Americas Next Top Model :: Season 1 :: Episode 4
(Information Copied From The UPN Website)
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TOO MUCH TO HANDLE: EBONY'S OUT
After a trying elimination, 24-year-old Bronx native Ebony Haith was the next girl to leave the penthouse. After a difficult few days that included confrontations with Giselle, a controversial visit from her girlfriend and a tough commercial shoot, Ebony was devastated to leave the competition, and did so without saying goodbye to the other girls.
GET UP, GIRLS
First thing in the morning, trainer Jon Silverman arrived to awaken the girls for their workout. His enthusiasm was a little trying so early in the day, and no one looked particularly happy to wake up. Giselle was still reeling from the last elimination, "which was the worst for me." She wasn't at all happy with Tyra's comments about her lack of self-confidence.
When Jon led everyone in an aerobics class at the New York Health and Racquet club, Adrianne, still suffering from her bout with food poisoning, was having a tough time keeping up. Noticing her struggle, Jon noticed her struggle and later remarked, "her level of commitment, just being there, was impressive."
When the girls returned home, Ebony began a new skin regime that included moisturizing, moisturizing and more moisturizing. Because the judges had commented on her skin troubles, she was committed to improving, explaining, "My skin will be flawless." Giselle wasn't thrilled with Ebony's new regime, complaining that the moisturizer "gets on the doorknobs, and the bathroom, and she's so LOUD."
ACTING!
After Tyra Mail arrived, the girls were carted off to an undisclosed location, which turned out to be a small theatre space. Tyra announced they were at one of the top acting schools in New York City, and for the week, they'd be working with Alice Spivak. With experience teaching supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Jamie King, she would help everyone learn some basic skills to get comfortable acting. The girls each took their turns miming scenarios on the stage, and Elyse commented that she had not done any acting since her seventh grade play. "Elyse needed to open up," Alice commented, "and she opened up, a little at a time." Then the girls paired up for improvisations, and Alice commented, "Shannon needs to take it more seriously.… Giselle is really very good. Robin surprised me in her total freedom, but who moved me in terms of being private, of being in the moment, was Ebony."
TRADING SPACES
At the loft, Tyra shook things up by moving Ebony and Adrianne from the Miami Room into the Tokyo room, letting the girls know that the concept of living space is at a premium when a model first starts out. Robin, Kesse and Shannon were all still on their own in Milan, but Giselle and Elyse would get some new roommates. Giselle was thrilled about Adrianne's presence, but a dramatic eye-roll revealed she was less than enthused about Ebony.
That night, the girls got a surprise visit from the fur-bedecked runway trainer J. Alexander, who sashayed in to find everyone in their pajamas, ready for bed. He was there to check on the girls' progress from the beginning until now, and each woman slapped on a pair of heels with their jammies for some unrehearsed catwalk strutting. When he took Ebony's shoulder to direct her movement, he was shocked at the layer of oil that came off on his hands. "Girl, you have got to be fried!" he wisecracked, flashing his damp fingers at the camera. Giselle looked on knowingly, and Elyse commented, "There's grease all over because of her new moisturizing regime. Ugh!"
After the little demo, Robin asked if J. would "be a celebrity judge in our badonka-donk contest right quick." Robin explained that badonka-donk is a butt-shaking dance, and nearly all the girls shook 'em for all they were worth. Elyse sat out, however, saying, "Everybody gets together and shakes their donk-donk for a prize. I don't think I'm going to participate in that." J. was transfixed when Kesse really went to town, and Elyse was shocked: "She goes to church and she's part of the 'holy room,' and yet she does dirty dancing." Kesse was pronounced the winner of the contest, with Adrianne coming in second.
GREASE IS THE WORD
The Tokyo room was in an uproar over Ebony's excessive lotion problem. In the isolation room, Elyse explained, "Giselle said she was going to tell Ebony to wash her hands before she touches anything, so I can't wait for the Giselle versus Ebony anti-grease showdown. I sincerely hope I'm there."
As so often happens in a communal environment, the loft's cleanliness (or lack thereof) became an issue. Adrianne had serious issues with "the Christians that think they're better than everybody, and they're holier than thou. I clean up their messes all the time." Giselle's laziness was also a topic of conversation between Elyse and Kesse. Kesse commented, "I don't think she's used to pulling her weight. I think she's used to people cleaning up behind her."
