ANTM - Cycle 18 - The British Are Coming! - February 29, 2012

[CCL]

I agree about the candids comment from tinderbox. But the judges are always making inane comments based on criteria of their own choosing so..

I read that Emma Watson was giving up her clothing line as it didn't sell. Sophie did model for it. She and Emma are childhood friends and they were even roommates in London when the season of BNTM that Sophie was on was airing.

I never saw BNTM so this was my first exposure to Sophie. I do think Laura's pictures were overall better but Sophie was more of the complete package. I think Cover Girl plays a big role in the final voting and I think Sophie was clearly better than Laura in the commercial and in the print ad.

I actually liked the final runway so I guess I'm in the minority there.

[Critical]

I never saw BNTM so this was my first exposure to Sophie. I do think Laura's pictures were overall better but Sophie was more of the complete package. I think Cover Girl plays a big role in the final voting and I think Sophie was clearly better than Laura in the commercial and in the print ad.

Agreed. I think Laura takes beautiful pictures, but when she speaks, she comes off as a bit hard. Sophie is so bubbly and sweet. She's a much better person to represent CG

[SurrnderDorothy]

Actually, we did see Ms. J for a second-- at the start of the runway show, standing up in the judges' section of the audience, turning toward the camera and giving one of those great "OMG!" gapes. She had on a "Chinese" ensemble with a long straight black wig and a wide coolee hat. If you blinked you missed her, though.

I reviewed the DVD-R I timeshifted the show on, and let me correct myself.

Ms. J doesn't do the facial expression I described-- I realize now I was adding in a comic reaction shot she did during the Nicholas Tse challenge-- and you see her several times during the runway sitting with Kelly, Nigel and Tyra, not just once.

She is wearing a black wig, glittered coolee hat, and an embroidered or brocade mandarin jacket or tunic or dress, though.

And sadly, this is the last we'll see of her, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker.


I just want to add that even though I was glad Sophie won, Laura was one of my favorite US girls during the cycle, so I'm glad she made F2. Even if she didn't win, I hope she'll keep at it and do well.

And "brava!" to Laura for a very gracious exit; she seemed genuinely pleased for Sophie and grateful for the experience.

[CCL]

What happened to the Italian Vogue "spa" pictures? I don't recall seeing them at the judging?

[jadewarlock]

What happened to the Italian Vogue "spa" pictures? I don't recall seeing them at the judging?

They haven't ever really shown the final shots of these probably because they will be put in magazines that are selling around the world.

CoverGirl is different - they can have these show and then be reused or they're going to shoot a different layout with Sophie (though this one does work).

[Fanny Mare]

I agree about the candids comment from tinderbox. But the judges are always making inane comments based on criteria of their own choosing so..

I read that Emma Watson was giving up her clothing line as it didn't sell. Sophie did model for it. She and Emma are childhood friends and they were even roommates in London when the season of BNTM that Sophie was on was airing.

I never saw BNTM so this was my first exposure to Sophie. I do think Laura's pictures were overall better but Sophie was more of the complete package. I think Cover Girl plays a big role in the final voting and I think Sophie was clearly better than Laura in the commercial and in the print ad.

I actually liked the final runway so I guess I'm in the minority there.

I loved the final runway Sophie has a great walk

[SurrnderDorothy]

I didn't like the final runway. Didn't care for the clothes, hated the "bows of hair" hairstyles-- and the gimmick? Feh.

Okay, Tyra announces breathlessly that it's going to be-- a holographic runway! Maybe it looked different in person, but as aired, it just came across as models moving around in front of a rear projection screen that's running a previously shot film.

I just didn't get the impression that the models on the catwalk were on the same physical plane as the the ninjas, dandelions, etc. they were supposed to be interacting with, largely because you could see their shadows hitting the screen.

I also never got what the deal was with the wavy pool of light the models were supposed to stay in as they walked across the stage; if there was an effect being produced by that, I don't think they ever showed it to us.

As a result, all I got out of it was a strangely restricted catwalk (side views and stay in that light!) punctuated by a little rear-projected hoo-hah. It was like they were trying to help disguise Laura's runway limitations and the blah non-couture clothing.

And I guess keeping costs down can't have been a factor with the choice of Forever 21 as "designer," because if there was a holographic system in play, it must've been a more expensive than usual final runway extravaganza. Maybe Forever 21 footed the bill for the extras in exchange for "product placement" with the show.

Myself, I'd prefer seeing a good designer with great pieces on a realistic no-frills runway, like the earlier ones in Toronto and the designer competition challenge. I think ANTM gets too hung up on trying to top itself with these gimmicky shows.

At least the girls both looked even more fabulous than usual at the final judging in those gowns. Did anybody catch who did those? Surely those weren't Forever 21!

[SurrnderDorothy]

Alisha's a big talker for someone who quit. Yeah, maybe those other girls would be quaking in their boots over her being in the competition, but probably not. I thought that was really snotty of her.

Just noticed this comment. I thought she wasn't really serious when she said that in that tone, and was just doing some joking "trash-talk" for the cameras. Alisha made a lot of snarky/funny "reality check" put-downs of the other girls throughout the cycle, so I just took this as one more.

Personally, I loved her sense of humor and camera presence and wish they'd keep her on the show in some capacity, though I can't figure out how she'd be able to do the "reality check" comments when she wasn't living with the new crop of girls.

Oh, well-- if you felt Alisha was serious and being "really snotty," at least you got the enjoyment of seeing an "instant karma" takedown when she promptly messed up on runway (though I have the feeling it wasn't as bad as edited and shown).

[Lizard]

I wonder if next season will be the last. Will miss the jays.

[NFL1]

I might try the first show, but already didn't like Miss Jay missing from panel, and most shoots...booting Nigel and Jay will be the death of this.