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

[Critical]

Was sad to see Ashley go, she was sweet and her photo really wasn't bad (just the others - save Seymone - were better). I was surprised Tyra said she should do hosting, given that on occasion she is hard to understand. That said, if she worked on slowing down just a bit... yeah she'd have a good job as a host. She's been hilarious in her honest direct comments, and that is a good sign because if you can make people laugh with a straight-faced comment, you are a natural commedian.

But not in the UK. By using the word "presenter" instead of "host," I think Tyra meant she should work in the UK. No one would have trouble understanding her back home.

Sad to see Ashley go, although how could they keep her with that photo? It was just bad. She's adorable, but I'm not convinced that she should be a model.

I hope the UK girls step it up. Although it seems like it's rigged, when I looked at the pictures from this episode again, the US girls were better overall. I like Azmarie and Laura, but I think Catherine and Sophie are just as good.

While Seymone has a pretty face, I don't think she'll last much longer. When Beverly commented about how Seymone obviously knew how to use her body, I had to laugh. That photo was pure luck.

[jadewarlock]

But not in the UK. By using the word "presenter" instead of "host," I think Tyra meant she should work in the UK. No one would have trouble understanding her back home.

Oh, I could understand her for the most part, and I thought she was one of the funniest contestants from the UK (Then again, all the remaining ones I have felt are very funny. US? - Pretty much just AzMarie right now).

Sad to see Ashley go, although how could they keep her with that photo? It was just bad. She's adorable, but I'm not convinced that she should be a model.

I don't think it was bad - there was an air of uniqueness to it that made it pretty. Against the others though? - yeah, it was the weakest.

I hope the UK girls step it up. Although it seems like it's rigged, when I looked at the pictures from this episode again, the US girls were better overall. I like Azmarie and Laura, but I think Catherine and Sophie are just as good.

I agree with this particular photoshoot. Last week's though gave it an air of rigged attitudes.

That said, speculation only, sometimes I think the little comment about this season it's a winner who takes criticism and turns it around we may be surprised - it may be UK who wins (or Seymone...)

While Seymone has a pretty face, I don't think she'll last much longer. When Beverly commented about how Seymone obviously knew how to use her body, I had to laugh. That photo was pure luck.

It was luck, and for me the interesting part was her face and because of the syrup. Even Whitney at her worst (That old lady looking photo that Katarzyna was eliminated in), knew some angles (even if bad).

[SurrnderDorothy]

Okay, no cable mishap last night, so I actually got to time-shift and see it when I got home from work. Where to start...?

I was glad to see the Toronto Fashion Week runway work opportunity for the models. This is so much better than when they do the usual "We arranged a runway show for designer Lydia Nevahoidovha, and you'll walk for a bunch of people we pulled in with free drinks-- with your head on fire while trying to dodge six shirtless male models firing paintballs! Fierce walks, girls, or you won't get to use the fire extinguisher backstage!"

Instead, we got a taste of reality from that woman from Pink Tartan: "It's not about you, it's about me. My product, hanging off your face, as you move it down the runway. Got it? Be a hanger, with my stuff on it. Hangers don't have facial expressions or signature walks, they just move my clothes out there and back. In fact, if you can freeze your face, hold your breath for the entire out-n-back and manage to walk at the proper display speed without actually moving your arms or legs, that'd be perfect, because then all they'll notice is my stuff. Actually, if you'll just let me chop off your head and stick it on a clothes rack on a conveyor belt, that'd be even better. Because this isn't about you, it's about my product and me. Me, me, me. Got it?" (Okay, she didn't actually say all this, but that's probably what she was thinking.)

I was really sorry to see Ashley go, because every time I see and hear her I just want to hug her. However, I knew she was toast the minute she said anything about the "two wee ones at home", and she wasn't delivering the pictures well enough to keep her in as long as the mamas in C8 held on. Since I have that response to Ashley, I agree with Tyra about her being a TV personality. Oddly, I never had any problems understanding her, and if she co-hosted with an American, the accent could actually become a plus. (Let's face it-- Americans love to do that "Ohhh-- you're trying to say they thought you were too hippy!" "Tha's wha' ah sayd-- heppy!" routine, ever since Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy".)

I guess Seymone got called higher for the "improvement" factor in this week's photo. But if you ask me, the results were more a combination of Photoshop tweaking on the face and "even a blind squirrel finds a nut eventually" on the pose, and I thought they called it a couple of slots higher than they should've based on the other factors pulling Seymone down (no bookings and bad attitude she needed to be talked to about at the show).

Eboni showed a lot of improvement this week and looked great at the show, and I really think Tyra is sabotaging her with the Cindy Brady 'do she makes her wear and the "branding" she stuck her with. Her photo was also really good and deserved the praise it got, but her face looked Photoshopped a bit too obviously as well. (Of course, the real champion of over-Photoshopping this week was Jay Manuel's poster seen at his studio.)

I agreed with Nigel about Kyle's photo, thought it was a dud for her and would've ranked her in Catharine's spot because of the sudden drop in quality, getting fired from the Pink Tartan runway booking, and "I want to leave" fit the week previous (which they had to know about). Catharine failed to book any shows, but her photo was striking, one of the best, and showed an upswing in quality. She shouldn't have been in the bottom two.

