America’s Next Top Model 4, Episode 5: Scabies or Flesh-Eating Bacteria?

Hey everyone! I’m not sure what it is, but I really wanted to write my recap for ANTM this week. It’s because I love you all that much. Although, maybe it has to deal with all the “we missed you” emails that I got when I missed my last The Amazing Race recap. Either or, I’m happy to be here.

As you remember from last week, twelve girls were left. Tiffany came to blows with some of the other girls about Brandy, while Naima won a challenge that tested how the girls do under pressure. Signs of the Zodiac was the theme for the shoot, and even though Lluvy had what Tyra called, “The worst photo in the history of America’s Next Top Model,” it was Brandy who was sent home, along with the big chip on her shoulder as well. Eleven girls are left. Who is going home tonight?

The girls are sitting around the loft, saying it’s weird that Brandy is gone. Tatiana doesn’t care though, she’s happy. Yeah, probably because you hated on another! Lluvy says she really thought she was going home, and can’t believe that when people think of the worst photo from the show ever, they are going to think of her as “that girl.” Well, it’s kinda true! I still like her as a person.

Christina says that Michelle stays away from the other girls and doesn’t bother to get involved. Michelle tells the camera that she has a few small spots on her face, and isn’t sure what they are. Noelle isn’t sure what it is either, while Keenyah suggests witchcraft. Ehh, it could be!

Tyra mail tells the girls that they all have assets and flaws, and be ready to make up for them. They arrive at a makeup design studio, and Michelle says that she is eager to learn how to use makeup since all she can use is mascara. The girls sit and wait for their instructor, and in comes Paul Thomson, who is a VERY old man. He tells them that a three-hour class is before them, and the girls look shocked. Keenyah tries to let out a little laugh, and he corrects her. Turns out it’s Jay Manuel, as he starts snapping his fingers and queening out. He really gets on my nerves sometimes since he really think she’s a diva. He is NO Ms. J.! Jay tells the girls he did this to show them the power of makeup

Kahlen remarks to the camera that even though Michelle has scabies, she can still be beautiful with makeup. Kahlen! Me-ow, I wasn’t expecting that out of you. I now love Kahlen ten times more. All the girls are told to get a partner, and they will have to put a clean, natural, fresh look on the other. In pairs, the girls get their Cover Girl (they need their plug) makeup and go hog wild. The girls get down and dirty right away, and Jay says he’ll see if they know what they are doing. Noelle says that doing it on someone else is hard, and she didn’t expect it to be.

Tiffany and Lluvy have Michelle in their group as well, since the numbers weren’t even. Michelle feels bad since Tiffany and Lluvy were trying to hide the stuff on her face, and her face is falling off. Tiffany says that she and Lluvy don’t do makeup either, and Michelle has nothing to worry about, she just has to have fun. Jay comes out and it’s time to talk about how the girls did.

Right away, he points out that Lluvy’s face looks great, with Tiffany yelling out, “I did it!” Michelle looks distraught, but Lluvy says that Michelle pitched in. Noelle is told that she looks sick, and Noelle tells the camera that the only time she can read up on fashion is on her break at work, since she has a kid at home that is always moving. Jay gives them a little bit of information about Go-sees, and says that the secret to makeup is to put makeup on and make it look like your not wearing any makeup. Confused? I am too, so welcome to my world.

On the way home, Michelle tells some of the other girls that she is a perfectionist. Keenyah says that Michelle beats herself up about things too much. Michelle says that she was just starting to get some confidence, but then looks at the other girls and realizes she is out of her league. I wouldn’t go that far. She’s pretty – in a grizzly sort of way. I kid! I kid because I love!

Noelle talks to her son Damian on the phone, and says it’s hard because it’s like a part of her is missing. She tells Christina that she’s doing this for her kid, and Brittany tells the camera that enough is enough since Noelle talks about her kid all the time. She gets it – Noelle has a kid – NEXT! Oh dear, this episode is full of cattiness. It’s moments like these that make me proud to recap this show.

Tyra arrives to see the girls. They talk a little about the stress, but Tyra wants some one-on-one time with each girl. Keenyah talks first, and says it’s weird that she is talking to Tyra Banks. Lluvy says that she has a lot on her mind, and knows she has to look better in her photos. Tyra says that she has to be careful with the way she poses, since she has really strong eyes. That’s one way to put it. Michelle talks to Tyra and tells her about her skin. Tyra isn’t sure what’s going on and says she has never seen that. Tiffany sits down and she doesn’t know if she fits in or not. She’s lost in the industry. Tyra says that she was there at one point too, and it’s okay to question things. Tiffany just really misses home.

Tatiana tells Tyra that she doesn’t have a place to call “home” back in Hawaii. She was living with her sister, who threw her out and stole all her money. Her mom lives with her stepfather, and she crashes at friends’ houses or sleeps on the beach. Ugh, you live in Hawaii – you’ll live. Tyra gives her a guy since that apparently cures everything. Noelle talks about how she misses her son, and Tyra tells her the industry is different now. Models pop out babies all the time now, when it used to be taboo. Her words! On that note, it’s time for Tyra to hit the road. I’ll miss her.

