America’s Next Top Model Cycle 22 Episode 8: The Girl Who Got All Dolled Up Recap

Amiciness is recapping America’s Next Top Model Cycle 22 Episode 8: The Girl Who Got All Dolled Up.

Last time on America’s Next Top Model, it was all about acting. The models had the chance to show their acting skills at the CW, and shot their first commercial for Boom×3 deodorant. Lacey won another week, both for the challenge and Best Photo. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Ashley. Who will still be in the running to becoming America’s Next Top Model? Let’s find out.

Lacey stays in the Tyra Suite. Ty-ty tip for Lacey: the distinction between sleazy and sexy. “It’s interesting because you are a virgin. But you act as if you’ve been around the block.” Tyra helpfully demonstrates “sleazy” and “sexy.” Lacey feels that the other models are looking at her as their greatest competition.

DMA lost their A when Ashley was eliminated last time. Devin says “it’s like taking the L out of TLC.” Gurrrl. Bello is teasing Courtney about moving into Ashley’s bed. Courtney’s crush on Mikey. Could DMA become DMC? No way girl. Courtney is being annoying-cutesy around Mikey and Devin. Mikey and Devin are eating, then Courtney walks in the room skippity-skipping. When she leaves to get a chair to join in their eating, Mikey and Devin have gone upstairs. Haha.

Bello and Hadassah are starting to drift. They have talks about how Bello strategizes to kick the others out of the competition, which puts Hadassah to pause: “What is your strategy with me?” Bello hates being in the middle of the pack. He’s drinking his wine again in the Jacuzzi. We get a recap of Bello’s outbursts.

Mikey patches things up with Bello and Hadassah. Maturity!

Challenge: Vine STEM PSA

Ms. J meets the models in a public high school. The models get styled by Robert Behar. The models enter a classroom to find a class of young girls with Ms. J. Tyra declares the challenge via video message. The models need to film a PSA to get young girls interested in STEM (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) so they in turn get STEM-related jobs in the future. STEM graduate here represent! Tyra says that as models they can also serve as role models for the younger generation. But the PSA is not going to be just a regular PSA. The PSA will have to be 6-second Vine videos. The little girls will be judging and choosing the winner. With 8.9 million followers on Vine, Brittany Furlan will be guiding the contestants. The models are teamed up by picking colored sticks, and have 1 hour to complete the task. The teams:

• Respect: Mikey, Mame, Hadassah
• Power: Bello, Courtney, Devin
• Money: Lacey, Nyle, Justin

Nothing has changed in the house in terms of communicating with Nyle, so Nyle feels lucky to be grouped with people that he feels communicate with him. Time starts now. Team Money immediately starts jotting down ideas. Their Vine will be completely silent, relying solely on the visuals. Britanny is worried about Team Respect trying to cram too much content in just six seconds. “It has to be quick and funny,” Mikey realizes. Bello immediately takes charge of Team Power. Their video would be Courtney being bullied by Bello and Devin, which is not too different from what she experienced growing up.

Everything is going smoothly with Teams Money and Respect. We get to Team Power and Courtney has difficulty portraying the “powerful woman” persona that’s needed in the video. She’s giving a lot of excuses. And then it gets worse: Bello accidentally deletes what they filmed earlier. He apparently doesn’t know how to operate this Vine app-thing. So they have to reshoot everything in just under 3 minutes. Fortunately they get to finish in time, but the question is if they have the chance to win at all.

The students get to judging the models’ Vine PSAs. I recognize one of the girls from Teens React. The girls like Team Money’s Vine, especially Lacey’s sassy walk. The girls don’t understand what’s happening in Team Power’s video. Brittany was surprised that Team Respect got it together and made a really good video.

Winner: Team Respect (Mikey, Mame, Hadassah)

Back at the model house, Devin is disappointed being at the bottom of the scoreboard. Bello is visibly pissed but Hadassah decides not to comfort to him to stay away from any conflict that might arise. Courtney feels guilty about their team’s low score that she decides to throw Devin a birthday house party. Or at least that’s what the producers told her to say at confessional. So she starts putting up birthday decor and preparing the snacks at the gazebo. Happy birthday, Devin! He’s 22 on Cycle 22. Nyle tries to teach everyone how to sign “Happy birthday” but the models are not at all receptive. On top of that, Devin yells “Happy birthday” at Nyle’s face. Way to be insensitive there. Nyle is tired of always trying to initiate communication with the other models. Devin takes Nyle’s phone to take selfies; his phone is his primary mode of communication with the other models, so without it, he feels even more helpless. He is definitely disappointed, and felt invisible. He walked out of the house party and straight into confessional. He feels tired not knowing what’s happening, and he’s not being included in the group.

