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America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 2: Sarah’s Liberating Momentby Phil Kural -- 03/08/2007
Last week, we met the 13 finalists! Some of the girls had issues with adjusting to Renee, while we were re-introduced to Jaslene, who didn’t make it into Cycle 7, but made the cut for this season. She was a tough act to follow at the first photo shoot. While some girls struggled, it was Kathleen who got lost, and it showed. In the end, her confusion had her sent home first. Twelve girls are left, who is going home tonight? Let’s find out! Jaslene talks to her mom on the phone. She tells her mom how happy she was to be called first at the first meeting with the judges, adding that she is fierce, and when she’s in her zone, she does her best. Meanwhile, Samantha tells the camera that she’s a country girl and not as crazy as some of the others in the house. She keeps to herself, and when she needs to let something out, she normally just uses the phone or writes something in her journal. She tells her dad on the phone that she’ll never forget who she is. She might be different, but she wants to win this just as much as the rest of the girls. 
Tyra mail arrives and basically, it tells the girls that it’s time to walk! Fast forward to the girls arriving at a high school. They are standing on the field when the marching band strolls in. Ms. J., of course, is with them, twirling a baton and wearing a ridiculous hat. He tells the girls that he brought the marching band to use as an example and show them the kind of choreography they might need on the runway. That’s why for their challenge, they’ll need to show off some precise walking! He sends the girls off to get into their heels. The girls step back out onto the field in their heels. Ms. J. now has a schoolgirl’s uniform on, and this is all quite disturbing. He tells the girls that they’ll be walking a white line and showing off their signature walks. Felicia is up first. She needs to take longer steps and not look like she’s carrying two bags of groceries. Samantha simply needs to start moving her right arm, which she says she knew she would be told. Well, if you knew that, why didn’t you practice and start moving it? Didn’t you read the Top Model Tips before you applied for the show? Natasha shows off her walk next – if you want to call it that. It’s more like a march. She thinks she’s doing great though, even though Ms. J. is totally confused. Renee walks too much on her heels and Jaslene is also told that she needs to take longer steps. She tells the camera that she finds Ms. J.’s suggestions helpful, but she likes her walk how it is because it makes her stand out. Whatever. Ms. J. says that it’s not uncommon for models to walk the runway in twos or threes, so next, he’ll have them practice in groups of three with some choreography. He shows them a little crisscross walking routine that is fairly simple, yet Natasha still has no clue what is going on. Felicia messes up a few times and Sarah comments that when she wears heels, she feels elegant. Then she walks out of her heel. Yeah, really elegant. Jaslene finds the whole thing funny, and Brittany admits that she has no clue what is going on. Clearly though, and as usual, Jaslene thinks she’s doing the best. The bell rings and Ms. J. tells them to go into the auditorium. When the girls enter the auditorium, they meet Roy Campbell, who is a fashion show coordinator and friend of Tyra’s. He says that he will be hosting a fashion show – which the girls will be walking in! On top of that, they will be using the choreography they learned with Ms. J., and will be walking in groups of three. The theme for the show is, of course, the prom! Ms. J. struts out onto the runway in a prom outfit that looks like… actually, I can’t think of word worse than “hideous.” The winner of the challenge will win a great prize, and there will be three categories of prom dresses: modern-contemporary, ‘80s, and ghetto fabulous. I love how they always work “ghetto fabulous” into everything on this show. Hair and makeup is applied. Jael can’t believe how seriously the other girls are taking the competition and laughs about the whole thing. Umm, Jael? Of course they are taking it seriously – they want to win! Jaslene says that her walk is down and she knows she can do this, while Renee tells the camera that Jaslene is so full of herself and this time – it’s HER turn to shine! 
