America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 6: The Many Faces of a Model

First, let me say thanks to Jenn Brasler for covering for me last week! Sometimes you just can’t work it like the rent’s due. What can I say? Anyway, previously on Will a Plus-Sized Girl Ever Win?, Renee continued to dish out opinions, like asking Whitney if (say it with me) “a plus sized girl would ever win?” Which, we learned from Diana, wasn’t even asked seriously but was staged that way. Sarah’s challenge win gave her an advantage, while Diana and Whitney struggled with the photo shoot, and Diana’s lack of focus was her undoing. She was sent on her way. Eight girls are left, so let’s see how the drama unfolds tonight.

It’s night, and the girls are on their way back to the house from the elimination. Whitney says that when Diana first left, it hit her hard because they were best friends and pushing for one another. She knows that Diana wants her to win. Right when the girls get home, Tyra mail is waiting, and it asks the question, “Would a rose by any other name smell just as sweet?” I say yes! Renee says that she’s being driven insane by the girls in the house, adding that Jael never shuts up and Sarah doesn’t deserve to be there. Cut to Sarah saying that she got to see all her frames at the last photo shoot, adding that seeing them helped her. She’s going to put all her past experiences behind her and move on from there.

The next day, the girls arrive at a restaurant, sit down, and see a billboard with the name “Lesley Hornby.” Out comes Twiggy, who tells the girls that at 15, her friend nicknamed her Twiggy because of her skinny legs. When she was posing for Barry Latigan, he told her that it would be a great name if she were a model. Three weeks later, she was known as “Twiggy: the face of ‘66.”

Twiggy tells the girls that having a nickname could jumpstart your career, and here to prove it is Melrose from Cycle 7, who changed her name from Melissa Rose to just Melrose. I have to say, she looks great! Now it’s time for all the girls to give themselves a nickname, while Renee tells the camera that all her names as a kid were bad, like Canoe Feet. Why am I not surprised?

The girls go around picking their nicknames, and this is what they end up with:

Whitney is now “Whitelle”
Sarah is “Moe”
Brittany is “Brit”
Jaslene is sticking with her name, Jaslene
Jael is also sticking with her name. She is Jael
Natasha is “Nata”
Dionne is “Wholahay”
Renee is “Nayien”

With that, Twiggy and Melrose tell the girls that they are invited to a party that evening and will need to be smart and sexy, and remember key points like being eloquent, not monopolizing the conversation, and being funny, but not over the top. Also, they will need to be referring to themselves by their nicknames. This should be interesting to say the least. Plus, on the way home, Renee says out loud that it will be nice to have some stimulating conversation. Jael shoots back that it’s because none of the girls want to talk with her. One point goes to Jael!

Tyra mail says that it will be a hot night, and to use your name and make it bright, but beware the Funky Comedina! The girls arrive at a party for Smart Water, which I love! They are using their names, but I’m going to continue referring to them by their normal names. The party is packed with stars like 50 Cent, Bill Maher, Nicole Richie, and Paris Hilton, and a host of others. Whitney sees Benny Medina in a closed-off room, and she realized that he’s the “Funky Comedina.” He’s also Tyra’s manager!

Benny calls Whitney in to talk to him, along with Tyra’s publicist and supermodel Beverly Johnson. Beverly’s not a fan of her nickname, but seems to like Whitney in general. Meanwhile, Natasha says that Jael is irritating 50 Cent. Sarah meets Benny and he doesn’t like her name either, while Brittany talks to him and messes with her hair the whole time.

Dionne talks to 50 and Jael tries to interrupt and clown around. I have to say, I love Dionne, and it’s clear that Jael is getting on 50 Cent’s nerves. Dionne tells Benny that she misses her daughter and cries a little. Benny seems to like her, though.

Back over with 50, Jael is annoying him again, and this time he gets so frustrated that he just pushes her into the pool. When she gets out, she tries to splash him with water and he throws her in again! Then Natasha jumps in, too! Is she stupid? Jael tells the camera she doesn’t mind, though, since 50 Cent loves her. Umm, what would give you that idea, Jael?

