Americas Next Top Model :: Season 1 :: Episode 2
(Information Copied From The UPN Website)
__________________________________________________________________
Episode 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
A QUESTION OF SEXY: KATIE OUT OF THE RUNNING
At another tumultuous judging and elimination session, the tough panel of judges named Katie, 21, from Glenview, Illinois, their next choice to go home. The beautiful Katie never shied away from using sex appeal in her runway walks and photo shoots. Her confidence in her sensuality found itself in full bloom at a Stuff magazine shoot, where she nimbly hooked her finger into the strap of her bikini bottom. The sexy pose won her few fans among the judges, who determined that ultimately, it was more worthy of a calendar girl than a fashion model. On her way out, a still-confident Katie declared, "I'll be on the covers of magazines. You'll see."
GIRLS' NIGHT IN
After the previous night's emotionally wrenched judging and elimination, in which 19-year-old Tessa had been eliminated, everyone's confidence had been shaken. Ruminating privately on the previous night's elimination, Shannon noted, "It was really, actually, hard for me last night, because I was with Tessa at the elimination…. I really thought I was gonna be leaving. I have my confidence back. So, we'll see how the next elimination goes."
While friendships had started to form between some of the girls, tensions were mounting as well. The loft had taken on the feel of a sorority, with the girls' clothes and belongings strewn across the floors in bathrooms and bedrooms. While several girls entertained themselves by chatting and looking at pictures of Shannon's family, there was one room that wasn't quite so relaxed. A perturbed and emotional Elyse had closed herself off in the isolation room in an attempt to find peace and air her grievances. "I really just want to get away from everybody right now," she moaned, "The other girls are at this high volume, high energy, all the time. I'm so tempted to just sit in here and be away from all this noise."
WAKE-UP CALL
The following morning, Adrianne came across the day's Tyra Mail and immediately awakened the girls by racing up and down the halls shouting, "Ladies, we got Miss Tyra Mail!" The girls staggered into the living room, still half-asleep and barely coherent. Robin was the one girl dressed to kill, in a short, silky robe and strappy black high-heeled shoes. A sleepy Giselle was lucid enough to gear up for the next competition, declaring, "Whatever they hit me with, I'm ready to go for it and do it!"
Adrianne read the Mail: "You're about to meet your first fashion expert who will help you on the way to become AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. Be ready at 11:30 AM." The early curtain call was greeted with groans and sighs as the girls made their way toward the shower. Adrianne yelled after them, "Don't exceed 15 minutes in the shower!" as the girls scrambled to get ready for their next challenge.
While getting ready, the ever-competitive and focused Ebony practiced modeling moves in the mirror, "I'm very serious about this. We're in a competition, and my plan is to win. There is nothing else but that."
LOFT POLITICS
Before leaving for their 11:30 AM challenge, Robin and Shannon sat at the dining room table, quietly reading from the Bible. Spotting Elyse across the room, Robin ushered her over and asked the self-avowed atheist to read a specific passage from the book. "Foolish is the man who says there is no God," read a confused Elyse. Suddenly, it dawned on her that Robin was sending a very pointed message about her belief system. Stunned, Elyse stared at the page before handing the Bible back to Robin. "When I read that, it made me think of you," Robin said, gazing up at Elyse. Clearly offended, Elyse left the room without responding.
ON THE CATWALK
At 11:30 AM sharp, Tyra greeted the girls in a stark, loft-like setting. She stood waiting on a long, raised catwalk. "Every model has their own personal style, and this is the last example of my personal style right here," Tyra began, as a large, overhead screen displayed a montage of her strutting and sashaying down numerous runways. When the montage ended, Tyra added, "That's my style. But that's mine. And you guys need to find yours." To illustrate this point, Tyra noted that in her interview, Robin had mimicked Tyra's personal style. Tyra stressed to Robin that she, along with the other girls, must discover their own styles on the runway.
After demonstrating some typical runway no-nos, Tyra introduced top runway trainer J. Alexander. J. instructed the girls to strut their stuff on the runway so he could begin to understand where each girl was in the development of their own runway style, for better or worse. After each had taken her turn walking up and down the runway, J. told the group they were walking too tightly and proceeded to mimic their stiff, awkward walks. Clearly, they had a lot to learn.
