America's Next Top Model

Contestants:

Whitney Thompson (Winner! First "Plus-Size" girl to win.)
Anya Kop (Runner-up. She's the reason blonde jokes are funny)
Fatima Siad (Third Place. My second favorite. As much as I dis her  later for the travel    document thing, overcoming such a huge thing as genital mutilation makes her pretty awesome)
Dominique Reighard ( As Miss Jay said many a time this girl was "dragalicious")
Katarzyna Dolińska (Pretty and boring, except for the judges complete inability to pronounce her name right)
Stacy Ann Fequiere (Whoever was feeding her crack should be ashamed. Way too excited about everything)
Claire-Aimee "Claire" Unabia (Won Cover-Girl of the week a  zillion times, lost anyway)
Aimee Wright (Boring enough that I can't really think of  anything to write about her)
Marvita Washington (She gets total props for just barely missing the finals cut last season and then coming back to get in this year. Plus I freaking loved the horsetail weave makeover)
Amy "Amis" Jenkins (Train wreck. We've already had one Lisa and we didn't need another)
Allison Kuehn (Apparently experience does not a top model make. Also far too much attitude for her actual level of ability.)
Atalya Slater (Another so boring I can't think of anything)
Kimberly Rydzewski (Apparently didn't realize she was auditioning for a modeling show as she had no interest in it)             

Premise: 14 (in past seasons 10, 12, or 13) girls all believe they have what it takes to be a top model. Tyra Banks and a panel of judges disabuse most of them of that notion in a hurry. In order to be chosen, the winning girl must supposedly prove herself to be adept in high fashion and commercial fashion in both print (pictures) and live media (television commercial)

Prizes: This season prizes were 1) A contract with Elite Model Mangement 2) A cover and six-page spread in Seventeen Magazine 3) A $100,000 contract with Cover Girl Cosmetics. A few extras thrown in at the last minute included a Cover Girl billboard in Time's Square


Judging Style: Judging is done at the end of each show by a panel of four judges. These judges are Tyra, "Noted Fashion Photographer" Nigel Barker, "Runaway Diva Coach Extroidinare" J. Alexander (a VERY gay black man also known as Miss J.), and "Legendary Supermodel" Paulina Porizkova. A special guest judge is also on the panel starting with the finals. This format has been honed slightly from the first season in which there were five judges and a guest. Also the "Legendary Supermodel" slot changes occupants occaisionally. It was Janice Dickinson for the first four seasons and Twiggy for the next four. Each girl is judged on their performance in a reward task, photo shoot, and her panel appearance. 

Tasks and Elimination Method: For the first show of the season, 35 girls are told they will be pared down to 13. This year the environment mimiked a prep school. Each girl gets maybe a minute or so to impress the judges, participates in a challenge,and one hasty photo shoot. This year, a 14th girl was chosen in a last minute decision. Starting with the second show, each week the girls participate in a reward challenge that usually teaches a skill they will likely need. Mostly it's variations on posing and runway walking. But I have to admit the prizes do pretty much rock. After the reward challenge is a photo shoot, which is honestly half the reason I watch. They make these girls do some screwed up crap. I believe the most screwed up award this year goes to the meat packing shoot. They actually dressed the girls in bikinis made out of raw beef. I shit you not. The shoot is always directed by Jay Manuel (AKA Mr. J) and shot by some super famous fashion photographer who I have invariably never heard of. Lastly, the girls all go to panel and are judged on how they appear in person each week. Also at some point early in the show the girls get makeovers and near the end of the show the remaining girls get to travel to an exotic location for the rest of the season. This year it was Rome.

Winner: Whitney Thompson - I was totally rooting for this girl the whole damn time. She is the first "full-figured" or "plus-size" model to win the title. Keep in mind in this world that means she's a size 10. She was just awesome all the way through.

Best Moments: Anytime Lauren took a picture. For a girl who came off "frankensteiny" (to use Paulina's very apt phrase) in person she took some absolutly gorgeous shots. Anytime Whitney got in a catfight with Dominique. I sort of expected clothes to begin being ripped off whenever these two were in the same room. Claire face-planting on the plastic in the funky performance art shoot. Seriously the resounding bong was hilarious. Anya and her unidentifiable accent coupled with her lack of brain also made for great comedy. Miss J's Sequined Jacket of Death. Seriously he had all fourteen finalist's names written in glitter and velcroed on the the front of a sequined military jacket and ripped them off as each girl was eliminated.

Worst Moments: Fatima's passport drama. Yo dumbass! You know that at some point you might get to go abroad so it would seem to me that you should have your shit in order. Anytime Dominique opened her mouth. Sometimes being the loudest of the bunch only makes everyone, including the judges, hate you. The papparazzo photo shoot as a whole. At least one of the final four should have stepped it up and done something good on purpose.

Overall Impression: This was a great season with a terrific outcome. Paulina brought back some of the Janice vibe I so missed. Twiggy was honestly too dratted nice. Miss J was gayer than ever. And to top it all off the "full figured" model won. Awesome!

Reason I Watched: I watch this show for the same three reasons nearly everyone else does. Pretty clothes, pretty pictures, and pretty girls being pretty bitchy to one another. That and I really am interested in fashion. I like designer stuff even if i can't wear it.

Will I Watch Again: Well that's a big ol yes. This is my favorite guilty pleasure. I'll watch until Tyra's hosting from a wheelchair.