America's Next Top Model 7 - Episode 8 Summary

'Commitment Wins the Race' By Belinda Trotter-James

As we get closer to the finish line, its time to separate the committed from the weak-kneed walkers.  This week's challenge was for the birds.  See which girl falls from the sky to be the seventh contestant eliminated from being America's Next Top Model.  Read on…

The first challenge of the day was to show the girls how to pose for action shots.  Volley ball champion, Gabrielle Reese teaches the girls how to get a great action shot while also adjusting facial expressions for the camera.  I didn't know Gabrielle was an expert on facial action shots.  What a great way to get a cameo.  Anyway, the girls had to change into their bikini bathing suits for their action photo session.  Most of the girls looked as though they would have really hurt themselves diving for a volley ball while holding a toothpaste smile.  Anchal did not want to take off her cover-up because she felt she did not look as good as the other girls in a bathing suit.  If it's one thing models are known for, it's definitely the bathing suit photos.  I'm sure she knew that before she waited on the long casting line for hours to be considered to be on the show.  This is no time to be shy and timid.

Back at the house expert model critics, Jaeda and Melrose give their review of Anchal's performance.  Anchal is feeling like she does not have any friends in the house.  I thought she was getting along great with Caridee.  If Anchal does not keep everyone out of her ear about her weight, beauty and confidence level, she is going to snap at the pressure. 

This brings us to Tyra Mail which read… Are you going to snap when the pressure is on?  On that note, the girls find themselves walking in the middle of no where when they meet James St. James, a reoccurring symbol on the show and race car driver Stanton Barrett.  The two explain that the photo challenge will allow them to use their action pose techniques.  The girls will have to run up to Stanton in a jealous rage and snap their own photo.  How ridiculous is this challenge.  I don't think Tyra ever had to take her own photo while performing a stunt. Oh, I forgot, this is not a stunt show… duh… It's a "How do we get ratings" show.  Anchal was so nervous that she appeared stiff.  "I'm afraid my boobs will come out," cried Anchal.  I believe all the girls grabbed the outfit of their choice and she chose a short, tight dress to jump on a man in a jealous rage.  I guess she did not read the memo.  The winner of the challenge was Michelle.  She was allowed to select three friends who included Melrose, Amanda (of course) and Caridee to accompany her on a $10,000 shopping spree.  However, there was a challenge attached to the prize.  The girls had to wear everything they could snatch in a few minutes.  The girl who wears the most items wins all the clothes from the other girls.  So, who wins; Melrose, who had a total of 13 items. Michelle, Amanda and Caridee had to give up everything they snatched.  Whose Indian giving idea was this to give as a reward?  Michelle didn't win…  Melrose won… again!  Tyra's people are doing everything they can to break the spirits of these girls to keep drama in the house.  I hope that Melrose had enough home training to at least give Michelle a few items of clothing. 

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The next photo challenge had the girls up in the air for Cover Girl.  Mr. Jay pops out of a plane and announces to the girls that they will be doing their first Cover Girl assignment with True Blend Light foundation.  Jay put the girls' minds at ease by telling them they will not be pushed out of a plane.   I would not be surprised if someone at the staff meeting suggested it.  Thank goodness someone had the common sense to put a stop to the stunt madness.  However, the madness was substituted for a simulated version of flying… A wind tunnel.  The girls were dressed in protective gear and given directions by a sky diving instructor on how to float in the wind tunnel and pretend to grab at the Cover Girl foundation.  Most of the girls did okay at balancing themselves long enough to get a good shot.  When it was Anchal's turn to shoot, her makeup artist told her to suck it in.  Suck what in?  He said it twice.   He needed to look in a mirror and comb his hair.  Some people need to just shut up.  Anchal's size 5 body has no flab.  Sure she could be a Michelle size 1, but she isn't.  Why is weight an issue with the staff?  Was it an issue at casting?  What mixed messages are you sending to young girls who are constantly fighting against eating disorders to be in the modeling industry?  Come on Tyra…. Stop the madness right now.  Either you are helping girls get into modeling no matter what size they are or you should stop selecting girls who are bigger than a size one.  Is Anchal the poster girl for the new full size model?  Come on Tyra... get it right!

If you have been following ANTM from cycle one, Tyra always tells the girls that she had to do the same types of photo shoots when she started her modeling career.  After the girls shoot, we always see a photo of Tyra in the same type of shot.  The action shot of Tyra showed her sitting on steps with high powered sun shades.  Maybe that was an action shot in the 80's, but not even Webster's Dictionary would consider that an action shot.

At the elimination ceremony, the girls were given a test on demonstrating verbs and adverbs.  I am not going to go through all seven girls to tell you who slept in English class the day they were giving out verbs.  However, I will tease you with one…It was Melrose.  Her words were "box aggressively".  Melrose pretended to put her face in a square box by positioning her arms to resemble a box.  (You had to be there).  Do the words "out to lunch blonde" come to mind or is it just me.  The others are not off the hook.  They don't know how to move or pretend to move.  They were horrible, (you had to be there.) By the time the madness was over, Anchal and Michelle were in the bottom two.

Anchal was there because the judges saw her give up on the challenges.  Michelle is in the bottom two because the judges do not think she wants to do this modeling thing anymore.  Ultimately, it was Anchal who had to pack up and go home.  Anchal was horrible this week, however, Jaeda cannot get over her short hair and Eugena has been lost in space for weeks yet they have been given a second chance to straighten up their acts.  Anchal should have been given that chance as well….  Don't you agree Dalia...?

Heck no!  They made the right choice.  Anchal has too many insecurities to be a model.  This is the fourth quarter, baby.  This is like the NBA finals, game 7.  If you want the ring, you better be ready to strike because it tells you if your team (contestant) wants it or not.  There may be one team (contestant) that always knocks you out before you get to the finals.  Do you want it or not?  The other girls stepped up their game in the final minutes and that is why they are still there.  I do have one question for Tyra….What's up with Star magazine interviewing Danielle?  Celebrities hate the Star because the stories are usually fabricated.  Celebrities don't have interviews with the Star magazine, so why is Tyra making her models interview with a tabloid?  I'm done.

Well, in Anchal's exit interview, she did say that she was expecting it. "It was me not stepping out of my box," says Anchal.  Oh well, it's going to be harder to get out the box without Tyra's top model training.  Anchel says she wants to keep pursuing a modeling career.  I hope so because it would be a shame to keep all that beauty to yourself.

Who will be the next to lose the chance to be America's Next Top Model?  Email me at modeldigest@aol.com

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