The week starts off with a visit from former Top Model contestant Toccara, who comes bearing product-placed sleepwear and a lesson about having and using personality. She spends the night and assesses that this bunch of bitches needs to let go and get interesting. The girls then head off to a posing lesson with Benny Ninja and former model/current DJ Sky Nellor. They learn about the relationship between music and fashion and get critiqued as they use music to motivate their poses. Allison is nervous and shy, and Kortnie is generally kind of lame. The girls must take what they've learned to one of the most intimidating challenges yet -- a pose-off in front of an audience full of queens who have been encouraged to clap or boo as they see fit. The girls have sequined dresses and blonde wigs and two posing heats. Celia, a drag queen on the inside, wins the first heat easily and Natalie takes the second. The two go head to head in a final pose-off, and while Celia learns the benefits of working a garment, Natalie almost falls a whole bunch of times. Celia wins by a landslide and even earns the coveted gay finger wave. Fierce. Meanwhile, the queens break poor Tahlia, who says multiple times that she wants to go home because she thinks the competition is doing her more harm than good. The other girls pity her for a minute, but also feel that it's not fair for her to be there if she threatens to go home every time she does poorly. They prepare a revolt if she's not eliminated. The photo shoot for the week has the girls recreating immigrant photos of the past with the aid of an old fashioned 8 x 10 camera. They must stand very still so that the camera can capture the image, but also give a dynamic fashion pose with their husband, Benny Ninja, and gaggle of multi-ethnic kids standing by. Tahlia does surprisingly well, and her photo is deemed the best of the week. Sandra is disconnected and generally a pill, and Kortnie is sour and dead-eyed. They land in the bottom two, and it is Kortnie who is given the boot. Despite all common sense, Celia decides to pipe up about Tahlia's wish to go home. Tyra tells her in no uncertain terms to stifle, and Celia is screwed for eternity.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see how far vloggers Val and Beth think Tyra will take gimmicky models in TV is the Answer!
Previously on America's Top Model: The bags walked down the runway with bags, all for the love of designer Jill Stuart. Then they posed in duos and trios all around New York, and in some cases on a bus. Nijah couldn't overcome her dead eyes and she was eliminated. Ten bitches remain!
It is night in the Top Model house, and the girls return home following elimination. Sandra sees her best-of-the-week photo displayed as digital art (minus Celia, who is unceremoniously cropped out in a bit of foreshadowing, indicating what Tyra is going to want to do to her actual self in T-56 minutes) and notes that she looks hot. She confessionalizes that she finally redeemed herself with that bomb-ass picture. And yet, the rest of the girls in the house still want to bomb her ass. It's faux-demption, really. Sandra adds that having the best picture shows that she's better than all the other girls. She's sure that they're feeling the same thing. Indeed, I have an inferiority complex just from hitting the pause on my DVR as Sandra is on screen. In actuality, of course, Aminat, Tahlia and Fo confirm with each other that 1) Sandra's photo wasn't even the best of the week; 2) it would be awesome if she went home. Speaking of Tahlia, the judges finally said some nice stuff to her at the last panel, and it's boosted her confidence. She's still homesick, she interviews, but she does want to be in the competition because she knows she can do this. This of course means that Tahlia has gone from no confidence to false confidence, because, as lovely a girl as she might be, she is for sure no kind of model.
The girls are hanging around the house aimlessly when, unexpectedly, the doorbell rings. It's a special guest! And how! It's Toccara from Cycle 3! We flash back to Toccara's interview before the panel at auditions, and she snaps and says she's big, black, beautiful, and lovin' it. Just like a double quarter-pounder! Do you remember how Toccara kept a rotisserie chicken by her bed, just in case she woke up and wanted a midnight snack? She is truly the best. Natalie interviews that Toccara really went far, and is every girl's inspiration. She's my inspiration for losing her shit all over those Celebrity Fit Club assholes, for sure.