J. asked the girls to take another stab at the walk and critiqued each one as they came down the runway. Nicole went first, and J. noted her "quiet confidence." As plus-sized Robin commanded the runway, J. told her that she would be very successful "in her end of the business." Adrianne "has all the right elements. Watch her fancy footwork: she's taking it all in very quickly. J. commented that Shannon has a very pretty face and that "there is something very commercial about her walk."
The critique became more pointed with Giselle. "Have you danced before?" J. inquired. When Giselle proudly replied, "Yes," J. responded that "dancers are always quite difficult to break in." J. proceeded to mock Giselle's runway walk with his chest puffed up and shoulders thrown back. His caricature got giggles from the other girls as Giselle looked slightly unnerved by the criticism. Though amused by J.'s description, the girls realized that this tough trainer had each of their faults pegged, and any of them could be next to be brought down to size.
J. found Kesse's walk stiff, and urged her to relax. He criticized Ebony for trying too hard to stand out, which was not necessary, because she already stood out. He found her walk to be uptight and vowed to break her in. Katie confidently commented, "I love runway. It's like a whole different way to express yourself. Some girls don't have it naturally. I think that I've got a natural walk. J. had his own thoughts about Katie's skills on the catwalk: "Katie's very in to it. She's like, 'It's all about me; I've already been down the runway more than you have.' But of course, her walk needs help." J. had much more positive comments for Elyse, whom he claimed was the one girl who had "what it takes." He added, "When I look at Elyse, I think that her body's right for clothes."
J. WITH A VENGEANCE
After the girls had completed their walks, J. took the stage again. He told the girls his motto for runway walking: "Walk like it's for sale, and the rent is due tonight!" To prove his point, J. would demonstrate just what he meant. The girls' eyes widened in amazement as J. returned from a back room wearing black high heels and a buttock-hugging black chemise. His long, smooth legs were perfect, and he proceeded to show them just how the runway is mastered. He strutted his way down the catwalk in a brazen and perfect runway walk that left the girls both amazed and educated!
Before letting the girls go for the night, J. assembled them to discuss their future life plans. Katie was interested in acting, while Ebony expressed a desire to be a comedian. Elyse's pursuits in the medical field, however, stopped J. in his tracks, and he explained just how difficult that would be for her. Giselle privately commented, "Elyse, I love her, but her dream is to become a doctor. It's like, well, why are you here? That really, really pisses me off." Elyse was not thrilled by J.'s critique, and it only furthered her feelings of frustration with and alienation from the modeling competition. J. finally sent the girls home, telling them to use the runway in their loft and practice!
THE GIRLS BREAK BREAD
Before heading back to the loft, the girls stopped off for some pizza. Robin threw on an apron and jumped behind the counter to assist in the pizza-making, while Ebony declared that she wanted some "real New York pizza!" As they settled in to devour the pizza, they noticed waifish Elyse had opted to eat a small portion of oatmeal out of a paper cup rather than join in the pizza. The other girls were becoming increasingly concerned about Elyse's eating habits.
THAT NIGHT
Back at the loft, some of the girls used the long tabletop in the living room to practice what they'd learned from J., all the while discussing how they did and attempting to improve their performance. Nicole pointed out that Elyse was the only one who did not receive a negative comment from J.
More girls gathered around the table and critiqued one another, each taking a turn as the others watched. Sick of the girls, tired of the competition, a defeated and frustrated Elyse once again retreated to the isolation room to rant, "I don't have the will to walk on the catwalk. I don't want to be a model. I don't. I can't. It's so irrelevant. Eliminate me!"
EXTREME RUNWAY
As the girls gathered for their second day of runway training, J. surprised them with the day's Challenge: Extreme Runway. Throughout a mock fashion show, each girl would change clothes three times, with only 30-second intervals between appearances on the runway. J. stirred up competitive juices by announcing that the winner of Extreme Runway would win a night out with famed recording artist Wyclef Jean in his posh recording studio. The girls cheered at the news, and Ebony, dead-set on winning, exclaimed, "Wyclef is the best present!"
