America's Next Top Model: You've got to bee kidding!
This week on America's Next Top Model we wrack our brains for clever uses of the word “bee” and the contestants try to bee-come one with the camera as they attempt to look bee-utiful during a bee-zarre photo shoot that scares the bee-jesus out of them.
Head-scratching moments
As we ease ourselves into the Cycle, it’s time for a little back story from the contestants. Most of them seem a little insecure…except for Alexandria who is secure enough for everyone. Ondrei has had two brothers who died—one in a car accident and the other was murdered, the day before her prom. The girls are shocked that she’s not more emotional about it.
Cheaties never prosper
The models are just kicking back at the house eating pizza and junk and fighting about the raw chicken in the fridge (hey, salmonella is a serious subject, people) when Tyra and her nutritionist, and all-around hottie, Heather Bauer, show up out of the blue. Naturally they’re dressed in ridiculously big chef hats and matching aprons and Tyra is speaking with a terrible French accent…cuz that’s what chefs do y’all. They teach the girls that foods that may seem bad for you but really aren’t are called “cheaties” and are okay to indulge in every now and again. They also learn that just because eggplant is a veggie doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for you and peanut butter is a “good fat.”
Everybody’s an inner critic
For the challenge of the episode the girls arrive at the Colony Theatre in Burbank and they are met by Nigel and one of Hollywood’s leading acting coaches, Eugene Buica. Eugene is ready to conquer the contestants’ “inner critic,” and this crowd could use it. Except for Alexandria, who has an inner fan club.
Eugene asks the girls a series of questions and then has them draw a picture of their inner critic. Then each girl will join him on stage, he will take the drawing and will play said inner critic. They have to tell him to go away. Just about every model draws herself or some dark variation of herself. Ondrei opened up about her brothers and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The exercise, though pretty painful, was a great lesson for the girls about how to dig deep. According to Jacklyn, “We went through heck.” They all did so well that J. Estina jewelers decided to give each and every one of them a pair of earrings from the collection.
Later, Ondrei calls her boyfriend back home and tells him that she’s had a rough day and she doesn’t know if she can take it. He assures her that whatever decision she makes they will all stand by her.
A bee-otch of a photo shoot
It’s over to the Smashbox Studios where the girls are met by Jay and it’s time for something drastic—a beauty shot with bees. Frankly, we'd be more frightened by the bad makeup for this particular shoot. The girls will be wearing jewelry, covered in pheromones that will attract the bees. Their job is to stay calm and trust their photographer. Oh, and look pretty.
The photographer, Mike Rosenthal, wants them to focus on the job and not what is going on around them. Cotton is jammed up their noses and into their ears so that the bees won't try to fly into any crevasses and/or holes. Considering all that could go wrong, the shoot goes as smooth as honey.
Bee afraid, bee very afraid
It’s panel time and we have to admit that this round of models knows how to look good before the judges. And we haven’t even had the makeover episode yet! Supermodel Alek Wek acts as guest judge this week. Ondrei is called up first and surprises everyone by announcing that she’s just not in a good place right now and doesn’t think she has the strength she needs to continue on with the contest. She asks to go home. The judges are surprised but understand, given the circumstances. They tell the remaining contestants that if Ondrei has the worst photo of the week then there will not be an elimination. But if it’s not at the bottom, someone else is going home, too.
Despite the fact that Hannah was a sobbing mess at the shoot, she gets best photo of the week and then the rest of the contestants feel like crying. Brittany gets second runner up and Nicole and Dalya end up at the bottom two. Nicole continually looks like an older version of herself in her photos. Then there’s Dalya who only had a good photo because she accidentally closed her eyes—the rest of them looked like a crazy person. They both pray that Ondrei has the worst photo of the evening, but it’s actually pretty stunning, so Nicole is sent packing. She thought she’d try something new, but soft works best for her. Sometimes fierce isn’t the way to go.