America’s Next Top Model 2, Episode 7: Who Wants this the Most?

The girls walk into the judging room. Tyra tells them they will be judged this week on their ability to learn movement, as well as their overall look and potential to become a top model. There is a reminder of the prize, as usual, and a reintroduction to the judges, also as usual. Our guest judge this week is choreographer Tony Michaels. Time for individual evaluations, and Shandi is first. They watch the tape of her in the music video doing her solo dance routine. Everyone seems to like it. Camille is next, and Tyra says she did fine, but it looks like she is holding back. Janice wants more heat from her. Sara is told she looks good, but her dance looks like she is doing her own thing. Janice says it’s a mesh between a bad music video background dancer and a belly dancer. Mercedes is grooving, but loses her steps with the choreography, which the judges point out. Janice tells April that she dances like she has an upset stomach, but Tony says she was very strong. They look at Yoanna’s fall, and Janice says that Yoanna’s dancing reminds her of a flapper. Tony says it’s because she didn’t learn to take her time, and Tyra says she was off-beat.

The judges look at photos from the video shoot. They compare Mercedes’s dance to hoochie dance, but apparently that’s good, as they all say she is in. They discuss Yoanna’s fall, but Nigel reminds the other judges of her beautiful face. Sara looks like a dancing stripper, but Tyra says she has that top model look. Some judges think she looks like she could be in beer commercials, and is way too commercial for what they are looking for. April’s one downfall is that she is too technical, and has no sex appeal. Tony says that she has the drive though, and Janice wants to see an Asian woman win this competition. Camille was sexy and didn’t have an attitude, but was it an act? Shandi is fascinating, and Tony says that she doesn’t have to try hard, because everything comes to her naturally.

The girls come back in the room. Tyra tells them that she has five photos for six girls. The one girl that doesn’t receive a photo will have to pack her bags and move out immediately. Shandi is first, and told that her choreography in the video was better than all the girls – combined! Mercedes is next, followed by Camille, then April, who learns from Tyra that the judges aren’t sure if April just wants to win for the sake of winning, or if she really wants to be a top model.

Yoanna and Sara step up. Yoanna is told that she was all over the place in the video. She begins to cry. Sara is told that she is the sexiest of all the girls, but they wonder if it’s just a sexiness that will appeal to men, or if it will cross over to women as well. Tyra tells the girls that this was the hardest week for her. She has just started something too, and is in their same situation right now, and doesn’t feel right eliminating someone. She thanks them all for being involved in her dream. Everyone is starting to tear up at this point. She gives the last picture to… Yoanna.

Sara breaks down, and so do the other girls. Quite honestly, I almost do as well. Even Camille is wiping a tear from her eye. Tyra goes over and hugs Sara, along with all the other girls. Sara leaves, and is still crying as she packs her bags, saying that this has always been her dream. She is proud of herself, recalling how she used to be scared, but this experience has helped her to break out of her shell. There is nothing that will stop her.

After the show, they premiere Tyra’s video and song, and it’s really good. All the girls look really good, especially Mercedes and Shandi – and I’m not just saying that because they are my two favorites. In fact, Camille does a really good job in her scenes as well. I’d definitely consider buying the single – it has a really good hip-hop beat to it.

Next week, the girls take a trip to Europe! Shandi’s new lifestyle is starting to bother her boyfriend, and Yoanna is faced with her greatest fear as Tyra tells her to work on her body. Oh, and looks like Camille and Yoanna are headed for another confrontation. I can’t wait!

I have to admit, I love Sara. She really did show that she wanted to win this week, and it was ultra sad to watch her get eliminated. I would have never expected her elimination to hit me as hard as it did. Not as bad as Xiomara’s, but it was bad. At least my precious Mercedes is still there, followed by everyone’s favorite underdog, Miss Shandi. I can only hope that Yoanna and Camille get in a catfight next week. I couldn’t care less about either of them, so maybe this will help me like one more than the other. Soon we’ll see! Oh, and by the way, several people have emailed me asking how they can apply for America’s Next Top Model 3. Well, I’m happy to report that the application is on the show’s website, which can be found at upn.com. Good luck to all you model hopefuls!

Phil Kural is a senior at Temple University, and can be reached at pkural@temple.edu.

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