SPA CHALLENGE
Back at acting classes, Alice announced that she would be judging a challenge, with the winner receiving a spa treatment and the choice of two others to accompany her. The four remaining girls would be cleaning the house. The challenge was a cold reading of a script, and Alice knew "Giselle is the most worried about doing as well, or better" than the others, while Shannon "kind of jumps in, dives in, splashes around a bit, and maybe it comes out all right."
Adrianne, on the other hand, "was softer, smiling, and she became relaxed, almost like a professional." Alice found Elyse to be multi-faceted and lovely, but felt that Kesse pushed too hard with her performance. Ebony's aggression surfaced, so her frustration turned her scene into an angry one. "Robin turned into the most surprising. She really can act." Alice awarded the spa treatment to Robin, much to Giselle's bitterness, and Robin not unexpectedly chose Shannon and Kesse.
As everyone sat together after the competition, Giselle spoke up to Ebony about washing her hands after moisturizing, and Ebony stared at her, surprised. Despite her confusion, Ebony agreed to be more conscious of her hands.
CLEANING HOUSE
While the four remaining girls went about cleaning the loft, Robin, Shannon and Kesse had their treatments in full view of the others. "The people that were left to clean the house were the same people that have been cleaning the house," Ebony said, and Kesse noticed that Giselle wasn't doing anything at all. Giselle was brazen enough to ask the masseur to give her a brief massage between girls, and when he agreed, Ebony spoke up. Giselle got very upset, saying, "You're sitting here, I asked him a question, and you were like, 'Are you kidding me?'"
The girls got in each other's faces, and some serious finger-waving went on, with Ebony calling Giselle on both her laziness about cleaning and her immaturity. Giselle couldn't understand Ebony's point of view, observing, "She's like, 'this is so immature, I don't even want to talk about it anymore,' yet she's talking about it with Adrianne."
The argument went on throughout the house, with Giselle following Ebony around as Ebony continued to express her displeasure. This scene, which Elyse described as an "Ebony-esque freak out," ended with Ebony walking off to have some strawberry cheesecake while Giselle worked on her hair in the bathroom.
DIVISIONS
Later, Ebony called everyone into the living room to ask if it was okay if her girlfriend came to visit for an hour. Robin wasn't happy: "Ebony is a lesbian, and I found this offensive. I cannot pass judgment on her, but I just know that some people [who] claim to love the Lord and are Christian are not always, you know, cut the right way." Shannon was also offended, adding, "It says in the Bible that it's an abomination to the Lord."
Adrianne was stunned by their responses, and on her own questioned how the girls would respond in the future, wondering, "What are you going to see in this industry? Are you going to sit there and preach to these people that they are going to burn in the fiery pits of hell if they have a gay lover?" Robin didn't like it, but as long as it wasn't in front of her, she couldn't say no.
Ebony and her girlfriend, Kaa, were thrilled to see each other again, and Kaa cracked up when she saw Ebony's bald head. Ebony introduced Kaa to everyone except Shannon and Robin. Elyse observed, "It seemed that Robin and Shannon didn't even want to meet Kaa. They pretty much stayed in the other room." While Ebony braided Kaa's hair, Elyse and Adrianne hung out with them, and Adrianne said, "I have so many gay friends, I don't care. She was really, really cool and she really loves her girlfriend." After spending a little more time together, Ebony and Kaa exchanged a goodbye kiss at the door, and Kaa went home.
MAKING CONTACTS
That night, Tyra Mail arrived announcing that they'd have to be ready for shoot at 8:00 the next morning, with no make-up. While most of the girls assumed it would be a photo shoot, Elyse figured acting would be involved. After their arrival at Pier 59 studios, they discovered she was right: it was a commercial shoot. "Everybody has a TV," Tyra explained, "And this is where your stardom is solidified. This is where Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and myself got famous." Unlike a photo shoot, "everything is in constant motion, and every frame has to be perfect."
Director Loren Haynes informed the girls the commercial would be for contact lenses, and it would include lines and movement. A choreographer, Tracy Staus, helped the girls learn the short routine, and Giselle admittedly got a little cocky, since she's been a dancer for fifteen years. Loren said, "Kesse was great, she was wonderful, she tried really hard, her personality was there and she wanted to make it work." While Loren felt Elyse was very likeable and relaxed, Elyse had a different outlook, concluding, "It was embarrassing. Can't wait to see that and laugh at it."
