America's Next Top Model 3, Final Report -- So How Did I Do?

Back in September, I did a little preview on each of the models this season, and how well I thought they would do in the competition. It's pretty tough to just look at someone and make a judgement, but it's fun to do anyway. I didn't expect this season to be so intense, but the drama was fun, the girls were catty and the winner was deserving. As much as I wanted Yaya to win, Eva was a deserving winner as well. Last season, I was right on with seven out of the 12 girls. That's not bad, it's more than half! Let's see how I did this season!

Magdalena: This is a tough one, since we only got to see Magadalena for half of the first episode. I liked that fact that there were 14 girls to start out this season, but getting rid of two in the first episode was a bit much. I said in my preview article that I wasn't going to be a fan of hers, but I might end up liking her in the long run. She wasn't really around for the long run, and I said that she would probably get about halfway in the competition. Looks like I was wrong on that one. Oh well -- 0/1.

Leah: Leah had to have been one of the most beautiful girls this season. She was just so insecure about herself, and I don't think that she really thought that she was going to succeed on the inside. It's a shame though, since I wanted to see her do so well. I said in my preview article that it didn't look like she had much of a personality, and I can't really verify that since we didn't get to see her for very long. But I was right when I said that she wouldn't mesh well with the other girls, and that she wouldn't be around for very long. In fact, I was dead on with that one -- she was gone the first week of the competition! I'm 1/2!

Julie: Wow, I was pretty wrong when I predicted that Julie would be around for a while and that she would stir things up because she seemed to be full of drama. If anything, Julie was one of the peacemakers that didn't hang around long because she wasn't stirring up trouble! Julie ended up being all right, and not very catty at all, which I thought she would. All the girls liked her, and she seemed to have a very good sense of humor, which even came out during my interview with her. Too bad she got busted and her real dream came out about wanting to be a fashion manufacturer. Tyra was having no part of that, and cut her faster than you can say "What happened to Tyra's music carreer?" Looks like I'm 1/3.

Kristi: Kristi stated before the show began that she was raised Christian and her parents would have a problem if she ended up on TV naked. Sure enough, when it was time for the topless photo shoot for Lee jeans, Kristi panicked and it led to her demise. I didn't really like Kristi during the show, but for some reason, after she was eliminated, I started to like her. Is that supposed to happen? In my preview I said that she would probably get on my nerves, therefore would be around for a good while. Well, she didn't get on my nerves because I don't think she was around long engouh to do so. That shows you that she wasn't around for a "good while" either. I'm not doing so good, right now I'm 1/4.

Jennipher: I absolutely loved Jennipher this season. In fact, she was one of my favorites. She stirred things up, told it like it was and took no crap from anyone, especially Eva & Ann. Jennipher should have been around longer. She had a great body and a willingness to succeed. I thought she was destined for the top three, but with so many beautiful girls in the mix, I'm not surprised that she was gone relatively early. Oh well, she did manage to give Ann a tongue lashing of a lifetime, and that's enough for me, even though I was wrong about her too. That leaves me at 1/5 for the time being.

Kelle: Kelle was another girl that I liked in my preview article, and loved her on the show as well. I wasn't happy when all the girls talked about Kelle behind her back, and that episode when Eva picked her to go on her reward trip with her, and Kelle was frantically looking for sunglasses, made my 2004! She ended up being one of the most fun interviews that I did, and Kelle showed me that she's a very articulate and fun girl. I wish her luck in the future. I didn't predict where Kelle would land in the competition, but I did predict that I would love her -- and I did. Therefore, I'm 2/6 so far!

Cassie: Out of all the girls this season, Eva included, I would say that Cassie wanted to be America's Next Top Model the most. She would have done anything to win the competition, and that was clear. I stated that she wasn't going to have much of a personality, and I was right on that one. However, I also said that she would be one of the first girls cut this season, and that wasn't the case -- she made to to about the midway point. Cassie was the topic of much debate in the loft this season, with everyone thinking that she had an eating disorder -- even getting Tyra involved with the whole thing. I'm nobody to judge if she does of if she doesn't, but if she does, let her get help on her own -- because if she doesn't have an eating disorder, all the people that were talking crap about her should hang their heads in shame. I'm looking at you, Ann! Anyway, I'm 2/7.

