America’s Next Top Model Review: Bates Motel Breeds Bizarre Models

A few weeks ago the girls were running around Top Model Hall house acting like freshmen during their first week on a college campus.  Today they took a field trip, and Brittani and Alexandria put on a sophomoric performance right in front of Nigel Barker.  If the Bates Motel is anywhere in a movie, a TV show, and, now, ANTM, trust it’s going to be a wild and crazy night.

Upon arriving at the Top Model house after last week’s panel, the girls were given Warriors in Pink bags and clothing for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Campaign.  At Smashbox Studios with Nigel Barker as their photographer, the models embodied a Ford Warriors in Pink symbol for a photo challenge.  While trying to portray the dove symbol, which symbolizes peace, Brittani admitted that she doesn’t think of one particular thing when she looks into the camera.  She just “does.”  Unfortunately, then she should have been modeling for Nike not Ford. Embodying the tree of love, Alexandria dressed in pink and green, stood in a pile of dirt, and, unfortunately for the Send Alex Home Campaign, turned it out and won the challenge.  Apparently her win of not only the challenge but also the 2012 Ford Focus, which would be in the national ad campaign with her, foreshadowed the spotlight under which the judges would glean at Alexandria for the rest of the episode.

A bitter Brittani chose the wrong time and place to express her disappointment in Nigel’s choice of Alexandria as the winner of the challenge.  The client, Ford – although since we didn’t really see anyone, metaphorically it was just really just the car – photographers, and stylists were there and got an earful.  As Brittani vented to the other girls, Alexandria told Brittani from across the room that she could hear her.  To which, Brittani said loudly, “I don’t f—-g care if you can hear me.  You should have gone home last week instead of Monique.”  First of all, somebody should have stopped right there.  Secondly, Alexandria knows how to play the role very well.  Which role?  Whichever you need her to play.  This week – it was victim.  She put on her school girl sad face, held her head down, and said they weren’t being nice and it doesn’t matter if they don’t like her.  If people were viewing this cycle of ANTM for the first time, not knowing that she has made the experience stressful and an egg-shell walk for the other girls to the point of a revolt on the set, first-time viewers would feel so sorry for “poor Alexandria” and think that the other girls were just jealous.

Back at Top Model Hall, Miss J. Alexander gave the girls a wake-up call and took them on a VIP tour of Universal Studios where the tour ended at the infamous Bates Motel from the movie Psycho, which would provide the backdrop for the girls’ photo shoot where they would be shot by Miguel Starcevich, styled by Gossip Girl stylist Eric Daman, and exude how crazy they were for fashion.  Like last week’s photographer, Miguel enjoyed shooting Brittani.  As in weeks past, Alexandria did not deliver in her shoot and Jay Manuel had to coach her into her “good shots.”  And even though she screamed and hollered, Tyra still chose a photo of her where she was “just pretty.”

The showdown: during Alexandria’s critique, Nigel brought up what happened during the challenge.  Nigel and Tyra reprimanded Brittani and reminded her that to be that outspoken at a photo shoot was “extremely unprofessional.”  He went onto say there’s a reason the judges don’t know all of Alexandria’s business, and what she does at home is what she does at home.  Nigel admitted that he now has a different opinion of Brittani.  Trya went on to to say that as a professional, Brittani is to respect the client (Ford), her co-workers (Alexandria), and herself.  A panic-attacked, hyperventilating Brittani exited the judging room.  When she returned, it was unfortunately her turn to be critiqued, and of course, the previous scene weighed heavily on their dislike of her picture although, mind you, the photographer loved her.  Tyra made a very good important point when she said “a lot of young girls think that the opposite of fake is rudeness, and just as ugly as fake is saying whatever is on your mind because it’s the truth.”

I do agree that Brittani picked the wrong time and place to express her opinions; however, Tyra is officially a hypocrite.  A few years ago in cycle 5 when the models fought and argued in front of the client, Tyra did not reprimand the girls at panel.  Moreover, this week the judges are not seeing, or are unwilling to acknowledge, the drama and madness that Alexandria has been causing not only on set but also in the house. Tyra doesn’t want the girls to bring it up in the workplace, but the drama that Alexandria caused started in the workplace, but because Tyra has not, or did not, follow-up with her elimination warning that she gave Alexandria earlier this cycle, the agitation has festered into an eruption on set.  If Tyra had sent Alexandria home last week for trying to direct the photo shoot like she had warned, maybe Brittani and the other models wouldn’t be so bitter.

Backstage, Alexandria brought up the situation again without the tears and the sad face.  Thankfully Brittani is indeed a quick learner, and she got up and walked out of the room instead of debating the issue with Alexandria any further.  Although Tyra openly admitted to the other judges that she wanted to send Brittani home, Nigel, Andre Leon Talley, and Eric Daman saw remorse and repentance in her eyes when she stood before them during her critique.  While Tyra was right, though unsupported and outvoted, back in Cycle 3 when she wanted to keep Toccara Jones, thankfully again she was unsupported and outvoted in her desire to send Brittani home now instead of Mikaela, as another model with prior modeling experience was sent home.  Whew!

For another take on the episode: Warrior Mode Engaged by Desiree Neall.

Cycle 16, Episode 7: “Eric Daman” (originally aired April 6, 2011)

Catch all the catwalk drama on America’s Next Top Model, Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Images courtesy of The CW