America's Next Top Model 2 - Episode 6 Summary

'The “Acting” Episode' By Isabelle Murray

As with almost all episodes now, the girls talk about how they have to up their games to satisfy the judges.  Super-Asian-girl (April) says that she has to find a way to show warmth because that is what they told her to do at the last elimination.  Super-cry-baby-girl (Catie) stated that she was tired of molding herself into whatever the judges wanted because it did not seem to work and she was not feeling at ease with that.  Super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes) asks super-fake-girl (Camille) how she can withstand the critiques from the judges and not do anything and not react at all.  Super-fake-girl (Camille) answers that it is all positive things, really.  Super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes) comments later on how she thinks that super-fake-girl (Camille) is really deluding herself, she is not noticing really what is happening, etc.

Then, we see the girls in some restaurant.  They were talking a lot.  At one point, super-cry-baby-girl (Catie) exclaims that something is gross and it is just because super-fake-girl is eating pickles with ketchup.  Anyway, one of the girls (I believe that it was super-Zen-girl; Yoanna) tells super-cry-baby-girl that she should not say that, that super-fake-girl (Camille) is entitled to her tastes.  Well, super-cry-baby-girl still continues to scream her disdain.  She is then told that she probably eats pickles in her burger and since the burger has ketchup in it, it’s really no different but that does not shut her up.  Some girls mention later that super-cry-baby-girl (Catie) is really young and has some growing up to do.

At one point, they meet with this super-manager-dude (Kyle Hagler) from IMG, the company that will manage the winner of this season.  The guy tells them that he is one of Tyra’s managers.  We don’t get to see much of him or what he says.  Maybe we are not allowed to be too privy to the “behind the scenes” things.

Then, they receive Tyra mail.  It says that beauty can be expressed in black and white (or something like that).  Anyway, they understand pretty quickly that it means that it will be a black and white photo shoot.  Super-Zen-girl (Yoanna) is really excited by the idea.  When they wake up in the morning, super-fake-girl (Camille) finds that her lips are swollen and thinks that she may have an allergic reaction.  She is really upset about this but is actually really annoying all the other girls in the process (mind you, she might not need to do much to annoy the other girls).  When they arrive at the photo shoot, super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel) tells them that they will indeed be shot in black and white and the reason for this is that they will be better able to capture their beauty in black and white.  Anyway, the girls are told that it will be close-up of their faces.  Super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel) says to super-fake-girl (Camille) that he knows about her lips problem and asks her if she knows what is going on.  She says that she doesn’t know but would like to go last.  Super-makeup-dude agrees.

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Super-Asian-girl (April) is really worried.  She really wants to improve and is worried that the judges will be fed up with her not looking emotional enough.  Super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes) is really sweet and gives super-Asian-girl some pointers and comforts her.  Super-cry-baby-girl (Catie), again, thinks that she needs to be herself and that, unless she feels okay with herself, she won’t be able to really win the judges.  Super-Persian-girl (Sara) has a little bit of a hard time posing and is given instructions by super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel).  Next, we see super-makeup-dude doing the makeup on super-fake-girl (Camille).  She still is uneasy about her lips.  He tells her that, as a model, whatever happens, you have to be there and do your job and this, whether your lips are swollen, whether you have the most horrible cold, whether you feel under the weather, etc.  So, off she goes to have her picture taken but you can see that her heart is not really into it.  Super-makeup-dude says that she managed to pose, which is good, but she didn’t give her 100%, which is not so good.

Then, super-fake-girl (Camille) is wondering what is going to be the rest of the day like because she wants to consult a physician for her lips.  Well, super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel) tells the girls that they will go learn about acting.  Super-fake-girl decides to make her health a priority and we see her at the pharmacy.

