At The House
Christina needs to keep Brendi K.’s name out of her mouth. Seriously, who is she to tell someone that they’re immature and then call out Brendi K. for crying after she is criticized when she is the same one who cries anytime any of the other girls in the house has something to say to her? She…of all people…Girl please. Still, she is somewhat right; it’s been clear throughout the competition that as much of a bad bitch as Brendi K. presents herself to be, that’s more or less a front. She is rather sensitive and insecure.
Ish got really real with Erin when she revealed that she carries immense guilt for leaving her son’s father while he was dying of cancer. She’s such joy, energy and positivity that I wouldn’t have expected something so heavy from her and seeing her crying as she spoke to Rio and Jeana and in her confessional was gut wrenching. But Rio does what she does best in the house and stepped in and gave Erin words of encouragement. Like I keep saying, she’s the one the girls go to when they need a pick me up!
Christina did come around to being not necessarily likeable, but understandable, when she and the girls were getting manicures with Tyra. She opened up about her relationship with her father, his health problems and how that’s affected her. She also explained that she puts up a wall because she doesn’t want people to think of her as weak and recognised that it doesn’t allow people to get to know her. That was far more insightful than the show has portrayed her to be thus far…even in this very episode (see the first paragraph of this post).
And again, the last person I’d expected to have had any kind of darkness touch their life divulged just that and this time it was Khrystyana, who spoke about having been molested when she was eleven years old and how “disgusted” (her words) she was with herself afterward. Like Erin, she has such a happiness and positivity about her that you’d never know that she was carrying something like that with her.
The Photoshoot
As it turned out, the “raw”, “stripped” shoot was not about nudity at all. They simply weren’t going to wear any makeup! The point was to be vulnerable and in every girl’s photo the other contestants’ hands would be visible, showing them supporting their sister. Hence the manicures.
Christina did well; she looked soft and pretty and she had a lot of emotion on her face. Jeana looked kind of sexy in the face which isn’t really right for this shoot, but her body language with the first pose we saw sold it. I liked that Shanice did both soft and strong in her shoot. Brendi K. looked a tad posey to me, but her face was gorgeous.
The Kyla that was on set this week was the Kyla from the two good weeks she had and I’m happy that she’s back. Khrystyana emoted so well and there was so much behind her eyes. Sandra seemed to do fine enough, we didn’t get to see much of her. Rio looked pretty. Erin put so much feeling into what she was doing that it was palpable. It’s no mistake that the three girls who had the most emotional moments had the most emotional photos.
The Challenge
The girls did a campaign video for the National Crime Prevention Council to combat bullying. They had to write a personal statement about bullying and come up with a group tagline. The winning video would be used in the council’s national campaign. They split themselves into groups of three and were instructed to pick someone they wanted to know more about. The three groups were Jeana, Erin and Rio, Kyla Sandra and Khrystyana and Shanice, Brendi K. and Christina. While the girls were preparing their scripts Stacey came in to help.
I really could have done without the dramatic editing and music during the taping of the campaigns. I understand why it was done that way, but with the focus on getting the message across it didn’t show us much in the way of how well the girls did and didn’t perform and how they were doing.
As for the final videos, Kyla wasn’t as bad as she looked on set; she actually had some emotion on her face. The Sandra that was in the video is the Sandra I want her to bring on shoots. She gave far more there than she usually does. However, she was too pretty in some shots to me; it was like she lost the feeling she had tapped into for other parts of the video. Khrystyana was so raw and intense that she blew me away. There was so much authenticity to what she was doing it was visceral.
Erin was by far the best of her group and the level of emotion she brought ruined it for Rio and Jeana. They seemed to be so lacking next to her. Apart from that though…I think they just kind of were. They really only brought it when they were screaming. Rio and Jeana were pretty bland for most of the video. That emotion wasn’t there for me.
I really liked Shanice, Brendi K. and Christina’s. For starters, they were the only ones who actually portrayed bullying in their anti-bullying video. Unlike the first trio – and somewhat like the second – they didn’t bring their individual personal stories to the video. Instead the focused in on Brendi K.’s. None of them outshone the others, they seemed in tune and they all had the emotion there that they needed to.
I’m not surprised that Kyla, Sandra and Khrystyana won the challenge, although I would have liked it to have been Shanice Brendi K. and Christina. I think what hurt them was what Heather said; they didn’t end their video with a message of hope. Plus, Group One were the only group to have used their individual stories.
Judging
Kyla’s photo was a little sexy which, again, for this shoot I don’t like, but the energy I got from her was that she was taking her first breath after gaining freedom and I loved that. This was her third good week. Sandra’s photo was also a step up for her; she looked very pretty and soft. Like Drew said, there was something behind her eyes this time around. Shanice looked strong, powerful and confident. Her arms looked a little like they were just there, but still good. Brendi K.’s photo looked kind of creepy with all of the hands. Hers was the first in which I noticed them. The pose and the face were very good. Her face looked amazing.
Rio’s photo was very beautiful. Her face, her pose, the lightning. She looked like she’d just woken up and was staring up lovingly at her partner. It was sensual. Erin’s photo was interesting; it was very different from the other girls’ that preceded it in terms of emotion. The other girls looked strong, but as Law said, she looked tortured. Jeana’s photo was fabulous! Close up or full it was great. She did everything right, but still a little too sexy for this shoot. Khrystyana did what Erin failed to do; she brought the emotion and the vulnerability, but still kept it pretty and model. Her photo was stunning, but when is it not? Christina’s photo wasn’t as good as I thought that it would be. She seemed to be bringing it on set, but her eyes were vacant. The photo just didn’t work.
Everyone did so well this week that I had a hard time choosing who should be sent home…until Christina. Not because of her attitude, but because her photo was genuinely the weakest. She and Erin were my picks for the bottom two.
Calling Order And The Elimination
Everyone did so well this week for the most part that the calling order was a non-issue. Imagine my surprise when Tyra said that Brendi K., Jeana, Khrystyana, Kyla, Rio, Sandra and Shanice had all tied for best photo. For the first time in ANTM history. My first thought when she told Brendi.K to stay was that she, Jeana and Khrstyana had tied, but the more girls that were called to stay the more confused I got. I never would have imagined a seven-way tie. It was well deserved.
So said, so done. Christina and Erin were the final two and Christina was sent home. Rightfully so. My heart was in my hands when Tyra told Erin that her photo was not strong. I seriously thought that she was about to be sent home and that would not have been okay. Even while being eliminated Christina talked back to Tyra and didn’t just listen. Without her gone now, there’s no villain in the house. But these girls will still find some way to get involved in drama. I mean, just look at the preview for the next episode.
Random thoughts:
- Rio laughing at Christina is everything.
- What does being a mother and grandmother have to do with Erin doing nudity?
- Christina had a real, human, moment!
- Did none of the girls even consider it would be a no-makeup shoot?
- Kyla’s stutter is a surprise.
- I knew Christina would do something to undo all the goodwill she earned.
- Heather Anderson said that she loved that they used their own personal stories like if she didn’t know that that was what they were instructed to do…
- What…is Kyla wearing?
- Oh gosh…Shut up Christina. Just take the critique. Wasn’t she just saying that Brendi K. can’t take a critique?
- Christina should really listen to Brendi K.
America’s Next Top Model airs Tuesdays at 8 PM on VH1.
