The FORT Interview with Lisa, 11/20/05

[hepcat]

Latest to be discharged from Tyra’s Model Bootcamp was Lisa, the girl who sparkled on camera while never failing to show us her crazy side. And by crazy, I mean an unprecedented level of lunacy that’s rarely seen on television outside of those wacky shows on MTV. We’re talking pee-in-your-adult-diaper crazy, talk-to-a-shrub-in-the-backyard kind of crazy. Lisa’s elimination seemed to boil down to the fine line between having fun and making a cake of yourself. We’ve seen wild contestants get the axe before, and each time I wonder: so what if they’re a little nutty? It’s a modeling competition, not a morality contest. So a girl likes to unwind at the end of the day with a bottle of wine in the hot tub, so what? Especially when that girl is uninhibited enough to put shampoo in the tub so the air jets create monster bubbles, all so she can run around the house wearing nothing but a bubble bikini. I thought lack of modesty was a plus in the modeling industry! For now, we’ve seen the last of Lisa’s antics, but we can still hear Lisa’s take on the Top Model experience, her thoughts on why she was eliminated, and her explanation for making wee-wee on national television.

Thank you for speaking with me this morning, Lisa, and congratulations for making it this far in the competition.

Well, thank you very much!

First off, what attracted you to the show?

My friends have been trying to get me to do it for two years. Now, I don’t watch television, so, I didn’t know the show. They told me it was a reality show, and I was like, “Hell no, I ain’t doing no reality show!” I watched one episode, and it didn’t change my mind. But eventually I sent in a tape for fun - a friend came over and taped me - and I wanted to see if I would be able to do it, and out of 35,000 girls I got it!


I’ve heard that you have previous modeling experience; were you signed with an agency?

Yeah, I’ve been modeling since I was fourteen. I’ve actually traveled the world and had lots of experience in this business.

Did you think your age would be a factor, considering most models are starting when you first did at 14?

No, I didn’t think it would be a factor. I follow a healthy diet, I take care of my skin, and being almost 25 isn’t really a big deal the way it was back in the earlier days of modeling. I think being a little older was an advantage, really, because I am very clear on who I am and some of the girls didn’t know themselves very well.

Were you surprised at the reasons Tyra gave for your elimination?

Yeah, she says that I’m overconfident and cocky, but at the same time they want you to be confident. So it’s like, do they want you to be confident or not? I think they want you to be confident, but not confident enough – that way they can break you down. I’m not going to do that. I’m really strong and I know who I am. I’m always going to be smiling at the end of the day. I didn’t matter how they tried to push us around and manipulate us for television.

You were one of the few girls who’ve left the show that wasn’t in tears, which was a classy way to exit, if you ask me.

Well, thank you! Once I left, I thought the whole process was basically deceiving because they tell you one thing but mean another. If you do well in a competition then you’re supposed to excel. I thought it was interesting because I asked in the very beginning if the judges see you in the house. Are you judged on your pictures and the challenges, or are you judged for your actions 24/7? They told me that they were completely separate, they never came together.

Really, they said your actions in the house didn’t matter?

They said those worlds never collided, period. Obviously I was lied to.

That leads into my next question. We heard over and over again that you took great pictures, and your behavior in the house was not brought up at panel. How can someone with great photos end up on the chopping block at this point in the competition?

Yeah, I don’t have the answers for you. It’s a very confusing process when you’re in it. So when I was watching it on TV I expected it to make sense but I’m still confused about it all. (laughs) Yeah, I can be outrageous at times, but all in all, I just like to have fun and what’s wrong with that? The thing is, every girl had her moment, but the one who got the most ratings was mine, so it was like the Lisa show.

But then, you know, you get the critiques and scrutiny of being this way or that way. Like being called an alcoholic. You’ve got to remember, it’s all in the editing. I am not an alcoholic. Come on, who wouldn’t have a glass of wine being in a house full of girls knowing that you’re the one that they all hate? (laughs) You know what I mean? Being in a negative environment day in and day out is stressful. And yes, I am the type of person that tells myself, “Don’t let anyone bring you down, you’re a positive person.” But I’m only human as well, so of course I’m going to break down. (melodramatic voice) I’ve got a heart too!

Now that you’ve seen the show, do you regret anything you said or did?

I don’t regret anything! I have no regrets.


When it comes to the judges' criticism, what was the hardest to hear?

The hardest thing they told me? I don’t know.

Did they ever give you any harsh criticism?

No, I don’t think so. I was basically very consistent and I had a lot of fun with the photoshoots.

Oh -- this is something that they told me. When we had to change into something we thought was sexy, and I came in wearing jeans and a wifebeater, Nigel told me I should walk into elimination like that every time I went in there – you know, to not wear the spunky rocker clothes. And I didn’t do it. At the time I said, “Yeah, okay,” but I thought about it and decided that I was reponsible for how I wanted to present myself on this show. I’m not going to change who I am or how I dress for anything or anyone. So, I think that if they realize they can’t mold you into what they want you to be, then it’s, see you later!

