America’s Next Top Model 2 – Who’s Got the Goods to Win?

April: Oh, April. Thank goodness I have her pictures to judge because, by golly, I STILL don’t have an opinion of her. I know there have been several episodes that have tried to give her some kind of personality, but for some reason it’s not coming through to me. She just doesn’t stick out to me the way the other girls are, and to be quite honest, I can probably tell you more about Bethany or Heather then I can April. I understand that she is supposed to be some really driven woman that doesn’t know how to embrace her ethnicity, but besides what I have seen in her pictures, I have nothing else to really say about her. On that note, on we go!

There is no doubt in my mind that April’s “Laundry” shot is her best. I mean, just look at it! Her pose is amazing, and it quite safe to say that from this shoot, she easily walked away with the tightest pose. It’s almost impossible to see the harness that she is wearing, and it looks like she is just hanging from the rings on her own. Her face shows no emotion, except for the fierceness in her eyes. One leg is totally straight, and I know that could not have been easy. I give April much credit for this shot because it truly does look amazing. Definitely an ad in itself!

Although I feel that April’s shots have been consistent for the most part, I still have to pick a worst shot for her. I would say it was her latest, the ad for the glasses. Janice Dickinson said it best when she compared April to a “corpse” in the picture and said she looked like her “vibrator batteries ran out.” In this photo, April looks like Christina Aguilera, pushed over and trampled on by fans. I liked it when I first saw it, but as everyone started to comment on it, I started to realize what they didn’t like about it, and then I started not to like the same things. I will say in April’s defense that even though this is her worst shot, it’s still not that bad. In fact, I don’t think it’s going to be her photos that do her in, but the personality that she is lacking, which all the other girls have.

Yoanna: I’ve come to find that people either truly love Yoanna, or they don’t like her at all. I’m trying to be objective, but it’s not working. I think I’m one of those people that don’t like her. As much as Camille got on my nerves, it equally got on my nerves when Yoanna spent every second of her day complaining about Camille and how much they don’t like one another. Camille didn’t gloat over it, so I wish Yoanna would just lay it to rest. I will say this about her: Since Jenascia left, Yoanna has been consistent in the joke department. Regardless of her hatred for Camille, she has a great personality. I do worry over the fact that she quickly lost weight before the show, but I can’t prove anything, so let’s move on.

Just to show you that it wasn’t easy, just like Shandi, I picked out the Quench shot as Yoanna’s worst. Is it me, or does she look like she is casting for a part in The Miracle of Life, as the fetus? Her position in the photo looks like she is in her third trimester and ready to be welcomed to the world. I wasn’t feeling this picture at all, and neither were the judges, who also compared her to an unborn fetus. So tranquil and so alien like, that it’s almost scary. Definitely not a good shot for her. It was tough though because I didn’t like her Steve Madden shot either because she looks like she is asleep. Remember when I called her boring in my preview article? I was wrong on that account, but her photos make me yawn every time I see them.

Easily, I picked out Yoanna’s Garden of Eden shot as her best. Recently, the American’s Next Top Model website changed the whole picture to just a face close-up, so you can’t see the whole thing – but let me tell you, her pose was pretty tight. Although, with just the close-up of her face it’s easy to see what a natural beauty Yoanna is. Her face is so clear, skin is so smooth and the bone structure in her face is outstanding. There is no denying that Yoanna is a very beautiful woman, and this shot just adds fuel to the fire. I think it would be pretty tough for her to beat this photo, but there is still time left in the competition, and anything can happen at this stage.

I had said above that I had no idea who could win at this point. However, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to make a guess. I think that Shandi is going to be eliminated next. The reason for that is because she is too emotionally unstable to be a true model. I think she would miss home way too much and wouldn’t be able to adapt to all the traveling. April will probably go next. As consistent as her photos have been, I don’t think she has the personality to make it in this business. You can’t be serious, all the time, and that is what she is – from what we have seen. I’m guessing it will come down to Mercedes and Yoanna, with Yoanna being the winner and me collapsing in a puddle of my own tears. Why do I think she will win? Simply because Tyra has said the winner of this competition must eat, sleep, and breathe “model.” That is exactly what Yoanna does, and it’s no secret that she wants this more than anything. I hope I’m wrong, and please, let Mercedes win, but it’s going to be interesting to watch this all unfold, that’s for sure!

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

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