Other Great Reality Shows > Other Reality TV Shows & News
Americas Top Model Cycle 4
puddin:
CONFIDENCE MEETS COLD: CHRISTINA GONE
This week, the girls set out into the streets of Cape Town for their first round of go-sees, where Keeynah, the 19-year-old student from Compton, California, pushed her way to the front of the competition by winning the challenge. But after a naturalistic photo shoot during which the girls created their own fashions from the environment, Christina, the 24-year-old fashion-marketing student from Tallahassee, Florida, and Brittany, the 22-year-old elementary school instructional aide from Tallahassee, Florida, were put up for elimination, and Christina was sent home because she wasn't able to warm up her look and personality enough for the judges.
COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELLS
As the final five settle in for the last rounds of competition, Tyra shows up at their hotel room for a chat session, bearing gifts of South African food. Keenyah explains to Tyra that her close call at the last elimination has woken her up, and Naima, the 20-year-old coffee shop waitress from Detroit, Michigan, reveals that she feels like an entirely different person since the beginning of the competition. When Tyra points out that Naima can be seen as quiet, Naima responds that sometimes she is soft-spoken, but it is her way of distancing herself from an angry past. Brittany is just happy to be in a group that gets along, whereas Kahlen, the 21-year-old restaurant hostess from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, tears up because she's finally on a path to finding her identity. Christina doesn't want to be the chilly, reserved girl she's been perceived as, and vows to be more open at panel. Once Tyra leaves, the girls relax, and they all watch uncertainly as Keenyah refills her plate full of food while keeping an eye on the door to make sure that Tyra is really gone.
Tyra Mail arrives informing the girls that they will be going out on the town, and the next day they are all carted out to meet Jackie Berger, the fashion director of Elle South Africa, and Paola de Vito, CEO of the National Association of Model Agencies, who explains the go-see process of selling themselves as models to agencies. The girls will be going on ten go-sees, where they will be judged on promptness, personality, portfolio, look and professionalism. Cabs await the girls downstairs, and the only thing they have to do is return to see Paola by 4:30 pm.
THE RACE BEGINS
All the girls are tense as they head out, especially Christina, even though she feels great confidence in herself. Kahlen is frustrated when she is unable to operate the door code to see the first client, but eventually, she makes it inside. The first conflict arises when Naima and Keenyah arrive at the same location, and although Naima arrives first, Keenyah cuts in front of her, leaving Naima in the dust. But Naima doesn't let it get her down, and later she puts on a great walk for the client. Kahlen arrives for another go-see where she, again, has trouble with the door. When Keenyah shows up, she, again, cuts in front of Kahlen, who lets it go and moves on to the next client to save time. Even though Christina knows she has only 15 minutes to get back to the hotel, she opts to visit one more client and races through the interview impatiently.
The 4:30 deadline arrives and of the five girls, Naima is the only one not to arrive, having lost track of time and continuing on her list of go-sees. She shows up at the hotel 45 minutes late and is reprimanded by Paola, who then delivers the scores. Brittany was seen as bubbly, Naima had a great look and pictures, Kahlen was too innocent, Keenyah was good but less than graceful, and Christina seemed bored during some of the interviews. When Paola announces that Keenyah has won the competition, Keenyah chooses Brittany to attend a dinner at designer Craig Port's house with her.
HAPPINESS VS. FRUSTRATION
While Brittany and Keenyah head out in a limo to their dinner party, Christina, Kahlen and Naima toast one another with champagne back at the hotel. When Keenyah and Brittany arrive at Craig's house, they realize it is a large industry party where they can meet and schmooze fashion insiders. As the evening progresses, Keenyah gets frustrated because Brittany is the life of the party, talking to everyone and attracting loads of attention. Keenyah has second thoughts about inviting Brittany, and her disappointment is clear in the car ride back home.
