America’s Next Top Model 7: Why Brooke is not a Top Model

I was very sad to see Brooke go, not least because she was one of the most likable girls in the house this season. In a world of Melroses and Moniques, we need more Brookes! Though she was young and inexperienced, she brought a lot of life to the competition, and it was fun to see the way she approached new experiences. I really thought her personality and looks would be able to carry her far in the competition, but Brooke just didn’t have the experience and talent of the other girls. What other reasons led to her ouster from the competition? Let’s take a look at the Top Model Tips.

The first tip is to be open and welcome change. Brooke succeeded in this area with flying colors. First of all, she was willing to skip the last little bit of her senior year of high school for the competition, which in and of itself is being open to something new. She approached every challenge with a positive attitude, even the nude posing and having to act sexy, two things she was nervous about doing. I think that the fact that Brooke left school for the competition helped her with her experiences - she knew that she was doing things she would never get to do otherwise. She appreciated them more because she knew that she was one of very few people who were getting to do those things.

The second tip tells girls to know something about the fashion industry. So far this season we haven’t seen the girls get to show off their knowledge very much, but in the interview challenges, Brooke did well. (Her personality certainly didn’t hurt!) She was able to talk to people openly and engage them in conversation for the most part. Even though Janice didn’t appreciate Brooke’s questions, I thought she did well. She at least knew how to ask a question that would get someone’s attention.

Tip #3 tells the models to practice their walks. We’ve only seen a couple of girls practice walking this season, but the walking challenges in the third episode tested their skills. Brooke did well in the cobblestone-walking challenge, showing that she could tackle a difficult runway. If we had seen her walk more, I’m sure she would have been fine. She didn’t walk as well at the dinner party table-walking challenge, but I think she was just nervous about having to be sexy, something she wasn’t that comfortable with.

Tip #4 is that personality counts. Obviously Brooke had no problems in this department. From the very beginning, she showed that she had a winning personality. She was bubbly, outgoing, and unafraid to make herself look like a fool (case in point: her rapping). She also seemed to be well-liked by both the judges and her fellow competitors. Brooke is the kind of girl this competition is made for - she could absolutely be a model and have legions of fans supporting her. In a world where many models have reputations for being difficult, Brooke would have been an exception to the rule. It’s too bad she didn’t get further in the competition and have the chance to become more famous.

The fifth tip is to focus on yourself, not the other girls. Brooke did this very well, for the most part. She managed to focus on the competition when other girls were causing drama, and even when she wasn’t getting the most favorable feedback from the judges. Because Brooke left school to come to the competition, she showed that she was serious about being there and tried hard to do what was expected of her in challenges. In the third week, though, I think that not getting to go to Texas with A.J., CariDee, and Megg made Brooke a little homesick, and that may have hurt her focus. She also lost some momentum during the most recent challenges when she realized that her lack of experience put her at a disadvantage.

The last tip tells the models to roll with the punches and not fight with the judges. Brooke did well in this area as well. Because of her openness to new experiences, she was able to adjust well to everything that was thrown at her. Even when the girls received their makeovers, Brooke didn’t complain. She mentioned that she was used to being blond, but she accepted her change to brown hair without any fuss. I think Brooke’s personality made her more predisposed to accepting new things. She just had fun with everything that came her way and tried to use it all to make herself a better model.

So why didn’t Brooke go farther in the competition? The judges said it themselves - they weren’t sure if she was still around because of her personality alone. I think they may have been right. Personality counts, but it’s not the only thing that counts. Just look at who Brooke’s companion was in the bottom two. Eugena has a dreadful personality and the judges told her as much. But her talent shows more than Brooke’s, and there’s obviously something about her that outshines her personality and is keeping her around. So although Brooke is likeable and could have made a great model, she wasn’t able to move beyond her personality to show more talent. That is why she’s not a Top Model.

Jenn Brasler is an Assistant Editor of Reality News Online and an aspiring writer from Falls Church, Virginia. By day she works for a court reporting firm, and by night she’s a spy for a covert branch of the CIA. You can e-mail her at luckyjenn@hotmail.com. This just goes to show that no one is safe in this competition.

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