The show begins and so does the madness. Roy says that Sarah has great posture and form, and Renee tells the camera that her main concern is getting down the choreography. Jaslene says that she feels like she is on fire on the runway, and Roy tells the camera that Samantha needs more attitude. Renee is called bland by Roy, compared to the other girls, but really seems to be connecting with the audience. Meanwhile, Natasha really has no clue what is going on. The first two categories whiz by, and it’s time for ghetto fabulous, so get ready for some tight mini-dresses! Sarah walks out first and shows her boobs to everyone in the crowd. Let me remind you that the crowd is teenage boys and girls. Jael tells the camera that the slip was classic and she’s happy that she got to be next to Sarah during that “liberating moment.” Yeah, I’m sure she felt so free! Samantha says that the dress she just modeled needs to be burned and that her parents would never let her go to a prom in it. Whitney? Well, let’s just say Whitney can’t get the choreography down ONE BIT. Roy comments that Brittany actually has some great runway moves, while Jaslene, even though she thinks she is doing so well, really doesn’t know what she’s doing, and doesn’t seem to care! He thinks that Dionne really needs to work on her choreography, and as we see Renee bump into some of the other girls, she voices over to the camera that the other girls are all lacking experience. Man, this girl is annoying! The girls are gathered up in the back after the show. Roy tells Natasha that she had no clue where the other girls were and was totally lost. Samantha needs more of a swagger on the runway and Sarah’s nipple making a cameo on the runway is briefly discussed. Renee is told that she was lost in the shuffle and lagged a bit, but she doesn’t seem to care, since she tells the camera that the crowd loved her and that’s all that matters. I guess she doesn’t realize that the crowd doesn’t make the decisions. Brittany is told that she has the best stage presence, and Jaslene, who is smiling from ear to ear, is told that she was off on the choreography, unsure about herself and made the most mistakes of the group. Jaslene is shocked since she thought she did so well and Renee tells the camera that she knew Jaslene was the worst of the group. Does Renee ever shut up? It was a challenge though, and the winner is – Brittany! Brittany gets a huge trophy with a spray-painted high heel on top. She’s shocked, but so happy and can’t believe it. The girls pile into the limo, along with Brittany’s gigantic trophy, and head home, where the first thing out of Jaslene’s mouth is how Roy made her out to be the worst of the bunch even though she was so confident. Renee, who never shuts up, says that Jaslene might be cocky, but she’s very insecure. Felicia talks to Whitney, saying that attitudes are changing in the house. People are getting mad when they aren’t at the top. She’s obviously referring to Jaslene, who happens to hear the whole conversation. Jaslene tells the camera that she would rather talk about things instead of saying it behind people’s backs, so she begins to argue with Felicia. Jaslene says it’s easy to get caught up in all the drama in the house, as we see her call home again. She tells her mom that the others are ganging up on her because she has the best walk in the house. I really love Jaslene, but I wish she would be more realistic – she doesn’t have the best walk! Nothing lightens the mood like Tyra mail – especially when Natasha reads (or attempts to read) it. Natasha reads: “So glad we BFF. Good luck in all you do and don’t forget KIT!” The other girls have no clue what Natasha is saying, and finally decipher their Tyra Mail to mean they are going back to high school again! The next day, the girls are back at the school, only this time, it’s Jay Manuel that is there to greet them. He says that the girls came back to school for their photo shoot this time. Each girl will be acting out a cliché from high school, and they will each be portraying the following: The girls are sent through hair and makeup, and there’s a lot of product placement this time around since apparently, Herbal Essences is doing the girl’s hair, so we need to be told a million times which kind of product they are using. I’m a Garnier guy, so I don’t want to hear this! Jael is up first for her photo, and she’s the bookworm. She says that she’s a nerd inside out anyway, so this is easy for her. Jay seems to think so too, since he seems happy with her shoot. Sarah is up next and she’ the “flirty girl.” She does her thing and has a little giggle going