Bright and early the next morning, the girls are brought out into nature for a photo shoot produced by Jim De Yonker and shot by Anton Robert. They will be "kloofing" to get to the shoot; in other words, they'll have to hike through canyons and water in wetsuits. They set out on their journey, and are greeted by Jay Manuel when they arrive at the location. He delivers the news that the girls must create their own outfits from their natural surroundings, using leaves, grasses, and anything else they can find. Keenyah uses grasses to cover her midsection, and heads out to a waterfall to begin. Jay notes her weight gain, but yells out advice on how to pose serenely. Naima chooses mud and sharp brown flowers to complement her look, but Jay doesn't think she did too well during her shoot. Brittany does a terrific job with her costume for the shoot by getting down in the mud and flopping around. Kahlen has a tough time putting her outfit together and looking sexy, whereas Christina goes suggestive with her poses and limited attire.
That night, the girls receive Tyra Mail announcing that another elimination will take place the following day. While Brittany and Keenyah prepare their ensembles, Kahlen discusses her nervousness over the shoot with Naima, and they both hope for the best in their photographs.
BRITTANY THINKS IT'S GOOD
Panel begins and the girls meet the judges, including guest judge Paola de Vito. The day's challenge turns the tables on everyone: they will each judge one another's photos. Brittany is up first, and while Keenyah starts out saying Brittany looks stiff, Naima disagrees, and the other girls follow suit. When it's time to judge Kahlen, Keenyah and Christina both don't like Kahlen's expression, whereas Naima does, and Brittany thinks it's good. When it's Christina's turn, Keenyah doesn't like her pose, Kahlen loves her face, and Brittany thinks it's good. Keenyah is next, and most of the girls don't like her photo, but Brittany isn't willing to say anything bad about it. Last is Naima, and while her pose is praised, Kahlen doesn't see enough emotion, and Keenyah only comments on the fact that she looks dirty. Brittany thinks it's good.
The next element of the challenge is for each of the girls to say who they think has the most potential as a top model. Keenyah goes first and says the one with the most potential is Brittany, and the least is Naima. Christina thinks Kahlen has the most potential, and Brittany the least; Naima chooses Kahlen as having the most, and Christina the least. Brittany jokes that while she will be the next top model, Keenyah has the most potential, and Christina the least. And finally, Kahlen chooses Keenyah as having the most potential, whereas Christina has the least.
HOT OR NOT
Tyra thanks the girls for their honesty, and starts out by saying that she's surprised that no one chose themselves as having the most potential, since Brittany made her statement and then backed out of it. First up is Keenyah; Janice loves her face, but Nolé doesn't see it as fashion. Christina is next, and her critique of everyone was great, but she showed little emotion. While some of the judges don't like her pose, Tyra thinks her slouch is part of a new modeling trend. Naima is next, and when the judges want to see more from her, she opens up a little. As for her critiques, Nigel says, "you took the words right out of my mouth." Her pose is great, but most of her good shots were only in profile, and Tyra says that to be a top model, you must photograph well from every angle. Kahlen is next, and her critiques were well thought out; it was clear she had learned much from the judges. But though her photo was a good one, there weren't many options to choose from and Nigel tells her, "Don't get complacent." Brittany is last, and her critiques were non-existent. However, her photo is gorgeous. Tyra tells her, "Women will want to be [you], and guys will want to be with [you]."
Deliberations begin with Naima, and Nolé hates her photo, but Nigel is falling in love with Naima all over again. Christina is still seen as icy, and Kahlen's photo and critiques are praised highly by Janice and Nigel. Keenyah is beautiful, but doesn't look like a model. Brittany is seen as sexy and great by Janice, but Tyra believes that Janice loves her because she sees herself in Brittany. When Janice and Nolé snipe at each other in fun, Paola comments, "This is what I was waiting for the whole night."
