A damn good job in a Versace dress

To avoid the scorn of those who haven't yet watched ANTM yet, I'm putting my pre-recap, post-finale comments after the jump. (Was this shit fixed...like, more than usual?)

You know I always like to post the most flattering shot possible of the winner. Call it a quirk.

Every cycle since Tyra demanded that we kiss her fat ass, I've predicted that the plus-sized girl (fuck the nouveau lingo) will take it. I refrained this time and whadda ya know: the plus-sized girl took it! How do you like them buxom apples?

I'd call this a symbolic victory, but this is ANTM: if it's not symbolic, it's as good as symbolic. However, earlier this week, I received an email from a source that would like to remain nameless (and, clearly, close to my heart) that suggests this victory is super-symbolic The mystery woman writes:

I debated on whether to share this given my source and you may have heard this already...The source is this wonderfully chatty boy in one of my classes...who says he went to high school with Whitney. The claim is that Whitney did not try out for top model but was approached on a plane by someone from the show. She was already doing modeling as a size 2 or 4 but because she was closer to a 4 she was a little too big for the show as a regular model. They told her that if she went and gained 10-20 pounds they would definitely put her on the show as "the plus-size model". She's about a 6 or 8 on the show. He even showed us this picture of her when she was smaller which was from a year ago.

He also said that she was going to make the top 3. That's why I held out from saying anything for 3 weeks. I wasn't sure if anything was credible. But since the "top 3" thing came through...

This email arrived, mind you, before the pre-ANTM shots of a much slimmer Whitney hit ONTD:

I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were true (knowing nothing about women's sizes, I'd guess close to a 4 is about right in those shots). At the very least, the pictures tend to refute Whitney's sob stories (heard most recently in the final moments of the show) about being teased for being curvaceous. Of course, given that it's at least third-hand information,this could merely be one of those things that make you go hmmm.

In any event, none of this is to diminish Whitney's hard work standing around and being fierce. Having the plus-sized girl win is a nice touch, and I'm never mad at a good plot point, no matter how contrived.

Full recap on Monday, OF COURSE.

Update from Whitney's interview on the Los Angeles Times Blog:

I saw some pictures on a Web site of you modeling pre-ANTM where you didn't look full-figured. What's the story with that?
I've only ever modeled locally in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't do any big campaigns. Those are from Jacksonville Magazine. I had a great photographer who does some great airbrushing too, but I'm not small in those pictures. I'm about maybe a size 6 or an 8, because those are from high school.

I wasn't sure if you had to gain weight for Top Model or anything like that.
Oh, no. I went on the show, and I'm the one who said "I'm a plus-sized model." Which is so funny because when I was when I was there, all the other girls there that were my size were like "Oh, you know, I'm a size ... 10." And I was like "Pfft. I'm a size 10! Yeah!" I think that's why they took me out to L.A. I didn't expect to make it that far. People always told me, "You should be on that show!" And I was like, "Please, I would never get on that show." And look at me now! Never say never. [via ONTD]

She doesn't seem too bothered by the allegations. I guess I believe her ultimately? However: bullshit to the airbrushing thing.

Comments

[kccody]

Toccaro (sp) should have won, but Tyrant wasn't ready for a plussie then, now after 1o cylcesm she was. Whitney did well!

[Kristen]

damn, you're quick!

[Katie]

Whitney looks good slimmer, but I guess she couldn't get skinny enough, so she went the other way?

[Greg]

I've never felt queerer than when I cheered out loud at Whitney winning.

[La La]

Thing is, this was, like last season, telegraphed from the start. It was so obvious this was going to be the season of the plus sized girl. In each cycle, Tyra has to make some sort of point - Saleisha was the disadvantaged girl from the wrong side of the tracks who was lifted up through her association with Tyra. Caridee was skin problem girl. It's just become more and more obvious over the cycles. After Clair was voted off, I stopped watching. Obviously, they weren't looking for beautiful, edgy women who stood out in a crowd, they wanted the "fat" girl to win. Sadly, Whitney wasn't the best of the "fat" girls. I agree, Tocarra was freaking gorgeous. I love her on Celebrity Fit Club. It's great to see that she is working.
Oh well. Good for Blair. Do you think Mrs. Garrett will be her manager/agent? Will Tootie do her hair? Jo be her "partner?" Can't wait to see how that all plays out.

