Ciao, Gasmii. I'm sure my two loyal readers (hi Mom and Dad!) were concerned that I had dropped off the face of the earth after no recaps from me for the past two weeks. But fear not! I'm still alive and kicking. I thought about recapping the recap episode but once Dominique started professing her love of bidets, I flushed that idea down the toilet (ba dum bum!). Plus, you guys didn't really need a recap of a recap episode that your recapper had already recapped, right? I had visitors in town this weekend which is why this recap a bit behind schedule, but hey, life happens. Just like life happened to Fatima this week when she missed a photo shoot because she didn't have her paperwork straightened out. Will I grant her the same forgiveness I allowed myself or will I totally play the hypocrite card and slam her for her irresponsibility? Read on to find out!
For the love of Tyra, it's not pronounced doc-uh-ments
We open this week with the girls standing around the kitchen, reveling in their own awesomeness because they've made it so far in the competition. Everyone's amped up because they know they're heading abroad soon. Everyone, that is, except for Fatima. You see, homegirl's not a US citizen and has lost a very important "travel document" and can't leave the country unless she manages to get a new one. Does the CW really think that ANTM's target audience is too stupid to understand words like "visa" and "passport"? Apparently so, because for the rest of the episode, we will only hear stories of mysterious "travel documents."
Fatima sits down the girls to fill them in on the situation. If she can't get the documents in time, she's automatically going to be pulled from the competition because she won't be able to participate in the shoots abroad. Cue the waterworks from Fatima. You know what, Fatima? You're kind of the girl who cried wolf. I'd believe these tears a bit more if you didn't horribly attempt to squeeze some out every week at panel. Whatever comes of Fatima from this competition, lets hope she doesn't end up as an actress.
Anya seems to be the only girl that genuinely sympathizes with her and tells her she needs to keep calling until she can get it straightened out. At first I think that Anya might have some experience in these matters until I remember that she's actually from Hawaii. What can I say, the accent doesn't match the platinum drapes.
"I guess I have to pay the consequences if it doesn't work out and I'm accepting that," Fatima reluctantly confesses in her interview. Okay, I can't hold off my self-created cliffhanger anymore - Fatima totally doesn't deserve to be off the hook as far as I'm concerned. She admits that she lost whatever document she needs which is just irresponsible in the first place. I travel frequently and ALWAYS make sure that I have my passport in a safe place and I check obsessively to make sure that it's still there. (I know, I totally have the makings to be that crazy old lady that always thinks she left the stove on.)
There's just no excuse for this especially when she lost the document not while they were already abroad, but before the girls even left the US! Hell, she lost it before she even started filming the show because she admits that she lost it in Atlanta when the show is filmed in NYC. She later whines that she didn't know she needed these papers, but clearly she's gotta be aware that ANTM heads abroad at the end of every season. Ergo, she damn well should own up to the consequences for not having herself prepared for the trip. I'm sure much of what I said about Dom not taking responsibility for her alarm clock issues would also apply here. Grow up, girls! No one holds your hand as you make your way through real life! I will grant her a teeny tiny bit of forgiveness because the producers shouldn't have cast a contestant who can't leave the country. As soon as she was cast though, that responsibility was totally on her.
Paulina saunters into the kitchen to give the girls a little lesson on showcasing themselves and how to think fast on their feet. Ah, the "how to deal with the media" tutorial. Props to Paulina for showing up all dressed down and with a delightful ponytail instead of her usual hairsprayed-to-the-nines look.
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful
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Comments (16)
"ANTM is coming to my kind-of European hometown"
Aren't all the episodes filmed way in advance? Or did I mis-hear?
1 of 16 | Posted by prinny | Posted on April 23, 2008 10:27 AM
"ANTM is coming to my kind-of European hometown"
Aren't all the episodes filmed way in advance? Or did I mis-hear?
2 of 16 | Posted by prinny | Posted on April 23, 2008 10:28 AM
Ha, yeah, it's all been filmed way in advance. I guess I meant that it's coming as in... the episodes we have yet to see are coming?
All I meant by saying that I'd check it out was that I'd probably know of the locales they're going to be shooting at and could give some insider scoop. Sort of how ChickBomb has got the lowdown on LA/Hollywood and can better inform the recaps for the new RW season.
3 of 16 | Posted by Hoolia | Posted on April 23, 2008 10:52 AM
Awesome recap as usual Hoolia - well worth the wait!
Does anyone else completely cringe whenever watching Mr. Jay field "excuses" from any of the girls? He seriously couldn't come across more condescending or snotty if he tried. I mean agreed, the excuses ARE usually pretty eye-roll worthy...but still.
Anyway, pumped for Rome adventures and the obligatory "girl gets sick" episode tonight. If this ends up being Fatima's downfall I'm gonna be furious that Stacy-Ann lost her well-deserved shot at this last week (despite her "jaw positioning" - whatever!).
4 of 16 | Posted by CookiesaretheBest | Posted on April 23, 2008 11:03 AM
I'd bet money that Tyra wasn't harder on Fatima because they already knew about traveldocumentgate. I'm quite certain that would have come up to the producers previously. I'm not a huge Fatima fan. Wait, I'm not a Fatima fan at all. However, I'm giving the refugee some slack on this one.
I won't miss Stacy Ann at all. I can't recall on photo of hers that I liked, and her voice was uber-annoying.
5 of 16 | Posted by Pegster | Posted on April 23, 2008 11:21 AM
I feel like Fatima herself didn't know what "travel document" she needed or was missing. I'm so glad you mentioned this early on in the recap, because by the end of the episode I was so tired of hearing "travel document".
