Watching The CW

Sorry about the lateness of this recap post for the finale of America’s Next Top Model. My laptop is refusing to turn on and is therefore being repaired. In the meantime, my computer access is somewhat limited.

So instead of my usual play-by-play recap, I’m just going to (more…)

This week on America’s Next Top Model the girls start out at a dance hall to learn the samba. I wanted to get up and dance right along with them. The samba looks like fun. The only one of the girls that really seemed to have any natural rhythym was Aminat. Also, Paulina Porizkova told Celia that she was old and that desperation wasn’t sexy. I find it humorous that someone is considered old at 25. In my book, girls at that age have barely finished cooking.

The challenge is (more…)

It’s go-see day on America’s Next Top Model . This is always fun. I do wonder how they can get to five places, with the travel, and trying on clothes and all that, in only four hours.

I have to say one of the things that makes me crazy is how the designers want these girls to all be so excessively tall and thin. I mean, I get it, that’s modeling, but in this day and age, shouldn’t we be past a lot of these silly stereotypes. I just get aggravated that designs don’t make clothes for normal people. Apparently, sales aren’t the issue here, because it seems to me that if you want to sell stuff, you should make it for the vast majority of people.

The girls seemed to make a lot of mistakes. (more…)

This week on America’s Next Top Model the girls start out with the challenge to be a creative director of a photo shoot. They will be judged by Jay Manuel and Anne Shoket of Seventeen Magazine. They have to direct the hair style, make up and shoot, then they have to edit the film and pick the shot they want.

The winner was Teyona, who will be in Seventeen Magazine’s June issue and gets to pick two friends. She chooses Celia and Aminat.

The girls then get set up for a photo shoot and are joined by Ciara, who apparently (more…)

This week on America’s Next Top Model they start out with another one of those random chick battles that somehow always seem to spring up when you leave a bunch of little girls alone together. Who even knows why these things happen?

Their first lesson is with Paulina Porizkova who has them say a line in a certain way, pitifully, threateningly, arrogantly, etc. They pretty much all (more…)

This week on America’s Next Top Model, things are all still in a tizzy over Celia’s throwing Tahlia under the bus last week. I hate it when people can’t just mind their own business and want to cause trouble for others. Celia says she doesn’t regret what she did, but I just don’t get how she doesn’t feel like an idiot. In any case, it starts up a whole thing in the house, with everyone in everyone else’s face. Another reason why I think these little girls should have a house mother.

The girls are then tutored by Beth Stern (wife of Howard Stern, who is (more…)

I’m feeling pretty sick today. The doc says I have pneumonia. So my traditional recap of America’s Next Top Model is going to be a little less, um, recappy.

The ep starts out with all the girls complaining about how Sandra’s pic was not the best. Then they are visited by Toccara from Cycle 3. I really liked her. Toccara brings them some clothes as presents and then they have a sleepover while she talks to the models about personality and confidence.

Then they meet with Benny Ninja who talks to the chicks about posing and confidence. Their challenge is then to have a pose off with a live audience. Celia was the winner and she really did look great.

Next they have a photo shoot (more…)

This week on America’s Next Top Model, we start out with a little bit of introspection from the girls, as they consider what they were told in panel.

First off, they meet up with Miss J., who has they change into matching outfits, cardigan sweaters and khaki colored capris, black patent pumps and short strands of pearls. It was like they tried to give Mrs. Cleaver a modern make over. Then they walk for him and he brings out two girls from Cycle 9, Bianca and Chantal, to show them how it’s done.

Next up is a Jill Stuart fashion show where they are walking the runway carrying full shopping bags. I was actually surprised that (more…)

On America’s Next Top Model this week, we have the make overs. It seems like this is early to me, but this ep is always fun. The girls are always really excited at the start and then there are tears and knashing of teeth. Sadly, there are no actual breakdowns during the make overs and they had to make a little tension by pretending they were going to cut one girl’s hair when they really weren’t going to. The only one still crying afterwards was Fo, and she didn’t need to at all, cause she looked so adorable and pixie-like with short dark hair.

Since there is no Walmart in New York City, they have set up a CoverGirl Wall. The girls are put into teams and need to go find someone on the street to go back with them and be a model. They then introduce their person to the different products on the wall. The winning team was Sandra, Aminat and Celia.

