her own. Hurray, J. Alexander stops by the house for dinner! Mercedes reintroduces us to J. calling him the “Runway Diva.” Oh, I agree, he’s too funny. J. Alexander’s friend, Suzannah Galland shows up. Suzannah is a psychic and is there to read the girls. Mercedes goes first and Suzannah points out there her body is weak but her mind isn’t. She knows that something is burdening her, but Mercedes says nothing. She finds it odd that Suzannah hit the nail on the head. Camille is next and within seconds, the psychic tells Camille that she rubs people the wrong way. Sara asks about her dad and is told that he will love her anyway, no matter what she does. April is told that she’s determined, and regardless of the show, she will be a top model someday. Hmm, foreshadowing? Suzannah tells Xiomara that it’s easy to be her friend, but some friends don’t last that long. Not because she is a bad person, just in general. Shandi is told she has a vindictive family and needs to be hugged more. She needs a sense of family. Shandi agrees and starts to tear up and cry. Sara says her heart goes out to Shandi because of her family and how mean they are. My favorite quote is right here too. J. Alexander says to Shandi, “Give Mamma some sugar!” as he goes over to hug her. Xiomara says Shandi is her best friend in the house and she loves her to death.

At the house once again Catie is telling April that she is going to go far in the competition. April recalls that when she told all her friends she wanted to be on this show, they all told her she would be the “token Asian.” Just then, Sam shows up again and tells the girls they will be interviewed by a special guest, and must show their charisma. The winner will get a shopping spree. Basically, the interview is based on each girl being themselves.

Xiomara is fist again, and walks in the interview room to find Janice Dickinson. I can already tell this is going to be fun. She asks Xiomara what the craziest place she ever had sex was and Xiomara tells her a broom closet. For Camille, it was a Ferris wheel. When Catie is asked, she says she’s a virgin. Janice has this priceless look on her face.

Camille is asked if she could eliminate one contestant right now, who would it be? As she thinks, we cut to Sara, April, and Yoanna, all saying Camille, with Yoanna adding on “Because she’s a witch!” I forgot, Yoanna is perfect… give me a break. Camille says something along the lines of, “Everyone may call you (Janice) a bitch, but I don’t care.” Janice gives this look that basically says, “you blew it.”

Sara says she should win because she has an opinion and is one of those “I am woman, hear me roar” types. Janice is impressed and thinks that Sara has personality. Yeah, and it finally showed in the fifth episode! Where was she prior to that? April says she doesn’t have identity issues, to which Janice tells the camera that April is confused about who she is.

When asked what she is scared might come out if she won, Shandi says it’s the drugs. She was once arrested for robbery and had to go on probation. She was acting stupid and was on drugs, but overcame it. It’s in the past now, and she has moved on. Janice admires her honesty.

Mercedes is scared to do the interview and when Janice notes Mercedes’ sudden lack in energy, she spills it about her illness and explains what lupus is. However, she is trying to fight through it and will always give it her all. Janice likes the fact that Mercedes is willing to share her secret.

All the girls come in and Janice tells them that she is happy and likes the fact they were honest and talked about their flaws. April is told that she needs to embrace her ethnicity more because she is unique. She likes Sara because she has that whole “womanly stance.” Shandi admitting to her record is a plus, and shows she can be honest, but the winner of the competition is Mercedes. Janice praises Mercedes for coming clean about her lupus, basically letting it out to the other girls as well. Sara says she would have never guessed that Mercedes is sick. Janice tells Mercedes she can take one person on the spree with her, and she chooses Sara. Mercedes says that since the girls know now, she hopes they don’t discriminate against her because of it. Then, it’s time for some shopping. The girls have a blast and can’t decide what to get. When they get back to the loft, Yoanna tells Mercedes how proud of her she is for telling the other girls about her illness. She didn’t, Yoanna, Janice told you. Thank her, not Mercedes.

Tyra mail the next day tells the girls that their next shoot will be either sink or swim. When they get to the shoot, Jay Manuel tells them that the shoot will have a fish theme and will be an advertisement for “Quench Water.” Okay, I’ve never heard of it, but it can’t be worse than Dasani water, which I swear has things floating in it. Basically, the girls will be in a big fish tank and have to stay underwater for their photos – it looks harder than it sounds. There will be small fish in the tank too, and the water doesn’t look all that clean. George Holtz will be their photographer for the shoot. He has shot Tyra in the past, and also last season’s winner, Adrianne. Some guy named Nole will be the stylist for the shoot, and he has his dog with him. Okay, this episode is just getting weirder every second.

Sara says this shoot is important for her – she wants to show some emotion. George, the photographer, tells her to stay in the middle, stay down as long as she can, and not to make bubbles. Talk about rules! This looks really tough, actually. Sara does what she has to and Jay says she is great. He tells the other girls that Sara was better in the water than she is on land.

Catie is told not to be a puffer fish by Nole, but her body is twisting every which way. Yoanna looks like she is having fun, and the people doing the shoot don’t say anything about her. Camille says her family is from the Caribbean, and she is just going to act like she is in the ocean. She has issues in the tank and Jay says he isn’t impressed, saying she looks like she is doing “drag queen vogue” in the tank. I’m not exactly sure what that is, but I laugh.