America’s Next Top Model 7 – A Preview
America’s Next Top Model 7 – A Preview by Phil Kural -- 09/20/2006
Tyra Banks returns for a seventh season in her quest to find America’s next top model. Thirteen fresh-faced girls are ready to go through the glamour grind and do whatever it takes to win the title. Could AJ, the self-proclaimed “weird girl,” be the dark horse of the competition? Find out what Phil has to say about the girls before the competition starts.
It has been a few months since Danielle won cycle 6 of America’s Next Top Model. In fact, I’ve actually heard that she has been doing pretty well in the modeling circuit. Possibly even better than cycle 5’s winner, Nicole, previously known as MY Nicole. However, those girls are now a thing of the past. Let’s be honest – they are! 13 new girls are ready to hit the spotlight for cycle 7, what is being touted as Tyra’s edgiest season yet. Of course, every season has been praised for being the edgiest season, but from the looks of these girls, I might just buy it this time!
So here I am once again to give my first impressions of the girls, how I think they are going to do, and my top picks for the final three. There wasn’t much to go on this season, unlike last season when I at least got to see an interview with each girl that was posted on the UPN website. Now that the show has been moved to the new CW network, they haven’t spent too much time updating the ANTM website. However, that won’t stop me from being judgmental and making assumptions about each and every one of them, including how I think they’ll do. So without further adieu, here we go!
AJ – Hailing from Sacramento, CA, AJ is a 20-year-old student and a self-proclaimed “weird girl.” She has stated that she is worried that when the girls get makeovers, she won’t have her weird look anymore. To be honest, I don’t think she looks that “weird,” but I am getting a cross of Shandi from cycle 2, Jayla from cycle 5, and Elyse from cycle 1 from her. Those are some big shoes to fill, too, since Shandi and Elyse have always been not only favorites of mine, but of fans of the show in general. I do feel that AJ has a pretty edgy look, though, and I’m going to put her in the final three. We’ll see if her “weirdness” plays for or against her. That will be the determining factor.
Amanda – Amanda is very unique, in a matter of speaking. She’s unique to the competition because she is part of the first set of twins that has ever appeared on the show, and to be quite honest, I’m very curious to see how that ends up working for her. On one hand, it will be odd to watch her have to compete with her sister, knowing that they are working with the same physical attributes. On the other hand, I’m not quite sure it makes sense to even have both of them. Amanda is 18 years old and hails from Anaheim, CA. She is a bookstore sales associate. Simply for the fact that she’s part of the “twins,” I think she will make it to the halfway point, but I don’t think she will win, or even make the final three.
Anchal – Anchal is a 19-year-old sales clerk from Homestead, FL. We haven’t had an Indian-American girl on the show since Julie from cycle 3, so I’m very curious to see how Anchal will do in the competition. She has very long, beautiful hair that she has said she will have no problem cutting off if she has to. Yeah, Cassandra said the same thing, too, and ended up quitting when they wanted to cut her hair short. However, it seems to me that Anchal is very genuine, and generally very happy to even be in the competition. Usually the most grateful go home early, so look for Anchal to be part of that trend.
Brooke – Brooke is an 18-year-old student from Keller, TX. She has that whole typical blonde girl look going on, and to be honest, there isn’t really much about her that I can say. She’s the blonde girl next door. I’m not very impressed, so we’ll have to see how well she does in the personality department and what her first photo shoot looks like. Right now, though, I’m going to say she is gone pretty early. Young and naïve – she won’t last too long.
Caridee – I think Caridee is going to be the resident sexpot of the group. A photographer from Fargo, ND (hey, isn’t that were Nicole from cycle 3 was from?), Caridee is 21 years old and has already stated that she is very comfortable with her sexuality. What I like about Caridee is that she’s another classic blonde, but unlike Brooke, just from looking at her picture I can tell that she is going to be a firecracker, and if the other girls don’t love being around her, they are going to be quickly annoyed by her. I think the viewers are going to feel the same way. At this point, though, I’m loving her, and she’s definitely a candidate at this early stage to be one of MY girls! I think Caridee will do well… at least top five.
Christian – Christian is a 19-year-old bank teller from Columbia, SC. I can’t really get a good read on Christian at this point, but she is very pretty, that’s for sure! From the looks of her pre-show photo, she looks like she could have a little spunk in her, but it’s hard to tell for sure. Not a whole lot going on with this one, and I haven’t heard much about her, so I’m going to say Christian will be the fourth or so girl eliminated.