Anyway, Toccara screams that she is fabulous, spelled F-A-B-O. ZOMG, she's illiterate like Fantasia! Someone call Lifetime! Anyway, Toccara has decided that she and the girls are going to have a slumber party, which is great cause for celebration. She has been kind enough to bring them PJs from her favorite designer, Mira Kelis. Celia tells us that this was a very sweet gesture, because she has never heard of product placement. Once everyone's in their PJs, Toccara tells the girls that Tyra sent her over to talk about personality, which she has in abundance. Toccara explains that, in the modeling/entertainment business, you must have both great personality and confidence. She then tells the girls to be themselves, which runs counter to the advice she just gave them about having personality. Sigh. Toccara adds that if you have something to say, you should speak up. Now she's getting into some dicey territory, and I wish that Top Model's legendary Foreshadowing of Doom could give us a thunderclap or something for emphasis.
Toccara asks the girls to tell her about themselves and their personalities. Aminat says that she's loud, and it's okay to be loud, then tells Toccara that she'd better remember her. Toccara laughs and looks absolutely beautiful. I wish everyone else would shut up so we could just look at Toccara some more with a soundtrack of tweeting birds. Kortnie then says that she's an old male comedian stuck in a curvy chick's body. Sandra tells us that Kortnie is always joking around and doesn't take the competition as seriously as most of the other girls, then reminds us that this is not, in fact, America's Top Comedian. But if it were, you'd better believe Kathy Griffin and Margaret Cho lip-syncing for their lives would be the show of the century. In any case, none of the other girls are interesting enough to be given a personality spotlight, so we move on to them asking Toccara questions. Fo asks what she's done since Top Model. Toccara is all, bitch, I was in Italian Vogue. Toccara is also a correspondent for BET, and says that it's all because of her personality. Tahlia is inspired, and tells us that, as a model with scars, she wants to be an inspiration, too. First she should be inspired to find a personality other than "drippy noodle."
The girls sit around the table with Toccara, who notes that all of the photos in the house are of Tyra, except for the one of Sandra. The girls explain that it was the best of the week. Natalie pipes in and says that Fo's picture was the ACTUAL best of the week, and Sandra retorts that the judges have the last say. Teyona can feel that Sandra wants to say that she was, in fact, the best. Sandra does, indeed, think she's the best, and thanks Teyona for pulling it out of her. Aminat interviews that Sandra thinks everything's about her. She's gorgeous, but she has no substance. There's just the essence of stank, which may seem solid but is actually just made of very thick, noxious vapors.
The girls walk a little on the runway and gnaw on chicken wings, thanks to Toccara's inspiration, and then they give Toccara a tour of the house. Toccara takes a spin in the confessional for old time's sake and says that when she was on Top Model, the girls really did have so many different types of personalities. And how! That was the season that brought us, "First of all, I didn't even know you were a bitch," AND Amanda's crystal theft AND respeito AND "bitch poured beer in my weave," AND "clean your shit" written in low-carb brownies! It was truly an embarrassment of riches. And now, I don't even really feel compelled to call these girls "bitches." It makes me feel lonely down deep in my soul. Toccara can't pinpoint anyone who stands out and says that the girls need to let go, let loose, stand up and be who they are. Sadly for her, I think a lot of them are just legitimately boring. Toccara takes her leave the morning and hopes that her words really stuck, since whoever wins this competition will be a spokesperson. And we can see how McKey is setting the world on fire with her Wildean wit. There is a group hug, and Celia tells us that Toccara's visit really did perk everyone up, and she for one learned that you can't be afraid to put yourself out there. Not to counter the wisdom of the wonderful Toccara, but BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID.
There is Tyra Mail! "If you can't move to the music, then that might pose a problem. Love, Tyra." The girls start auto-posing, assuring us that we are certainly in for a festival of horrors. They then are whisked away to Marquee, where Benny Ninja dramatically greets them. Benny Ninja is, of course, the master poser, so the girls realize that they're going to strike that and reverse it. Benny introduces them to his friend, former model and current DJ sensation Sky Nellor. She is truly lovely, and tells them that music and fashion have a very intimate relationship. Photographers choose music to inspire models and invoke emotion so they can get the right shot. And also to drown out the model prattle and whine.