I am also tired of Tyra mispronouncing Katarzyna's name. It's not "KaTARRRRRR-jina". I think Tyra is purposely pronouncing it wrong. And the whole "we fly first class" thing was sooo obnox. You could see the girls weren't even envious, just wondering why Tyra was being such a beeyotch.
6 of 16 | Posted by KermitGirl_22 | Posted on April 23, 2008 11:44 AM
I didn't mind seeing Stacy Ann go but then I remembered she booked the most at the go sees so maybe she should have stayed a little longer.
I'd much rather see Fatima and Dominique go. even Lauren because she obviously doesn't cut it as a model.. she's just tyra's project for the season.
7 of 16 | Posted by Errrica | Posted on April 23, 2008 12:51 PM
Tyra knew exactly where Fatima was at and what was going on and she SHOULD have been elimanated. (Sorry, not a Fatima fan).
What was so great about Anya's photo? And why did they just keep showing that same group shot over and over? Tyra could probably have found a better pic of Stacy Ann if she just tried.
And what's up with Whitney started to act like she's all that?!
8 of 16 | Posted by LisaMay | Posted on April 23, 2008 1:00 PM
Very happy to see Stacy-Ann go. She was never that good, or got that much praise from the judges anyway.
I don't mind Whit because you know they (producers)always ask her about her weight, and she has to respond.
Anya has been kicking butt lately. The only thing that bothers me besides that awful accent is those white eyebrows. Why the hell did they dye them so light?
Also, the Seventeen lady didn't look different to me. You may be thinking of Atoosa Rubenstein who was the editor about two years ago, until this lady took over.
9 of 16 | Posted by MrsBojangles | Posted on April 23, 2008 1:08 PM
Love the caption about channeling her 'inner Hoolia.' Hee hee! :)
I think Fatima got to continue on because it's a pity party for her - I don't care for her at all. And Whitney was my fave, but damn, she's sliding lately. *sigh*
Can't wait to hear the dish on Rome. You rock, Hoolia!
10 of 16 | Posted by teri00 | Posted on April 23, 2008 1:10 PM
2 things:
1. the producers had to have known about Fatima's lost travel documents because I swear that the call arranging the 9am appointment was from an ANTM producer, not her lawyer.
2. the eligibility requirements for cycle 11 state that contestants need to be a U.S. citizen - is this not the case for cycle 10?
11 of 16 | Posted by jesusloveswinners | Posted on April 23, 2008 2:19 PM
Wow, one would think that to be on AMERICA'S Next Top Model, the "models" would have to be AMERICAN citizens. Then again, these are the same people that believe Saleisha can do a great commercial & that Jaslene speaks perfectly clear english... And does a green card count? I wonder what the deal was with Natasha? Does anybody know?
12 of 16 | Posted by kdiva97 | Posted on April 23, 2008 2:37 PM
Won't miss Stacy-Ann at all, the voice drove me nuts. Fatima has no excuse for losing her "travel documents." Whitney is my fave since they sent Clair packing. I hate it that a size 10 is considered plus size. Can't they call her normal size? I want Dominique to go next. She looks old to me tho none of the judges seem to care. In cycles past they were always saying Melrose & Rene photographed old. Guess they are keeping Dom around for dramatic interest. Love calling Paulina P-Dubs! Keep those recaps coming - they are the highlight of my week!
13 of 16 | Posted by yowala | Posted on April 23, 2008 4:14 PM
I've been trying to figure out what a "booty tooch" is.
I've concluded it must describe what Dominique looks like she's doing in the photo...which is "tranny fart."
14 of 16 | Posted by cattyfan | Posted on April 23, 2008 6:19 PM
Re: all these comments about Fatima's travel doc-uh-ments
Yes, definitely the producers knew by this episode. My thinking-out-loud in the recap was just wondering if the producers knew about her refugee status before or after they cast her. My guess is that one of the following things happened:
1) Fatima actually did have everything in order when she applied for the show and then lost the documents between casting and filming - in which case she'd be totally at fault, not the producers.
2) Fatima lied on her application and said that she had everything in order when she didn't. The producers never checked up on it and by the time they realized it was too late and she had already started filming.
I'm thinking it's the latter just because ANTM wouldn't want the bad press of kicking Fatima off and then having her whine that it was the producers fault for not checking up on her. Cause you KNOW she would whine about that.
Jesuslovesswinners - where did you see that they're only allowing US citizens for Cycle 11? I double checked the applications for Cycles 10 and 11 and they both say the same thing - only a question about if the applicant is a US citizen and if they have a passport, but I can't find anything that says they're ineligible if they don't have either one.
Also, a fun fact for those of you who haven't caught the E! True Hollywood story about the first few cycles: The girls from Cycle 3 got held up for 3 days at passport control in Japan because they didn't know how to answer if they were coming to country for business or tourism which made the guards suspicious. Apparently they cost the show tens of thousands of dollars because they missed a lot of scheduled photo shoots and production didn't know where they were for awhile. So, I'm sure that's why they're being extra careful with making sure Fatima has everything in order.
15 of 16 | Posted by Hoolia | Posted on April 24, 2008 1:35 AM
I don't know much about US Citizenship because I was lucky enough to be born here...
But if Fatima is a refugee doesn't that mean she was rescued by the United States at some point? Like she was in some war torn nation and we flew her to the US. She is a US Refugee, she can apply for Citizenship at anytime and until she does her refugee status will not expire or anything, right?
I googled it, but there's a lot of info to sift through so let's just say I'm right :)
16 of 16 | Posted by Nemesiis | Posted on April 24, 2008 11:51 AM