Eugena – This one is already rubbing me the wrong way. If I had to choose a Furonda of the season, it would probably be Eugena. Eugena comes to us from Palmdale, CA, where she is a customer service representative. She sure does look mature for only being 21 years old, but you know CoverGirl! They sure did make her up. I don’t like the fact that she isn’t smiling in her pre-show photo or the group photo. Instead, it’s not even an edgy look – it’s a downright smug look that really does irritate me. I’m curious to see if she will be portrayed as the girl everyone has issues with. That could be good for her, though, since those girls normally last pretty long! Hell, Jade!
Jaeda – Jaeda is beautiful! I love her look, and to be honest, even after racking my head trying to find one girl in the previous six seasons to compare her to, I can’t think of one, which is a great thing! Jaeda is an 18-year-old student from Parkerburg, IA. At this point, there is no doubt in my mind that Jaeda will be in the final three. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she took the whole thing. I’m that crazy about her! The only thing that might stop her from winning is if she becomes too obvious a choice for the win, like Nnenna was last season, or if she really does struggle with the challenges. However, I wouldn’t bet on it – expect to see her in the finals!
Megan – Okay, I don’t think I have come in contact with one person so far that hasn’t compared Megan to looking much like Kim from season 5, only a little edgier. I totally agree with those people. The second I saw Megan, I was all, “Oh my goodness, they found a straight, edgier Kim!” Mind you, I absolutely adored Kim and feel that she was eliminated way before she should have been. Hopefully Megan will avenge her, and I do feel that she has what it takes. Megan is a 23-year-old bartender from San Francisco, CA. So she probably has the social skills – let’s see if she has what it takes in the posing department. I’m wishing her well.
Megg – Megg is a snoozer. She’s an 18-year-old retail clerk from Los Angeles, CA. Boring. I’m really not seeing or reading anything interesting about Megg, which will probably not bode well for her. I’m willing to bet she is gone early, and at this point, in my opinion, I think it’s either going to Megg or Brooke as the first girl gone this season. They just won’t stand out!
Melrose – Melrose is a 23-year-old fashion designer from San Francisco, CA. I wonder if she knows Megan! Although San Francisco is big, so I doubt it. I actually like the look of Melrose, and I love her name, too – it’s unique! She’s a little older than the other girls (isn’t it a shame that we consider 23 “older” in this competition?), but I think she is going to do well. She’s not really one of my top contenders for the win, but I think she’s going to surprise viewers, and herself, by making it to at least the final six or so. She is just very “whimsical” to me. Does that make sense? Anyway, moving on…
Michelle – Michelle is the other half of the twins. There really isn’t much more that I can add her that I haven’t said for Amanda. Michelle, like her sister, comes from Anaheim, CA, and is 18 years old. She is a student and looks exactly like her sister, so I really don’t know how it’s going to play out. She’ll probably last until the middle of the competition, but to be perfectly real, it wouldn’t surprise me if Tyra eliminates them both at the same time. For goodness sake, they are attached at the hip even in the group photo. It’s going to be one of those things where the judges tell them both that they need to be individuals, then pair them up for everything. I know how this works.
Monique – Finally, we have Monique, a 19-year-old marketing representative from Chicago, IL. You need to see the legs on this girl – out of this world! Beautiful skin, nice posing, and very nice eyes – I can definitely see Monique making it until the finals. I’m not getting any kind of “attitude read” off of her either, which is always good. Monique could be the silent threat this season. Laidback and chill in the beginning but emerging as a front-runner by midseason. I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to seeing it work out that way!
Well, that’s all I have for you right now. If you were keeping track, my picks for the final three at this point would have to be Monique, Jaeda, and AJ. I’m hoping and praying that Megan and Caridee do well, and it’s my prediction that Eugena will be labeled as the “bitch” of the house. As far as the twins are concerned, I think they will breeze by the first three or so eliminations, but will then be criticized for not being individual enough, even though they were cast as twins. Then they will be sent home in the “this made no sense” elimination of the season, following people like Nicole, Toccara, Kari, Kim, Lisa, and Nnenna. That’s just the breaks in this business!
Either way, I’m looking forward to recapping this season and having the chance to talk to each eliminated girl, just like prior seasons. Will this be the edgiest, most glamorous season to date? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! Season 7 of America’s Next Top Model premieres on Wednesday, September 20th in a special two-hour premiere beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST. on its new network, the CW. Check your local listings to see what channel that is in your area. More likely than not, it’s the same station that UPN was.