Toccara: How could anyone NOT love Toccara? That girl was fabulous to the extreme! I've never in my life seen someone so comfortable in their own skin the way Toccara is. If only everyone could be as happy with themselves the way she is, the world would be a better place. I said that she was going to be the girl to watch this season, and she was! Toccara went in there with no regrets and her heart on her sleeve. Even when she was elimianted she stated that this was not the last time we were going to see her. I said that she wouldn't win, and she didn't, but she did get pretty far, which is what I predicted. All I'm going to say is this -- if Tyra Banks knows that a "plus-sized" girl isn't going to win the whole thing, then don't pick her for the finals. It's not fair to pick her for her size, and then eliminated her because of her size. It just doesn't make sense. With my accurate guess on Toccara from my preview article, I'm now 3/8.

Nicole: Nicole? Nicole who? Seriously, where the heck was she this season? What I saw of her I liked, but I don't think we really got to see enough of Nicole at all. She made it pretty far into th competition too, so I don't understand why there was such little footage of her. I think it's because she wasn't part of the drama, and all the girls actually liked her, so nobody could complain to th camera about her. On that note, I said that she would have no personality and would be gone early. From what we saw, she didn't have a personality, but she was around for a good while, so looks like I'm wrong again. That seems to be the trend this season! I'm 3/9.

Norelle: Damn, that girl was skinny! Skinnier than I even thought when I read her bio before the show started. However, once the braces came off, Norelle was looking stunning. I figured that she would get pretty far in the competition and that she'd be an interesting one to watch, and she was! I had fun poking fun at Norelle's intelligence this season, and I'm a little sad that I wasn't the one that got to interview her. She made it pretty far, and I was right on that one, so that ups my average to 4/10.

Ann: Oh, Ann. Where do I even begin? I think of all the girls this season, Ann got on my nerves the most. Which stinks because I predicted that I would have to like her since she is from PA. I guess that theory is out the window! The second she wrote in Cassie's brownies I was done with her. When she created a coup d' etat against Eva, I was almost back on her side, but decided not to flip flop on the issue. I hate that term! Anyway, I said that Ann would be around for quite a while, but she wasn't my pick to win. I was dead on with that one. I can't believe she lasted as long as she did. However, I try to factor in things like walking and challenges, and not just photo shoots because we all know if the competition was based on shoots alone, Ann would have been gone a LONG time ago! I'm now 5/11.

Amanda: I thought that Amanda would get midway in the competition before she got cut, and I was wrong -- she made the finals! Amanda was definitley a MILF with eyes to die for! She was a bit annoying at times, but other times she was probably one of the funniest girls this season. I didn't expect her to be so versitile, but the one thing I don't agree with was the way she was eliminated. Amanda did everything the judges told her to do, and still got the ax. She was told to look "more like a model." I'm sorry, but sometimes I see Tyra in magazines and tabloids, walking the street, and she does not look like a model all the time! Please! Amanda shouldn't have been elimianted for "not looking like a model in person." They should have found another excuse to cut her -- I'm not buying the one they used. Once again though, I was wrong. I'm at 5/12.

Yaya: I still have dreams about MY Yaya. I predicted her to win, but we all know when I predict someone to win, they come in second place. It's a curse that I have that I can't figure out how to shake off. MY Yaya was just as beautiful, intelligent, poised and stunning as I predicted that she would be. She came across as very worldly and full of life experience. I loved her from the second I saw her, and was right when I said that she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Yaya ran away with most of the challenges and cleaned up on her photo shoots. She was truly deserving to be America's Next Top Model, and from what I understand, has already signed a modeling contract. So congratulations to MY Yaya -- I was right about you, which makes me 6/13.

Eva: I stated right from the beginning that this one was going to have attitude and be full of drama. Could I have been any more right? Eva was definitely this seasons main source for entertainment and drama. She walked into the competition with a huge chip on her shoulder for some reason, but as the competition went on, that chip became smaller and smaller, when finally it disappeared and Eva became pretty likable. I wasn't mad that she won and definitely think that she worked hard to win. You can't argue with her results and Eva had some of the nicest pictures this season. I said that people are still going to like her, and she did -- which is why she was probably the Covergirl of the week for like EVERY week! I was right about Eva, and she did do well --- in fact, she was the best! That leaves me at 7/14.

So I was right about half and I was wrong about half. That's no too bad, is it? Espeically considering the fact that I had nothing to go on except for a very short biography and a 30 second clip of each girl. I didn't do as well as last season, but I'll take half. I'll be back next season as Tyra Banks crowns America's Next Top Model, and be on the look out for my interview with the winner of this season, Eva, hopefully coming soon. It's been fun!

Phil Kural is a recent graduate from Temple University, with a degree in journalism. You can reach him at pkural@gmail.com with any feedback that you may have.

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