America's Next Top Model 8 - Episode 5 Summary

'Living Dead Strike A Pose' By Belinda James and Dalia Jones

Tyra's corrupting our girls.  This week they learned how to maneuver through a maze of laser beams to get to a key which opens a safe containing $40,000 in diamonds.  It's all caught on camera.  As they flee the scene of the crime, each girl is found dead and it's all caught on tape… Unbelievable…

Okay… I've been watching too much CSI.  Let's begin the recap…

In the first scene we peek in on the girls living a normal life in the house.  Whitney confesses, "I left a very good school to be here.  I owe my father $9,000 in tuition fees."  In the backyard, Felicia teaches Jael a dance routine to help her get her mind off her deceased friend.  I hope Jael does not carry her friend's decision to leave the earth like a band aide.  Anyway, I think Felecia is unofficially auditioning for the "Can you dance" show.  Meanwhile, Renee is having a long talk with herself.  She realized that she has an attitude with the girls.  "The girls look for ways to be offended by me," explains Renee.  I'm going to change and be nicer to the girls."  And she did change… In the next scene we see Renee trying to comb out Brittney's matted mess.  Brittney is purposely trying to mess up her hair so that Tyra will take it out.  It is not going to happen, Britt.  Get used to the weave until your elimination.  This is great that Renee is having a "light bulb" moment.  She is putting out so much negative energy that it has manifested.  It's universal law!  What you give out is what you get in return.  However, Diana does not buy Renee's new attitude for one moment.  "It's just a way to manipulate people," says Diana.  As the girls prepare for their day, Jael burns her face with a curling iron… Surprise!  (I bet she did not feel a thing.)

The girls first instructor of the day was Benny Ninja, pose instructor.  Back in the day at the hottest night spots, the party people would battle each other on the dance floor by posing.  When Vogue was hot, all hell broke loose on the dance floor.  It was exciting to watch dancers challenge their bodies to do original poses.  The girls were paired up to battle against each other in posing techniques.  Surprisingly none of the girls had any major problems posing.

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If the girls really perfected the art of posing, this week's challenge should be no problem.  This week they will have to maneuver their bodies through a series of laser beams while striking cat-like poses.  Their mission will only allowed them two minutes through the maze. If they touched a laser beam, they would have to start over again.  The reward for finishing was a chance to select a key that would open a box which contained a diamond bracelet worth $40,000.  The girl's eyes lit up like Christmas trees.  Renee confessed, "I need to win this because my family needs the money to pay off bills."

All the girls did well except Renee.  She could not make it through the maze within her two minute time frame.  She was the only girl who did not have a key.  Benny Ninja selected the girl who did the best in posing.  The winner was Whitney… "She never took her eyes off me," said Benny.  Whitney was so happy and said that even though she owes her father $9,000 for tuition fees, she would keep the diamond bracelet because it had sentimental value.  Meanwhile, over in the corner we find Renee crying… "I cannot believe all the girls who went before me got a key.  We are in debt and have no place to live.  I feel I failed my family.  My spirit has been broken.  I thought I was going to rock this competition," cries Renee.

In the next scene, Renee is on the phone with her husband crying…  "Can you come and pick me up"….Sobbing…."I cannot stand these girls! I swear I am going to beat them up!  (At that moment, Felicia goes to the door to make sure Renee is alright and to tell her to get off the phone but Renee replies…) "Go away.  I'm talking to my husband!"  The girls now feel that Renee has not changed for the better.  She switches personalities from one day to the next.  You never know which 'Renee' will emerge from day to day.

The next challenge allowed the girls to play dead while looking fabulous.  Lucky for Jael the hair and makeup called for burns, cuts and scratches to compliment the burn on her face.  All the girls did an excellent job.  It will be hard to see who goes home tonight.   However, it amazes me that Jael seems to have living dead friends who abuse their bodies with drugs and she could not focus on what it feels like to imitate the living dead.  Natasha's shot required her to have water poured over her body.  She screamed that the water was too cold.  I'm sure one of the go-fers could have warmed the water a little or at least have room temperature water?  Do the rookies always have to be tortured?  I bet cold water would not be poured over Naomi Campbell at a shoot.  The water probably would have been imported from Italy and warmed at a temperature just right for her delicate body.

At the elimination ceremony Tyra is sticking with her big head wrap hair bush style.  YUCK!  I don't like the way Tyra dresses for the show.  She does not look like a retired ex model. She cannot talk about Dionne outfits because her smock dress with the laundry cloth head wrap was not cute.  She looks more like a matronly executive, like Twiggy. I hope Tyra is not styling herself.  Its okay for her talk show, I guess, but not for Top Model.

DALIA:  Question:  Why did Tyra come out with no makeup?  She look like she just woke up and they threw some powder on her face.  After the commercial break it looked as though they added some color to her face…Belinda, if you did not see it, you better get a HD TV.  The difference is like night and day."

I did not notice that she was not wearing makeup because I could not get past the head wrap.  But, you're right… I need HD TV.   This week's bottom two was Felicia and Dionne.  The judges felt that Dionne does not present herself as a model.  They also felt that Felicia had strong photos week one and two, however week three was okay and week four was just weak.  They want to know if she is falling apart.  Ultimately it was Felicia who was sent packing.

In Felecia' exit interview she said, "I have grown so attached that I call them all my sisters.  I was touched to see the girls cry for me.   It meant that I made an impact.  She laughs, "I thought if these bitches don't cry for me, I'm going to be pissed.  I will definitely keep modeling.  I'm going to keep following my dreams."

DALIA:  I called it. I knew she was going home.  She was too cocky and confident.  I would have sent her home the first time she wore that belly blouse to the elimination ceremony.  She belongs in a rap video, not on the runway.  I wish Tyra would go back to letting us see two photos and a mini challenge during the elimination ceremony.  I need to see less time in the house and more time practicing their craft.  I was watching Donny Duesch's show, Big Idea and he interviewed a woman who models her hands and feet.  She makes millions per day and has her hands and feet insured.  The girls must also learn that they don't have to be all up in the camera… Wake up… Wake up!  Dionne's hair is too perfect.  She needs to mess it up a little.  Brittney on the other hand is a white girl who never had a weave.  She hates it and it shows.  It does look like a matted mess.  Overall I loved this show.  The creative director is doing a brilliant job.  The challenges were genius.

I will be speaking to Felicia in an exclusive interview which will be posted online.  Remember to send in your questions for any of the contestants.  Who do you think will be the next to lose a chance at becoming America's Next Top Model?  Email me at modeldigest@aol.com or visit me at www.warmspirit.org/beautybyreferral.

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