America’s Next Top Model 7 – A Preview by Phil Kural -- 09/20/2006
Tyra Banks returns for a seventh season in her quest to find America’s next top model. Thirteen fresh-faced girls are ready to go through the glamour grind and do whatever it takes to win the title. Could AJ, the self-proclaimed “weird girl,” be the dark horse of the competition? Find out what Phil has to say about the girls before the competition starts.
It has been a few months since Danielle won cycle 6 of America’s Next Top Model. In fact, I’ve actually heard that she has been doing pretty well in the modeling circuit. Possibly even better than cycle 5’s winner, Nicole, previously known as MY Nicole. However, those girls are now a thing of the past. Let’s be honest – they are! 13 new girls are ready to hit the spotlight for cycle 7, what is being touted as Tyra’s edgiest season yet. Of course, every season has been praised for being the edgiest season, but from the looks of these girls, I might just buy it this time!
So here I am once again to give my first impressions of the girls, how I think they are going to do, and my top picks for the final three. There wasn’t much to go on this season, unlike last season when I at least got to see an interview with each girl that was posted on the UPN website. Now that the show has been moved to the new CW network, they haven’t spent too much time updating the ANTM website. However, that won’t stop me from being judgmental and making assumptions about each and every one of them, including how I think they’ll do. So without further adieu, here we go!
AJ – Hailing from Sacramento, CA, AJ is a 20-year-old student and a self-proclaimed “weird girl.” She has stated that she is worried that when the girls get makeovers, she won’t have her weird look anymore. To be honest, I don’t think she looks that “weird,” but I am getting a cross of Shandi from cycle 2, Jayla from cycle 5, and Elyse from cycle 1 from her. Those are some big shoes to fill, too, since Shandi and Elyse have always been not only favorites of mine, but of fans of the show in general. I do feel that AJ has a pretty edgy look, though, and I’m going to put her in the final three. We’ll see if her “weirdness” plays for or against her. That will be the determining factor.
Amanda – Amanda is very unique, in a matter of speaking. She’s unique to the competition because she is part of the first set of twins that has ever appeared on the show, and to be quite honest, I’m very curious to see how that ends up working for her. On one hand, it will be odd to watch her have to compete with her sister, knowing that they are working with the same physical attributes. On the other hand, I’m not quite sure it makes sense to even have both of them. Amanda is 18 years old and hails from Anaheim, CA. She is a bookstore sales associate. Simply for the fact that she’s part of the “twins,” I think she will make it to the halfway point, but I don’t think she will win, or even make the final three.
Anchal – Anchal is a 19-year-old sales clerk from Homestead, FL. We haven’t had an Indian-American girl on the show since Julie from cycle 3, so I’m very curious to see how Anchal will do in the competition. She has very long, beautiful hair that she has said she will have no problem cutting off if she has to. Yeah, Cassandra said the same thing, too, and ended up quitting when they wanted to cut her hair short. However, it seems to me that Anchal is very genuine, and generally very happy to even be in the competition. Usually the most grateful go home early, so look for Anchal to be part of that trend.
Brooke – Brooke is an 18-year-old student from Keller, TX. She has that whole typical blonde girl look going on, and to be honest, there isn’t really much about her that I can say. She’s the blonde girl next door. I’m not very impressed, so we’ll have to see how well she does in the personality department and what her first photo shoot looks like. Right now, though, I’m going to say she is gone pretty early. Young and naïve – she won’t last too long.
Caridee – I think Caridee is going to be the resident sexpot of the group. A photographer from Fargo, ND (hey, isn’t that were Nicole from cycle 3 was from?), Caridee is 21 years old and has already stated that she is very comfortable with her sexuality. What I like about Caridee is that she’s another classic blonde, but unlike Brooke, just from looking at her picture I can tell that she is going to be a firecracker, and if the other girls don’t love being around her, they are going to be quickly annoyed by her. I think the viewers are going to feel the same way. At this point, though, I’m loving her, and she’s definitely a candidate at this early stage to be one of MY girls! I think Caridee will do well… at least top five.
Christian – Christian is a 19-year-old bank teller from Columbia, SC. I can’t really get a good read on Christian at this point, but she is very pretty, that’s for sure! From the looks of her pre-show photo, she looks like she could have a little spunk in her, but it’s hard to tell for sure. Not a whole lot going on with this one, and I haven’t heard much about her, so I’m going to say Christian will be the fourth or so girl eliminated.