Meanwhile, the other girls arrive at the acting studio.  Tyra asks where super-fake-girl (Camille) is and the other girls tell her that she has swollen lips and went to take care of that.  Tyra then explains to them how the business has changed.  Before, models used to grace the cover of magazines.  Now, it is mostly actresses.  Their worse threat is the model-actress because she can do it all!  So, they are going to be instructed on how to act by super-actress-gal, Tasha Smith-Arqese.  Once Tyra leaves, the mood kind of changes.  Super-actress-gal tells them that they will need to be open and honest.  She tells them that the hardest thing to face is rejection and that might happen with what they want to do.  She asks them who was ever dumped by a boyfriend.  Most girls raise their hands.  She asks them if anyone has divorced parents.  Some girls raise their hands.  Super-actress-gal gives them each a sheet of paper.  She instructs them to look at the paper as if this is a “Dear John” letter where everything that they ever wanted to say to that person that rejected them was written there and just let the emotions pour.  They all started crying hysterically.  On this, super-fake-girl (Camille) arrives.  She is shocked at the reaction in the other girls and has no clue as to what happened.  Super-actress-gal (Tasha) briefly explains the exercise to super-fake-girl.

Next, the girls are paired.  One says whatever she ever wanted to say to that person who rejected her and the other has to repeat the words, only more slowly and more softly.  Super-Asian-girl (April) REALLY opens up.  She even has uncontrollable sobs.  She later comments on how she normally doesn’t let these things out but when she does, it really comes out.  The girls quickly understand that, by reflecting what the other girl is saying, this is how they understand how to play the emotion that the girl is experiencing. 

Now it’s time for super-fake-girl (Camille) to do the paired exercise.  She is paired with super-Zen-girl (Yoanna).  Super-fake-girl starts saying “Mom, I’m happy that you’re in my life, you’re my strength…” while super-Zen-girl, of course, repeats it, as instructed.  Super-actress-gal stops super-fake-girl.  Super-actress-gal asks if anything bad ever happened to her.  Super-fake-girl answers no. Then, super-actress-gal asks if she ever was angry at anybody.  Super-fake-girl answers no.  Super-Zen-girl (Yoanna) asks “What about me?”  Super-fake-girl is a bit startled.  Super-actress-gal is happy that there might be something there and even wants both super-fake-girl and super-Zen-girl to talk back at each other.  Super-Zen-girl later says that she was ready, that she would have liked for super-fake-girl to just let it all out and actually kill the animosity between them.  So, super-fake-girl starts by saying in a very soft and mellow voice:  “Yoanna, I was upset because I like to get along with everybody and…”  Super-actress-gal stops her again.  She says that super-fake-girl is actually sucking up to super-Zen-girl and it would be the time to let it go, to express emotions but instead she puts on this perfect mask, etc.  Well, since super-fake-girl (Camille) is not willing to do that, the exercise is stopped.

The girls are then told that they will have a test the next day.  They have some lines that they have to learn and, using what they learned that day, they have to play the emotions.

Back at the loft, super-fake-girl (Camille) says in front of super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes) and super-Persian-girl (Sara) that, if she wanted to be an actress, she could be one, but now she wanted to be a model so acting had nothing to do with it (Hello!  Okay, you missed what Tyra said but don’t you think that adding some acting might help you with your pictures?).  Super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes) later says how super-fake-girl (Camille) was clueless as to what was going on.  So, some girls are learning their lines.  Super-Asian-girl (April) says this is a perfect opportunity to show that she can do emotional stuff so she studies hard but she tells us that she studied the text more in terms of emotions that should be conveyed than the actual words.  Super-shy-girl (Shandi) says that the text is cheesy and that there is a big passionate kiss at the end.

We see cuts of all the girls stating what the text was about.  It was about a woman who was married to a man who supposedly died and now shows up again after some time.  This test is a contest.  The winner will have a shopping spree at a jewelry store.  So, since there is a man in the script, there needs to be one on stage, right?  Super-actress-gal (Tasha) introduces super-hunk-actor, Mark Collier, from As the World Turns.  Super-shy-girl (Shandi) is giddy when she sees him.  We have the feeling that she knows who this guy is.  The girls will deliver their performances individually, only in front of super-actress-gal. 

