"You Can’t Intentionally Try and Stand Out"– An Interview With America's Next Top Model 11's Clark

When this season began, the thing I didn’t like most about Clark was that she was coming off a bit too cocky. I didn’t think she had the goods to back it up… until her makeover, when things changed. I think it did wonders for her, and really did bring Clark to the next level. However, when she was in the bottom two against MY Joslyn, I immediately wanted her sent home! I got my wish.

That being said, Clark was probably the best interview I’ve done so far this season. She was outspoken and stuck to her views, not blaming editing for anything, and that’s something I really admire. I had a chance to chat with Clark, and she really did tell it like it was. Read on to see.

RealityNewsOnline: Hey, Clark! Thanks for taking time out of your day to chat with me today. Had you watched previous seasons of the show, and what factored into your decision to apply?

Clark: It’s a pretty funny story, actually. I had never watched the show before, and literally only caught one or two episodes on one of those marathons they would run on MTV, like, every weekend. I was procrastinating doing a report for school, and was on the CW website catching up on stuff from Gossip Girl when I saw the banner to apply for ANTM. I saw the application was so long, so I knew it would take an hour or so to do, and I wanted to buy time, so I filled it out and noticed it was due the next day. I sent it overnight to them and they got it an hour before the deadline. They had me do a video, and it went from there.

I had some previous modeling experience before being on the show. I’ve modeled swimsuits for the past four years or so for a local designer and participated in Charleston Fashion Week, which is nothing like New York or LA fashion week, but it’s still experience, so I was really hoping to make some connections on the show.

RNO: Let’s start from the beginning – did you realize that Elina was attracted to you at the beginning of the competition, and did she ever actually tell you?

Clark: I had no idea! Everyone in the house knew at one time except for me. Hannah actually come up to me and said, “You know Elina likes you, right?” So I said to Hannah, “Yeah, I really like her, too, she’s cool.” Hannah goes, “No, she REALLY likes you.” And I said back to her, “Yeah, I REALLY like her, too.” I’m such a valley girl. That’s when Hannah told me that Elina had a crush on me, and I was shocked. That’s when I replayed everything to myself and it made sense. Everyone would always save a seat at dinner next to Elina for me, or on the bus. It was funny, but Elina was very open and we’re really good friends now.

RNO: It seems like some pretty big personalities were cast this season, so how did you intend on sticking out from the rest of the girls when it came to photos and panel?

Clark: You have to just be yourself. You can’t intentionally try and stand out. If you do that, you are Shauron, and you saw what happened to her. My strategy was to be myself because I was picked for a reason. We all were. Elina and I are exact opposites. I’m real girly, I like to wear pink, and I’m just a girl. Elina wears black and doesn’t like to dress gender specific and isn’t girly girl at all. But we were both picked, so we both had something special.

RNO: Were you surprised at the way you were edited? It seemed like you had a lot against Isis from the beginning.

Clark: I’m sorry. I have nothing against Isis as a person, but I just don’t understand her lifestyle. It’s not that hard to look between your legs and determine if you are a boy or a girl. God made you the way you are for a reason, so I don’t really believe the whole “I’m a girl but was born a man” thing. It doesn’t make sense. If you were to act that way in South Carolina, where I am now, you would be shot. It’s just not the way you act. It really was my first time being exposed to someone like that, or should I say someone with a gender disorder? I don’t know, it just doesn’t make sense to me.

RNO: You stated at the beginning of the competition that you weren’t there to make friends, you were there to win. However, it looked like you formed a pretty strong friendship with Lauren Brie. Was that a legitimate friendship?

Clark: It really was. Lauren Brie and I were, and still are, very close – we talk almost every day. We’ve been through the same thing and share a bond. Really, I talk to a lot of the girl still, like Joslyn, Hannah, Elina. We were in a competitive environment so things were a little different, but I really do value the time I spent with all the girls.

RNO: The judges felt like your performance was scattered when it came to photo shoots. Is this something they had brought up to you at prior panels or was this week the first time you heard it?

Clark: I knew that in the beginning I pretty much sucked. I hated my first photo, and I still have no clue how I’m supposed to model government. I know that I’m my biggest critic. I guess I pretty much knew how the judges felt, and they didn’t really have to say it.