Cycle 1, Episode 6: "The Girl Who Deals With a Pervert"
Another great episode title. We’re fresh off Giselle’s elimination and there’s tension between the two rooms the contestants are staying in.
The Milan Room has Miss Robin, Miss Kesse and Miss Shannon — They’re all devout Christians. (I’ve noticed that Shannon and others keep bringing up the fact that Shannon is still a virgin, but Robin and Kesse never give details about their sex lives or celibacy…)
The Tokyo Room has Adrianne and Elyse — Elyse describes it as more “raucous and nude”.
Speaking of accommodations, the hotel they stay at (Flatotel) is now permanently closed. Apparently, the owner defaulted on his debts.
The models go to Wilhemina Modeling Agency to meet with a guy named Pink. His name is never explained.
Pink gives the contestants advice on working in the industry and lets them know they’re going to Paris!
It’s the show’s first international destination so very exciting! In following seasons, it became the expectation to go abroad at some point towards the end of the competition, but I feel like no one had a clue they would be jet-setting this time.
Before they leave for the airport, Shannon makes clear (one more time) that she does want a boyfriend although she’s not looking for sex before marriage. She even name drops a model named Brad Pinkert. She likes him because in a magazine interview, he says his favorite book is the Bible. (All of this is very weird foreshadowing.)
The models arrive in Paris, and Robin lets us know she speaks un peu francais (a little French).
Everyone’s in awe of the beauty of the city … except for Elyse.
She’s been there before. She didn’t like it. What’s new?
The models are given a small room with three beds to share between the five of them. I’m sure this was Tyra hoping to give them the “authentic” model experience. I also think it was to create more tension and better TV.
Everyone’s cramped for space and self-conscious about changing in front of each other except Adrianne, who gives us this wisdom:
Tyra joins the models for dinner and tells them how the city was a big break for her modeling career.
My first trip abroad was a big break for me too. In 2003, I went to Europe with a bunch of high schoolers from Nebraska and Iowa. I sold candy bars and lollipops to help pay for it. It did not lead to any modeling gigs, but it sparked my interest in living abroad, which gave me the guts to apply for school in Costa Rica.
This week’s photoshoot is an ad for WonderBra, and the models find out they have to pose in lingerie with a male model. It happens to be … Brad Pinkert — the guy Shannon mentioned earlier!
Rewatching this now, I’m like “what the fork?” I KNOW the producers called up Brad in Syracuse, New York or wherever he’s from to force this storyline along: “We need to see the virginal Shannon in lingerie with her boy crush!”
But it’s so weird!!
I did some research and Brad may still be a Christian, but he’s also now a plumber.
We then get Mr. Jay to ask Shannon if it’s ok to masturbate because we need the ratings.
The next day, the models go on go-sees. They’re expected to navigate the city themselves and see five designers in five hours. A woman with the most monotonous voice gives them their assignment.
Robin recruits a local French guy to take her to all the locations and pays him at the end.
Kesse gets super distracted at a perfume store??
And Adrianne gets assaulted by a man on the street. He touches her leg and tries to put his hand up her skirt. What the fuck?!
I’m a little torn on including this in the episode. I think sexual assault needs to be talked about. But, using it as just a little sidebar and titling the episode “The Girl Who Deals With a Pervert” doesn’t seem to give it the right degree of seriousness.
All the photos this week suck.
Kesse gets eliminated. She seems like a really nice, genuine person. So, it’s sad to see her go when Elyse has spent so much time not wanting to be there and Robin kind of refuses to follow the rules and just be open minded.
After the show, Kesse modeled for several magazines…
And walked in a few designer shows.
She was known for bridging the divide between the religious contestants and the heathens (a.k.a Adrianne and Elyse). True to her reputation, she even was a bridesmaid at Adrianne’s first wedding to Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight. So sweet!
Thanks for reading. I hope to see you back here for episode 7 — only two more episodes this season! Follow along by watching on Amazon Prime. If you’re not already, be sure to subscribe to get added to my newsletter.
Fierce and love,
P