Today, Benny says, the girls will learn how to use music to motivate their posing. He demonstrates first as Sky spins some tracks. I think we can all just be thankful that Samantha Ronson is not involved in this in any way. Benny calls up girls two at a time to pose to various types of music. London and Sandra take a crack at heavy metal, and London wins simply by virtue of busting out the devil horns. Sandra, Benny says, isn't really aware of her body yet and didn't seem to even be listening to the music. Sky breaks it down for us as such: "She's clueless." Allison and Natalie pose to rock music, and Allison's bangs are in her face the entire time. That's one strategy. Benny has to tell her that the assignment wasn't to dance, but to pose. Allison seems confused. Sky breaks it down again: "It's not brain surgery." Teyona and Fo do their best with country music, which is not very good. Benny tells them to think of horse dung if they have to. Funny, that's often the visual that I use to motivate me when I'm recapping.
Kortnie and Celia take a gander at hip hop posing, and while Celia works it, Kortnie doesn't even seem to be trying. Benny just points at Celia and says to Kortnie, "She beat you. She turned you out." Hip hop posing realness! Kortnie clowns, and Benny does not appreciate it. Celia confessionalizes that Kortnie tries to be funny all the time. It is wearing Celia out, and if there's one thing grandma doesn't need, it's extra wear. Aminat and Tahlia pose to jazz music. Aminat is wearing a red beret, so automatically wins. Benny tells Tahlia to be confident, then adds that if you are not confident as a model you need not be there, because you are killing yourself and defeating the purpose. Sky agrees that Tahlia was nervous and shy and let it show. As a final word, Benny tells all the girls to believe in themselves, because if they don't, no one else is going to believe what they're putting forth.
Back at the house, Celia says that she loved the teach. However, for Allison, it was a scary experience. She was very shy and nervous, and her confidence was shaky. Allison says that she usually sucks at first, so is just going to work at not being stiff. She interviews that she feels an unbelievable amount of pressure to do well. She needs to stay positive, because once you start getting negative about things it's all downhill. With vestiges of hope that she will remain a blood-loving freak rather than become a quivering mess, we head to commercials.
When we return, there is more Tyra Mail! Celia discovers it first and has a mini-orgasm as she says with wonder to the other girls, "It rhymes." And it rhymes as such: "Practice your posin' if you wanna be chosen. Love, Tyra." I want to introduce Celia to the multiple climax known as "Vogue." She poses like a pasty ho, Dietrich and DiMaggio. The girls head to The Mansion, which is a theater-y club of sorts. Benny is waiting there with two very severe guests, one of whom is a dude who doesn't look all that much like a lady. Benny tells the girls that tonight is an event for the fashion elite of New York City. It will be a combination of music, fabulous clothes, and posing. And our little models are the headliners! Their challenge is to use music to motivate the way they showcase the fashion. They will be wearing the fashions of The Blonds, who are the two severe-looking people mentioned above. I think they dress drag queens and lady pop stars who look like drag queens. Think sequins. David and Phillipe Blond tell the girls that the winner will get to choose a fabulous, handmade, one-of-a-kind dress from their collections. This is how it will work: there will be two heats of five girls each, and one from each heat will be chosen to go head to head in a motherfucking pose-off. Benny will pick the winner based on the crowd reaction to the girls' poses.
The girls head back to get wardrobed, made up, and bewigged with blonde locks. Allison is nervous, but Celia has never felt more alive. She says if you can't bust out while looking like Skipper to RuPaul's Barbie, you need to go home. Tahlia can't move in her dress, so doesn't think she'll be able to pose well. She's overwhelmed. But not as overwhelmed as she's going to be when she sees the audience of fabulous queens that awaits her! Benny Ninja greets the audience and explains to them that they will really be the judges. He asks them to applaud for the poses that they like, and let the models know if their poses are sour. I sense nervous breakdowns about to happen. And I love it.
Allison is the first to go and thinks that the audience can smell her fear. Indeed, they boo and Benny tells her that they think she's sour and just don't like her very much. Allison does not run off the stage crying, which is points for her. Teyona is , and manages to get some cheers. Kortnie gets a rousing boo, and in fact does not seem to try very hard. This has become a Kortnie motif, no? Maybe she wasted all the trying too hard on the spelling of her name. Sandra is and explains that, with her complicated shoes, she tried to do very simple poses. And, as you might suspect, simple poses get sour boos. Celia is out and poses for her life! The crowd gives her mad cheers, and Celia loves it. She wins the heat with no real competition.
