America's Next Top Model 9: Ranking The Top 12
By Jacob D.
September 29, 2007
This week's America's Next Top Model tackled a lot of issues.
The girls moved into their new living quarters and the theme of "Going Green", a.k.a. being environmentally friendly, was adopted for the show.
The girls' first photo shoot was a duel one. To show the nasty side effects of smoking, the girls were first shot holding cigarettes and looking glamorous, but then their reflections showed them taking on the appearance of smoking's various diseases and disabilites.
After the photo shoot, Bianca called out Lisa on being a stripper saying that America's next top model will not be a stripper.
At the house, the girls' didn't understand Heather's disability and took to gossiping behind her back. At judging panel, the judges weren't impressed with a lot of the girls. Before handing out the photos, Tyra told the girls that this season will be a "no smoking season" and later eliminated Mila for not being edgy enough. 12 girls remain. Who will be eliminated next week?
Also, I would like to make a correction. In the introductory episode recap, I kept referring to Heather's disability as "Ausberger's" since I wasn't familiar with it and that's what it sounded like she was saying. A reader pointed out that it's actually "Asperger's."
Heather
Current Ranking: 1 - Previous Ranking: 1
Heather is a 21 year old college student from Valparaiso, IN.
The other girls need to quit hating because Heather is wonderful. So what if she's autistic? Instead of gossiping about her behind her back, try to understand her! The other girls seemed like they were getting the fact that she was autistic, but they weren't keeping an open mind. At judging panel, she made one of the biggest impressions ever. The judges raved and raved and raved about her incredible beauty and photogenic possibilities and gained tremendous respect for her when Tyra told them that Heather is autistic. For flooring the judges with her beauty, turning in a stunning photo, and showing strength by being in the competition despite her disability, Heather received her picture first from Tyra and stays in first on my rankings.
Lisa
Current Ranking: 2 - Previous Ranking: 9
Lisa is a 20 year old dancer from Jersey City, NJ. Hmmm.
I started to get Lisa and identify with her this week. She seems like the girl who doesn't need to flaunt herself or loudly declare how great she is. One of my mottos is, "I don't have to dominate the room to feel good about myself" so I identified with Lisa in that sense. She's vulnerable, but it doesn't seem like she tries to play the victim or fish for compliments like Giselle did in Cycle One. She wants validation and to carve a better life for herself, but she doesn't want pity. She's able to act with poise and control, but isn't afraid to stand up for herself. She has lovely style, a great body, and was one of the few girls who really threw herself into the photo shoot this week. The judges completely and totally flipped for her and her photo with Miss J loudly saying Lisa is golden in deliberations. She also won CoverGirl of the Week, so you know she's connecting with the audience. Lisa is a smart, mature girl and I started to think that her clean look could also lend her some versatility in the future, making me change my mind on calling her "bland" last week. Lisa is already off to a fantastic start this cycle and I look forward to seeing what else she can do.
Saleisha
Current Ranking: 3 - Previous Ranking: 8
Saleisha is a 21 year old receptionist from Los Angeles.
Saleisha won the first challenge, drew raves from the judges for her photo, and was commended for coming into panel with confidence and poise. In deliberations, the judges said they weren't 100 percent sold on her yet, or at least Miss J did. I'm also not sold yet because I'm not sure I like this baby doll/little girl look Saleisha has going on right now. I want to see her "beautified" and edged-out, but I must give her credit for having a great start in this competition.
Chantal
Current Ranking: 4 - Previous Ranking: 2
Chantal is a 19 year old student from Austin, TX.
I found Chantal's case very annoying this episode, but not because of her. Not at all. It was the judges that bugged me. They lavished praise on her photo and Tyra said Chantal's film blew her away, but in deliberations, they knocked her for being "too perfect." This has happened before where a girl comes in and already knows what to do and how to do it, but gets knocked for it. Lisa blew the judges away every week in Cycle Five, but got cut when they felt she had "too much energy." Then, Melrose lost Cycle Seven to Caridee even though she had tremendous fashion knowledge and one of the best track records in Top Model history. It's like, the judges look for some excuse to find something wrong with these girls.
I know the judges have said before that Top Model is about a journey and about a girl's progression, but they have to think about the end product and what they're putting out there. If you had the choice between a girl who consistently turned in excellent photos, did great work in all the challenges, and had the look of a model versus a girl who didn't start doing well until deep into the competition, who would you choose? I hate this mode of thinking that progress trumps talent and a girl who has done consistently well could go home over a girl who finally had a good week. In Melrose and Caridee's case, I can understand because it was the end of the competition and they both had strong performances throughout, but I was bugged by the judges' early dismissal of Chantal. Give the girl a chance, for pete's sake!
Sarah
Current Ranking: 5 - Previous Ranking: 7
Sarah is a 20 year old college student from Heath, MA.
Sarah wasn't a featured player this episode, but the judges loved her photo. The judges love her face and body and unlike Bianca, Tyra felt Sarah looked like she knew what she was doing. Score one for the plus-sized girl! I love Sarah and I hope she continues to do well.
Victoria
Current Ranking: 6 - Previous Ranking: 5
Victoria is a 20 year old college student from New Haven, CT.
