CNTM: Disrupting the CHI
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| via CNTM A still from Stephany's winning CHI nailpolish commercial |
My biddies, I apologize for this very late review. This week has been hectic, and unfortunately it meant that CNTM dropped to the bottom of my list of priorities. I promise, I did not forget you. But since episode seven airs tonight, and as of yet the footage from the models' commercials has not been made available online, this will be a very abbreviated review.
Honestly, the only thing I really want to talk about this week was Athaliah's unceremonious ejection in favour of Susan in the bottom two last week. Now, Athaliah has garnered herself very few fans over the course of this season, and I would hardly count myself among them, but she did not deserve to be eliminated so early. That is simply a fact. And to send her home in favour of keeping a girl who has yet to take a good picture on purpose, well... I'm every bit as pissed as Athaliah must have been.
I think we can all agree that Athaliah is an outspoken and divisive character on the show. That pretty much goes without saying. But attitude aside, Athaliah has consistently been one of the strongest girls in the competition. Whether or not you like her, you have to admit that. Athaliah's walk is strong, her presence is dramatic, and her look is stellar. (Don't hold that terrible makeover against her. It wasn't her fault.) She is one of the only girls who has a working understanding of her body and her angles, and as much as I'm rooting for my girls Trudy and Treveen, Athaliah is the girl I would pick if I needed a spectacular model on short notice. She is the only one that I think would go into a shoot confident that she could deliver.
I said it last week and I'll say it again: at this point I'm actively campaigning for Susan to go home. It isn't that I dislike her, or that she isn't beautiful, or doesn't deserve a chance to shine. It's that she is all of those things and still hasn't managed to make any major improvements. And with Athaliah gone in order to preserve her place, she is now at the point where her presence is denying more qualified, talented and deserving models from access to the few opportunities available to Caribbean models.
It was a strange week. The acting challenge in preparation for the commercial shoot was cringe-worthy on many levels, and often unintentionally hilarious. (I'm looking at you Trudy). The shoot itself was also less than stellar. Most of the girls were able to cobble together enough takes to create a decent clip, but if we're honest, none of them really produced anything that could air in syndication without embarrassing everyone involved.
The only bright spot was that for ONCE the callout order was as it should have been, which is why Athaliah's dismissal came as such a surprise to everyone who watched with me on twitter. The general consensus seemed to be that though she was not well liked, she was talented, and deserved to stay. But alas, all of this unfolded almost two years ago, so there's little any of us can do about it now but whine and tweet passive aggressive things!
Tonight, the models get a visit from the ANTM hall of fame: Bianace Golden (who has her own reputation for being difficult) drops in to teach them a thing or two about making it in the industry. I have to admit, I'm a little bummed Athaliah won't be here for that. That would have made some spectacular television.
What were your thoughts on Athaliah's exit? Do you think Susan deserved to be saved? As the competition gets tighter, who are your picks for the top three?
Previously on Caribbean's Next TopModel:
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 6: I'm In Redface, Hear Me ROAR!
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 5: Who Been Sipping That Jesus Juice?
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 4: Carnival is Bacchanal
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 6: I'm In Redface, Hear Me ROAR!
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 5: Who Been Sipping That Jesus Juice?
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 4: Carnival is Bacchanal
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 3: Flounder or Flourish?
CNTM Cycle 1, Episode 2: Beginners, Bullies and Buck-Toothed Bitches