Second heat! Aminat poses and gets no love. London gives a decent effort, but gets the kind of sour boos usually reserved for true heathens. Tahlia is hopeless and serious boos reward her ineptitude. She interviews that between trying to manage the hair, the dress and the poses, she was unable to adapt to anything and thus sucked. Natalie, meanwhile, goes down the steps at the end of the runway and poses whilst sitting to the great delight of the audience. Celia is impressed at how she's bringing it, and is already preparing to take her down in the second heat. Last to go is Fo, who is adorable but unimpressive. The winner of the second heat is Natalie!
This means that we are treated to a final pose-off between Natalie and Celia. The second the music plays, Celia knows that she has to show a bitch up. She starts playing with a long tie on the end of her dress, causing Benny Ninja to enthusiastically yell, "Work the garments! Work the garments!" Natalie, meanwhile, stumbles on her heels. Benny tells her that if she falls she should land in a pose. Work that broken leg! The girls end in a final pose, and it's clear that Celia was superior. One audience member even gives her the gay finger wave, which is just about the greatest compliment you could ask for in this situation. After her win, Celia is on a high and ready to channel this energy into everything else that she does. Even those things that are ill-advised (SPOILER!).
Back at the house, Tahlia is not doing so well. The queens have broken her, like a stiletto heel caught in a manhole. Tahlia confessionalizes that she definitely struggled at the challenge, and hearing the boos was overwhelming. Allison asks if she wants to talk about it, and Tahlia quietly says, "I want to go home." She repeats it just in case Allison didn't hear it the first time (although Allison did, as evidenced by her little jolt of shock upon hearing the unspeakable). Tahlia confessionalizes that she didn't know the toll that this would have on her self-esteem, and is questioning whether she should throw in the towel, since this is doing her more harm than good. And even though it's annoying, I can see where she's coming from, and I think that, say, Kelle from Cycle 3 would have been better off leaving before Tyra managed to convince her that she had a snout. Allison tells Celia what Tahlia said, and Celia is also shocked. Meanwhile, Celia is still wearing her wig from the challenge. She confessionalizes that Tahlia is timid and not strong enough to be in the competition. She's afraid to put herself out there and, to be a top model, you have to. Instead, Tahlia, doubtlessly wearing sweatpants, turtles under her homemade afghan and we head to commercials.
Meanwhile, McKey is SO DULL. And wearing mascara is now called "accessorizing your lashes."
When we return, there is Tyra Mail: "Models aren't the only ones that migrate to New York to make their dreams come true. Love, Tyra." The girls wonder if they will be birds. I have to say, nothing makes me happier than the thought of Sandra in a giant chicken costume. The ladies head out very early with no idea of what's coming. They go straight into hair and makeup and still have no clue what they'll be doing. As Tahlia gets her hair done, she tells Celia that she did horribly in the posing competition and that she's frustrated and practically fed up with the whole thing. She says she knows that she signed up for this experience, but at this point she's asking herself if it was the right thing to do. Celia scowls so hard that her caveman brow practically touches her lower lip. Like, homey, Celia don't play that. She interviews that Tahlia is breaking down slowly and doesn't think this competition is the way to go for modeling. And I mean, point for Tahlia. But still. In that case, Celia thinks, Tahlia should get the heck out and let the desperate ones who have endometriosis but no chance at modeling in the real world battle it out among themselves.
Makeup and hair complete, the girls hit a Statue Cruises boat, where Jay awaits. He's Dorian the Historian today, and tells them that between 1892 and 1954 over 12 million immigrants entered the United States. They saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and then were shoved off to marvel at the gold with which the streets were paved. He asks the girls if they've seen photos of the immigrants as they entered the country. You know, the old black-and-white or sepia-toned ones, where everyone looks very grim and hungry and as if they've left their homelands for the promise of decent dental care. Jay says that, for today's shoot, the girls are going back in time and will, in fact, be shot with an old-fashioned 8 x 10 camera and film. This means that the girls are going to have to stand very, very still, but also give a dynamic fashion image. Benny Ninja is going to be in the shot, too, as each girl's husband and father to a gaggle of children. Heterosexual immigrant realness!
