America's Next Top Model: Déjà Vu

Man, is it clip show time already? It feels like just yesterday Jay Manuel (the new host of Canada's Next Top Model) was calling Christian a "broke-down Tyra Banks," and Monique was being aggressively unsanitary.

So I have a confession to make: I watched 30 Rock instead of the first half of the clip show, because my dual tuner didn't want to work with me. Happily, 30 Rock was funny enough (love!) that I don't feel at all bad about it. But if I missed anything earth-shattering, scandalous, or at all hilarious, let me know in the comments.

On to the clip show. We learn that Monique was, in fact, crazy. And also über-annoying. She even played the copycat game with Melrose. You know, that thing your little brother bugged you with when he was, like, five? Sample dialogue:
Melrose: "You have serious problems."
Monique: "You have serious problems."
Melrose: "Go away and let me cook dinner!"
Monique: "Go away and let me cook dinner!"
Sadly, Melrose didn't try the old Calvin and Hobbes "I forfeit all my desserts for a week" trick. Better luck next time, Melrose.

Speaking of Melrose, the clip show went out of its way to remind me why I hated her in the first place. She made Anchal cry! Not cool, Melrose, even if Anchal is sometimes annoying. From now on, I will acknowledge Melrose's talent, but keep reminding myself what a bee-yatch she is.

Eugena also seems worse in clip form. Not extra-bitchy or anything, but fake and insincere. She'll smile, but with the Dead Eye. I guess it's a problem she has in person as well as in photos.

As a group, the girls come across as a little...less than sharp (Jade-style). In a previously unseen clip, Anchal calls Melrose out on making "quirky" remarks to everyone (by her tone and the context, she seems to mean hurtful or insulting remarks), and Melrose replies that she's not going to "accelerate" and change her personality. Huh?

In sadder insights, it seems as if A.J. was more ambivalent about staying in the house than we were originally shown. She comes across as very uncertain not only about modeling as a career, but even about her desire to remain in the competition. I am no longer outraged by her elimination, even though I do think she was one of the more talented girls.

Jaeda, on the other hand, actually moves up a little in my estimation when she does a hilarious impersonation of Tyra during a staged elimination ceremony with the other girls. She's spot on with the ridiculously clipped delivery and laughably serious facial expression. For the curious, in the fake ceremony it comes down to the twins, and Amanda is eliminated. Also, CariDee farts loudly during a dramatic pause in Jaeda's speech. It's funny.

The only other new information of interest that I saw in the clip show was that they showed all of Cathy Gould's (the director of Elite Model Management) statement about Anchal. Originally, they cut her as saying "Anchal does not have a typical runway body." In the new, extended clip, she actually says, "Anchal does not have a typical runway body, she has more of a swimsuit body." Hmmmmm. Interesting cut, producers.

And that's pretty much it for the clip show. Stay tuned for next week, when hopefully my wishes will be fulfilled and Jaeda will be kicked out, probably whining about her hair all the way home.