Photo Shoot: Life-Size Dolls

The models enter the studio to see Tyra posed as a life-size doll, while Erik Asla is shooting. “I would buy that doll,” says Lacey. Yu Tsai is also present. It is inspired by her old movie “Life-Size” which she starred in with Lindsay Lohan. It’s Hadassah’s favorite movie, and she really loves dolls. Tyra warns the contestants that it looks easy, but modeling like a doll is so technical. First, the wide-eye smize. The eyes should not be dead. Second, the eyes must follow the head, like a true doll. Last, joint isolation. Each model is going to portray a themed doll:

• Nyle – Boom Boom Bon Voyage
• Lacey – Tyra Taught Me Tooch
• Justin – Booch N Baller
• Mame – Werk the Hallway Like A Runway
• Bello – Ugly Pretty Punk
• Courtney – Fierce Fashionista
• Devin – H2T-eed Up
• Hadassah – Flawsome Free Spirit
• Mikey – Savage Smize

Seriously Courtney, you don’t know what fashionista means? On to hair and makeup. Mikey reminds Devin that he got a low challenge score so he needs to bring it in this photo shoot. Nyle thinks Devin isn’t trying and not growing in the competition because he has his agencies to fall back on. Nyle intends to outshine him. Well his beautiful, shiny body does a lot to outshine anyone. Hadassah plays a lot with dolls so she knows what’s up. Lacey demonstrates her “Barbie hands” in confessional. The other models are practicing their doll poses. Courtney is struggling during the shoot. She doesn’t understand how to embody a doll, nor how to be a fashionista. She has not read Italian Vogue, or even American Vogue.  😮  Yu Tsai is shocked that she doesn’t know any of this. Then we get Courtney’s back story: she has a disabled younger brother, so she doesn’t have as much time to read fashion magazines. In short, more excuses. Lacey is up next. She feels that the other models want her to fail very bad. Mame and Justin get to model with Oppo phones in their shoots. Bello loves that Devin is struggling. Yu Tsai feels like Devin does not know how to do not-crazy. “I hope you’re here next week.” Bello does not look punk; he looks possessed. Scary stuff.

SKULL MAIL. Only eight will continue in the running. Double elimination later!

Bello: “Hadassah, you were bottom two once? Twice. How did that feel?”
Hadassah: “It felt good ’cause I’m still here.”

BURRRRRNNNN. Bello is feeling Hadassah drifting away. Courtney is hanging out with Devin and Mikey at the Jacuzzi, but DMC isn’t going to happen. Courtney is sad because her efforts to be friends with the two is never reciprocated. Devin is still worried that he might go home with his low scores.

Deliberation

Tyra, Ms. J, and Kelly Cutrone are at deliberations.

Tyra: Do not get on her [Kelly’s] bad side.
Kelly: Especially today.

Tyra reminds the models that tonight will be a double elimination. Nyle’s photo is making the judges thirst, especially Ms. J., as he gulps from her glass of water.

Kelly: I’m not sure about your hands in terms of the package.
Ms. J: His package is fine.

Yes he is! Ms. J preach! Kelly clarifies that she’s not talking about that package. Justin is wearing short shorts, legs on full display. “Are you trying to come for me?,” says Ms. J. HAHAHA. It’s his way of breaking out of his comfort zone. The judges think that the photo is really believable, like an actual doll that they would buy. Courtney comes up to the judges, noticing that she’s made up. Devin did her make-up. I smell sabotage! Weird hand placement. Kelly feels that Courtney would always get beat by the taller girls in the fashion industry, so she needs to step up her fashion knowledge to at least level the playing field. Kelly describes Mikey’s photo as an Indiana Jones-Brad Pitt mix. Mikey’s film isn’t strong, and it took Tyra just 3 minutes to pick Mikey’s best photo; in contrast, it took her 15 to pick Nyle’s. Bello doesn’t portray the punk vibe very well in his photo. Hadassah’s photo is nice, but the face is not too free spirit and a little more confused-looking.  “I kinda like it though.” “Here do you want to score yourself?” LOL. Lacey looks like a doll. It’s Kelly’s favorite picture of the season. On the other hand, Devin does not. Tyra points out that the model needs to look like there’s nothing inside of him as opposed to focusing his energy straight at the photographer. Mame doesn’t do the doll aspect well in the photo; Ms. J noticed the locked knees, which Tyra says is not typical of real-life dolls.

Call Out Order

1. Lacey
2. Nyle
3. Justin
4. Mikey
5. Hadassah
6. Mame

Bottom Three: Bello, Courtney, and Devin

The challenge scores are VERY important, people!

Eliminated: Courtney and Bello

“If there is ever a comeback, I’m coming back for that spot. So I hope everybody else is ready fo that.” Bello doesn’t even hug his co-contestants. “That was a little different,” says Tyra.

Who had the best Vine PSA? Are you more interested in STEM now? Who looked the most like a life-size doll? Were you shocked at Bello’s sass at the end of deliberation? Sound off in the comments below.