Renee thinks Natasha and Jael are crazy and people would never book them knowing how crazy they might be. Benny wants to speak with Jael and Natasha, and he basically lectures them about being wet, calls them a mess, and sends them on their way. Jael isn’t intimidated, though, since she knows she’ll be a star one day. Yeah, a porn star! Jaslene talks to Benny as well and he likes her name and is glad she stuck with it. Then it’s time for Renee to speak with him, and he can’t even say her name. Everyone is confused by it.

Later, Renee tells Nicole Richie that she really can’t stand Jael. What a coincidence that Jael happens to be in the bathroom with Nicole in the next scene, where Nicole tells her that Renee can’t stand her. It’s time to go home, girls!

Tyra mail is waiting for the girls when they get home. It says that they will be four-faced, and asks if anyone is two-faced. Jael says that someone is two-faced, and she’s ready to confront. She tells Renee that she’s jealous of her. Renee tries to deny that she said she hates Jael, even though we know she did. Jael cuts her up with words and Whitney tells the camera that in a talk fight, Jael will always win. They continue to go at it, and when Renee asks if they all have a problem with her, nobody responds. She takes the hint.

The girls arrive at the set of their next photo shoot and Jay tells them that they will be doing a shoot like the kind in Tyra’s beauty book, where they will need to show four sides of themselves. Each girl will dictate their own hair and makeup, and are given 15 minutes to choose their personalities. Kareem Black is their photographer, but before we get to the shoot, we find out that Benny Medina has chosen one girl to win the challenge from the night before. He appears on a TV and tells the girl that impressed him the most will do a Keds photo shoot for Seventeen magazine. The winner is – Dionne! Not only that, but she can pick two friends to join her. She chooses Jaslene and Whitney, saying that they will be able to have the most fun.

Renee says that she knows she’ll do well for this photo shoot while Sarah is freaking out because she wants this so bad. She knows that she will pull off the poses this time around.

Dionne is up first and she is doing sensitive, evil, friendly, and hood. Jay likes her this week but really thinks that she can be a little more extreme. Jaslene went with drag queen, cha cha diva, sentimental, and modelesque. Jay doesn’t think that she’s very diverse in her photos. Natasha has sexy and surprised in the mix and Jay tells her that she always does badly at first, but when she is given advice, she does so much better. Whitney chooses seductress, thinker, and peaceful as three of her expressions, but I have to admit – they all look the same! Jay thinks they are all over the place.

Jael goes with sexy beast, dominator, and revolutionary/peacemaker. Okay. Jay think she is doing great with her posing and reminds him of Grace Jones, but her makeup makes her look like a drag queen. Sarah is up next and Jay thinks she is posing too much, like she normally does. She has innocent, anger, and regret, and Jay says that he has to keep pushing her past the safety zone. Brittany also chose innocent, along with spacey, goofy, and evil. She does an okay job, and we don’t see much of her this week.

Renee feels the other girls don’t know who they are messing with as we see her performing during the shoot. She shows dark side, sexy, and sorrow. She does struggle a little, and is a bit worried about giving Jael an evil eye. When her shoot is over, Dionne, Jaslene, and Whitney head off for their photo shoot, where Dionne says that the posing tips they learned from Benny Ninja really helped. It’s so true – I can see it!

Back at the house, the girls meet with Tyra. She says that she just came from a photo shoot herself, so pardon the makeup. Tyra asks the girls if anyone has had a revelation. Do they think they are changing? Brittany takes this time to show Tyra her scalp and the way her weave is ruining her. Tyra feels that she needs to speak up and promises to do something about it. Dionne addresses being away from her child and Jael says that she has dealt with death and feels she can deal with anything now.

Now it’s time for Renee. She tells Tyra that she is misunderstood as she begins to tear up, adding that a lot is going on. She’s not there to make friends and the others say that she is bad energy. Tyra has her join her in front of the other girls so that they can all basically beat her down with words – which they do. Renee isn’t sure how to react to that, so she just apologizes and tells them it’s a defense mechanism. Yeah, Tyra, this was a great idea. Tyra then plays Dr. Phil and tells Renee to be grateful that she realized her flaws. This is too funny.