The girls get more Tyra mail, which says that the girls have had good and bad critiques, so makeup will make the difference. Be ready in the morning. Fast forward, and the girls are waking up. They head to the salon and Jay welcomes them. When they are asked what Haut Couture is, nobody seems to know. Apparently, Haut Couture is high fashion runway makeup. It’s not supposed to look common, and their challenge this week will be to give themselves a Haut Couture look. There are five stations, and each girl will get 45 seconds at a station. Each station has something different – foundation, blush, mascara, accessories, and lipstick. They will be judged on creativity and originality. The winner and two friends will get a custom-made item from a designer.

Michelle is worried about her skin and is freaking out over some of the new spots. Her plan was to watch the other girls, but she is first. Off they go as everyone rushes around. Kahlen is having problems and Tiffany is visibly frustrated. Michelle thinks she did well, but says the other girls were doing awesome themselves.

Jay comes to judge when it’s over. Rebecca is told she looks like a mall girl, and Brittany looks too “fashiony.” Tiffany is told she looks like a toasted Miss Piggy on crack. Can’t say I ever heard that one! Noelle over-blued herself, and Lluvy looks like Daisy Duke. Michelle is looking a bit “fright night” and she gets pretty frustrated. Jay tells Naima that she looks great and she says she was inspired by Swan Lake. She looks like a little Harajuku girl to me. So Naima picks Lluvy and Christine to share her reward.

The other girls head home, and Michelle says the spots are spreading. The winning girls get to meet Lauren Schrer(?). They flashed the name so fast I didn’t get it! Apparently, she makes purses, and each girl will get to design their own. Christina is psyched since no other girl will ever have what they make.

Noelle is on the phone with her mom and she tells her about Michelle and the spots. Her mom tells her there is a new strain of flesh eating bacteria going around, and it can’t be cured by antibiotics. Noelle takes this info and goes to Tiffany, who starts flipping out. Noelle then goes around and tells every one of the other girls about the flesh eating bacteria, adding that it kills. Lluvy is scared since she shared makeup with Michelle. Rebecca talks to her dad on the phone, who confirms that there is a bad case of flesh eating bacteria around, and Tatiana’s mom says the same thing. This rumor is now flowing in the house, and all the girls are trying to sanitize. At this point, Michelle is sleeping and everyone is scared. Tiffany talks to her grandma about it all, who tells Tiffany and the other girls that they need to get a life and read a book or something. Ha!

Tyra mail tells the girls that eleven are left, but be ready to show your true colors in the morning. Everyone arrives at the shoot and Jay welcomes them in. He tells them that they learned about makeup, and it’s time to give them all a mustache. Well, a milk mustache! Everyone is excited as Jay tells them that not only are they doing the Got Milk? Campaign, but they will each be transformed into a different ethnicity. This sounds like fun! The girl’s job will be to take on the new persona of the ethnicity that they are for the shoot.

The girls are all getting ready, and Jay tells them that they can’t make the shoot ultra easy for them, so they will be posing with someone. Out comes a little boy, and they are told that they will have to pose with a 3-year-old in their arms. Noelle says that it will make the shoot harder, and Rebecca feels bad for Michelle since she has “splotches” on her face, and she wouldn’t want her kids near that. I guess I agree. The makeup artist tells Michelle to talk to Jay, since he’s not sure what to do. Jay doesn’t really play around, and sends Michelle to the doctor. Off she goes!

Keenyah is going first, and she is a Korean women. She says it’s a challenge, but she is up to it. Naima is Scandinavian. Oh, just like Rose Nyland on Golden Girls. Okay, I’m giving out too much info! Anyway, Naima looks good, and she thinks it’s mind blowing that she can become a white woman. Lluvy is the next to go, and she is just happy that this time she is a person and not a fish. She’s supposed to be Swedish, and the photographer says she was too distracted by the child. Tiffany is Native American and does a pretty good job, while Rebecca says that Tiffany and Noelle have a little advantage since they are used to holding their kids. But Noelle says it’s hard for her to have a connection with the kid as she does her shoot, since he reminds her of her own child.

Michelle is now at the doctor, who tells her that she has impetigo. Basically, it will go away fast, and it’s caused by bacteria. It’s a little contagious, so she has to watch herself.

Back at the shoot, Brittany is an African-American woman. Jay says that it’s Brittany’s best shoot to date, and although it looks good, I liked her shot better last week. Michelle gets back and tells the other girls she is okay. Tatiana tells the camera that maybe the girls made it out to be something big when it really wasn’t. Maybe?

Speaking of Tatiana, she is up next, as a bi-racial woman. She admits that it was tough with the kid as children aren’t her thing. Christina is East Indian, and says she has little arms, so holding the kid was rough. Michelle finds out she will have to hold a doll since she is still contagious. Rebecca is a little Italian woman, and has problems with holding the child up. Kahlen is Hawaiian, and Jay tells her that she is struggling. Michelle goes last and she is a woman from Iceland. Jay says that the doll doesn’t respond, and Michelle is going to have to work it. You go, girl!

