'America's Next Top Model': And the winner is...

The times, they are a changin'.  America now has its first official plus-sized/full-figured/whatever you want to call it Top Model. Curvier girls who felt awful about themselves yesterday can hold their heads high today.  Actually, all things considered, especially in light of Tyra Banks' previous ham-handed attempts to handle weight issues on her talk show, Whitney's status wasn't as exploited as much as it might have been, especially since Tyra all but said that she liked Fatima because she was a victim. 

The "Top Model" finale was not very different from previous finales. Anya, Fatima and Whitney were all shot for a Cover Girl commercial and spread, one that didn't look as all-American and smiley as it has in the past.  While on the commercial Fatima rushed her lines and Whitney displayed what Paulina Porizkova described as "fakeness," Anya stumbled over her lines but displayed natural Cover Girl Charm.  However, the judges felt her picture failed in comparison to Whitney's (although it could be argued that all three photos looked the same).  Fatima was eliminated. 

It was revealed that the remaining girls would walk in a Versace fashion show, which made one wonder how Donatella would feel about a plus-sized model, but the designer never appeared. Anya and Whitney stomped down the runway only twice, both wearing similar vacant, open-mouthed expressions, although the judges deemed Anya's walk a failure and Whitney's a success.

While Whitney certainly is beautiful, Anya seemed to have been a darling of the judges throughout the competition: she was unconventionally good-looking, high-fashion, easy to work with and pleasant.  "Whitney's the girl you want in the bedroom and Anya's the one you buy the dress from," was Paulina's thought. 

The judges didn't explain why they chose Whitney over Anya, so cynics may just assume they decided to toss it to the plus-sized girl for once.  Whitney talked briefly about how winning this made her feel validated after so many years of being judged, something she hadn't discussed too much on the show and thus seemed somewhat shoehorned-in (and it's interesting to see that she hasn't always been a plus-sized model--scroll down in the post to see pictures of a much more svelte version of her.)

The lesson we learned tonight is that you can overcome anything in this world -- being a refugee, wearing a size larger than a 4 -- as long as you are incredibly beautiful. 

Stay tuned for an ANTM chat Thursday at 2 p.m. PST at chat.latimes.com and an interview with Whitney to appear here on Show Tracker on Friday!

--Claire Zulkey

Comments

[rahul]

hi you send to me your pictures

[Wallace Gary]

I have finally come to the realization that Tyra Banks has officially lost all of the little brains I thought she had left! There's no way that Fatima or Anya should have been beaten by Whitney! Fatima will have a huge career regardless if she had won of not,and so will Anya. Fatima is a natural beauty and is a designers dream and Anya is as fresh and the morning dew! That will have great careers and though Whitney is a good looking girl,she just remind me of those little girls in the pagents with all of the makeup and big hair .

[Whut ?]

Eum...

The Whitney in your link is NOT Whitney Thompson....

[jozielee]

Good to see a girl with an ounce of meat on her bones win America's Top Model. Whitney is certainly beautiful at size 2 or 10, which is the point, isn't it? For once ATM had an opportunity to promote a real girl their audience can relate to and they did by choosing Whitney. One thing I love and continue to be awed by Tyra - she knows her audience and she's a champion of all girls.

The year Danielle Evans won (the southern girl with a heavy accent) knocked me out. I see her everywhere - posters in the mall, billboards, makeup and television commercials. And every time I see her beautiful face I'm thrilled that she's living her dreams. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Evans

Best wishes to Whitney as she embarks on a new phase of her modeling career.

[Christine]

The only reason Tyra picked the "bigger" girl was because Tyra was called fat last year. As ususal it was all about Tyra. She choses girls who could be audience members. She doesn't want to aliienate her fans. I also think Tyra has issues with Black women who have thier "OWN" long hair. More often than not, it's the black girls who gets cut damn near bald. I think she's jealous. There is really no reason Whitney should have won. NONE! At the end of the show, she looked like a pretty in a pretty dress. NOT A MODEL!

[Tiff]

Scroll down the page from the link... Whitney is on there and she is very thin! I am very disappointed!

[jk]

Whitney is georgeous in person and in pictures. She speaks clearly and knows how to present herelf without being told. She is spot on a model and she's not even plus she's like a 8 or 10?
The other runner up proably will get picked up by an agency, but did she have it all? She folded in comparison to Whitney.
Sometimes having your own personality that draws people in just with your presence iswhat a total packadge is. She can selll it to a client in person and can sell it to those who get to view the clients product.
She is stunning and I am glad she won even if she would have been a stick like that Fatima.

[Claire Zulkey]

Whut, scroll down in that post: you'll see pictures of Whitney as a thin model.

[Ash]

If you look at those pictures of Whitney, how are you suppose to know if she is smaller or not? It's not as though you have her measurments. She never looked fat, but some women have wider hips, rib cage etc. that doesn't leave them in the traditional modeling pool...

And I thought that Whitney deserved to win. Minimizing it to "throwing a bone to the plus-sized model" is just condescending. Anya and Fatima may have had more model-esque bodies. But they both looked gaunt and shriveled. Also, it seemed to me that Whitney had that better energy and personality that is looked for in a "Top Model".

[Marcy]

This season had to be the "worst" ever. The girls were boring and predictable. While Whitney was nice looking, I think she was chosen because she was not the skinny llittle one and kids today need to see that you don't have to starve yourself to become a model. Even as a full figure modrl, she just didn't have it. Anya...she was so sickening.. Every time she opened her mouth I cringed. I honestly didn't see beauty in her...She reminded me of a robot doll. Just my opinion. The past seasons were so much better and the girls were very pretty. Tyra...bring back the kind of girls you've had in the past, Danielle, Nic, Jade, Jada... etc.....they made you want to tune in every week. They had beauty, personality and spunk which this season lacked. .

