America's Next Top Model 6 - Episodes 1 & 2 Summary

'I Wanna Be A Model' By Belinda Trotter-James

Tyra Banks is at it again with Cycle 6 of America’s Next Top Model.  Girls from around the country auditioned for the show and 32 hopefuls were chosen to compete for the title. 

If you are an aspiring model or auditioned for the show and did not make it, then you should be watching every show as if you were in school. 

The girls were waiting outside when Mr. Jay and Miss Jay greeted them.  The girls screamed as if they were rock stars.  The Jays put the girls to work immediately by giving them their first challenge.  The girls were instructed to change into an outfit and walk a catwalk. 

Some of the girls could not walk.  How can you say you want to be a model and don’t know the first thing about how to walk?  Tyra and her crew are not going to teach you in a few weeks.  Either you have “it” or you don’t. 

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Tyra and her staff selected a diverse group of girls who have interesting backgrounds.  Nnenna, who is from Nigeria told Tyra that her father sent her and her sister to America because he could not afford to take care of them after her mother died after giving birth to a fourth child.  She hoped that becoming a model would help her family.  Wendy is another contestant who is from New Orleans and lived through hurricane Katrina.  She has no idea if her father is alive or dead.  Mollie was not sure if she should compete because her boyfriend thinks models are clueless. 

Most of the girls are between the ages of 19-27 and boyfriend will come and go, but this opportunity will come along maybe once in a lifetime.  Use wisdom and know when opportunity knocks.  Then there is Jade who swears she is so fine that she cannot understand why she is not a supermodel already.  She has a very strong, dominating personality.  These are just a few of the characters that you will grow to love or hate in the next few weeks.

The competition heats up when 32 girls are reduced to 20.  The girls are now asked to apply makeup to themselves in ten minutes and participate in a photo shoot where they must pose themselves. 

Again, some girls did not have a clue of how to pose in front of a camera.  Have you ever pretended to be a model and pose in front of your mirror and your siblings would tell you to get out of the mirror?  Am I the only one who stayed in the mirror?  Practice gets you ready for opportunity.  Tyra thought that Yvonne was not photogenic; Miss Jay felt Danielle needed to shave the mustache and Mollie is too robotic.  After deliberating, the team decided on the seven girls who would be eliminated.

Tyra commented that the elimination process is always the hardest.  The final 13 girls to compete for the title of America’s Next Top Model are Jade, Sara, Mollie, Leslie, Joannie, Nnenna, Kari, Brooke, Danielle, Katherine, Furonda, Gina and Wendy. Tyra gave a pep talk to those who did not make the cut and of course, the girls could not hold back the disappointing tears.

In the next scene, we see a life size magazine with Mr. Jay’s photo. All of a sudden, he comes bursting out of the photo.  What was that entrance all about?  It was so corny.  I guess it was his way of introducing the next challenge, which was to show your personality.  “The pretty gene is not enough in this business.  You need personality,” announces Mr. Jay.  Then he brings out Ms. Personality herself, Supermodel, Janice Dickinson.  Janice will be one of the judges to ask the girls questions in a mock press conference.

Jade and Danielle tried to dominate the interview, however, the others got enough courage to join in.  Nnenne ended up being the favorite as she told her story of becoming a model.  The only one who cracked under pressure was Gina. She could not answer a question given to her by Janice.  Anyway,  Nnenne ended up winning the press conference challenge.  Her prize was to select three girls to go into their living quarters first to pick out the rooms of their choice. 

This year, the theme of the house was set up like a modeling agency.  Photos of supermodels and past contestants for ANTM covered the walls.  It was amazing to see super icons such as Iman and Twiggy on the walls.  When the girls settled in, Jade was the first one to get on Gina’s case because she blew the interview question at the press conference and was confused about who she was.  Gina feeling intimidated by Jade broke down and started crying.  As I watched the show with my girlfriend Dalia, we only had three words for Jade…Mind Your Business.

Tyra always allows the girls to have a question and answer session with her.  The girls can ask anything they want.  Tip:  Whenever you have the chance to ask question with someone who has mastered the industry you want to pursue, don’t ask stupid questions.  For example, Furonda wants to know what advice Tyra would give to girls who are eliminated.  Tyra refused to answer the question because it was negative.  Ask questions that will move you forward not backwards.

Now it is time for the girl’s salon makeover.  Mr. Jay tells them that they will be bald for the shoot.  Not only did the girls almost faint, I almost fell off my chair as well.  What would they do for the rest of the cycle…wear wigs?  However, as it turned out Mr. Jay explained that they would be wearing bald caps.  The girls were definitely relieved.  The photos that produced beautiful, bald mannequins were Sara, Danielle, Nnenna and Leslie.  Furonda did not nail it but she was very proud and thought she rocked it.  Jade was not that good and Mr. Jay said, “It is difficult to work with girls who already think they are models.  She thinks everyone missed her.  There is a reason why [they missed her.]”  Gina’s photos looked like a deer caught in headlights.  You can tell there is no thought in her head. 

When it came to the judging, photographer, Nigel Barker, Miss J. Alexander and fashion icon, Twiggy thought that Sara, Danielle and Nnenne had excellent photographs.  They also commented that Furonda did not know what to do and resembled an alien.  They noticed the sadness in Wendy’s photos.  Tyra explained that she is from New Orleans and is a victim of hurricane Katrina.  Twiggy was concerned that she would not mentally be able to make it through the competition.  In the end, Furonda and Katherine were in the bottom two.  Furonda has the potential to become a model and Katherine is cute but the judges could not see a modeling career for her.  Therefore, Katherine was sent home.

If the girls watched last season's show, they would know not to show all your weaknesses the first day thinking you can get a sympathy vote.  The girls need to nail every challenge and leave their personal issues in the closet at least until the competition is over.  Who will be the next to be eliminated?    Stay tuned next week for your front row seat highlights.

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

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