Sandra is first to shoot, and is wrapped in some serious fur. She's the type of immigrant who skinned baby squirrels for warmth, which is pretty in line with her modern day persona. Jay introduces her to Brian Edwards, the photographer for the day, who also did last season's natural disaster shoot. Jay reminds Sandra that she'll have to hold very still for the camera to capture the image. He adds that they're using the past for inspiration, but will have to put a modern spin on it. Benny, whose head is dwarfed by an Elmer Fudd hat, concurs. The children in the photo look like they immigrated from the Pitt-Jolie compound. As everyone is generally a bit downtrodden, Jay tells them again to remember to put a modern spin on things, since they literally look like immigrants. And, to be frank, immigrants just aren't very fierce. Jay adds, "And I have a feeling Benny's gonna give it to me in the back." Sometimes they just write themselves, folks. Sandra starts off a little boring, and so she tries to be less stiff. However, her performance is disappointing and Jay says she's totally disappeared off the radar. He hopes she can find a way to get it together.
Fo is , and is enjoying working with Benny and the kids. She thinks she accomplished the modern/old mix, and since we don't hear any counterpoint from Jay, I'm guessing she's fine. London is up , looking like Cyndi Lauper playing the Kate Winslet role in Titanic. Jay tells us that London walked on set and immediately got into character, which apparently worked out for her pretty well. Natalie is , and Jay asks who her character is. She says she's Magdalen Ursich from Croatia. That's where her ancestors are from. Natalie is dressed in a black and gold monstrosity, because the women of turn-of-the-century Croatia apparently wore long, full modest dresses in homage to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Teyona is in a kerchief and fuchsia dress. There's no real commentary on her performance, so again we're left to assume that it was fine.
And then there's Kortnie. She says that she's excited to reenact an immigration scene since most of her family were immigrants. She's hoping to make them proud. She fails. Jay doesn't like her sack-like body position or her pasty face. He says it took way too long and was way too boring. Even Benny Ninja has to stop giving it to Jay for a moment and yell at Kortnie to play with her angles. Then there's Tahlia. She has one of the more attractive outfits, and from out of nowhere totally brings it. Jay tells her, with surprise in his voice, that her shoot is going very well. He interviews that Tahlia has been growing in leaps and bounds since the first week. In the Ellis Island shoot she was able to tell a story with her eyes and at the same time there was a softness and femininity about her. Tahlia temporarily stops complaining about wanting to go home.
Celia is . She interviews that photo shoots are not her strongest point. She's not nervous, but knows she has to bring her A game. Jay seems relatively impressed. However, he cringes when it's Aminat's turn on set. He tells her that she has a beautiful face, and he's waiting for her to use it. Aminat isn't afraid to do interesting things with her body, but she forgets about her face. And her neck. And you know how people on this show feel about no-neck monsters. Allison is , and looks like The Bride of Chucky doing The Little Tramp. She apparently is an immigrant from space, or an American Apparel ad. Allison says she's in love with the camera and it was the most amazing photo shoot so far. She loved her hair, her immigrant dress, and working with the kids. Jay announces that it's a wrap.
Back at home, there is Tyra Mail. One bitch is going to immigrate back home. Sandra is nervous, since her shoot could have been better. However, she doesn't think that ultimately she'll get eliminated. Tahlia is the one to be eliminated, she says, because she has no confidence. Also, any time she's left to her own devices around the house, she looks totally busted. Have some pride! Use a comb! Today, however, Tahlia is confident that she got a good shoot and will do well at panel. What a difference an immigration photo shoot makes.
Oh, and speaking of Tahlia, it turns out that some of the girls aren't taking her whole "I want to leave" shtick all that well. Celia says that if Tahlia doesn't go home, the rest of the models should "fire back." Oh, Celia. So aged, and yet so unwise. Kortnie agrees that if Tahlia doesn't want to be there, poo on her. Natalie interviews that when Tahlia's doing poorly, she hates it and doesn't want to be there. But when she's doing well, she's all about it. That really is annoying. If anyone else goes home, Celia says, it will be mayhem, and Allison adds that if it's brought up at panel Tahlia will have to eat her words. As Celia works herself up saying that it's not fair for someone who doesn't want to be there to stay, we head to commercials.