FIVE TO FOUR
When the group returns, Tyra hands Naima her picture first, and Tyra praises her for allowing the judges to see "the true you." Keenyah is next, but Tyra reminds her that she's "skating on thin ice" and needs to look more like a model. Kahlen follows, and though she is praised for her knowledge about modeling, this was her worst shoot so far. Christina and Brittany step forward as the final two. Tyra says that they both take great pictures, but Christina can't shake her icy persona, and the judges can't see that Brittany has progressed as a model. With that, Tyra reveals that Brittany will move on, and Christina is eliminated.
Christina embraces the four remaining girls before packing her things. With tears in her eyes and a shaky voice, she confesses, "I'm not this cold, reserved person, except at panel. I felt like I put up this wall. I just wish I would have been able to show the warmer side of me. I think it was a really big lesson learned."
Next week on ANTM
The winner of a unique dance challenge earns a reward, and her strategic decision of how to share the reward causes hard feelings.
One model's belief that she is special irritates the others and leads to arguments that fray friendships.
At a photo shoot, the models must dance and pose with male models, and one of the girls gets upset when she feels a male model's intense
puddin:
BRITTANY BOUNCED OUT
This week the girls endured a stressful dance competition at a South African community center, and Naima, the 20-year-old coffee shop waitress from Detroit, Michigan, won the challenge easily. As part of her reward, Naima earned extra frames for her photo shoot. When she distributed more frames to Brittany, the 22-year-old elementary school instructional aide from Tallahassee, Florida, and Keenyah, the 19-year-old student from Compton, California, she left rival Kahlen, the 21-year-old restaurant hostess from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, out in the cold. But the extra frames awarded to Brittany and Naima didn't cut it, and Brittany was eliminated because her personality and desire to win weren't enough to keep her around.
MAKING PROGRESS… NOT
As the final four get together for dinner, some of the residual tension from the last panel, when the girls each had to judge one another, bubbles over. Keenyah and Brittany begin to get on each other’s nerves, and Kahlen is annoyed with Keenyah's selfish attitude. Keenyah has also continued to eat whatever she wants as well, ignoring advice from the judges and the other girls.
The next day, the four meet with two South African designers, Bebe and Mandela, creators of G'Mbo Urban Ethnic Clothing. The pair will take the girls out into the township to see where they derive their inspiration, and on their tour, the girls see the poverty and hardships so many of the citizens of South Africa live with daily. Later, they arrive at the township community center where they meet members of the Jazzart theatre. Each girl will be paired up with an instructor to learn about dance, and Brittany and Kahlen both get nervous, while Naima jumps right in. Kahlen has a tough time figuring things out, but Keenyah feels as though she should have a connection to the dance because of her heritage. When the group sits down and talks with the dancers on a break, Keenyah talks about being black and how she has wanted to visit Africa, while Naima feels left out. Despite her lighter skin, she is black on both sides of her family; her father is also Mexican and Indian, while her mother is also Irish.
STAGE FRIGHT
The girls learn they will have to perform for an audience as a challenge, and that they will be judged by Alfred Hinkle, the artistic director of Jazzart, as well as J. Alexander. They dress up in African fashions, and prior to the performance, Kahlen gets herself worked up in frustration. She does not want to dance at all, much less in front of a large audience, but when the competition starts, somehow she pulls out a great performance. Keenyah feels honored to learn the African dance, and Naima feels like she can express herself without words in the performance.
J. Alexander tells the audience to choose the winner of the challenge, and with resounding applause and screams, they select Naima. As her prize, she receives an extra 30 frames at the next photo shoot, and may also choose someone to get an extra 20 frames if she so desires. Kahlen is disappointed when Naima strategically chooses Keenyah, because Kahlen already takes great pictures. Keenyah gets to give ten frames to one of the two remaining girls, and she chooses Brittany, leaving Kahlen with nothing. Kahlen feels betrayed, and the competition is starting to wear her down.