on. I like Sarah, but I feel like she’s forcing it a bit too much. Dionne is up next and she’s the bad girl. She’s happy with this because she knows how to seduce! Cassandra is the cheerleader and Jay thinks that most of her photos are dull. I agree, and to be honest, I keep forgetting who Cassandra even is! Renee is the class clown and she isn’t happy with that at all. On top of it, Jael and Sarah are watching her shoot, which frustrates her since they didn’t ask. Jael even shouts out some posing advice when Jay calls to her! He comments that Renee was actually painful to watch. Samantha says that she went from a lesbian in her photo last week, to a ho this week. She’s the girl with the “bad reputation” and that just wasn’t her in high school. To the side though, Renee complains that she didn’t get something easier, like being a slut. Man… shut up, Renee! Whitney says she was never one of the “mean girls” but she can still put it off in her photo. I’m not quite sure she does though; she looks very stiff. Brittany does a great job as the valedictorian, and Jay agrees. All her poses are on point. Diana is the student body president, and nothing about her wows me, but Jay seems to think she did an okay job, so I’ll go with that for right now. Felicia is the jock and does some jumping around. I like it – the photo shoot reminds me of Keese from the first season of the show, when she was the cheerleader in the photo with that football player. Jaslene tells the camera that she didn’t watch any of the other girl’s shoots because she doesn’t want to learn from them – she wants them to learn from her. She’s the “weird girl” and looks very goth. Jay loves her shoot, saying that she didn’t give him one bad frame. Renee complains, of course, and thinks that she could have done well with what Jaslene was given as well. Natasha is up last and has no clue what a teacher’s pet is. She tries her best and Jay tries to talk her through it, but it’s clear that she has no clue what’s going on. I’m not sure who is more frustrated – Jay or Natasha! He ends the shoot after Natasha does some posing that she has seen in magazines, and when she walks away, tells the camera that she feels like a failure. Back at the house, Renee says that she was given a harder task than the rest of the girls. She wasn’t able to adapt and feels all the girls should have been put out of their comfort zones. Jaslene tries to tell Renee about different emotions in the face and eyes, but Renee just cuts her off, which leads Jaslene to believe that Renee is simply trying to make up excuses. Tyra mail arrives and says another girl is leaving tomorrow. Jael reads this Tyra mail topless, causing Samantha to tell the camera that there’s a time and place for fun, but you can’t be crazy all the time. She feels so alone in a house with so many people. Natasha talks to Jael about elimination saying that she knows she didn’t do well and this is all so stressful to her. The girls file into the judging room. Tyra comments that at this point, the girls look great in front of the judges and she’s proud of them. They are reminded of the prizes and introduced to the judges, including Ms. J., who has two ruffles on his collar this week and will be adding one each time a girl is eliminated, and Roy Campbell, the fashion show coordinator. Sarah is up first! Sarah steps forward and the judges look at her photo as the flirt. Nigel likes it and thinks she was in the role, while Twiggy thinks it might be a bit too sexy. She’s over thinking the whole thing. Cassandra as the cheerleader is met with mixed reviews. The judges like her posing and body, but feel there is no fire in her eyes. Diana, as the class president, is loved by the judges. They feel she has presence and is in control. Same thing goes with Dionne as the bad girl. The judges like her photo and feel she is perfect in the eyes. Brittany gets a congrats for her win in the challenge, and extra praise for her photo as a valedictorian. Twiggy thinks her face is timeless and Nigel thinks she looks very clever. Samantha is up next, as the girl with the bad reputation. The judges don’t think her picture is trampy enough. You heard right. They see some sexy in the poses, but Tyra thinks that Samantha is saying in the photo “I think I’m a ho?” Tyra then goes on to show her how to pose like a ho. This is unreal! Felicia was the jock and the judges think she looks like Tyra. They think she nailed the pose and her face is classic. I agree! Jael was the nerd and Tyra says that she looks nerdy, but fashionable. Nigel likes it too. Jaslene as the weird girl is critically acclaimed. The judges don’t