We enter panel with more of the Tale of the Supermodel Who Wanted to Guide Future Girls. You know what she did. She broke out The Rules to Owning Your Inner Fierceness. This week the rule is, "As a top model, you'll have to travel to many foreign lands." That rule has no personality! It's as if Toccara taught us nothing. In any case, there are prizes, there are judges. The guest judge for the week is Benny Ninja.
Teyona is up first for evaluation. Nigel tells her that she looks sensational. There's history and acting in her photo, and she nailed it. Tyra sees a story in Teyona's face and eyes, and Paulina thinks that there's a romance about it that's captivating. That romance is not with Benny Ninja. But in any case, well done, Teyona! London is . Miss J. tells her that she looks one and a half feet tall, and Paulina agrees that it's not a great shot. Nigel thinks that she looks fantastic but the photo doesn't make sense. All the extras are looking right at the camera, while London is looking off to the side. Tyra then takes this opportunity to prattle about something nonsensical. I don't even know anymore.
Sandra is , and there is silence for about ten seconds. Not good. Nigel tells her that he'd like to see something other than a profile from her. He also thinks she has the same issue with disconnect as London. Benny says that Sandra couldn't grasp the idea of the photo shoot or the posing challenge. He thinks she's dumb as a box of stank, which is quite possibly true. Allison is . Paulina crows that the children in the photo are adorable, and Nigel adds that Allison is adorable, too. He says that it's the first shot that looks like a fashion picture. To Tyra, however, Allison looks like one of the kids. Paulina agrees, saying that she looks like an older sister, and that mommy died on the trip over. Paulina has some issues to work out, right? Tyra ends by telling Allison that she looks very editorial in her photo.
up is Aminat. Nigel exclaims, "Goodness me!" and I don't know if it's good or bad. Miss J. likes it, saying that her expression completes the story. Tyra adds, "It's kinda nice, girl!" and Benny says that Aminat is a natural poser. Good work! Fo is , and she is posed in a similar way to London. Paulina says that the children seem random, Fo doesn't relate to them, and this is her least favorite photo of Fo. Then there's Natalie. Nigel thinks she looks like Keira Knightley, even though she doesn't. This is all an excuse to allow Tyra to bust into her British accent, which makes me think of Sweeney Todd and meat pies. However, Natalie's photo is stunning and a really great fashion pose. Nigel tells her that if she'd turned her face upward she would have caught the light and the photo would have been even better.
Kortnie is . Her photo is also greeted with silence until Tyra asks for a close-up of the face. When they get it, Benny Ninja exclaims, "Sour!" Nigel asks Kortnie what she was thinking, and Kortnie says she imagined traveling a very long way and being excited. Paulina is surprised by this. Nigel says that Kortnie's photo doesn't look like a fashion shot, and the look in her eyes is a bit dead. Tyra tells her that she needs tension, which is the go-to commentary of the season. She tells Kortnie that she underperformed and needs to push hard, so that the photographer has to pull her back. Tahlia is , and her photo is greeted with a chorus of wows. Nigel tells her that it's better than exquisite, and is in fact the best picture that he's seen so far. She's beautiful and looks fantastic, and the other girls want to eat their weaves. Tahlia is giving the most attitude of all the models in her photos, but in person, according to Paulina, she's giving the least amount. Tyra tells her to stop wearing floods, and Nigel tells her that she's wearing her hair in a Something About Mary 'do. I don't think Tahlia gets the reference, which somehow makes it even worse.
Celia, the challenge winner, is last. Nigel tells her that she's being upstaged by one of the kids standing behind her, and Paulina agrees. It's not good. Tyra tells Celia that her pose is nice, but there's no story in her eyes. When you recline, says Miss J., you need to lift your body a bit so you don't sag into yourself. Of course, Celia is a contemporary of Carol Channing, so something's going to sag some way, no matter how much you try to lift.