THE CONFLICT BEGINS
The next day the group meets with Modise Phekouyane, a guide of Robbene Island, a former political prison during apartheid. It was in this jail where Nelson Mandela was housed for 18 years before his eventual release and election as the first president of South Africa's new democracy. The girls are taken inside the prison to learn about Mandela, and Phekouyane offers to let one of them open Mandela's jail cell with a master key. Naima holds out her hand, and while she opens the cell, Keenyah feels as though she should be the one to do it. "I don't really think of Naima as black; I just don't see that," Keenyah says. But the girls file into the cell and feel the history of it. Keenyah is moved to tears and talks about her experience on the way back to the hotel. But Brittany is tired of hearing about Keenyah's connection to Africa, especially since earlier that day, Keenyah had to ask Brittany if Mandela was still alive.
The next day the girls are brought to an ostrich farm for a 1940s set shoot for Caress Sensational Smoothing Body Wash. There will be drummers making music, and the girls will demonstrate what they learned about movement with some male models surrounding them. As the girls prep, the male models hang out with them and discuss going out clubbing. One of the men, Bertini, flirts with Keenyah and asks for her number.
THE NEXT CONFLICT BEGINS
Naima begins the shoot with her extra frames, and she is confident and alluring, although she turns on the showgirl smile near the end. Keenyah is next, and since Bertini’s attention has already made her feel uneasy, she is definitely not comfortable as the music starts. When Bertini touches her leg with a moan, she stops the shoot and expresses her unhappiness. But Jay talks her into relaxing, and she finishes the shoot. Brittany follows and dances with verve, although it’s a little awkward, and Kahlen has to focus intensely to work hard without having any extra frames. She doesn't feel sexy around the men, but she pushes her nerves aside and gives it her best shot.
That night, the three male models greet the girls for a dinner, and the Keenyah situation escalates when Keenyah brings up the incident from the shoot. The awkwardness continues when Keenyah reveals that she didn't bring any money to pay for her drinks, and Brittany calls attention to it. "I see fakeness right now," Brittany says to Keenyah, later adding, "You’re very selfish." The conversation explodes into a full-blown argument between Keenyah and Brittany. Brittany brings up the earlier situation with Keenyah's displeasure over Naima opening Nelson Mandela's cell door. Naima and Kahlen remain quiet; Kahlen hates the tension, and Naima is thankful that she was able to have her experience in the prison and not make an issue out of it. Brittany shouts "Shut up!" at Keenyah, and their fight continues at the hotel. Naima tries to moderate the conversation, but eventually walks off saying, "I don’t want to hear it." Keenyah follows her into her room, and the whole thing keeps going, while Kahlen cries on the balcony by herself. The pressure is getting to them all. Brittany says, "I'm just ready for there to be a winner. Let's do this."
DANCE FEVER
That morning, the girls arrive for panel, where they meet with the judges, including guest judges Mandela and Bebe. Tyra announces that the challenge will be to dance and demonstrate movement, with poses inserted at certain moments. The drummer begins, poses are called out, and when it's finished, all the judges get into the mix for the first ever ANTM panel dance party.
Brittany is first up for evaluation, and Janice points out that she was holding back in the pose competition, but her photo is well received. For the first time, the girls will also see their worst shots, and Brittany groans when she sees hers. Keenyah is next, and she had stepped forward during the pose competition to put herself out in front. Nolé says, "You looked like a deep cup o'hot chocolate. I just want to sip you down." Her best shot is only "good," and she tries to defend her photo by bringing up Bertini-gate. However, Nigel and Tyra both say that a model has to be able to control the situation and not be affected by the circumstances. In her worst photo, Keenyah's stomach bulges, and Janice and Tyra repeat that she has to suck in her gut. Kahlen's dancing is uniformly disliked, and her photo isn't so great either. Naima is last, and she really hid herself in the posing competition, but she recognizes that she held back. Her photo is "spicy hot," though, and Nigel loves it. She stands out on paper, and he says that she has to bring that kind of energy to the panels. Even her worst shot isn't bad, and Nigel is very disappointed in her panel performance.