On that note, the girls are done! When they get home, Tyra mail tells them that someone is going home tomorrow! Lluvy says she’ll freak if she’s in the bottom two again this week, and Michelle just hopes that she isn’t eliminated because of her skin.

The girls walk into the judging room and Tyra says it’s time for the fourth cut. She tells them about the prizes and introduces them to the judges, including the guest judge, Jim Deyonker, the producer of their shoots. For their test this week, the girls will learn to get ready at a moment’s notice. They have to apply a “night look” in three minutes, without brushes or mirrors. This should be good. Tyra sets them loose and everyone is rushing. Before you know it, time is up and Tyra makes them stop. Oh dear God, the horror. I wish you could see what some of these girls look like.

Brittany is the first girl in front of the judges and Nole’ says it looks like she took a Crayola crayon and scribbled on her face. I have to agree, it does. They look at her shot though and they love it. Tyra says she looks like her when she was a kid, with her mom. Naima comes in next and Janice says her makeup looks like something on a Rand McNally globe. Nigel says her photo was rough this week. Rebecca is up next and Tyra says her makeup is from the ‘70s. They like her shot, but want her to hold back some smile next time. Keenyah has a shirt on that say “America’s Next Top Model” and tells them to think about it. Aww, she’s so cute! Janice doesn’t like her makeup, but everyone adores her shot this week.

The judges look at Noelle’s shot and love it. She is lacking in the eyes, but that can be fixed. Tyra tells her that since she is short, she can’t wear flip flops. Janice doesn’t see anything in Noelle at all. Tatiana looks dead in the face and Janice says she looks like Cher in the photo. Kahlen is told that she has no makeup on at all, but they are happy with her photo this week. Christina is called “Plain Jane” with her makeup, and her photo makes her look a little possessed. Tiffany’s photo is good, but she looks like a madam at a brothel, according to Janice.

Lluvy is told she should have used more makeup, and Janice says that she likes her shot this week. Nole’ isn’t impressed and Nigel says he worries that her look won’t translate onto film. Michelle is last and slumps up to the judges. They know something is wrong, and Nole’ says her lack of confidence is unattractive. She shows them her skin and Janice tells her to forget about it and move on – she’s had worse. They look at her shot, and feel that she was a bit too cold. Michelle agrees and starts berating the picture! Janice tells her a story about something on her eye before and how she went to work and still pulled it off. It’s now time for the judges to deliberate.

Everyone feels that Christina is the same as usual, and Janice is bored with her. Tiffany is striking, but not enough yet. Brittany is larger than life and her personality will help her. Rebecca has potential, and Keenyah is delivering week after week, and even takes criticism well. Naima is stepping back this week, while Kahlen is flawless to Nole’.

Noelle doesn’t read as a model, but her photo was one of the strongest this week. Tatiana is interesting, and Michelle has big problems – not including her skin. I don’t think they are fond of the attitude she is giving. Everyone agrees that Lluvy has something, but Janice says she looks like a marshmallow with lipstick on. Okay, that might win as the line of the evening.

The girls come back in the room and Tyra says there are eleven girls in front of her, but she only has ten photos. The first girl called… is Rebecca, who is told that the down home girl got edgy with some Italian in her. Christina is called next, followed by Tatiana and Tiffany, who is told that her face is strong, but she has to give it more.

Kahlen is called next, then Naima, and Brittany, who Tyra says really rocked it out this week. Only three girls are left standing there – Noelle, Lluvy, and Michelle. This is odd since Keenyah was never called, yet is now standing on the other side with her photo. That’s a little odd, huh? The next girl called is Michelle, who is told that girls get things all the time, and she has to stay strong and focused. Lluvy and Noelle step up. Tyra says she only has one photo in her hand, and the girl not called has to go back to the loft, pack up, and go home.

Tyra says that these two girls are on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. Lluvy has all the potential in the world, but three out of her four shots were not good. Noelle is told that she doesn’t look like a model, but is great in her pictures. The judges aren’t sure if they should get rid of the girl with potential, or the girl that doesn’t look model-sequel, but has great photos. Lluvy is the girl called, saving herself again, while Noelle heads out after giving all the girls some hugs. Noelle packs her bags and says she can dwell on it and love the experience, or piss and moan that she is one. She says that the next thing for her to see her child, and she has to provide for him. I bet Noelle is a wonderful mom.

Next week, during a windy and wet shoot, Michelle struggles to be confident and not expose her skin. Brittany struggles with finding the bar, and looks like she is going to be a drunken ass. I don’t really have room to talk. Oh well, on that note, how about some rankings? Some girls are really taking control, while other are starting to fall!

Keenyah
Rebecca
Naima
Tatiana
Kahlen
Tiffany
Brittany
Christina
Lluvy
Michelle

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.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recent articles on this show at our America’s Next Top Model page and take a look at our sections on The Apprentice and Survivor. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store!

For more news about America’s Next Top Model, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: America’s Next Top Model!