The judges deliberate. London doesn't relate to her background and has no legs. However, she looks magical when the light catches her eyes. Sandra had a great photo but as boring as homemade soap, according to Miss J. Hey! I've made homemade soap. And yeah, I guess it is kind of boring. Nigel thinks that Sandra relies on pretty. Benny Ninja thinks she's clueless. Allison is adorable, according to Paulina, and has a very specific "love it or hate it" look. Kortnie is not model quality, if you ask Benny, but Nigel thinks she's gorgeous and stands out in a crowd. Paulina agrees that she has gorgeous legs, but Miss J. corrects her by saying that Kortnie is knock-kneed. This of course leads into an inspirational story about how Tyra overcame knock-knees as a child. Miss J. likes Aminat and says she has a great picture. Tyra likes her face, but isn't so sure about the wide shot. Paulina loves Fo, but doesn't see anything good in her photo. Celia's pose this week is the same as when Nigel shot the girls, and he says you can't use the same pose over and over again. Tahlia's picture is the best of the week, and Tyra can't believe how Tahlia transforms in her photos. Natalie is dull and not inspirational, according to Nigel. Tyra wants her to get personality that's as good as her pictures. Teyona is a model, says Nigel, but it doesn't come through in person. Benny thinks that her pose is sour, but Tyra thinks it's sweet and sour. And Tyra loves sweet and sour, because ribs come in that flavor. The judges have reached a decision.
We have ten ladies, nine photos, and a foreboding sense of doom. Tahlia is called first, and her photo is hailed as the best of the week. Cut to Celia, biting her thin lips. Teyona is called , followed by Allison, Natalie, London, Aminat, Celia and Fo. This leaves Kortnie and Sandra in the bottom two. Allison looks terrified, perhaps because she knows that some dastardly shit is about to go down. Tyra tells Kortnie that the judges see a beautiful woman with great alertness, but she's dead and dull in her pictures. Sandra is pretty, but the judges are disappointed because she's resting on what the Lord and her mama and daddy gave her. She was also disappointing in the pose-off. But, in the end, it's Sandra who gets the photo and Kortnie who gets the boot. Celia gets a crazy look in her eye. THAT LOOK MAKES ME NERVOUS!
And for good reason. Celia steps out of line and stands beside Kortnie. She then addresses Tyra like she's finally met the fucking wizard. It's all bald guys behind the curtain. Trust. Celia rats that, before Tyra sends Kortnie home, she should know that Tahlia expressed that she didn't want to be in the competition anymore, and didn't feel like it was a wise career move on her part. Celia says that it's quite unfair for someone who doesn't even want to be there to remain in the competition. Tyra doesn't waste a beat before retorting (and I quoth), "You know what I think is unfair? That you're saying this and not Tahlia. Tahlia did not say that to me. She did not say that to the judges. So what is truly unfair is you saying that to me. So the judges have made their decision. Take your place, Celia." Celia sulks off, weave between her legs, having just endured the verbal version of Tyra punching her in the throat. Tyra has the memory of whatever animal it is that has a really great memory, and she will cut you IN THE FUTURE. Bad times.
Kortnie bids the others adieu, and exit interviews that she's sad to go. She feels like she had potential but didn't catch on as fast as the other girls. She loves the other girls, she says, and adds that Tahlia had previously said that she didn't want to be there and the competition was a joke. Which it is. I mean, it's kind of hard to choose sides. Except that Tahlia is annoying. But so is everyone else. Ah, I'm right back where I started from. Celia didn't have to do what she did, says Kortnie, but she applauds her for standing up for what she believes in. However, Kortnie says, in all fairness, Tahlia didn't get a chance to speak up for herself. She hopes the house doesn't implode, but really doesn't care, because it's The Former Future Mrs. Earnhardt, Jr. out.
week: Celia faces the repercussions of speaking to Tyra when she's not spoken to, and the house explodes!
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see how far vloggers Val and Beth think Tyra will take gimmicky models in TV is the Answer!
Potes knows better than to speak directly to Tyra or to look her in the eye. You can reach her at potesypotes@gmail.com.