THE PUDGE FACTOR
Deliberations begin. Nigel loves Kahlen, but not this week's picture, while Mandela thinks her look is strong and eclectic. Brittany is flawless to Nolé, and Janice and Nigel argue about whether her personality is a positive or negative. Naima is next, and the judges wonder, "Who is Naima?" They don't see her personality, and wonder if she can hack it. Keenyah is last, and while Mandela sees her as skinny by African standards, Janice calls her pudgy.
FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE
The final four file back into the panel room, and Tyra hands the first photo to Keenyah. Her strong and confident performance made the judges ignore that "little extra 'oomph' that [she] might have in [her] midsection." Next is Kahlen, who is "almost a complete package," but she must learn to be sexy on camera. Naima and Brittany step forward, and Tyra explains that photos are not the reason why these two are up for elimination: it's about heart. "You, Brittany, you walked in with so much fire," says Tyra. "Now the judges just see someone that's slipping away." And Naima has a fire inside, but it's weak, and the judges don't know if her personality is strong enough to connect with America. With that, Tyra hands the last photo to Naima, and Brittany is eliminated.
I can't believe it's officially over for me now," Brittany says as she gets ready to depart. "I'm going to miss getting all done up… I liked the shoots." Of all the girls, she'll miss Keenyah the most. "I'm proud of myself for making it this far, so I can look at the good. It's just hard when you're so close and so far.”
COMING UP ON THE FINALE OF AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL…
In Cape Town, the three remaining competitors perform in a CoverGirl Outlast make-up commercial, and then they immediately face a beauty shot photo shoot for a CoverGirl magazine advertisement. The two finalists face-off against each other in the ultimate runway fashion show, which features some of Cape Town's top fashion designers. The models are surprised to learn the unique design of the runway will force them to walk on water.
puddin:
NAIMA IS AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL
The final days were intensely competitive between the top three: Keenyah, the 19-year-old student from Compton, California, Kahlen, the 21-year-old restaurant hostess from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Naima, the 20-year-old coffee shop waitress from Detroit, Michigan. Following the CoverGirl commercial and photo shoots, Keenyah was eliminated, leaving Naima and Kahlen to fight it out during a fashion show complete with a runway submerged under water. Though both models were strong contenders with differing strengths, in the end, Naima came through with powerful "final exam" results, and she was named the winner of America's Next Top Model.
STAYING FOCUSED
Tyra arrives to speak to each of the girls one-on-one about where their minds are at this late stage of the game, and Kahlen is first up. She assures Tyra that she has confidence, having dealt with nay-sayers in the past, and she's driven to become a model no matter what anyone else says. Naima has learned to be comfortable with herself, and to let go of self-hatred. Tyra finds that fact interesting, since oftentimes the competition and constant critique can cause the opposite effect. Keenyah is focused on keeping herself at the front of the competition, and Tyra wonders if she's been eating more to relieve stress. Although Tyra knows that Keenyah doesn't have the luxury to start her career in whatever arm of the industry she wants, she does recommend that Keenyah focus on eating healthy and go from there.
THE COMMERCIAL
Tyra Mail arrives, letting the girls know that they have to be ready at 6:45AM the following morning for a challenge. When the time arrives, they meet Jay Manuel at Sasani studios to shoot a commercial for CoverGirl Outlast make-up. The commercial will have two elements: a runway show and fun backstage action. Following the commercial, the girls will shoot a print campaign for CoverGirl. J. Alexander and Jay Manuel call out suggestions to all the girls for the runway part of the shoot. When Keenyah struts her stuff, Jay becomes frustrated with her constant winking and blowing the camera kisses. Naima recognizes that Keenyah has changed, and that she's more arrogant than ever before. The behind the scenes pieces are fun for the girls to shoot, but all three of them have trouble delivering their lines in a close up shot for the camera. Kahlen has the toughest time of all, struggling over and over with her words.