have a bad thing to say about it and think she’s fabulous, telling the other girls to watch out for her. Jaslene says they are already worried about her, all talking about her when she’s not around. The judges don’t seem to care and tell her to get some tougher skin. I think I’m in love with the crazy judges this season! Whitney faces the judges next. They look at her “mean girl” photo and tell her to work on the body language. Tyra says it was hard to choose a photo because she didn’t show enough range. Whitney offers up some excuse about having a “mark,” but Tyra casts that aside and shows her some different poses. Then there’s Renee as the class clown. The judges think she had fun, but she admits that it was hard to break through. Natasha is up last. You can tell in her photo that she was confused, and the judges pick up on that. Tyra even tells Natasha that Jay Manuel thought she was the toughest of all the girls in the history of the show to work with, even harder than Ann from Cycle 3. Natasha says she remembers Ann and she was very pretty. The judges get a good laugh and Nigel says that she takes a negative and turns it into a positive. It’s time for the judges to deliberate! Here’s what they had to say about each of the girls: Brittany has taken two great photos so far. She looks good on the runway too. Renee is great in person, but not in her photos yet. Tyra is really touched by her though. For what reason, I have no clue! Whitney reminds the judges of a housewife, and Tyra thinks she’s would really benefit from a makeover. Cassandra needs to model better in the face. She has it down with her posing. Natasha has the talent, but doesn’t know how to use it yet. Diana needs more energy in her photos and more posing in the face. Jaslene had the best photo of the bunch, but she can’t worry about what the other girls are saying about her. Sarah doesn’t do it for Twiggy and reminds her of a bird. Uh-oh, when Twiggy doesn’t like someone, that’s it for them! Samantha is one of the best looking girls, but she’s lacking a personality, which is major. Jael did better this week, but they still have no clue where she’s coming from, and to be honest, neither do I! Dionne is saucy and went for it, but Roy thinks that she is just average. Felicia is beautiful and has a lot to offer. Twiggy is going to keep her eye on Felicia, while Tyra says that her shoot looks like Keese’s from Cycle 1. I told you! The girls walk back into the judging room. Tyra says that there are 12 girls in front of her, but she only has 11 photos. The first name this time around is the first name from last time – Jaslene! She had the best photo for two weeks in a row. Felicia is called second, followed by Diana, Renee, Brittany, Cassandra, Dionne, and Jael, who I swear to God is crazy! Whitney is called next, followed by Sarah, who I can’t believe was so low on the totem pole! Samantha and Natasha step forward. There’s only one photo left, and the girl that isn’t called will need to head back, pack her bags and leave. Tyra tells both girls that they have the strongest faces of the bunch. Samantha takes nice photos, but seems like she is only 15, and they think that in three years she would be ready. Natasha has the face, but can’t seem to translate that face into a good photo. Is she photogenic or just a pretty girl? Who goes home? The girl with the good photos and a lacking personality or the girl with the stunning face who can’t trap it on film? The final photo goes to… Natasha! Tyra tells her that she is getting her photo because in here, they see life – they see a story. Basically, that means they see drama. Tyra says that the wonderful thing about this competition is that it’s about more than just photos – Samantha is told that she needs a little more time, and then sent on her way. Samantha packs her bags back at the house. She says she’s not very outgoing and she’s not off-the-wall like Jael. She’s simple, and that’s how she was raised. It’s a plus that she’s going home, because she knows that God has a plan for her. Yawn! What a boring girl. Next week, Tyra gets a makeover shocker of her own – she’s getting her weave cut! Looks like Tyra waited an episode this season to give the girls makeovers. Tempers flare with Renee and Brittany, culminating with Brittany telling Renee that she’s “beating her ass in the competition.” Can’t argue with the truth… and Jael will be getting some tragic news from home. Here’s how I’m ranking the girls for next week: Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! For more news about this show, be sure to check out SirLinksALot’s America’s Next Top Model page! |