I’m glad I don’t fit the mold. I’m glad that I won’t cater to whatever they want. I’m an individual, and I’m strong, and I love who I am, so take me or leave me.

Was there anyone in the house you found particularly annoying or just didn’t get along with?

Um...I think I was on my own, I have to say that. Ebony was my girl. When she left, I was like, dang, I have to deal with all these girls by myself. Ebony and I didn’t take ourselves seriously - we joked around all the time. There’s points on the show that you might be saying, “Oh my God I can’t believe Lisa just said that!” But I’m totally kidding, you’re seeing it out of context.

Let’s talk about some of the more unsavory moments they highlighted on the show. First off, everyone I know was talking about the diaper incident during the Wild Boys shoot. Did you really pee your pants?

Yeah, I did pee in the diaper. But let me just say, I’ve heard all the scrutiny about this and I know people think that I’m kuh-razy because of this. First of all, let me just remind everyone that this was the Wild Boys. What is more appropriate? I also think they planted those diapers because they knew I would do something with them. There was just this big box sitting there, and I thought it would be funny. And it’s the Wild Boys, give me a break! I was like, finally I can really be crazy and it would be okay, and these girls will loosen up and won’t be so uptight, and maybe they will have some fun for a change instead of constantly judging each other! (laughs)That didn’t happen, you know what I mean!

Secondly, they say I was an attention hog, well let me tell you this: I didn’t know what the hell they were doing downstairs. I was upstairs swimming in the pool by myself for two hours. Yeah, I came downstairs, and the other girls were like, “Once I finally get attention Lisa has to come downstairs and grab it.“ That’s just NOT how I do things. (sarcastic voice) I’m sorry if I’m uninhibited, and like to have fun, and I live each moment to the fullest! I live each day like it’s the last. It must be hard to see someone having so much fun when it’s supposed to be such a stressful environment.

Everyone would just take themselves way too seriously. I wanted to say, when can you just laugh at yourself? That’s basically why I did a lot of things. I saw how all the girls were so stressed out. They were constantly analyzing themselves. It’s almost like they couldn’t breathe! And to give someone a laugh is just to loosen them up. I had no intentions of harming anybody, and I don’t think anyone was trying to hurt me. I tried to loosen everybody up. Just live life, have fun, man! Why do you have to take everything so seriously?

Some of the challenges this season have been, well, wacky - like the challenge where you went to a go-see covered in mud. Was it nerve-wracking never knowing what they would come up with next?

I thought [the Ellegirl go-see challenge] was really great. I thought it made a great point about what you might have to face when you go out to auditions. For instance, one time that I had an audition I was going back and forth to the hospital for my grandma. She was crying because she was in so much pain and I had an audition right after my hospital visit. I had to pretend like that was what’s important in life, that audition, and it was so hard. So I thought it was a really great lesson. I knew that it was going to be something like that, and I knew I was going to knock that ball right out of the park.

What about the paparazzi, are you prepared now? Was that a realistic challenge or just silly?

You know, there’s a problem that I had throughout the whole entire show, and that was sleep. I had a lot of anxiety and I have sleeping issues anyway, so to be in that environment I couldn’t sleep ever. I think you can see in the extra footage that I rock to sleep for hours. I’ve always been like that ever since I was a child. So when we got to London, I hadn’t slept for three days. In that episode, I feel like I look really haggard. And it’s because of no sleep, not eating right – everything that could possibly be off was off. So I really was not prepared for that paparazzi. I tried to kind of pull it together, but I thought they were going to get a horrible shot because I hadn’t slept in days. I just knew it would be a bad shot! I knew I had my glasses in my bag but I couldn’t remember where I had put them and when you’re that tired, you’re just drained physically and emotionally. So, it was take it or leave it. I didn’t know they were going to use it - I think that’s pretty mean.

Well, that part’s realistic.

It is realistic, definitely.

Were you confident going into that last judging panel session?

Of course! I didn’t think they were going to use the paparazzi shot, but I always nailed the photoshoots so I was shocked when I was in the bottom two. In fact, you didn’t see this on the show, but during the phone booth shoot, I was the last girl to go. Jay got the other girls together and showed them my shots, and told them how great my poses were. Then he actually gave them ten more shots each!

Wow, I’m stunned. Did you get ten more shots too?

Nope. That’s why I was pretty confident before panel, even though Bre had pointed out I was the only one who hadn’t been in the bottom two. It just seems like there was politics going on and they needed me to go at a certain point. I don’t know.

So what is your opinion of what Tyra said about you during judging; i.e., you’re an out of control spitfire?