THE BEAUTY SHOT
Next is the CoverGirl print campaign beauty shot, and Keenyah is up first. Jay gives her pointers as she poses. Later, Jay comments that "her smile just got stuck there." Naima is next, and though she's nervous over the make or break nature of the shoot, Jay helps her through it with tips and eventually says, "bellissima." Meanwhile, Kahlen feels that the beauty shot will give her a chance to redeem herself after her miserable commercial shoot.
The next day is the elimination, and Keenyah feels that her greatest competition is Naima, since Kahlen is struggling. Kahlen thinks it's going to be her turn to go home as well since right now it's less about photos and more about performance. But it all comes down to the panel, and Tyra is there to greet the three with the judges, including guest judge Gretha Scholtz, creator of the Poison Ivy bathing suit designs. There are three criteria for the night's judging: the commercial, runway walk, and the photo. Everyone watches as Tyra airs the CoverGirl commercial, and after that, it's time for the runway demo.
LEGS LIKE GUMBY?
Each of the girls performs their strongest walk, stomping and strutting for the judges. Janice comments that Naima had "legs like Gumby" during her walk, but that her beauty shot could be seen in any magazine on the stands today. Nolé loves the spice she added to the commercial, and Tyra is impressed that she could pull it off. When the judges ask where this energy is coming from, Naima says that in suppressing her past, she was suppressing all over herself. Janice says, "It's the past, it's [over,]" and for the first time, Naima's composure breaks in front of the judges. Keenyah walks next, and though Gretha doesn't like her walk much, Nigel thinks her photo works really well. Janice doesn't love her pose, nor could she recognize any of her inner beauty in the commercial. Nigel disagrees; he believes that the commercial was where her greatest strengths came out. Kahlen walks last, and Nigel wonders if she even breathes as she walks. When her photo comes on screen, Nigel, Janice and Nolé all love it; Nigel wonders where she's been hiding her smile, and Janice thinks it's her strongest photo ever. However, Tyra doesn't like it: "It doesn't look like a cosmetic ad." Nigel and Janice both agree that her commercial shoot was terrific, while Nolé and Tyra think she didn't pop so well.
As deliberations begin, the judges have disagreements over all three girls. Tyra feels that her mind was changed with Naima's performance, but Janice thinks that she needs more than a great smile. When it comes to Kahlen, Gretha thinks "she's got the stuff to make it," and Tyra acknowledges that she can definitely stomp the runway, but can she make it as a spokesmodel? That's still up in the air. Nigel believes that Keenyah nailed the CoverGirl stuff, but Janice feels that she's not high fashion enough. Though she is striking, Janice repeats, "Keenyah needs to lose weight." Tyra notes that the three all have strengths and weaknesses, but as Gretha says, "There can only be one."
SHOCK AND AWE, PART ONE
The elimination round begins, and Tyra hands over the first photo to Naima, who "opened up a door to [her] heart and to [her] spirit" tonight. Keenyah and Kahlen step forward, and Tyra asks them to face each other. To Kahlen, Tyra explains that Keenyah has everything that Kahlen lacks: sparkle, spunk and the power to command attention. Keenyah needs what Kahlen has as well: the ability to "pose her ass off in a photo," and a strong presence on the runway. With that, Tyra reveals Kahlen's photo, and Keenyah is stunned to be going home. With tears in her eyes, Keenyah says, "I honestly am a little bit shocked… Right before [Tyra] called the names, she said, 'One of you has more potential than the other, one of you is stronger,' I thought she was talking about me. I really wanted to be one of the last two, I really thought that I had more potential than Kahlen."
After Naima and Kahlen take some time to reflect on their positions in the final two, Jay meets with them to explain what the final challenge will entail: a runway show incorporating the designers Poison Ivy, Gavin Rajah and Ruby. It will be a huge event, during which Kahlen and Naima will have to strike their poses on a runway submerged a few inches under water. J. Alexander emerges to demonstrate and explains, "You model tramps need to stomp this water and make this water do the water dance if it's the last thing you do… Can either of you swim?"