Eugena – This one is already rubbing me the wrong way. If I had to choose a Furonda of the season, it would probably be Eugena. Eugena comes to us from Palmdale, CA, where she is a customer service representative. She sure does look mature for only being 21 years old, but you know CoverGirl! They sure did make her up. I don’t like the fact that she isn’t smiling in her pre-show photo or the group photo. Instead, it’s not even an edgy look – it’s a downright smug look that really does irritate me. I’m curious to see if she will be portrayed as the girl everyone has issues with. That could be good for her, though, since those girls normally last pretty long! Hell, Jade!
Jaeda – Jaeda is beautiful! I love her look, and to be honest, even after racking my head trying to find one girl in the previous six seasons to compare her to, I can’t think of one, which is a great thing! Jaeda is an 18-year-old student from Parkerburg, IA. At this point, there is no doubt in my mind that Jaeda will be in the final three. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she took the whole thing. I’m that crazy about her! The only thing that might stop her from winning is if she becomes too obvious a choice for the win, like Nnenna was last season, or if she really does struggle with the challenges. However, I wouldn’t bet on it – expect to see her in the finals!
Megan – Okay, I don’t think I have come in contact with one person so far that hasn’t compared Megan to looking much like Kim from season 5, only a little edgier. I totally agree with those people. The second I saw Megan, I was all, “Oh my goodness, they found a straight, edgier Kim!” Mind you, I absolutely adored Kim and feel that she was eliminated way before she should have been. Hopefully Megan will avenge her, and I do feel that she has what it takes. Megan is a 23-year-old bartender from San Francisco, CA. So she probably has the social skills – let’s see if she has what it takes in the posing department. I’m wishing her well.
Megg – Megg is a snoozer. She’s an 18-year-old retail clerk from Los Angeles, CA. Boring. I’m really not seeing or reading anything interesting about Megg, which will probably not bode well for her. I’m willing to bet she is gone early, and at this point, in my opinion, I think it’s either going to Megg or Brooke as the first girl gone this season. They just won’t stand out!
Melrose – Melrose is a 23-year-old fashion designer from San Francisco, CA. I wonder if she knows Megan! Although San Francisco is big, so I doubt it. I actually like the look of Melrose, and I love her name, too – it’s unique! She’s a little older than the other girls (isn’t it a shame that we consider 23 “older” in this competition?), but I think she is going to do well. She’s not really one of my top contenders for the win, but I think she’s going to surprise viewers, and herself, by making it to at least the final six or so. She is just very “whimsical” to me. Does that make sense? Anyway, moving on…
Michelle – Michelle is the other half of the twins. There really isn’t much more that I can add her that I haven’t said for Amanda. Michelle, like her sister, comes from Anaheim, CA, and is 18 years old. She is a student and looks exactly like her sister, so I really don’t know how it’s going to play out. She’ll probably last until the middle of the competition, but to be perfectly real, it wouldn’t surprise me if Tyra eliminates them both at the same time. For goodness sake, they are attached at the hip even in the group photo. It’s going to be one of those things where the judges tell them both that they need to be individuals, then pair them up for everything. I know how this works.
Monique – Finally, we have Monique, a 19-year-old marketing representative from Chicago, IL. You need to see the legs on this girl – out of this world! Beautiful skin, nice posing, and very nice eyes – I can definitely see Monique making it until the finals. I’m not getting any kind of “attitude read” off of her either, which is always good. Monique could be the silent threat this season. Laidback and chill in the beginning but emerging as a front-runner by midseason. I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to seeing it work out that way!
Well, that’s all I have for you right now. If you were keeping track, my picks for the final three at this point would have to be Monique, Jaeda, and AJ. I’m hoping and praying that Megan and Caridee do well, and it’s my prediction that Eugena will be labeled as the “bitch” of the house. As far as the twins are concerned, I think they will breeze by the first three or so eliminations, but will then be criticized for not being individual enough, even though they were cast as twins. Then they will be sent home in the “this made no sense” elimination of the season, following people like Nicole, Toccara, Kari, Kim, Lisa, and Nnenna. That’s just the breaks in this business!
Either way, I’m looking forward to recapping this season and having the chance to talk to each eliminated girl, just like prior seasons. Will this be the edgiest, most glamorous season to date? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! Season 7 of America’s Next Top Model premieres on Wednesday, September 20th in a special two-hour premiere beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST. on its new network, the CW. Check your local listings to see what channel that is in your area. More likely than not, it’s the same station that UPN was.