The girls raced backstage to begin their first set of clothing changes. Most of the girls accepted the stylish wardrobe selections gladly, save Shannon, whose changes included a red shirt meant to be worn open, without buttoning. Shannon refused to go out without buttoning the shirt, later explaining, "I didn't feel comfortable with that." Meanwhile, Robin did not make it onto the runway on time, prompting Adrianne to remark, "I think with Robin, she's used to checking herself out in the mirror, which made her late." Conversely, Adrianne sailed through all her changes without a hitch, even though the entire process may have seemed strange to her at first. "When I first took my stuff off," she remembered, "I was buck-naked, and I had to get in my clothes, and I had to do it in 30 seconds."
After their final clothing change, the girls lined up and gave each other a round of applause. J. made the girls sit through one last critique before announcing the winner. According to J., Kesse, Ebony, and Robin were late, Shannon should have left her shirt open, and Elyse was missing a shoe. The girls sat quietly and nervously, swallowing the tough criticism while wondering who was going to win the coveted evening at Wyclef's. Finally, J. called Giselle, Adrianne, Katie and Nicole forward. He informed them all that they had mastered the catwalk, but that only one of them could win. After a brief pause, he declared Giselle the winner. After hearing her name called, a shocked Giselle exclaimed in disbelief, "I never win anything!" When J. informed her that she could bring along three friends, Giselle picked the other three finalists. Ebony, who had been determined to win, couldn't hide her displeasure. She stood silent, offering not a word of congratulations to the winning group. Elyse commented, "Her jaw was clenched. She didn't say a word to anybody--for once."
TENSIONS ERUPT
Back at the loft, the fireworks continued. While most of the girls hung out together, raided the refrigerator, and chatted, Elyse retreated to the isolation room to let loose with an expletive-laden rant about the other girls. "There are the most vapid conversations going on around me all the time. Adrianne, stop interrupting me, stop quoting Jay and Silent Bob right next to my ear! I've had enough of you! Robin, how dare you show me that 'Foolish is the atheist' Bible verse this morning and ask me what I think of it? What the (expletive deleted) am I supposed to think of it?! You know what I think of you? Foolish is the woman who believes that (expletive deleted) tripe!" Elyse went on to say that Giselle was "worthless," "bitchy" and "stupid." She added that she didn't believe a word that came out of Katie's mouth and that Katie is "the most insincere person I have ever met." She closed her rant by declaring in disgust, "Let me (expleteive deleted) die, you bitches!"
With the four girls heading for their night out with Wyclef, Elyse was relieved to have some peace and quiet, until Ebony found some Tyra Mail. She read aloud that they were scheduled for a 7:30 AM photo shoot for Stuff magazine. Upon reading the Mail, Ebony decided that they should not inform Giselle, Nicole, Adrianne and Katie, who were down in the lobby waiting to leave for their date, about the photo shoot. She claimed that this would give the remaining girls a competitive edge. Robin and Shannon vehemently disagreed and ran down to tell the others before they left to meet Wyclef.
While the lucky girls enjoyed their night out, singing and dancing with Wyclef in his studio, the remaining girls retreated to their respective corners of the loft. Ebony, however, remained focused on her strong commitment to win the competition and spent the entire evening practicing her runway walk.
Later that night, once the girls had returned from Wyclef's, roommates Ebony and Adrianne discussed what had happened earlier in the loft. Ebony explained that she simply didn't want to tell the girls about the Stuff photo shoot. "I got the letter first; nobody was around me; maybe I should have kept it to myself," she insisted, "I wasn't going downstairs to let them know. No, this is a competition!" Adrianne wasn't too happy, and confessed, "This girl could have completely ruined my chances."
A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
What seemed like a competitive tactic the night before turned into a full-scale drama the following morning. Robin gathered the girls in the living room and told them, "Ladies, 'cause y'all weren't here and we were here, last night Ebony said she wouldn't have come down and let y'all know we have a letter up here." Some girls were stunned, while others stifled laughter over the circumstances of the meeting. Ebony immediately went on the defensive, explaining that this was a competition, and she was determined to win. As the situation escalated, Robin contributed to the ever-increasing volume by singing a church song. Meanwhile, Adrianne held her hands over her ears in defiance of anything that Ebony was saying.
Robin made all the girls stand and clasp hands in a prayer circle while she begged God to quell their competitive spirit. Ebony was clearly unmoved by Robin's words. As Robin continued her lengthy prayer, some of the girls began to cry, including Adrianne, Robin and Elyse. While Robin prayed, Ebony rolled her eyes. Once the prayer ended, Ebony shouted, "Robin, this is not a Bible study group! This is not a sorority! I'm sorry: this is a model competition!"