[Kat]

There is NO way Whitney was a 6 or an 8 on the show! I'm her height, and I look smaller than she did on the show at a size 10 (I even thought she was maybe a 12 on the show). I wouldn't be surprised if they made her gain weight for the show, but it seems really weird to me (why make a skinny girl gain weight when you could just find an already full-figured beautiful girl?). I'm guessing she just gained weight naturally. There are SO many ways a woman can gain 20 pounds without trying.

Seeing those pictures is really weird, though. She looks much better thin, I hate to say. I'm guessing she's still a size 6 or so in the bikini pictures; a size 4 is smaller than that at her height.

Staged in SO many ways, though. They gave Anya a dress she could barely walk in, when they gave Whitney a dress which moved and flowed beautifully. That couldn't have been just a coincidence. I love Whitney, but the dresses were clearly skewed in her favor.

Haha, Anya got it right, though. She's not America's Next Top Model, she has a career ahead of her!

[Amanda]

Man oh man!

Yes, I think Tyra planned this from the beginning.
Yes, I think Whitney isn't the strongest.
Yes, I think it's good to have a plus-sized girl to win.

It's sorta bittersweet.

Tocarra FO SHO!

[KCC]

Oh my gosh, too true. Tootie last cycle, Blair this time, will it be Jo or Natalie cycle 11.......

[Jessica]

As a true lover and follower of ANTM,this was the worst season ever. I really didn't like any of those girls. Being a plussie myself, I don't want Whitney representing my juiciness. Is she the best plus sized model out there? Hardly. Why doesn't Tyra have a plus sized model search? Hm?

okay i love whitney and i love that she won

[Heather B.]

Wow. This is the first time I'm seeing the ONTD photos and not gonna lie, it makes me sad and disappointed. Then again, it's ANTM so I probably shouldn't have expected all that much from the winner or the show.

[mer]

She looks like Alica Silverstone there.

[kdub]

I'm happy with the outcome. I don't care how she got on there, I was on team Whitney so I actually squealed when she won. How embarrassing.

[rustyspigot]

Ha! The Facts of Life conspiracy. Clearly the dyke Jo persona would be the next logical winner. Gay power and what-not.

Or maybe a Mrs. Garrett. On second thought, Tyra'd save that until the media starts talking about how old she's getting.

[tanya]

upset! i should have known tyra was going to pull another upset. i agree with greg, tyra always has some sort of agenda and what a stupidhead i was for thinking that the girl who consistently took better pictures would actually win. not to knock whitney, she is beautiful (the plus-sized label is debatable if her size is really 6 or 8) and takes some good pictures but anyway was the better model.

[Teedadawg]

I actually think Whitney looks better heavier than in these pics. Yes, I love me some big girls! But really, in these photos she looks like a big girl trying to be skinny, which is NOT a good look.

[Ed]

Oh TY TY....ummm not surprised at all.

But who b this mystery emailer?

[Tiff]

I'm so open to conspiracy theories cause Whitney's win seemed so contrived. Why did they never mention that the girl can't keep her mouth shut in a photo? Or that she was real sized like Sarah last season?

[Yamini]

OH SNAP! Yet another cycle of manipulation for the viewer. I just don't understand why they'd go through so much effort for this shit when no one actually cares deeply about the show. We will be just as amused and will watch the show even if normal random contestants are still on the show.

Oh Whitney... you have a failing career ahead of you. Congrats!

[Wendy]

How hilarious is it that Tyra fixed the whole thing and then during panel kept telling Whitney how FAKE she was?

Even for Tyra that is pretty fucking stunning.

[just.Rob]

Hooray for America's First Next Top Plus Size Model with a black best friend!!

[penelope]

umm...kat needs a better perception of size. i have no doubt blair was a six or eight on the show and a four in those pics.

[Amy]

While all of you are slamming her for being slim at somepoint in her modeling past, think about this...Alot of the plus sized model that are famous started off trying to be stick figures. Maybe the girl was not staying thin in a good way and decided that she would go bigger?? Just something to think about....

