Ren Vokes, a 22-year-old from Grand Prairie, TX, became the third girl eliminated from America's Next Top Model's fourteenth season during last night's broadcast on The CW.
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"I mean I do enjoy shoots and I do enjoy the actual work, but I don't think it's worth it regardless if it's one of the greatest opportunities of my life. I just realize it's not my cup of tea."
Ren was eliminated after Top Model's judges reviewed the photos the season's 11 remaining finalists had taken at their third photo shoot, which required them to each portray a different style of dance.
Ren -- who had also been in the judges' bottom two following the girls' second photo shoot, but survived -- ended up in the bottom two alongside Brenda, a 23-year-old administrative assistant from Houston, TX. Both girls had failed to impress Top Model photo shoot director Jay Manuel during the photo shoot, which featured Ren portraying a disco dancer and Brenda portraying an African dancer.
"You know Ren is that girl I was convinced, walking into this competition, she was a model. But every week I become less inspired by her," Jay lamented after the shoot. "She had disco and she just gave me blah, blah, photo, photo. After a while I think the judges are going to tire of her look and realize what her real ability is."
Jay had also been frustrated with Brenda, whom he felt was too focused on the judges' comments that she had looked "aged" in her previous photos as he attempted to guide her through the current photo shoot.
"It's important to take in what you've learned from the previous week and what you've heard in judging. But if you're focused on that, how is that going to help you right now?" Jay told her.
But Brenda's concern ended up being well warranted when the judges criticized the simple white blouse and black slacks outfit she wore to the third elimination panel in which the girls reviewed their photos with Top Model judges Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker and Andre Leon Talley as well as Wilhelmina Models president Sean Patterson, who served as a guest judge.
"Remember how we talked about the 'aged' thing, how you can look older? And then you have on this outfit. Like what the heck?" Tyra told Brenda.
"There is no sense of dance in this photograph," Andre added about Brenda's African dance photo.
However the judges were even more critical of Ren's disco photo -- which, similar to Jay, they deemed to have been one of the easier dance styles to portray.
"For me [it's] very unsettling to see this photograph. It is not saying 'fashion' to me," Andre said.
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"And disco's got to be the easiest thing to basically copy," Nigel added.
"Ren, I'm a little confused as to why you did four poses only," Tyra said.
"Because that's the only four poses I was taught," replied Ren, who like the rest of the girls, had received some lessons about their particular dance before the shoot began.
In addition, Tyra also questioned Ren -- who had frequently complained about the other girls' squabbling and repeatedly claimed she was going to quit Top Model over it -- about whether she actually wanted to remain in the competition.
"So I know at one point in the competition you were not wanting to be here," Tyra told Ren.
"There's a lot of drama that I just don't really like so," Ren replied.
"Drama where?" Tyra asked.
"Within the house, within the girls," Ren said.
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"I want to stay," Ren replied, contradicting her previous comments to the other girls.
The judges then continued to criticize both Ren and Brenda during their private deliberations.
"For me this is a mess, I don't know what Ren's thinking," Nigel said.
"Dreck winner of the week!" he added about Brenda's photo.
However Tyra defended Brenda's photo a little after Andre and Sean said they also agreed with Nigel.
"I don't think this is as bad as everybody is saying," she said. "I just think it is missing a little bit more edge."
After the judges finished deliberating, Tyra revealed Ren and Brenda were the week's bottom two girls.
"Ren, you stand before me and you were hand-picked. So she's got all the goods, but does she have the wants?" Tyra told Ren, who immediately began silently shaking her head no.
"So you're saying you don't have it?" Tyra asked.
"I really enjoy the industry. I like it, it's great. But I think I'm doing this for the wrong reasons," Ren replied.
"Why are you doing this?" Tyra said.
"I'm doing it because my mom finally likes me now," replied Ren, who had previously told the other girls her Top Model participation had improved her poor relationship with her mother, whom she claimed favors her brother.
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"Because she loves the show," Ren replied.
"How does that make you feel?" Tyra said.
"I mean either way I don't mind. If that's how I have to get attention then that's fine with me," Ren said.
Tyra then revealed Ren was eliminated.
"Well, I admire your honesty," she told Ren.
And Brenda, you were going to stay in the running anyways," Tyra added as she revealed Brenda's photo as the photo of the final advancing girl. "Congratulations, you are still in the running."
"Use this opportunity to really communicate with your mom and tell her how this makes you feel, because I have a feeling it doesn't feel good," Tyra urged Ren.
In addition, Tyra also revealed Brenda -- who had struggled with her confidence since her hair was cut short in the competition's initial makeovers -- would be receiving a special surprise.
"We just kept thinking there was something missing and the outfit today made us go 'Wooo, child, where is her station wagon?'" she said. "So we think you need a little bit more edge. The doorbell will be ringing for you very soon and another transformation is going to take place."
America's Next Top Model's next fourteenth-season episode will air Wednesday, March 31 at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.
About The Author: Steven Rogers
