Cycle 4, Episode 11: "The Girl Who Is Special"
We’re down to the final four and unlike Drag Race, this means we still have a ways to go to crown a winner. There’s division in the house because Keenyah and Brittany are close friends and Kahlen and Naima are besties.
Two clothing designers (Mandela and Bebe) take the models on a tour of “townships”, informal settlements where many non-white South Africans live, a lingering effect of apartheid. In one township, a local dance group teaches them a short performance.
Why are they forced to wear jeans during a dance lesson?
Keenyah begins focusing on how she should feel more “empowered” in the dance and during the trip than the other contestants because she’s Black. It brings up an interesting topic because Naima is Black too.
For their challenge, they have to perform the dance in front of dozens of people. Kahlen cries and I can feel her pain. I imagine this is really scary when you’re not a dancer.
This is probably the most Black South Africans we’ve seen since they’ve been abroad.
Naima wins the dance challenge. She gets extra frames in the next photoshoot. She gets to gift extra frames to another model. Although Kahlen’s her friend, she chooses Keenyah, which is smart. Kahlen takes good photos so it would be a disadvantage for Naima if Kahlen outshines her. Keenyah gifts Brittany extra frames, so Kahlen is shut out and has the least number of frames in the photoshoot.
Later, the models go on a tour of Robben Island and get a tour by a former political prisoner. Keenyah doesn’t know whether Nelson Mandela is alive or dead at this point in history, but she gets emotional when they go into his cell.
Brittany calls bullshit.
Keenyah continues her quest to erase Naima’s Blackness.
I won’t delve too much into this as a non-Black person, but I think it’s very cool to see how far we’ve come in the two decades since this aired. It appears to be a lot more normalized to recognize different shades and ethnicities of Black people. Even Lin-Manuel Miranda had to learn that.
The photoshoot this week is for Caress body wash. They’re on an ostrich farm looking like glamorous 1940s jet setters, as one does.
Mr. Jay’s shirt is bonkers.
During Keenyah’s shoot, she makes everyone stop because Bertini - one of the dancers - is making her uncomfortable. Yas, Keenyah! Stand your ground! Believe women!
She apologizes to Mr. Jay and the photographer in the moment. But we know she has every right to speak up. And she thinks so too.
Mr. Jay and the photographer seem to brush Keenyah’s concerns aside, saying there are dozens of people on set whose time is now being wasted. Naima sees it as Keenyah making up an excuse for possibly getting a bad photo that week.
Again, this would not happen on a TV show in 2023. Bertini would be booted!
Despite this, the models meet up with the three male models that night.
Keenyah doesn’t have cash to throw in for the bill.
This leads to a yelling match between Brittany and Keenyah during the cab ride and back at the apartment. Brittany brings up how she thinks Keenyah has been fake about her emotions for Nelson Mandela because she didn’t even know if he was still alive.
I don’t understand how their apartment has gotten this messy in a matter of days.
LOL at Tyra’s photo with Miss J this week.
The challenge at panel is to dance and pose. Kahlen’s over the dancing.
And Keenyah got extensions at some point?
No one’s photos are great. I think the sepia tone doesn’t make it seem like a campaign shot. It’s pretty boring.
That said, Naima’s is clearly above the other photos.
Brittany’s is fine.
Keenyah’s styling is bad.
And Kahlen’s sucks.
When Janice calls Keenyah “pudgy”, one of the guest judges sticks up for her.
You go, Bebe.
Shonnette and I didn’t do this photoshoot. I guess we weren’t inspired. But here are some photos of when I went to South Africa for three weeks. 10/10 would recommend
In another unfair judging, Naima and Brittany land in the bottom. Brittany has too much personality but it’s slipping away. And the judges still feel like they don’t know who Naima is. Nolé says she’s like a fabergé egg, beautiful on the outside but empty inside. Brittany gets sent home.
She apparently had modeling experience in the fashion capital of Tallahassee, Florida before being cast on the show. So it naturally made sense for Brittany to have a moderate amount of success after Top Model. She did numerous ads, walked in shows and was signed by agencies. She even came back for the All Stars season/ANTM Cycle 17 but was eliminated first.
She’s now a wife, mom and child of God.
Claps for Brittany!
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you back here for the Cycle 4 finale! It’s Cover Girl shoot and Cape Town Fashion Week. If you’re not already, be sure to subscribe to get added to my newsletter.
Fierce and love,
P
Woah Brittany totally looks like close to modern Janice in that photo with her kid Just woah!
Though i think she resembles the young actress from Jurassic Park (1993)