[Easter Buffy]

Well, ever since the week Lauren got the boot*, I've had my conspiracy theory and it was this:

1. In every single goddamn photo of Whitney that was shown at panel, INCLUDING the CoverGirl shot that will lord over Times Square, her mouth is open. And yet no one, not even Mr. Jay, reprimanded her for it. This is the, "Fly Catcher," face he so despises, and yet she does it every single time.

2. The foreign destination go-see was axed this Cycle, probably because Tyra knew that in Rome, Whitney would book no jobs as a "Full Figure Model," whatever euphemism she wants to use now.
If Whitney booked no jobs, Whitney would have had to go home, a la Heather, a la Britney, so, therefore, no oversees go-sees. The team challenge was hooey as well. Even in Cycle Three they did individual go-sees in NYC and Tokyo.

That's it. I'm done. I had my theory and now the show is over for this cycle, and onto the next train wreck. Thank God for CNTM, AusNTM, BNTM and GNTM. Without YouTube, what would an addict do?

Love ya', Rich! Looking forward to Monday mightily!

*the week they do the first fake CoverGirl commercial, they also do the oversees go-sees.

[Nessa]

Wow. This is the first time I'm seeing the ONTD photos and not gonna lie, it makes me sad and disappointed. Then again, it's ANTM so I probably shouldn't have expected all that much from the winner or the show.

Posted by: Heather B. | May 14, 2008 at 10:45 PM

I'm the same. I keep having faith in this show, I can't help it lol.

I'm glad this cycle is over, the judges were getting on my last nerve. I hated the mid-episode judging where they thought they were psychoanalysts or w/e. "There's an ugly girl under there, Whitney," wow what a great thing to say. Shut up.

Whitney still looks pretty as a thin girl though.

Here's hoping Anyway goes back to Hawaii for a healthy tan.

Bring on Cycle 11! sigh...

Among the "rules" we have back on cycle 10 was the "ultimate winner gets in the bottom three several times in the final weeks". See Danielle, Caridee, Jaslene.
I knew Whitney was going to be the winner like I knew Jaslene would be - because they needed a "first".

That said, her Covergirl picture and her walk were better than Anya's even though Anya is a much much much better model overall.

[Steve Abramson]

There have been a LOT of people making claims about Whitney's past that seems questionable, and while I'm not questioning you Rich, I question some of these sources.

Unlike Cycle 9, where rules were specifically broken (or seriously bent) for Saleisha to take the title, I don't have a problem with Whitney taking the title for all the alleged accusations. Seriously, from girls like Kahlen/C4, Sara/C6, Michelle/C7 - they were all cast without auditioning, while other girls like Jaslene/C8 and Marvita/C10 were actually invited back. So, even if, Whitney was cast for the show and did not go through the audition process, I don't have a problem with that.

I've seen some of Whitney's pre-show work and the fact that she was thin does make her sob story at the end a little "odd" but I think Whitney just doesn't have a pause or censor button. However, I agree with several of the responses here that it was more that Whitney just gained weight on her own and she managed to rock it better being larger.

I think (and I go into major details about this somewhere else online) that the final six of this cycle was about as close call/neck-in-neck since Cycle 2. - Each of the final 6 girls could have taken the title and I would have felt earned the title legitimately. If Lauren won she'd be the quirky girl who had the title handed to her. If Katarzyna won she'd be the Ivy League girl who had the title handed to her. If Dominique won she'd be the first old man to have the title handed to her (Jaslene didn't look that old). Had Fatima won she would have been the girl power platformer having had the title handed to her, and had Enya won she would have been the first lightbulb to win...

Point is, sometimes I think people take the conspiracy theories to whole new levels with this show - they say they don't take it seriously, but bringing this shit up, they DO take it seriously! - I don't trust Tyra - Saleisha proved that to me - but I think Whitney won this competition as fair and square as possible (I was rooting for Whitney, but I really thought Anya did better in the finale LOL).

The thing is most people have hoped that Anya would lose so she could go on and have a real career, while Whitney would turn into one of those ANTM has-beens...

Mark my word... Anya will be another Joanie/Kahlen, while Whitney could be the next Jaslene.

For only the third time in ANTM history did I actually CHEER when the winner was announced - they made the right choice; and hopefully the Whitney haters will just chill out while the Anya lovers will have faith and hope for her in the future.