AzMarie nailed it and probably only failed to get top spot because Tyra wants to keep her from getting too cocky and being too predictably the winner at this point. I was really surprised at how great she looked in a maple leaf "bikini". If people could get past the buzzcut and tats (or they could grow it out a bit and cover the ink), I think she could do an SI swimsuit shoot or VS. She's shown during this shoot she can be very sexy when she pulls out the "female" side and has an "odd" man-appeal that makes her stand out.

I also thought Sophie and Laura did very well, Sophie a bit stronger in the runway than the photo (don't think they picked her best shot) and Laura stronger in the photo (thought it under-rated) than at runway.

Alisha's photo I thought was a little weaker than they gave her credit for, but I like her personality and she did fine at runway. AnnaLiese continues strongly in the middle but hasn't really pulled up to the top with a "wow" moment, but also has great personailty and likability.

It might be too early to rule out the Brits-- keep in mind, we've only had four actual eliminations by the judges (Jasmia, Mariah, Candace, Ashley) with two from each team. Louise made it one more off the UK team by walking out, not by being eliminated. It's very possible Eboni would've gone that week if Louise hadn't prevented the elimination, since Tyra was clearly upset she was failing to embrace her chosen "branding" and was going too hooker-ish.

(Of course, now Eboni's stuck herself on that extremely narrow edge between "innocent" and "sexy" and finally gained Tyra's approval-- so good luck, girl! You'll need it!)

I'm going to go out on a ledge and predict at least one from the UK team goes on the trip and makes it to F3, which I'm thinking based on current work will be Sophie, AzMarie and Laura. But there's still plenty of time for anybody to crash-n-burn, and we can still see someone move up the pack to the lead.

[Fanny Mare]

I liked Ashely, I wasn't sad to see her go.I think she came as far as she could. Her walk was not good.

I hope AZ doesn't get too cocky.I didnt like her look at judging.But her photo was amazing , just amazing.

[Kocky_Kamikaze]

Everytime I see Candileese (I can't spell her name) I think of Scary Spice.

[Jinafire]

UK girls were amazing! Catherine, Sophie, and Alisha(?) were my favorite, especially Catherine.

[jadewarlock]

Absolutely NO question that:

1. The UK girls rocked that video shoot and all of them can learn from those notes and win this title. They have become a force to be recond with.

I thought they all did good, and overall good critiques. I think Tyra's on Sophie was a bit "Um, OK" but it's obvious Sophie is taking the notes more and more.

2. The US not only did bad, but that AzMarie totally BLEW her chances the moment she walked out of that "Booty Tooch" rehearsal, changed clothes and went back to the apartment.

Look, I'm someone who wouldn't be caught dead in that stuff - I'm modest, and it took guts for me to wear a scooter skirt (a type of cheer skirt) to class especially when I had people say (jokingly) I was rolling up my skirt). But if I was on "ANTM"? I'd be wearing it, with a smile on my face - and pose my butt off.

Kyle's time is fortunately limited - and honestly I think had Az Sucked it up through that training with Tyra she would've stayed over Kyle, because Az in the head to head on the video was IMHO slightly better.

So, instead of what I think would've been a Sophie or Catherine vs. Az/Laura final, it will probably be one of those two in the UK versus Laura. The others in the US IMHO don't have the overall ability and the UK girls - all four - have more potential.

(BTW, I'd be overall happy with any of the four UK girls winning or Laura winning. I'm assessing the final two on what I feel is overall potential and improvement through the season.)

[Ralfdallas]

I am a long-time ANTM fan, but no mas -- I wanted to like it, but I can't. My DVR still records, but I when I try to watch I'm bored silly. This season SUCKS.

[mushybrain]

I am a long-time ANTM fan, but no mas -- I wanted to like it, but I can't. My DVR still records, but I when I try to watch I'm bored silly. This season SUCKS.

And that whole Booty Tooch "teaching" session with the booty pads was the silliest, lamest, most juvenile, most ridiculous thing ANTM has ever done. I was cringing watching it (as I was asking myself "Why the heck am I watching this?"). I always hate it when a contestant says they are not participating in a photo shoot or challenge, but in this case, I didn't blame Azmarie one bit. I actually felt a great deal of respect that Azmarie would not demean herself by participating. That was just awful. Tyra and the producers are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to find things for her to do that make her seem relevant to modeling.

[jadewarlock]

And that whole Booty Tooch "teaching" session with the booty pads was the silliest, lamest, most juvenile, most ridiculous thing ANTM has ever done. I was cringing watching it (as I was asking myself "Why the heck am I watching this?"). I always hate it when a contestant says they are not participating in a photo shoot or challenge, but in this case, I didn't blame Azmarie one bit. I actually felt a great deal of respect that Azmarie would not demean herself by participating. That was just awful. Tyra and the producers are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to find things for her to do that make her seem relevant to modeling.

Like it or not, this is a bit relevant. Most women have some form of curve to their rear, and in the case of a music video, women with some sort of shape and not looking like a stick are seen as attractive. You want clothes to sell? - you want them to look like they're made for a woman and not a man by showing off some form of curve.

I do think they could've changed them to say leggings and not hot pants though and still had the effect. It was however IMHO a test to see if the person could take direction in "you're going to wear that even if it isn't what you see as your type" and Az sadly failed.

Please don't get me wrong - I liked Az and wanted to see her go far. Also, good for her sticking to her belief.

That said, in this contest, you might just want to heed to what Tyra says, because she hasn't ever let anyone who has "quit" - save maybe one time - in anything stay on the show.