“America’s Next Top Model”: No fat chicks

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It was funny that on a day when weight played such an important part of the news, it was also the theme of ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ Tyra Banks obviously moved on from her ‘Kiss my fat ass!’ pro-plus-sized model kick, because on tonight’s episode she kicked off a contestant for being too chunky. Well, she didn’t put it in so many words but we know that’s what happened.

The girls actually had an interesting challenge on tonight’s episode, having to serve as creative director on one another’s shoots. Some models unexpectedly took charge during their turns, especially Allison Harvard and Teyona Anderson, who had the vision to style Celia Ammerman as a ‘hood diva.’ I was also thrilled to see Sutan the makeup artist back (she now co-stars in a Cover Girl commercial). The show is wise to give us more Sutan.

Fo Porter had a challenge, though, styling London Levi, who has gained weight throughout the season. For a ‘normal’ girl, London would be a perfectly normal weight; but as a model, yes, it’s evident that she has gotten heavy, and it’s not very flattering in her face. Moreover, she was sensitive about it, which affected her performance, which is too bad because she is charming. Her funky, free-spiritedness makes her perhaps odd relationship with God (Does he really care how we do in modeling competitions?) easier to take.

Teyona won the competition and picked her friend, Aminat Ayinde, and her model, Celia, to be in a cheesy fashion spread for Seventeen magazine. Fo couldn’t figure out why Teyona chose Celia instead of her -- maybe because it would be pretty crummy for Teyona not to include the person integral to her winning the challenge?

The photo challenge was with Ciara, who I always thought of as a second-tier R&B singer, but who is apparently an ‘icon,’ according to many of the girls, who were to portray crazed fans wrapped up in her microphone cord. In a swimsuit. London, not really grasping the definition of irony, found this ironic. Poor London. What girl hasn’t been uncomfortable in her clothes, or in the position of thinking, ‘Well, if I lose it the ‘right’ way it won’t happen as fast as I want it to’?

Before judging, Tyra went through an unconvincing little skit where a half-naked man presented her with a nut, which was a clue to the destination for the cycle’s trip. Really, that’s the best Brazilian clue they could find? A nut? So the top six are going to Brazil.

The bottom two in the photo challenge were Aminat and London, and as much as I liked London she looked distinctly unmodelesque standing next to Aminat, so it wasn’t a big surprise to see her go. The weight was clearly the issue, but Tyra kind of glossed over the topic. This seemed a little disingenuous, especially as Tyra, looking svelter these days, could maybe give London some advice on how to handle the mental aspect of weight loss, gain and maintenance in the industry. It’s too bad that the weight crept up on London so quickly (which you could see throughout her portfolio); otherwise she might have caught it and it wouldn’t have done her in. London, I’m eating a chocolate for thee tonight, just because I can.

--Claire Zulkey

(image: the CW)