The end.

[mb]

sorry in those pics that girl is totally a size 6 not a 4 and she was not just a size 6-8 on the show she was a size 10 or 12. I mean come on you know that girl has to be 5'8" and that bikini body is not the body of a girl who is at least that tall and a size 4. She looks good regardless though.

[FortyTwo]

I'm satisfied with this outcome. I don't know how Fatima managed to make it as far as third (not to mention Dominique taking fourth), but Anya and Whitney as the top 2 made sense. Both are beautiful and managed to stay strong all season (unlike Saleisha -- that flower picture was awful), so it was an even contest.

After Whitney was declared winner and Anya had her final interview, my husband said, "She'll have no problems booking jobs." Anya definitely has a future.

As for Whitney gaining weight for the competition -- we've always known the show was manipulative, and this is nowhere as bad as Saleisha's win last cycle. (Remember when she was talking to another contestant, and the girl said, "Well, you never know, YOU might be in the bottom two sometime," and Saleisha responded, "Ex-CUSE me?! Who do you think you're talking to?" I think she was promised the win from the start.) At least Whitney is beautiful.

[Chandra]

I agree that there is no way she was a size 6-8 on the show. She's 5'10 isn't she? I thought she was a size 10, I was surprised when they said she was suppose to be a 12.

Those pictures look more 4-6 to me, with it being closer to 6. I prefer her more curvaceous and I really hope she was a 10/12.

Although somehow I doubt someone who just knew her from high school would know all these details, that is something a good friend would know. And if she was told to gain it weight, I imagine it would be so she didn't get booted like the plussie from last cycle.

[Jaybird]

if anyone out there can google better than me, (tee-hee!) I found a blog out there that had a ton of pre/post ANTM photos on there and Whitney was thinner and doing alot of modeling.
Now hearing she was placed on the show as a mole.....I guess when I go back and look at it, I really don't see her pictures being the cream of the crop. Or maybe I'm still bitter that Claire or Kat didn't win. But Whitney did round out my top 3......

[Jaybird]

WHERE'S THE SARAN WRAP!!!

IM S0 HAPPY! L0VE HER!

[Kitty]

Was it just me, or did Whitney's runway seem absurd? Don't get me wrong, I was kinda rooting for her, but I don't buy Tyra's bullshit 'exaggeration is good' summation. Exaggerate, fine, but damn if Whitney's walk wasn't drag queen flamboyant!
Anya was clearly the superior model, and I'm glad she has a shot at a real career now (the black and white, pre-ANTM shot of her at ONTD! is absolutely STUNNING, really).

[Kat]

Penelope, I'm 5'10, I know what women look like in terms of size at my height. Just because she looks toned and great like she does there doesn't mean that she's automatically a tiny size. Just for comparison, this is a size 4, 5'10 model. You can tell that her legs are a lot smaller than Whitney's. http://www.donnabaldwin.com/female/Images/K/big/KiraLandis_C.jpg

I'm definitely more Whitney's body type. Even when I'm in perfect shape, I don't get any smaller than a size 6. People are always shocked that I'm a size 10, because my stomach is flat and I have a very small waist. It's just that when women are taller, sizes increase correspondingly.

[RD]

Re: Whitney's walk: It was. No professional model would walk on the runway swinging their hips like a madwoman.

[LeBon]

Uggh, I was annoyed that she won so I am going to go ahead and believe that it was pre-planned to be the plus-size cycle and get my hate on.

The way I'm choosing to look at it is the big girl had to win as it was starting to become too obvious that the big girls were always tokens.

[spazmo]

I sorta started to hate Whitney a few episodes ago, and I'm not sure why.

But, whatever. I'm sure she'll make a fine spokesperson for...um...intact genitalia?

[stranger]

That photo has been photoshopped. it's a fake for sure. how could you believe some strange source so easily. but well i still love what u write. u're fantastic. but tt photo, def a fake. cheers

[Angela]

Can't we all agree, we SAW this one coming?

When the Saliesha scandal came out, I realized that ANTM was a scam.

It was like finding out Santa wasn't real.

But, I KNEW that Whitney would take it all because of the heavy foreshadowing.

I'm not talking about the ridiculously unfair dresses, or the "WE NEED A FAT CHICK TO REPRESENT" or any of that.

