Enough with the talking about Adam’s drinking. Is America’s Next Top Model grabbing at straws for any kind of drama they can eek out of this group? And here we go again about Chantelle not fitting in. I admit these are real American issues — alcoholism and isolation — but I prefer a focus on the modeling, the clothing, the makeovers, the real life sacrifices for the craft, and the photo shoots which turn semi-regular looking faces into gods and goddesses. Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I have reason to believe I’m not.
So, this installment is called “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire: You’re Going Straight to Hell.” Or, wait a minute, that’s just my own title for it. The CW calls ANTM‘s 12th episode, “The Girl Who Gets Caught in a Lie.” During panel last week, Miss J. Alexander said he’d heard that Chantelle was messing with the hair and makeup styling before photo shoots. She denied it right then and there. Now, these people are being taped every moment of every day practically. Surely there’s some footage of her doing it, isn’t there? So, why aren’t they airing it? This is the second time there has been a squabble between the models about what Chantelle did or didn’t say. Hm, interesting.
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The Models Go On Go-Sees
It’s the morning of a go-see challenge and the group meets in Gangnam at the MCM flagship store. They are joined by Kelly Cutrone and KPop star, Jay Park, as well as jewelry designer Ben Baller. The go-sees will be at numerous boutiques around town and will include clothing as well as footwear.
The six models have to split into pairs, and Keith and Chantelle end up together. The whole time, Keith is wondering if he’s gonna get in Chantelle’s pants or if she sees him as a big brother. For her part, Chantelle is flirtatious, but also just relieved not to have to spend the entire day surrounded by people who hate her. There are five boutiques expecting the appearance of models.
Will books zero shows and it’s mostly because of his inability to make the designers love him in spite of his height and size. Shei books two shows. Adam books only one because the designers found him to be too serious. This surprises Kelly Cutrone. Well, guess what, Kelly, it’s because the man was finally somewhat sober. Last week he mentioned that alcohol helps him come out of his shell. I don’t think we’ve actually ever seen him sober until now. The Adam we see in “The Girl Who Gets Caught in a Lie” is quite reserved. However, the sobriety doesn’t last long, as Adam’s tossing back a couple cold ones by later that day.
Lenox books four shows, but Keith makes it to five go-sees and books four of them, so he wins the challenge and gets a photo shoot to boot.
Not Enough Substantiating Evidence
Back to the lies thing. Sorry, but it’s a big topic this week. A couple weeks ago, right when Chantelle rejoined the on-screen group, she was accused of saying she really wasn’t excited to be back on the show. Lenox said she heard Chantelle saying exactly that, but when confronted in front of the entire group, Chantelle denied it. Lenox seemed pretty confident, but looked around the room as if she was trying to make the others doubt Chantelle. I’m not sure I trust Lenox completely. She looks innocent, but I think there’s a closet manipulator under that innocent virgin facade.
We didn’t have any memorable video of Chantelle saying what she was accused of saying, so we have to take everything with a grain of salt, right? The problem is that where a gang mentality exists, innocence or guilt is more a matter of what the group chooses to believe than what really happened. Admittedly, Chantelle was pretty defensive and intimidating when she was approached, but she was in a corner surrounded by a pack of wolves, so what do you expect?
This week, the issue of the hair and makeup comes up again, and here we are with Lenox and Chantelle locking horns once more. It’s uncomfortable to watch, to tell you the truth. Like I alluded to above, Lenox has an aggressive snippy side, but we’re just not being shown it overtly. Lenox, it’s obvious, is a favorite and that’s got to be the reason.
What’s damning about the whole thing is that it’s easy to see Chantelle doing both: pretending not to be excited to be back on-screen, and messing with her hair and makeup. Baby girl is a control freak. She’s had a lot to put up with in her life, and she’s only 19-years-old, so she’s young, inexperienced and too fearful to muster some real confidence. As a result, judge and jury have already convicted her. Honestly, so have I. The attitude is off-putting. It’s not a very far stretch to believe that she has done both of those things.
Colorful Photo Shoot With Jinny Kim
Adam is in a beautiful hot pink suit that just pops against his dark features. He still has a hard time relaxing, and he’s thrilled when Tyra appears and provides guidance. Keith is suited up in a gorgeous blue suit. He rocks the photo shoot. What’s cool about Keith is that he’s a thinking man. He takes Yu Tsai’s comments as a sign that he really wants Keith to do well. I love this positive kind of thinking. Keith is also buoyed by his top photo from last week and his challenge win.