STUFF SHOOT
Katie was extremely excited about the Stuff photo shoot, explaining, "That's my dream, to be on the cover of Stuff magazine. That's my style!" As the girls were getting their hair and make-up done, Tyra welcomed them and cautioned them not to "sex it up" for the camera. She instructed the girls to watch her with the photographer, and told them to "watch the sexiness come from my eyes."
Clad in tiny bikinis, the girls practiced their poses before taking their turn in front of the camera. Katie revealed privately that she had done a Playboy magazine photo shoot, and guessed that would shock the other girls. When it was Katie's turn in front of the camera, she was clearly confident in her tiny bikini, and she seemed at ease with the sexy posing. The photographer, Barry Hollywood, noted that "a lot of girls are beautiful, but when you try to photograph them, the way they photograph can be entirely different." Mr. Hollywood mentioned that Adrianne was "fantastic. She sort of moved like a snake. She slithered around." Elyse, meanwhile, revealed she felt "incredibly unsexy" during her shoot. The photographer noted that Elyse looked "androgynous."
Preparing for her time in front of the camera, Robin wrapped a sarong over her bikini bottom, just as she had done during a photo shoot several days before. Tyra asked her, "Do you have to be covered all the time?" Worried about the way her body would look, Robin began to cry at the thought of having to unveil herself during the shoot. However, Robin's photo shoot went smoother than she expected, and she gained confidence as Barry Hollywood photographed her.
Mr. Hollywood commented, "Nicole: gorgeous to look at. From head to toe, she's physically flawless. Ebony, too, received rave reviews: "There's something very modern about her. I really liked her energy." About Shannon, he commented, "I loved the blond girl. She was great!" He admired Giselle's inner sexuality, adding, "She is so beautifully present all the time." Kesse didn't fare as well, admitting, "I wasn't really sure I was doing it right." Mr. Hollywood was quite aware of her discomfort and commented that because Kesse was so self-conscious, "it was hard to grab a moment of spontaneity."
SECOND THOUGHTS
After the shoot, the girls returned to the loft, only to find new Tyra Mail informing them that the following day, one more girl would be eliminated. The girls spent the rest of the evening speculating on how they were doing, as well as who they thought was going to stay. Some wondered if Kesse would stay, because she looks like Tyra. Elyse and Adrianne discussed the morning's prayer held by Robin. Elyse was deeply offended by the event, while Adrianne replied, "you know what? I just kind of blocked it out." Elyse privately confessed, "I think the other girls have the perception I'm not taking this seriously. What the other girls don't know is that I may be taking it more seriously than I'm letting on."
THE SECOND CUT BEGINS: WALK IT, GIRL
Elyse felt a jolt of rejuvenation as she admitted that the full night of sleep had given her a much-needed rest, and apparently a new attitude towards the competition. Kesse prayed that God would give her the confidence going into the elimination process. Giselle commented, "If I get eliminated, I'm going to be so pissed off!"
The girls slowly filed into the judging room and stood at apprehensive attention before the four judges, regulars Janice Dickinson, Beau Quillian and Kimora Simmons, along with guest J. Alexander, their leggy runway trainer. J. announced that the girls must enter the room one at a time to walk down a makeshift runway. During the walk, they must take off their jacket, and do so in a manner that showed off the jacket, which was the product they were representing in this mock runway show. The panel would then judge each of their walks, and comment on their portfolio shot selected from the Stuff magazine shoot.
The runway walk turned out to be anything but a cakewalk. The criticisms started right out of the gate with Robin, who was told that she had taken her jacket off just a little too early. Tyra noted, "The sleeve came inside out." Kimora singled out her tendency toward pageantry, noting, "This is high fashion!" Janice was surprised to learn that Robin was 26 years old.
Nicole received positive reviews from Tyra, but Janice advised, "I think the arm across the stomach is pushing your breasts together to make them more 'breasty.' I would have been more relaxed with the pose." Giselle sashayed down the runway to hear Janice comment, "If I were a designer, I would just die. You didn't reveal the lining of the coat." An uncomfortable Giselle listened to the criticism. Shannon was told by J. that she looked like she was "catching flies." Tyra told her, "You're trying to be sexy, and you're already sexy!" But the outspoken Janice raved, giving Shannon's photo a 10.
