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Top Model: The Girl Who Becomes America’s Next Top Model
By Edie Rowland
Thursday, December 13, 2007
I have to say, I was very uninspired by this Top Model Finale - moreso than any other I’ve watched. In all the others, I had somebody to root for - or against. It was suspenseful trying to figure out who would make the final two and who would win. But I just knew that Saleisha was going to win. (Although I did think it would be her and Jenah in the final two.) It’s nothing against Saleisha - I like her and all - but it was just very anticlimactic. And I watched the final runway show knowing that the two best girls weren’t there.
My two favorites were Heather and Lisa, but I could have lived with Jenah in the final two as well. To me, these three girls had the best photos. And while Saleisha’s walk was strong, Chantal’s was very weak compared to Jenah. (She and Saleisha would have made for a better final runway, I think.)
There’s been a lot of conspiracy theories going around about Saleisha and Tyra’s long history. Saleisha went to Tyra’s T-Zone Camp. She walked in a fashion show on the Tyra Banks Show (weekdays at 6PM on WYCW!). Plus, she appeared in a Wendy’s commercial about a year ago and supposedly a national campaign within the last five years is a no-no for Top Model contestants. Others have said she also appeared in an episode of Ugly Betty (although I’ve seen a screen shot of this appearance and I’m not completely sure that’s Saleisha). Anyway, as of right now, I know there’s a lot of outrage over on the Top Model message board on CWTV.com - so much so that I dare not venture over there.
Anyway, Saleisha seems like a nice girl, she’s pretty and has a lot of good model qualities. And I’m not sure I buy into the perception that she doesn’t deserve to win based on her prior experience, because it’s not like she was well-known or that an appearance in a hamburger commercial is going to suddenly vault someone to a career in supermodeling. But I really don’t understand why she was the winner when there were much better contestants, which makes me wonder if there was some agenda for Tyra. It seemed almost as if she was purposely trying to find flaws in Saleisha in this finale that she’s never mentioned before - like she was trying to prove that she didn’t favor her. I guess we’ll never know what the deal is, but I wish Saleisha the best. But I really think if they stick with it, girls like Heather, Lisa and Jenah will be more successful in the long run.
I hope they spice up the finale a bit next cycle. This was the most boring, predictable one yet, and Saleisha might well be the weakest winner to date (although Naima and Jaslene would give her a run for it, in my opinion). I’m hoping for some kind of twist next time to make things a little more interesting. And hopefully the next time, the two best girls will actually be in the top two.
At least Bianca didn’t win.
COMMENTS
I agree with you about this season being kind of weak. I mean, its like they rushed the whole episode—well not just that, the whole season this time!!! I couldn’t really connect or get emotionally envolved with any one except for Heather, and they made a mistake by kicking her off. I really do think they favored Salicia, and they didnt want to show it. I think she did come into this competition with too much experience. Top Model should be about learning and improving, as Tyra would say, rather than just being the best the whole time. It gets pretty boring. Dont get me wrong, I am a Top Model fanatic. I watch EVERY wed. But I am just really dissapointed in this season. Especially the finale!
Hi, brittany! You’re so right! We really didn’t get much of a chance to get to know these models like we usually do. I mean, who was married? Who had kids? Who had a boyfriend? What were their home situations like? What were there jobs (other than Lisa’s, which was well-publicized)? We found out a lot about Heather’s disability, but really didn’t get to know much about any of the girls. Usually by the end of a cycle, I feel like I know the finalists pretty well.
I know, right? I think maybe Tyra is getting a little burnt out, or maybe it just has something to do with the writers strike? I know its “reality tv” but come on, who thinks this stuff up? But the producers better think of something better, because a lot of people i have talked to say they dont plan on watching another season! but the cw has picked them up for another 7 cycles I believe.
Well, even if the show has some “scripting” going on (which has long been believed in regards to “reality” TV), the show wrapped up months ago, so it wouldn’t have been affected by the writer’s strike anyway. But good thinking on your part!
I’m thinking (hoping) with the outcry from fans that they’ll mix things up in the next cycle - although I think Cycle 10 is already finished or close to being finished, so it may not affect it. ANTM is still the CW’s top-rated show! (Which is good for us fans!) It has been picked up through 2009-10.
have your heard anything about other people being dissapointed? i havent looked on any other forums, but im sure they are out there.
Over on the CWTV.com website, there are a lot of complaints, and they’ve talked about it on EOnline.com, Zap2It.com, and a few other websites. I don’t know how many people have actually emailed the CW about it, though.
*sighs* edie . ok seriously.
this was such a bad finale.
i wish the final two had been heather and lisa. and your’re right, it was so predictable that Saleisha would win. I wonder why she wasnt disqualified for the whole ‘national campaign’ thing regarding the commercial. i really dont think it was fair to the other contestants.
on another note, Chantal walked like she has never done this before. models are NEVER supposed to take tiny steps- it ruins the flow and looks like you’re rushing the whole thing. her poses were good but she was so stiff. then she panicked and broke character when the performer tripped on her dress. seems mean, but model rules say KEEP IT MOVING!
not hating on saleisha though. she came out there and Killed that runway honey. ya girl was on point ...until she got a little cocky and started twisting to much, which appeared, for lack of a better word, ghetto-fabulous. another NO NO. we are exhibiting the designers Clothes not our personal strut!
but anywho, maybe next season will be better. maybe I will bea contestant lol
im not giving up on ya Tyra!!
ps…
love that last line edie lol
i would have had to write tyra a rude letter of my opinion had Bianca won this thing…
but didnt it suck that she had to lose all her hair- and still didnt win?
Hi, jade! Yeah, that’s too bad for Bianca, but honestly, it looked better than before she got it all cut off!
I agree about Chantal. After that fashion show, any doubt I had about Saleisha winning was completely gone. She looked very bad.
I agree i mean why Saleisha? to be honest i didnt like her in the beginning cause her attitude with ebony wasnt the greatest but they worked it out but still why saleisha people need to think about what she has done in the past.But thank god Bianca did not win.