Lenox and Tso Yung are like water and oil. He says the camera does not love Lenox, but how many times has she been in the top two at panel? Almost all of them. Maybe this is why several of the contestants on ANTM have been only marginally successful after the show — because it takes more than a still shot to carry a career. Chantelle is in a shapely red full length dress, but Yu Tsai has nothing good to say.
Llama, Llama, Lots of Drama
After the photo shoot, Yu and Chantelle get into an argument about his pet name for her. He calls her “Panda.” She says that she knows it’s out of affection that he calls her this — though I call bullsh*t — but she’s afraid others who see her allowing him to do so will think that it’s okay for people to call her names. What her youth blinds her to is that she has the opportunity to show the world that people who really do share a great deal of affection can make pet names for each other, inoffensive names, that are acceptable to both.
The disconnect here is that before tonight, Yu never explained that him calling her Panda, which he considers to be a cuddly, gentle animal. Now, how were we, or Chantelle, supposed to know that before now? Frankly, Yu looked like a jerk for calling her that, especially when he knew she was sensitive. He’s a brash individual, not at all an affectionate one, so we can’t be blamed for our misinterpretation. Her youth and lack of confidence mixed with her controlling nature are a bad combination with Yu’s domineering personality. In the end, the two hug it out, but it will only serve to have Chantelle more guarded about her responses in the future .. if there is a future for her on America’s Next Top Model.
The Real Lie Comes Out and It’s a Doozy
Back at the party house, there’s a pow wow with Keith. Shei says Chantelle told her that she and Keith ‘hooked-up.’ Keith is shocked. Shei has enough specifics that it sounds like she’s telling the truth. Lenox admits to hearing the same, and now Keith is kinda pissed. A confrontation ensues during which Chantelle doesn’t admit anything, but she doesn’t deny anything either. Then all of a sudden she stomps off and out into the hallway to sleep for the night and for the rest of the time she’s on the show, she says. And she’s totally acting like the victim.
Keith, amazingly, puts voice to what is most likely going on: she is embarrassed. It’s astounding how spot-on Keith is about Chantelle’s emotional state at the time. I guess he isn’t just another pretty face.
Intense Friction Can Burst Into Flames
There is always going to be friction where diversity lives. Chantelle is different in a way no one else is, and anyone would find that intimidating. Unfortunately, this 19 year-old hopeful grew a tough exterior that is more off-putting than her duel-toned epidermis. That’s where her real trouble lies.
Top Three at Panel
Keith gets top photo. Tyra says he was fierce both on and off the camera, like he fell on his head in a good way and all of a sudden became a supermodel.
Lenox is second in line. Kelly finally can’t pour a 10 on Lenox because only half her face is showing in the photo. Granted, the best part of the shoot is the shoe, but that shoe would have been just as sexy with no one wearing it.
Will comes in third. Kelly and Miss J. do not like his photo, but Tyra loves it. This was a rough man for the Norseman as he’s modeling in the world of darker men of a smaller stature. Their clothes are even too small for his frame.
Bottom Three at Panel
Shei was the booching and tooching queen this week in her photo shoot. Kelly says she looks like a salsa dancer who became a supermodel, a high fashion model.
Adam is one of the bottom two. Kelly says his photo is metrosexual. Social media calls him ‘The perfection of Bad Assery, so dangerously handsome that even a sour face can’t ruin it.’ Wow. And how many of us are surprised he’s even made it this far? He’s in the bottom two because the competition is fierce at this level.
Chantelle is also in the bottom two. Kelly loves the dress in her photo, but the face is vacant, controlled, still. Tyra wants to see a lot more out of her.
When it comes down to Adam and Chantelle, Tyra says these two have a lot in common. Adam is stiff, and Chantelle is controlled. They both need to find a healthy way to let go and relax. In the end, it’s the social media scores that determine who stays and who goes. After all the drama this week, you expect it to be Chantelle, but remember that the social media people didn’t get to see everything that happened in the episode because it didn’t air until tonight. So, the voting was done on the photo shoot alone.
Chantelle Goes Home
A huge sigh of relief must be reverberating among those left at the party house now that Chantelle is gone. But now what drama will they focus on? It’s gotta be Adam’s drinking. Or maybe Lenox and Shei will get into a fight? Whatever it is, Lenox will be involved, mark my words.
See you back here in a week to find out when the remaining five participate in a Hong Kong soap opera shoot.
America’s Next Top Model airs Fridays at 9pm on The CW.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