I'm liking Victoria more and more each week. She's a very level-headed girl and she had some funny assertions about her place in the competition. I loved when she said she's going to have to figure out how to make her "super-nerdy" side work for her in the competition. She also did not participate in the "Heather Gossip Circle," pointing out how catty and juvenile it is. I wish she would've taken a stand, but at least she didn't join in. At panel, the judges liked her outfit that she picked out for the challenge, but feel she is meek and should work on being charming. I think she is already charming and I loved her saying that she may be soft-spoken, but she's not insecure because I'm the same way. I speak softly and I used to be very down on myself, but I recently had the epiphany that I like the person I am so I felt I could identify with Victoria. I also liked her picture, especially the "side effects" portion because it looked like something Michelle would've done in Cycle Seven. I would've moved her up a tad, but along with the aforementioned assessment of Victoria being meek, the judges didn't seem to agree with Nigel that her picture was one of the strongest this week.
Ambreal
Current Ranking: 7 - Previous Ranking: 12
Ambreal is a 19 year old college student from Dallas, TX.
Last week, I didn't feel Ambreal made a big impression, but I'm starting to like her. She seems like a fun, vivacious girl with a big spirit. The judges loved her photo this week. I didn't like it because I HATE that facial expression she was making. I call it the "frog face" and I remember Renee made it a lot last season. Just check Renee's ice cream picture. From what I could see, Ambreal only gave that one expression through both parts of the shoot. However, Mr. Jay praised her and so did the judges and that's all that counts. The judges did say she didn't seem like a model in person, but they didn't harp on it too much so I won't hold it against her just yet.
Jenah
Current Ranking: 8 - Previous Ranking: 4
Jenah is an 18 year old student from Farmington, CT.
The judges didn't have a lot to say about her photo this week and they felt that Jenah would lose her personality somewhere down the line. Miss J feels she already has. That's not a very good start.
Janet
Current Ranking: 9 - Previous Ranking: 3
Janet is a 22 year old aesthetician from Bainbridge, GA.
In my pre-season rankings, I was worried that Janet would bore the judges. In the introductory episode, she made a huge splash on Tyra and the Jays. Then in this week's episode, she bored the judges. They liked her features in her photo and thought her "side effects" shot was nice, but once the judges deliberated, they said they did not see her as a model. Twiggy even said she forgot Janet's name! It's sort of a two steps forward, one and a half steps back kind of deal so I've moved Janet down for the week.
Kimberly
Current Ranking: 10 - Previous Ranking: 6
Kimerbly is a 20 year old college student from Ocala, FL.
I was disappointed in Kimberly this week. She joined in on the "Heather Gossip Circle" and even though she said she didn't want to seem like a bitch, I thought she was toeing the line a little. Her photo was nice and I loved her shot in the "side effects" portion, but she invoked a major "ANTM No-No" when Tyra felt her film was hoochie. So for being catty and having a sub-par reception at panel, Kimberly moves down in the rankings.
Bianca
Current Ranking: 11 - Previous Ranking: 10
Bianca is an 18 year old college student from Queens.
In the introductory episode, Bianca said there's a "fun bitch" and a "bitchy bitch." This week, she went careening into "bitchy bitch" territory. She took it upon herself to cast judgement on Lisa's exotic dancer past and loudly call her out on it. Then, Bianca later apologized not because she was genuinely sorry, but so no one would bring up her behavior in panel. I hate it when people go on shows like American Idol, Project Runway, and ANTM and play the game like it's Survivor or Big Brother. There aren't any tribal councils or eviction ceremonies. On these shows, except for American Idol, the judges decide who goes home and if they think you have a bad attitude, they're not going to keep you around. At judging panel, karma came back when the judges cut her down for her safe photo. Tyra even said she could tell Bianca had no idea what she was doing. I was certain that with all the brouhaha over Bianca's photo that she would at least be in the bottom two, but she scraped by. Next week, she goes on the offensive again so I'm really hoping she doesn't stay for very long.
Ebony
Current Ranking: 12 - Previous Ranking: 11
Ebony is a 20 year old nursing student from Chicago.
Wow, the girls flipped the script on me this week. Ebony was being nervous and vulnerable and Bianca was being catty and bitchy! I was responding more positively to Ebony this week because I felt like she really did care what the others thought of her. When she was called out on her wooden performance at the photo shoot, she even said she didn't want the other girls to hate her, kind of like Jael from last season winning the first challenge. I'm starting to see that her strength is a defense mechanism, like it was for Renee last season, and not actual inner confidence or arrogance. At judging panel, I didn't think Ebony deserved to be in the bottom two just yet, especially for such an asinine reason as "resting on being pretty." The judges don't like when a girl feels being pretty is enough to be a model, but that had nothing to do with Ebony's performance this week. I have some hope for Ebony because I still think she is fierce, Miss J likes her, and she has a ringing endorsement from Nigel.
Mila
1st Elimination
Mila is a 20 year old college grad from Boston.
Mila was cut when the judges felt she was resting on just being a pretty girl.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacob D. is a twenty-something native of Austin Tx who spends his time
listening to music, posting on Austin based messageboards, playing
video games, and watching TV. Jacob also enjoys reading Shonen Jump,
Garfield and Calvin & Hobbes strips, playing Texas Hold 'em, drawing
cartoon chickens, and tending to his neopets. Though shy in real
life, he loves to sound off on his favorite shows and enjoys
interacting with other fans.
You can contact Jacob at Jacob@RealityTVCalendar.com
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