America's Next Top Model 7 - Episode 6 Summary

'Walk In My Shoes!' By Belinda Trotter-James

Three strikes and you're OUT!  This week I am starting from the end of the show.  You must have heard by now that Jaeda made it in the bottom two again.  This is the third time she has worn this crown.  Why are they hanging onto this one?  That Halle Berry haircut has just cut her confidence level in half.  As for the other girl who made it to the bottom two, you will have to read to the end.  Let's go through the show…

In the first scene Jaeda is reminiscing about being in the bottom two for the second time.  (By the end of the show she can reminisce again.) "Your confidence level starts to get low", says the short hair beauty.  We also heard Michelle telling one of the girls that she may be gay.  If we were supposed to be surprised or shocked, it did not work.  If the network was desperate to add shock value into the show, this was not it.

The day began with a visit from Mark Steines, Host of Entertainment Tonight, who will teach the girls how to interview celebrities on a Red Carpet. "Ask a question, get an answer", Mark explains. Then we hear A.J. say, "I break out in hives when I get nervous.  I don't like going up to people I don't know and start asking them questions" Duh? In this industry your job is to ask questions.  What planet is A.J. on at this moment?  I cannot believe how some of the girls close their minds to try new things.  Modeling is not just about wearing a garment anymore.  Today models are allowed to speak.  Ta Da!  I guess A.J. will not be a guest correspondent for any show anytime soon.  That's too bad because in this week's challenge the girls get the opportunity to test their commentary skills and all the tips given to them by Mark to interview the first supermodel, Janice Dickinson on the red carpet.  Janice is a tough cookie but the girls should not be intimidated.  The challenge was so simple and most of the girls screwed up big time.  Jaeda and AJ could not think of one question and Janice chewed them up and spit them out on the sidewalk.  I guess no brains and beauty applies in this case.  The contestant that stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball out of the park was Melrose.  She was confident, personable and did not crack under pressure when Janice tried to take over the interview.  The prize was a major gig as an Entertainment Tonight correspondent at a red carpet event.  Melrose met all types of celebrities; she asked fun questions and did an excellent job.

In the next segment Tyra decided to put her talk show host skills in the mix and give the girls a pep talk and to see how they are feeling about being in the competition.  You know what's coming next…. Yes…… Tears.  The girls had plenty of them and big mama Tyra was there to be that comforting voice the girls have grown to love.  A.J. feels that she cannot relate to the girls and they don't understand her, especially Melrose. Who cares if the others don't understand you?  It's only a 13 week competition. Sheesh! Melrose, on the other hand, feels the girls don't want her around.  Eugena is struggling with the thought of having bad photos and Amanda confided in Tyra that her twin sister may be bi-sexual. Tyra noticed that Amanda is also withdrawing from the girls.  Amanda explained, "I don't want everyone to know everything about me (she starts to cry…told you.) I don't know if people should know that about my sister."  In the next segment we see the twins on the phone with their mother and Michelle reveals to her mother that she does not know if she is straight or not.  The mother says, "I love you" and Michelle just breaks down in tears.  Amanda takes the phone from Michelle and asks her mother, "What did you say?"  The mother says, "I didn't say anything."  Anyway, by the end of the conversation the mother gave Michelle lots of love instead of questions and drama over the phone.  That's great parenting skills.  Let Michelle work this out for herself.  Some seem to think when you say you're gay that the sky is going to open and everyone will be upset.  However, people are numb to the word.  It is not so taboo anymore and people have to eventually live their own lives and make mature decisions for themselves.

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Okay… enough of the mellow drama.  Save it for the psychiatrist's couch…. Let's move on to the rest of the show.  The next shoot challenged the girls to pose with themselves.  They were to walk in the shoes of America's favorite celebrity couples.  This means they had to be in hair/makeup twice…one as a man and the other as the woman.  Anchal portrayed Oprah and Stedman.  She was able to embody Oprah, but hair/makeup did an awful job when they transformed her into Stedman.  Caridee portrayed Brad Pitt and Ms. Jolie.  She did a great job.  Brooke portrayed Kevin Federline and Brittney Spears and was fierce with both characters.  A.J. did a horrible job evoking the personas of Marc Anthony and JLo.  You could tell that A.J. was not feeling this shoot and felt stupid committing to the characters.  She failed miserably.  It was a waste of film and makeup.  Eugena did a lifeless Beyonce and an unbelievable Jay Z.  Jaeda portrayed Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston and stepped up her game to deliver a good shot.  Michelle did an excellent job portraying Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi. Mr. Jay commented that he could tell that Michelle does not like being the feminine twin.  Oops!  See this is what happens when little girls don't wear dresses and play with dolls in pre-school.  Amanda is earning her stay as she portrayed Demi and Ashton perfectly.  Not to be outdone, Melrose was not about to be eliminated this week and had no problem putting her foot in Donald Trump's shoes along with his lovely wife Melania.

Just when the girls thought the pressure was off, Tyra announced at the elimination ceremony that they would have to do an impromptu commentary of a red carpet event.  You would think that the girls who were speechless in Seattle would redeem themselves in front of the judges… Nope.  A.J. did something that resembled bad public access commentary.  She just totally missed the mark.  Anchal, Michelle, Amanda and Jaeda were just clueless on what to say which lead Ms. J. Alexander to comment, "I'm going to the kitchen; anyone want anything?" I hollered!  He is too funny.  I love Ms. J.  These girls are so scared to perform in front of the photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists0, Mr. Jay, Tyra, yatta, yatta, yatta that they are two steps from being just another pretty face who could have won the title of America's Next Top Model.  It's like pulling teeth with dental floss.  I am ready to see next season's girls because these girls are not hungry.  However, Melrose and Brooke are pulling out their trump cards.  Ms. Jay did come back from the kitchen with donuts and the judges did an endless skit on donuts.  Hmmm.

Now the moment you all have been waiting for… the bottom two.  I told you the first one was Jaeda and the other lucky girl is A.J.  She was a frump (whatever that means. It just fits her attitude.)  Her entire performance throughout the show was a wash.  Her photos were definitely better than Jaeda's photos in the previous weeks.  However, I guess the judges need to see what you are doing now.  The judges felt that Jaeda's photos are not strong and she gave up too easily with both commentary challenges.  In A.J.'s case, the judges felt that she did not care about being in the competition anymore.  Each week the judges want to feel the desire from each contestant.  Therefore, A.J. was sent home.  In her exit interview, A.J. stated, "I may have subconsciously sabotaged myself.  I'm glad I gave up my spot for another girl who deserves it."   Oh, gee, thank you A.J. for giving up your superstar spot so someone less fortunate can take your place.

Dalia, please put your two cents in because I know you have something to say…. "What was that silly donut skit about?  Did we really need to see another product placement ad on the show?  Overall, I enjoyed the shoots this week because they were fun.  The other girls can hate Melrose for days, but she worked the spotlight.  Now, what was that mother moment with Tyra about?  "I have been in the industry a long time", says Tyra.  We know this already but I guess this was her cameo appearance.  She should have left the gay scene with Amanda alone. What was the point?  There was no middle or end to the story.  This is not The Real World where you have one gay, one angry black person, one all American boy, yatta, yatta, yatta.  They tried to exploit the whole issue and nothing really came of it.  Is she or isn't she?  Do we really care?  Will I loose sleep…? Nope.  I'm done!"

Who will be eliminated from next week's show?  Email me at modeldigest@aol.com and let me know what you want me to ask A.J., the fifth girl to lose the chance of becoming America's Next Top Model.

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