America's Next Top Model 6 - Episode 4 Summary

'The Weebles Wobbled And Did Not Fall Down' By Belinda Trotter-James

This entire show had you biting your nails in anticipation of girls cleaning the floor with their ass.  Every career has a special tool of the trade that is used along with their craft.  Baseball players use a bat and ball.  Designers use fabric, needle and thread.  A model uses HIGH HEELS.  The way the girls walked in this episode you would think this is their first time wearing heels.  Tyra did not ask them to walk in stilts, she asked them to walk in shoes.  Give me a break.  Tyra’s clumsy left footers were an embarrassment to amateur models everywhere.

Thank goodness, Diva J. Alexander is here to whip the girls into runway shape.  Diva J. can work a runway but he has got his work cut out for him with this group.  The girls are missing an entire list of things needed to be a supermodel.  The girls lack fire, strut, attitude, timing with the music and energy.  Girls are skipping down the runway, the posture is off and I thought I saw a robotic walk from Mollie Sue.  I have never been to a fashion show and seen a model skipping up or down the runway.  Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.  However, the rule is … NO Skipping!  Would someone please take these girls to a real runway show to see real supermodels in action?  If they don’t get it after the show, it will be easy to weed out the weakest links.

The girls had to practice walking in heels and an evening gown.  They all weebled and wobbled but amazingly they all had extremely perfect balance.  I was expecting a few flat faces and scared knees.  Jay felt that Jade had been holding back on the runway because the judges have been so hard on her.  All the contestants need to step up their game because this is not a rehearsal.  The girls seem to get nervous when the other contestants are watching.  However, Jade said it best when she told Gina “It’s mind over matter,” when the girls had to hold a roach.  We’ll get to that later.  Back at the house, Kari is talking to her parents over the phone and starts crying.  The pressure of the competition and being away from home is taking its toll on the budding model.  “It’s a good growing up experience,” says dad to his little baby girl.  I hope all parents are watching this and will let their children spend the night out occasionally so that when an opportunity like this comes along they are not falling apart because they miss mommy and daddy.  Sheesh!

The next challenge was for the girls to put their runway skills to the test with Jared Gold, fashion designer.  The girls will be wearing his collection on the runway and Jared likes to do things to ensure press coverage.  The girls notice that Mr. Gold is holding a vessel that contains giant hissing Madagascar cockroaches.  The roaches were alive covered in colored stones that were glued on their backs with tiny roach leashes.  We don’t want our roaches to run away.  Jared announced, “Let’s see how you handle outrageous things the fashion world throws out at you.”

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Furonda hit the runway with her arm pointing straight out the entire length of the runway.  She looked like a damned fool.  Have you ever seen a model walk a runway with her arm looking like an ironing board?  Gina had a memory relapse and thought she was on Fear Factor.  She hates roaches and now she is told to wear one on her shoulder.  Jade saw this as the perfect opportunity to irritate and shake her confidence.  Jade is the oldest one in the bunch and is the most immature of the bunch.  However, I must give thumbs up to Ms. Jade because she rocked the runway and kissed the roach during her runway pose.  Meanwhile, Gina is still freaking out behind stage over a roach.  For some people phobias are a major obstacle.  However, if you have phobias, stay away from careers that will make you face your fears.  This could have been a real waste of time and energy in preparing Gina to go onstage only to find out she will not go on with a roach.  Jared had to push her on the runway.  She tripped at the end of the runway and made an ugly funky face to match.  She cannot be serious about pursuing a modeling career.  Jade won the challenge and choose four contestants to accompany her to the Mercedes Benz Fashion show with Fern Mallis, the organizer who gave the girls the star treatment.  Finally, some of the girls get a front row seat to see supermodel masters in action.  Jade was so proud of her win that she called her dad to tell him she  redeemed herself after being in the bottom two last  week.

The next day Mr. Jay greeted the girls to give them their next challenge.  He must have heard that the girls mastered falling therefore; he will show them how to fall gracefully.  The twist is that they will be falling as modern day fairytale characters.  The girls looked wonderful as Cinderella, The Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks, Gretel, Rapunzal, Little Boy Blue, Princess and the Frog and others.  Danielle did great as Snow White or “Snow Black,” giggles Danielle.  Jade hit her mark again as Little Red Riding Hood and Gina was wide-awake as Sleeping Beauty.  Jade was in the background during Gina’s shooting to make sure she did not hit her mark.

At the elimination ceremony, the girls were given a surprise challenge.  Tyra explained that a famous supermodel fell in a very high, very uncomfortable pair of shoes worn at the Vivian Westwood fashion show.  Tyra showed a clip of Supermodel Naomi Campbell polishing the runway with her buttocks in a pair of extremely high shoes.  You know what comes next… Tyra wants to see her amateur contestants walk in those very same shoes.    I hollered through the entire segment.  It was like watching a car crash in slow motion.  Kari twisted her rubber band ankles several times without injury.  Jade, Nnenna, Mollie Sue and Danielle all wobbled without their butts touching the floor.  It was both funny yet scary watching the girls balance their legs on blocks called shoes tied to their feet.  When the dust cleared, Danielle was the only casualty.  She sprained her baby toe and had to use crutches to attend the elimination ceremony.

When it was time for the judges, Twiggy, Nigel, J. Alexander, Tyra and guest judge, Jared Gold to deliberate, they felt that Mollie Sue fell flat, Danielle is a star, Brooke needs to learn her angles, Furonda looks like an insect, Kari is not a runway girl, Leslie needs walking practice, Sara is not good, Gina is uncomfortable with herself, Joanie needs work, Jade did good this week and Nnenna needs to show her personality.

In the end, Gina and Kari were the bottom two contestants and Kari was  chosen to go home.  And then there were….Ten.

Belinda Trotter-James is the editorial director for Beauty By Referral, which caters to those seeking a career in modeling.  Visit her at www.Beautybyreferral.com and tell her who you think should be the next to get the boot.

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