Now comes the photo shoot with Nigel Barker and the point is to make sure they find the light. The theme is rock and roll, all colorful and crazy with wild hair. They actually have to hold these light sticks that look liked curling irons or something. Maybe some of them did OK, but most of them looked a little confused or bored. Fo continued to whine about her hair.

Nole Marin is (more…)

Here we are already starting off a new cycle of America’s Next Top Model. I really do love this show.

At this point, I usually don’t try too hard to actually learn any of their names, since most of them will be gone within the next two hours. I did notice that there was one chick with a ‘tude named Angelea who was from Buffalo, NY, which is my home, too. Somehow, I doubt she’ll do too well, cause ‘tudes usually don’t.

The girls, who range in age from 18 to 25, start out all dressed in cute litte white Grecian-inspired dresses with gold sandals that had straps up their legs. After an initial photo shoot of their profiles and little display of their walking ability for Miss J., the girls are gathered for Tyra’s appearance. They went wild when they saw her. It reminded me of those girls you see in old videos getting all hysterical over The Beatles.

As I said, I don’t plan on getting too attached to any of these chicks, so I’m not saying anything about the intial interviews they have with the panel. Once they get through the panel, a portion of the girls are eliminated. There are boxes set up on pedastals, each with a girl’s name on it. If the box with their name on it has a golden wreath in it, they get to go forward to the next round.

The remaining girls have a photo shoot, where they each portray a different goddess, justice, strength, success, modesty, etc. At the shoot, Angelea and another chick, Sandra, get into an argument. Angelea’s bad attitude and Sandra’s superiority complex are not a good mix. I feel a little sorry for Angelea, cause she is just coming across as so ghetto and I’m positive she wants to protray the exact opposite.

After another elimination, where Tyra choses the final group of 13 girls who are going forward, we are left with Aminat, Natalie, Fo, Allison, Tahlia, Celia, Nijah, London, Teyona, Kortnie, Isabella, Jessica and Sandra.

The ANTM house in (more…)

The final three beauties on True Beauty are about to get down to the end. The challenge today is to have an interview and photo shoot for People magazine. The interviewer, Jess Cagle, the Executive Editor of People, is secretly judging them on their answers and personalities. Joel failed the interview test, but that was almost a given, cause he’s so very vain and competitive. Julia shares a story about having to give up the title of Miss Teen Texas at 17 because she was ticketed for public intoxication. It was terrible and embarrassing for her and it messed up a great opportunity all because of a stupid mistake.

Jess calls it this way. Joel is authentic, but has no modesty whatsoever. Julia is incredible but her delivery during an interview sounds like she is still up on the beauty paegant stage. Billy somtimes sounds too rehearsed, but he gave a good interview.

Next they have a Matthew Rolston photo shoot. They are nude and wrapped with a towel, and all wet with thick oils poured all over them. Julia is a little concerned because a nude shoot is not a good role model for someone who wants to be Miss America. I have to say I don’t get all the dripping oil, but then I haven’t seen the final pics yet.

OK, now I have seen them. Interesting. But I still don’t get the oil thing. So they get judged on the pics and then they each get to tell the judges why they should be the True Beauty. Billy says he’s done all he can and if he doesn’t win, he still hasn’t lost because of the experience. Joel says he didn’t come there to be second place. Julia says that this was the most fantastic opportunity that she’s ever had and that she blew one chance and doesn’t want to blow this one. (You realize that I am paraphrasing, right?) Then she cries for a while about it. Well, you know, cries and talks at the same time.

The winner of the photo challenge is all three of them. They could not pick a winner from the three photos. But now they will all meet in the Hall of Beauty and two of them will go home.

The final three get a note that says this is their chance to see things through the judges eyes. It’s a plate with several pieces of chocolate. Five in a pile in the middle and one on each side of that pile. The back side of the note says, “head downstairs.” So they go down and into the room that they have been told not to enter before. This is the room with all the TV monitors, where the judges have been sitting and watching them for all these weeks.

Then they get to see themselves in action. It’s not pretty. But honestly the worst they show about Julia is her being pageanty. The first week, I picked Billy as the winner. Or at least as the one I wanted to win, but I think it might be Julia. I’d be surprised if it was Joel, but maybe that’s what they want, to surprise us.

The judges deliberate and Vanessa says, “one of them has more inner beauty, one of them has more outer beauty, and one of them is the whole package.” Hmmmm. Maybe I was right from the beginning after all.