[Katherine]

Seriously, I thought for ONCE that ANTM would actually chose someone that had potential to become a star and a top model...like Fatima or Anya. But no, they go again and pick someone that will fade away like all the rest of the winners.

[F. Johnson]

Whitney should not have won. No way is she a "Top Model" or a model at all. Tyra just had to put a plus size model to win this season, but let's face it, Whitney is not high fashion or a designer's dream!

[Leslie, Phoenix, AZ]

This show has been getting progressively more predictible and BORING over the last 3 seasons. When you look at seasons 3 - 6 the shows were much more fun and active. The contestants were given "tests" in panel that were humorous and insightful. In the last 3 seasons it's been nothing but constant "confessionals" and photo shoots. We never really get to know the girls, with their flaws and positives. Seeing how some of them (Eva and Naima) mature and grow through their experience.

If this show doesn't go back to that fun, edgy style they started with I know of one fan that won't be watching (me).

[Lia]

I just can't fathom how whitney won over Fatima or Anya. The judging on this show is laughable at best.

[Julie M]

only people that are overweight in real life are happy that Whitney won because they use it for self validation that they are not ubnormal. modeling industry has its own size standards and i wish that ppl stop measuring 'real' ppl against models. yes, size 10 is not fat. but it is for a model. i wish ppl would realize that difference and stop talking about it

[Robyn]

i think it is a greatthing she won.i was wrooting for her from the begining

[Chantel]

I am so proud that Whttney won! She deserved it! She was the best throughout the entire series and i am glad she won!

[Lani Brooke]

The only reason Whitney won is because Tyra wanted a plus size girl to win. Anya was such a high fashion looking model with a great heart who never put down anyone... I can't believe they choose Whitney who in previous shows on ANTM was disrespectful to Dominque... Whitney to me seems very fake and something about her I just don't like about her personality. She is a beautiful girl but she not Top Model looking... I know Anya will do well in her modeling career she will out shine Whitney 100percent.

[Sam]

Whitney had a very strong local modeling career for several years and she was not plus-size at that time. I'm not sure if she put on weight in order to be in this competition or not. She was always nice and curvy but far from as heavy as she was in this show. She was in Jacksonville magazine several times...and a few other local publications and she looked more like the Victorias Secret type of model...just not runway skinny. Maybe she had to gain the weight in order to not fall in that in-between category...but it wouldn't surprise me if she soon loses a few pounds and gets back to her old self.

[Kelly Mentzer]

I think that it's awesome she won. It's about time a plus size model won. I'm so tired of the cliche of having to be a size 0 to be a model now days. You can be bigger and still be beautiful. Not everyone in the world is a tootkpick. Now we can see a normal size girl representing the world. I love Americas Next Top Model.

[Kelly Mentzer]

I'm glad she won I think it's about time that they had a plus size girl win. She deserved it and the world needs to feel they dont have to be a size zero to be beautiful and be a model.So all the haters get over it she won because she deserved to win.

[Brianna]

Anya should have won.She probably would get the most work out of all the ANTM girls.Whitney is not going to get that much.

[Jenny]

Julie M: Your comment about people only liking Whitney for self-validation is completely ridiculous! I am a size 4, and I've never been overweight. I also work in the fashion industry, and I definitely think Whitney has the most potential out of the three finalists on the show. Not only does she have a beautiful face and exquisite bone structure, but she also takes direction well and has a killer walk. And, very importantly for this particular competition (and unlike Anya and Fatima), the girl can SPEAK CLEARLY AND AT THE RIGHT PACE. If you're going to be representing Cover Girl for several months by way of national TV commercials, you've got to have the speaking voice... Anya and Fatima just don't. Not to mention that Fatima has bad skin (not great for go-sees, where often you're asked to show up wearing minimal or no makeup) and Anya's dumb as a doorknob. In fashion, we're always looking for what's next, what's new. Not the same old thing. The industry already has plenty of pretty but vacant models who are a size 0 or 2. And for those who keep saying there's no place in the modeling industry for Whitney, do your research! There are plenty of well-known, high-end designers out there who are devoting all or part of their collections to dressing full-figured women---Marina Rinaldi (MaxMara's plus-size collection), Rachel Pally White Label, MICHAEL Michael Kors, and Paige Premium Denim are just a few that come to mind. I say, good for Whitney. She has earned her present and future success, and she definitely deserved to win.

[clemycali]

I think the guys at Ellite Models are "thrilled" that they have to keep for a year a girl with Anna Nicole's looks and that is unbookable for any high fashion show on Earth. The first Versace dress was bearly fitting her and the second looked like a cheap plus size lingerie piece. Paulina got t right when she said that Witney will make man want her in their bedrooms but Anya will sell the dress. Unfortunatelly, I think the other judges are just for decor. The only opinion that matter is Tyra's. And Tyra is happy she crowned a plus size girl as America's top model. I suppose we'll see some changes in the judges coming next season.

[Julie M]

Jenny:
i agree with you on Whitney's good qualities, but Whitney would have NEVER won if she was a skinny girl. yes, she definitely have good attributes, but WHITNEY WON BECAUSE SHE IS A PLUS SIZE!! SHE NEVER STOOD A CHANCE IF SHE WAS SKINNY!!
do you seriously think the Versace keeps designs in size 10??? all she can do is catalogue work. no designer would ever make special outfits for their one and only fat model.
(Jenny, Im canadian and we have different sizes here. do you mind if i ask your height and weight? it is announymous after all)

i wish that ppl would stop saying "normal size girl in modeling". models are not supposed to be "normal" size, that's why they are models!!!