Tyra mail tells the girls that someone is going home tomorrow. Sarah talks to her mom on the phone, saying that she thinks she is going home. Mom says she won’t go home over one bad shoot, but Sarah tells her that girls have gone home for less. Whitney just prays that it’s not her because she wants to be there.

Time for the girls to enter the judging room! Tyra reminds them of the prizes and introduces them to the judges, including her manager Benny Medina. Wow, you can just tell this dude was dying to be on the judging panel.

Jael is up first. Nigel liked that she was confident enough to keep her name, and they look at her photo for this week and feel she looks great and tough. Twiggy just wants to see a softer side of her soon. The judges aren’t really feeling Renee’s new name and give her a new one. They also don’t think that she pushed herself enough in her photos, but Benny compliments her on her eyes.

Natasha is told that she had a great performance this week. Benny enjoyed her photos and Nigel seems happy, too. Even Tyra says that she is shocked and that Natasha is coming into her own. Brittany looks sweet and Twiggy loves her. I really hate Twiggy. That’s what I’ve decided. She’s so blatantly biased that it makes me sick. Brittany could walk in with a stick up her a** and Twiggy would love her. Then there’s Whitney, who she always has a problem with, simply because she’s plus-sized, if she admits it or not. Nigel thinks that Whitney’s photos look very amateur this week.

Jaslene is up next, and although the judges like her photos, they think that they all look the same. Ms. J. goes as far as to compare to her Janice Dickinson, and I have to say, I see the match! Sarah is goofy to Benny, and Nigel says that all her photos look too posed. She needs to let her guard down and Benny says that she’s too corny for him. Finally, there’s Dionne. The judges like her photos as well but want her to take it to the next level, just like Jay had said earlier. Now it’s time to deliberate, and this is what the judges had to say:

Natasha is loved this week and has shown that she knows how to make wrong right. Tyra is glad that she’s still around.

Jael photographed great and Nigel loves it, but Twiggy wants something softer.

Renee doesn’t move Benny but the judges do feel that she has a dirty sophistication about her.

Brittany is called sweet and Twiggy feels bad about her hair. She was everything she set out to be and Ms. J. is buying it.

Whitney is hated by Twiggy, of course, while Tyra defends her and says that she is a package. Benny just thinks that she’s not what the competition calls for.

Jaslene wasn’t on today and fell flat.

Sarah captured something, but her look is too stylized and staged. Nigel thinks that she’s a poser, and not in a good way.

Dionne has been doing great and they love her hair. Benny likes her and thinks that if she wins or not, she will do well.

The girls come back in the room and Tyra says that there are eight girls in front of her, but she only has seven photos. The first name called this week is Jael, and Tyra tells her that she rocked this week. Natasha is called next, followed by Dionne and then Brittany, who Tyra tells that that they are going to do something with her hair, which now resembles a dead hamster. Everyone gets a good chuckle. Renee is called next, followed by Jaslene, who is told that she needs to show that she can shine without direction and not just when there is a circus going on around her.

Whitney and Sarah are called forward. Both stand before Tyra for different reasons. Sarah poses too much and reminds the judges of Modeling 101. She doesn’t give anything extra. Whitney has been given several chances, and her photos are pretty, but they aren’t “model.”

So who is going home? Whitney is called, and she looks stunned. Tyra tells her that she has one more chance and has to prove that she is not just a pretty girl, but a model as well. Sarah gives Tyra a hug and is told that she needs to just relax and trust herself. She hugs the other girls and heads out of the room.

While packing her bags, Sarah says that she wanted this so much and opened up more than she ever thought she would, which she hoped would show the judges how badly she wanted to win. She’s leaving knowing that it’s okay to be herself, though, and that’s the most important thing.

Next week… well, I’m not sure – there were no clips, but I’m guessing it’s a clip show because I know how this show rolls. This is how I’m ranking the girls for the next NEW episode:

Dionne
Jaslene
Natasha
Renee
Brittany
Jael
Whitney

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