Shannon couldn't get one of her lines right, though Loren said her personality was there. Giselle felt really positive about her performance, and Loren commented, "She was great, able to bring a lot into the face." Adrianne's Chicago accent made it tough on her, as did her "homeboy" attitude. Robin, on the other hand, nailed it, Loren said, "she was virtually a pro." It didn't go as well for Ebony, who faltered with her movement. "She got nervous and couldn't quite hold on to it," Loren commented.
The next day one of the girls would be eliminated, and Elyse had some choice thoughts in the isolation room. Ebony was the one she had originally pegged to win the competition, but her performance in the commercial changed her mind, and Giselle's inability to take criticism was hampering her chances. Shannon and Ebony also privately reflected on their anxiety over the next elimination.
THE BIG DAY
Morning came, and the girls arrived for the elimination, nervously gathering in front of the judges. Present were the regulars--Janice Dickinson, Kimora Lee Simmons and Beau Quillian--along with guest judge, director Loren Haynes. The competition was a cold reading, similar to an actor's audition. Shannon was up first, and Janice's comment wiped the smile from her face: "It looks like you've landed from another planet, because you have so much teeth." Tyra compared her own smile to Shannon's, saying she has had to curb her grin to be subtler.
Kimora thought Kesse's commercial was great, saying, "You weren't scared of it, you didn't give it too much and you really got the sexy thing." Janice liked Robin's commercial, though she absolutely did not like when Robin repeatedly called her "ma'am," explaining, "it's condescending." Tyra's advice: "Pull back a little bit." Adrianne was next, and Kimora noted, "When you talk, it makes me want to grit my teeth." However, despite Loren's initial worries about her commercial, Adrianne's close-up saved the day: she looked stunning.
Beau brought up Giselle's self-confidence again, though Giselle protested that she felt very strong on the commercial shoot. Kimora thought she was fantastic, and Loren was shocked to discover Giselle's background as a dancer, saying he would have worked her harder had he known. Tyra recommended a change of attitude for her, adding, "Give them all the goods: I can kick, I can spin, I can twirl, I can stand on my head, what do you want?"
When Ebony came up next, Janice didn't mince words: "I think that was the worst reading I've ever heard. I mean, how long have you wanted to be a model?" Tyra thought she looked great, though stilted, in the commercial, and Loren commented on the length of time it had taken to get workable footage. Elyse was last, and Tyra said, "There was a little bit of quirkiness that wasn't working, but then every now and then it would work...a certain kind of awkwardness that played in your favor."
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Though Tyra didn't admire Elyse's commercial performance, Janice was sure "she has what it takes, as far as I'm concerned, to stay in the competition today." Janice also pleaded for Adrianne to get elocution lessons, and neither Kimora nor Loren found her performance appealing. Kesse impressed them with her constant improvement and beauty in front of the camera, while Robin drew differing comments: Janice couldn't get over her "yes ma'am, no ma'am, pageant queen" attitude, while Tyra felt she "represents America." Shannon's toothy smile was still a topic of conversation, as was her need to work on communicating her sexuality more strongly. Beau thought Ebony "blossomed in front of the camera, but her performance was so up and down." While Loren also thought she had a tough time, he added that Ebony worked hard and her smile warmed her harsh edges. Lastly, Beau commented again on Giselle's confidence, stating, "Nobody's going to book her with an attitude like that," and Janice and Loren echoed the sentiment.
When the judges had made their decision, the stressed-out girls lined up, and Tyra confessed the process was becoming more and more difficult each time. One by one the girls were called up: Kesse, Elyse, Adrianne, Robin, and Shannon were not eliminated, leaving Giselle and Ebony as the final two. They stepped forward, and Tyra immediately pinpointed the way Giselle was standing: shoulders pulled forward, totally lacking self-esteem. As tears rolled down Giselle's cheeks, Tyra moved on to tell Ebony, "You are beautiful, your smile is breathtaking, but you have anger that makes you push yourself too hard, to the point where you lose focus and become difficult to work with."
When Tyra named Ebony as the one to leave, Giselle breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Ebony simply walked out, not saying goodbye to anyone. She made a solitary phone call in the bathroom before leaving, and said later that the harsh comments about her overshadowed her sorrow at being eliminated. "Tyra said it seemed as though I was a little angry about something, and I think that was more hurtful, because she couldn't see how happy I was to be there." Ebony walked away into the New York night, leaving six girls remaining in the penthouse.
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