Super-Asian-girl (April) is first.  She is really good.  Super-hunk-actor comments on how he could see in her eyes the emotion and he really believed everything that she was saying.  Super-shy-girl (Shandi) gives a very candid performance so it sounds very convincing.  Super-cry-baby-girl (Catie) is obviously acting in that she is putting on the show but it sounds like it’s a show.  Super-hunk-actor gives a similar comment saying that she is not feeling it.  Heck, he even laughed at one point.  Super-cry-baby-girl later says that she really wasn’t into this whole thing and she had a boyfriend so she kept thinking about him.

Again, super-fake-girl (Camille) went on a tangent that leaves you puzzled.  She decided to change the lines.  And she was awful.  I guess that, if she would have changed the lines and would have made a good performance, it wouldn’t have been that bad but that was not the case.  Super-hunk-actor had a hard time to follow her, of course.  Super-actress-gal gave a puzzled look and was looking through the script whenever super-fake-girl would deviate from the script.  Here is an excerpt from what I remember:  “For six months, I cried myself to sleep.  I did anything to get you out of my head:  I did yoga, I took a pottery class, I even gave some to charity…”  It was just plain bad.  Later, super-fake-girl (Camille) explained that she changed the lines so that it would be more reflective of her personality.  Although the concept might be good, she was once again showing that she cannot follow directions properly and it makes her look bad, in my opinion, to companies who might have been tempted to give her a commercial spot.

Remember how, at the end of the scene, the script called for a passionate kiss?  Well, super-shy-girl (Shandi), super-Zen-girl (Yoanna), super-Asian-girl (April), super-frizzy-girl (Mercedes), and super-Persian-girl (Sara) all gave super-hunk-actor a VERY passionate kiss.  Super-shy-girl (Shandi) later tells us “I read passionate kiss, to me that’s using the tongue so…”  Super-Zen-girl (Yoanna) tells us that, after being stuck with all girls for so long, a little testosterone felt good.  Super-cry-baby-girl tells us that she had to kiss that guy… yuk!  I’m sorry but the guy was so cute that, even though I am very happily married, I would have gladly complied with the script.  Super-actress-gal called super-cry-baby-girl on the poor kiss and she answered that she has a boyfriend.  Super-actress-gal says that this is a competition so it should be all about winning (i.e., if you need to kiss some guy to win, you should do that). 

Now last, but not least, is super-fake-girl (Camille)…  Instead of kissing the guy after exclaiming that she still loved him, she hugged him.  It was so awkward…  It would not have been much worse if she would have said, “I still love you!  Give me a high-five!”  Anyway, this is the end of the scene.  So super-actress-gal says that she will not talk yet but give super-hunk-actor the chance to go first.  He tells super-fake-girl (Camille) that no one is ever allowed to change the lines in a script.  If she was an actress and would ever try to pull this one, she’d lose her job on the spot.  Super-actress-gal then says that super-fake-girl sounded awful, that absolutely no emotion whatsoever was communicated, and that her performance had no credibility.  Super-fake-girl (Camille) later said that super-actress-gal was entitled to her opinion but everyone is different so her style was different and…  Geez!

All the girls come back on stage to get their reviews.  Super-actress-gal tells them that, with the exception of super-fake-girl (Camille), they all learned a lot and all had good performances.  However, both super-Asian-girl (April) and super-shy-girl (Shandi) had great performances.  But there can be only one winner.  The winner is super-Asian-girl (April)!  She gets to choose a friend to go with her so she chooses super-cry-baby-girl (Catie).  Super-Asian-girl later tells us that super-cry-baby-girl is only 18 so when they are together, she also feels like 18 again and she likes that.  So the two of them go to this jewelry store and buy some jewelry and they have a good time.

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