Episode Report Card Potes: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Clay Acting
By Potes | Season 12 | Episode 6 | Aired on 04.08.2009
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.It’s the middle of the season, which can only mean one thing: acting! But before we get to that, there’s another unsurprising, yet related, thing: drama! The girls have what appears to be Thanksgiving dinner at the house, complete with turkey carcass and pie. Natalie assumes exemption from clean-up, which may or may not have been a joke, but provides the perfect excuse for Teyona and Aminat to punch her in the throat with their eyes. Natalie attributes her bitchery to the fact that she was born with a silver spoon up her ass, which doesn’t seem to go far in endearing her to anyone. The girls put aside their differences as they head to a teach with Paulina. It’s all about acting, and as one might expect Celia is a ham and Tahlia is a drip. After pairing up for some quick exercises, the girls are introduced to a special guest with whom they’ll perform a scene. And that special guest is -- wait for it -- no, keep waiting -- seriously, it’s worth it -- CLAY MOTHERCHUCKING AIKEN. Also known as a close personal friend to Tyra Banks! You know they eat ribs and cruise Manhunt together every Thursday night. London, who apparently is from a family of actors, portrays a has-been model at a fitting convincingly enough that she wins the challenge, and a prize of $5,000 worth of apparel from Joe’s Jeans. Sad for her, she’s too fat to fit into any of it. Ah, the thrill of victory.
Instead of a photo shoot this week, the girls try their hand at a collaborative commercial for Cover Girl, with inspiration from yet another special guest -- last year’s top model McKey. This piece of wood shouldn’t be giving anyone advice on anything that involves speaking or moving, but what can you do. [It's the bland leading the bland! - Z] Celia does well and is the best of the week despite the fact that she looks like she’s everyone else’s grandma. Though no one was overwhelmingly impressive, it’s drippy Tahlia and one-note Allison who land in the bottom two. At long last, Tahlia gets eliminated, if only because Clay Aiken totally wants to miniaturize Allison like the mad scientist he is and add her to his Precious Moments figurine collection.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously on America's Next Top Model: Kortnie's elimination and Celia's subsequent rat-finkery resulted in a model house divided. Teyona yelled at Allison for being part of the tattletale plot, and Allison's eyes got so big they nearly swallowed the rest of her face. The girls had to put their faces through cardboard cutouts of Tyra at a challenge, but the real prize went to whoever got to cut Tyra's face out in the first place. The photo shoot focused on colors, and since Sandra's were neither beautiful like a rainbow nor deliciously bitchy enough to create interest, she was sent home. Eight bitches remain!
We enter with a few girls talking in the kitchen. Natalie really hopes that they'll be shooting a Cover Girl commercial soon. Allison really hopes they won't, unless it's an ad for Cover Girl's new capillary-busting nose infusion, "TruBlood." Last week at panel the judges told Allison that she needed to give more variety in her posing. Natalie notes that she's never seen Allison smile. Allison contends that that's not true, and that in fact Natalie was just so blinded by her teeth that she thought she accidentally stared into the sun. Celia makes a funny ugly smile, and then says it's gotten her where she is today. Oh Celia. Not actually evil!
Meanwhile, there is turkey carcass, which must mean a celebration is taking place. The girls eat a big feast together, presumably for Thanksgiving. There's turkey and pie and London presiding over the evening prayer. I am only sad that there are no paper bag Pilgrim and Indian puppets that the girls can use to act out their conflicts therapeutically. Natalie confessionalizes that she was relaxing for a few minutes. We cut to her lounging on a chair as Teyona asks everyone to please wash their own dishes. Natalie remains in her chair and says, "You're doing a good job, guys." Teyona recounts the incident in an interview, and from her point of view Natalie wanted the others to clean up for her. Teyona states clearly that she's not Natalie's maid, or Alice from The Brady Bunch. She is, however, a little bit Florence from The Jeffersons. Teyona tells Aminat, who is in the kitchen cleaning up with the others, about what Natalie said, and Aminat calls Natalie a bitch. She sarcastically says, "And she wonders why people think she's snobby." Through this all Natalie appears to be wearing a purple denim vest, which frankly does not help her case. Natalie, in her state of relaxation, heard Aminat call her a bitch. She tells us that she was obviously kidding, and then goes to the kitchen. There we see her saying, "I'm sorry I live in a nice community and you don't." Yeah. She continues, "Can I help where I'm from? No. Just like you can't where you're from." However, no matter where you're from, you can generally help being an asshole. This scene is interesting because it appears that Natalie is not talking directly to Aminat, but rather to Fo, in a rhetorical manner. Good choice.