‘America’s Next Top Model’: And it’s Jaslene!

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In the end, the cha-cha carried the day, and Jaslene was named ‘America’s Next Top Model’ after Natasha was deemed not quite fluent enough in English, and Renee, all 20 years of her, was pushed aside as being too OLD, OLD, OLD.

The final episode had the ladies shooting a Cover Girl commercial, and Natasha stumbled through the improv portion. It was endearing to see her make a mess of it -- but it was in no way professional. Renee hit the spot with her enthusiasm -- but as has been telegraphed for a couple of episodes now, her traditionally pretty features, sleek blond hair and blue eyes just weren’t ringing the judge’s chimes.

Jaslene muffed her dialogue in the commercial as well, but burst into Spanish at the last second and saved the take.

You could almost hear the bells ring in the head of the Cover Girl exec watching the shoot: ‘Latina! Spanish-speaking market! Crossover appeal! Money!’

After Renee was shipped to the not-yet-legal-to-drink old folks’ home halfway through the episode, Natasha and Jaslene -- in the best tradition of ‘Zoolander’ -- had a good old-fashioned walk-off at a Sass & Bide show.

Evolution was the theme, giving the opportunity for lots of dramatic/goofy hair, makeup and strutting in front of the Sydney Opera House. Both women comported themselves well -- props to Natasha for not becoming fashion roadkill when her skirt fell off halfway through one of her laps -- but Jaslene’s fierceness (yep, time to wean myself off the Tyra) was evident throughout. Not bad at all for a gal who got booted in the first round of the competition last year.

Let’s hope she ages well.

(Photo courtesy The CW)