Adrianne took a subtle approach, and was asked by Kimora, "Were you thinking 'sexy' in your head?" Tyra was impressed by Adrianne's photo. Ebony was told her pose on the runway was "so catalogue." Janice was thrilled with Ebony's Stuff magazine photo, asking her, "Why couldn't you walk like this photograph?" Janice was thrilled with Elyse's walk, declaring it the best she had seen, and Tyra was very impressed with how she had placed her hands in the pocket of the jacket. Elyse was not enthused about her portfolio shot, commenting, "I had to make my sexuality mainstream." Kimora pointedly told Elyse, "I still think you are very thin and very pale." She spoke slowly, ensuring that that the point would weigh heavily.
Katie was next, and displayed her talent for using more sexuality in her runway walks. Janice was not impressed: "You need a lot of work on your walk, Miss Thing. Your ass was going 'wheeble-whobble.'" Tyra commented that Katie's sexy portfolio picture, in which she had hooked her finger provocatively into her bikini strap, lowering it slightly, cheapened her. "I think it makes you look like July," Tyra told her, adding, "Miss July in a calendar." Kesse was criticized for her walk. Janice commented, "Your walk didn't flow." As the critiques continued, an emotional Kesse couldn't hold back the tears. Janice, however, didn't hold back either. "If you can't take my critique on the flow, then you might as well take another job, because I'm going to be honest with you!"
CHOICES: WHO WILL BE NEXT?
Once the girls were finished walking, the judges were left to deliberate on who would be the next eliminated girl. Kesse's emotional breakdown did not bespeak confidence to Beau. Tyra noted that she liked Giselle, but others commented that her rear was a bit large. "It's kind of wide," commented Janice. The debate over Elyse continued to rage, with Kimora claiming that she was very thin, and Janice shooting back, "Irving Penn, Avedon would love her!"
Katie received harsh criticisms. Tyra and Kimora both commented "out" when deciding whether to keep her in or not. A lone Janice said, "in," much to the surprise of the other judges. Tyra explained, "It's not just about sexy. It's not about looking like the top Playboy cover model. She would make a great model for a swimsuit calendar."
About Nicole, Beau remarked that "there is something a little vacant there." Shannon "has a smile that is so magnetic," according to Tyra. Ebony confused Kimora, who couldn't quite peg her as hard or soft. Janice asserted that Adrianne "has what it takes. I see it. I feel it." Tyra noticed that Robin was, "still stuck on that church walk." The one thing all the judges could agree on was that the decision as very tough.
A DECISION REACHED
The nine girls filed in. After having avoided the first cut, the girls now faced another excruciating moment. Everyone felt the glare of the judges' eyes and braced for the worst. Last time, Tyra held nine portfolio photos, one less than the number of girls standing. This time it was eight, again one short. The girls eyed the stack of shots: whose photo was missing? Who would be saying goodbye sooner than they had ever expected?
One by one, names were called. Nicole was first to feel the cool wave of relief as her name was called, and she gingerly took the precious photo in her hands, satisfied that she would stand for at least another chance at the coveted prizes awaiting the eventual winner. Giselle, Robin and Adrianne's names were called. Adrianne, however, could not avoid one more comment from Tyra: "That walk. Were you present in class?" Ebony was next, and finally Elyse. Now, only two girls, Kesse and Katie, faced the pain of not knowing. Katie commented, "I'm feeling crazy, just like my mind is going everywhere." Kesse and Katie were called forward, and stood at attention as they awaited their fate. While tears streamed down Robin's face, the two girls held in their breath as the moment arrived. Kesse was safe.
Katie held her composure, but could not keep the trace of disappointment from her face. She hugged her friends, several of whom were in tears. Katie privately revealed that under her steely exterior was a heart that was breaking: "I was shaking. I was trying to breathe, and I couldn't breathe." Katie blew a kiss goodbye.
Back in the loft, Katie commented, "I'll be on the covers of magazines. You'll see. I feel kind of sad. I'm going to miss everyone. It just didn't really work." She wheeled her belongings out of the loft, melting into the backdrop of the glittering lights of New York.
__________________________________________________________________
Tag Board ::