See, the thing is, I don’t think it mattered because I don’t think I was eliminated for my personality. They realized I wasn’t going to be easily molded, and they were looking for someone they could shape exactly the way they wanted. I’m not going to change that for anyone.

Okay, I’m going to read off the names of your competitors, could you give your impression of them in one or two words?



Bre - Wise beyond her years.
Cassandra - I’m the one who called her “robot” first, so I’ll just stick to that.
Coryn - She needs to love herself. She doesn’t.
Diane - Love that girl!
Ebony - Love her, love love love!
Jayla - One thing I have always loved about Jayla is her confidence. She doesn’t act on what people say about her, she’s still really strong and I always admired that about her.
Nik - She’s just safe.

[Note: Lisa declined to comment on Ashley, Kim, Kyle, Nicole and Sarah.]

What was your take on the whole Nik vs. Kim fight?

I was just sitting back and enjoying it. Kim, I know that she talked about everybody in the house. I didn’t know that she talked about me - she even told me that she never had. And to then to see that in every episode she’s the number one person talking about me, it hurts. So as far as this fight, I know that she (Kim) definitely deserved it. She’s that person that shakes your hand and stabs you in the back.

Who do you think has the best shot at the win?

I really thought that I nailed everything they could possibly throw at me. So if I didn’t win, and I have a really strong personality, and I have the confidence to be the winner, I don’t know who it could be. I think it will just be someone who will transform, or someone that they will be able to mold, and they can be whoever they want them to be.

Did you know Kyle picked you as the most likely winner?

Well, I was shocked to be eliminated, so I’m not surprised she thought I would win. When you go down the list: commercials, nailed it; interviews, nailed it; photos, nailed it; runway, I was awesome - they say Bre is the best, and she is good but I don’t know about that horse trot. I don’t know what else I could have done because I nailed every aspect of the competition.

Do you read the Internet sites where fans talk about the show?

Yeah, people think I need to go to a psychiatric ward. Well, those people need to not take themselves so seriously. I mean, of course I put myself out there for scrutiny, but I didn’t think everyone else in this whole world was so uptight. They can judge it, frown upon it and write nasty things about it the next day, but I’m sure when they were watching it they were laughing their asses off. That was my number one intention – to put a smile on people’s faces. People write such ugly things about me, it’s kind of like, damn, you all are just angry people! You just need to smile, man. Put some positive light in your life.

Thanks to Lisa for speaking with me, and many thanks to UPN for granting the interview.

[Google]

 

[SKS2K5]

Great interview, hepcat.
But dang...Lisa...I thought Keenyah was bad. At least Keenyah realised some of her mistakes. Lisa just seems to make no apologies for anything. A good thing or a bad thing, I don't know...probably both. I'm glad she's standing up for herself, but there's a difference between being molded and being versatile.

[*LeiLani*]

great interview hepcat! man i need to sleep for school too..lol

[gavinn]

Hey is Lisa a forter?

Brilliant interview and I think she will nail the top model's world soon.

[cuckoo]

Great interview, Hepcat!

Lisa has nothing to apologize or feel sorry for, she is one of a kind, I will sooo miss her and wish her all the best!

[CCL]

I can't believe she actually peed in the diaper. I know she said she was going to, but I didn't think she actually had. Hm, I wonder why she didn't comment on all of the contestants.
Great job, hepcat.

[hklts]

Thanks for the great interview !

After reading all these interviews, I really admire Lisa. She is a very strong woman and she is very special. In my opinion, she is the best contestant in ANTM history.

I really miss Lisa. She is ANTM5. Without Lisa, iThe show's just going to be boring. Now the strongest contestant (based on performance, unboubtedly Lisa is the best), how can Tyra choose the winner? The remianing 5 girls are just so weak.

[dallas_viewer]

Interesting interview. I hope Lisa gets some show biz (if not modeling) work out of this, because she certainly is talented.

I also think she's somewhat defensive and delusional:

(a) about the drinking - if the house is stressful, and you feel the need to drink excessively, admit that's what happened. But she didn't, which is suspicious to me. "Come on, who wouldn’t have a glass of wine...," my hiney!

(b) about the impact of being (and looking) older than the rest, not to mention how she doesn't seem to realize that smoking and drinking are not the best way of "taking care of your skin".

(c) about her over-the-top behavior. "Just having fun"? I don't buy it. I do buy that the house was stressful and she wanted to lighten things up. But some of what she did was painfully immature and unacceptable, for most people, even under stressful circumstances.

(d) about rocking every photo shoot. There was one part of a shoot--an interview?--where she said she was going to be prepared and have her lines memorized, and then she just forgot what she was supposed to say.

I do think she was hugely affected by lack of sleep. Hence the crying during the challenge to land the Veronica Mars spot.

Just my two cents.

[pandimonea]

great interview.
i love her, i really was wanting her to win, i was upset when she was voted off,

[seen&heardall]

WOW! What an ego.