So they all head off in the limo to the Hall of Beauty. Vanessa tells them that for the past eight weeks they have been watching their every move and that there is some good and some bad in each of them. They then ask them why they should win over the other two. Julia says she may not be the most beautiful, but she found the person behind the wall that she had been behind her entire life and she thanked everyone. Joel said he’s the best mix of looks, personality and positive energy and has said so from the beginning, and he now owns his flaws. He then thanks them for helping him to become the definition of the most beautiful person in America. Billy said that they have been telling him this entire competition that he was doing great but he was missing something. That was his confidence which he has now found (little bit of teary eyes) and that he can continue his quest to help people find the beauty in themselves.

The winner gets $100,000 cash and their photo in People Magazine. Third place is Billy. Awww. I’m really sad about that, even though I saw it coming.

The winner is Julia! Joel smiles and seems happy for her, but it’s got to kill him, since he said he wasn’t going to be second place. He actually handled it well. They tell Julia that she was the only person who passed every one of the secret challenges. That is true. She is very pretty, but I think she does wear a little too much makeup.

This week on True Beauty, the first challenge is for the beauties to go to a high society party. They get all made over and have to go with a date that has been chosen for them. The fun part is their mystery dates are their moms, except for Billy, who’s mom couldn’t make it. His dad came instead. Their parents get to choose their outfit. That can get scary.

They are assisted in this makeove by Jordan, a celebrity stylist/actor. He has a private consultation with each one, and tries to get them to spill the beans on the other contestants. Billy does great, he passes as does Julia. Joel and Laura don’t do so well. Although, Joel does have a sweet little teary moment when he talks about seeing his mom there for him.

Poor Billy’s dad seems like he’s totally out of his element, but in a very sweet way. He’s a real doll.

Then the parents pick the clothes and (more…)

This week on True Beauty, the first challenge is a physical fitness challenge. They have to go through a series of fitness challenges, inclduing being weighed on a scale that adds around 10 lbs to their weight. The other part of the challenge that they don’t know about is that the teenages who are assiting them are also judging them. Laura is the most whiny because she is not into working out. She’s also mad cause she weighs in at 118 lbs. I only wish.

Then when the beauties come into eat, they set up the kids all at one table, except for one poor kid who sits all alone. Billy joins the group and ignores the lonely kid; Julia talks to the lonely kid and asks after him; Joel talks to the group but ignores the loner; Laura doesn’t talk to anyone; Ray talks to the group but not only does he ignore the loner, he comments that he is going to grow up to be a sniper.

When it comes to judgment time, (more…)

It’s Valentine’s Day on 90210. The ep opens with Naomi living in her amazingly swanky hotel and being waited on hand and foot by all the staff. There is a new guy working at the coffee bar, and she watches him put a loud drunk with an I’m-Important compex, in his place.

Silver is stressing about what to do that will make for a special valentine for Dixon. She’s a little weird to watch now, cause she’s acting all lovey dovey and ooey gooey. Silver overhears Naomi saying how amazing the food is at the restaurant in her hotel and decides that is where she and Dixon should go to eat. The place is completely booked and Silver tries everything, including bribes to get a table. When she finds out that hotel guests can get a table, she approaches Naomi. At first Naomi doesn’t want to help her, but when Silver tells Naomi that she is in love, Naomi gets her the table.

Naomi and Silver go to the bar to have a drink and the cute coffee bar guy is there. Naomi asks his name - its Liam. He’s just moved to LA and they find out he doens’t have a girlfriend. Silver talks in this weird Cockney accent, cause she says it makes you sound older.

Annie and Ethan are (more…)

So I’m watching True Beauty on line this week, cause I really just forgot to DVR it. Again. I just keep thinking its on on Tuesdays. But it’s not. The show airs Monday night. Unfortunately, by the time I realize that, its already Tuesday.

Anyway, this week, their first assignment, after Billy gets back to the house and they throw him a crazy rocker party, is to go and get one personal item they can’t live without. They all get weird stuff, if you ask me. Like makeup and flat irons. If I was playing that game, it would be, without question or even a moment’s hesitation, my phone. My lovely little T-Mobile G1 phone that has internet access, GPS, games, gets my emails and twitters, and plays my music. I could not possibliy live without it. (And I’ve only had it for about 2 months.) Besides, I don’t usually straighten my hair or wear makeup. Really.

The remaining six (more…)