WORK IT
Tyra arrives backstage to give moral support and advice on what to do when out on the ramp, punctuating her pep talk with a "Work it!" As they are dressed and made up, neither girl wants to be around the other, each preferring to focus on her own game. Naima is up first for the lingerie walk, and when she gets out in front of the audience, she feels "superhuman." Kahlen "can feel [her] heart getting ready to explode" after that first pose. The second walks go well for both of them (despite Kahlen's difficulties in getting dressed), and they can hear the judges screaming for them behind the lights. The third walk is the tough one: it's when the judges will compare them to one another. Dressed in their swimsuits, Naima and Kahlen stomp in step with each other, posing on opposite ends of the runway. Following that is the finale, when all the models emerge on the ramp from under a waterfall, and at the end, Naima and Kahlen pose and dance under the falling water.
SHOCK AND AWE, PART TWO
The big day arrives, and Naima and Kahlen arrive at panel wearing the evening dresses they modeled for the fashion show. Tyra explains that this is the time when everything they've learned will come into play, and they will "graduate into the real world of modeling as America's Next Top Model." There will be no guest judge this time, and they start the evaluation of the runway show with Naima. Tyra tells her, "You scared me when you came out, but in a good way. I was in shock; I was in awe. "Kahlen's first appearance was equally as thrilling for Tyra: "When you started walking, I thought you were fierce. I felt the stomp." But Tyra also mentions that Kahlen's mouth and neck get really tense on the runway, and that she needs to remember that.
The past photo shoots now come into play, starting with the first week. The judges compare all of them, pointing out positives and negatives, ending with the CoverGirl shoot. Janice thinks that Kahlen's photo is "stunning," and while Nigel likes Naima's shot, he prefers Kahlen's. Tyra asks the two finalists why they should be America's Next Top Model. Kahlen's answer: "I think I've overcome so much of who I am. I've overcome sitting in the corner, and not being 'that pretty girl,' and being overlooked time and time again and never being good enough." When Naima begins, she breaks down in tears. "I hated myself. I hated this girl. That was my lowest point, Tyra. I walked in here today and I felt beautiful." With that, deliberations begin.
THE FINAL EXAM
When it comes to Kahlen, her body of work is superior to that of Naima, but if considering "the final exam" of the CoverGirl shoot, commercial and runway show, "Naima wins hands down." Nolé loves Kahlen's photos, but in person, "she's just dry," while Janice sees Kahlen as having exactly the right body proportions for designers. On the other hand, Nigel thought Naima ruled the runway show with her strength and presence, and Tyra "still has chills thinking about it." But Tyra is inspired by Kahlen's photos, and Nolé believes that she's produced one of ANTM's best overall portfolios. Tyra finally sums it up: "What do we choose--the girl who did well all semester and kind of failed the final exams, or the girl who did fair during the semester and killed during the final exams?"
It's the longest decision making process the judges have ever been through for the final choice. Naima's journey was a solid one, but her final was amazing; she has "an aura that speaks to a lot of young girls in America, and in the final fashion show, you rocked." On the other hand, Kahlen's photos "rival the top models that are in Elle, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar right now." But Kahlen's final performance wasn't as strong; she didn't "own" the fashion show. As the tension builds, Tyra points to a display where the winner's photo will appear and, finally, Naima's photo flashes on screen. "I'm speechless," she exclaims joyfully, and Tyra embraces her. Kahlen's tears fall freely; she is devastated to have lost. "When I set foot on that runway, it made me realize why I wanted to do this… I feel like modeling is kind of my way of expressing my emotions, and it took this competition to really open my eyes."
"I'M EVERYTHING"
Naima is overwhelmed by her win, tearful and happy. "I was forced to look inside Naima and see what makes me me, what makes me beautiful, and I found it… I am a CoverGirl… Part of the reason why I felt I had to win this is because I represent something more than myself. I represent a black girl, a Mexican girl. I'm part Irish, I'm everything."
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version