No, I knew when Tyra announced that Whitney, "reminded me of myself... when I first started..."

Whitney was the winner from that point on.

[Nadia]

I'm so fucking UPSET.
I teared up when she started babbling about being picked on in school for being fat, because well.. i was picked on on school for not being a size 0. and i sorta related to her.
And now after seeing this pictures, i feel lied to. I feel..so disappointed.
Of course i knew this show was bullshit, but i was happy for once a plus sized girl won..Except you know, she's a "FAKE PLUS SIZE"
WOW. just wow.

That being said, i'll watch it again next season...Maybe i'm a bit of a masochist.

[Pat]

In the end, good for Whitney. Whether she deserved it or not, she won, and she's not as bad as Saleisha anyway.

But if it's true that her sob story at the end is all a lie, then, I think it's very disappointing. I understand why viewers would feel cheated and betrayed. Yeah, we laugh at this show, but the truth is TONS of 12-14 year old girls watch this, and about half of them are overweight. How are they going to feel if they find out that the whole "teased in school" speech that they related to so much wasn't even based on reality? We just moan and bitch for a few days, then forget about it. Some of these girls take this really seriously, and will probably be crushed.

If it's true, I honestly think the show just stooped to a new low. It's not even funny in a ridiculous kind of way, like when Tootie won Cycle 9. It's just kind of sad, because it proves that Tyra (and the whole production team) will do pretty much anything to make the show look heroic and ground-breaking.

[Mark]

Whitney was one of the "mean girls" in HS... when she was saying that BS about being teased I wanted to slap her. Sure your friends talked about you behind your back but you were still in the top social class.

[Ellen]

I don't think I'm the first person who's brought this up, but it's possible that those ONTD skinny photos of Whitney were done when she was dieting like crazy to try to fit into a "typical" model size, and that her natural figure looks more like what we see on the show. Kind of like Kate Dillon or Christine Alt. So it might not be necessary to feel disillusioned or cheated at seeing a thinner Whitney.

[Monica]

I knew Whitney was going to win as soon as I noticed she was not having the typical ANTM problem of non-fitting clothes. Toccara was robbed - they made sure she had problems with her clothes so they could say she lost her spirit.

[Addis]

This is the first time I've ever watched ANTM, so I'm unfamiliar with the previous upsets / scandals. I was disappointed to see Whitney win, and even more disappointed to see the debatable-but-I'm-gonna-believe-them pre-show pictures.

I can't wait for Whitney to be a has-been.

And I can't wait to see Anya succeed!

[Natalie]

Don't forget that we saw pictures of Whitney in highschool and she wasn't skinny.

[Eric]

How can anybody who has watched top model over the past few years be upset (let alone shocked) by the results? I assumed knowing that this wasn't an [i]actual[/i] modeling competition was part of the show's campy fun. (see: TyTy's ridiculous sayings, Mr. Jay's ridiculous tan, and Ms. J's ridiculous fabulousness.)

[Trish]

I agree with some of the posters here. Anya was too high-fashion to pose in Seventeen and Whitney's "story" (be it contrived or not) is good for young girls to hear.
My family is friends with this family in which there is a 10 year old girl who struggles with her weight. And she is HUGE (no pun intended) ANTM fan. She was ecstatic last night that a "plus sized girl" won. It was good for her to see.
Anyway...

[Mel]

Top Model hasn't become a competition at all. Now Tyra decides who wins when she reaches the top 12. She was called fat recently so she wanted to make a statement. Whitney didn't win because of talent, she won because she's plus size. Saleisha did not win because of talent, she won because she worked for Tyra before. I don't even watch it when it airs anymore because I don't want to support it. I just watch it on youtube.

P.s. you are awesome.

[Benjamin]

One detail that sort of makes me think th e story is true is the way they treated the plus-size girl last season (What was her name ? Forgot already). She got booted because she got "too thin" ? I mean indeed she lost weight and she started to look like the other girl.
But she was "between a size 2 and a size 4 which is too big to compete as a real girl". Just like the producers told Whitney in the alleged story.

[sonny]

If Whitney is a six in those bikini photos I'll eat my hat (I don't normally wear hats)! As far as I'm aware, the "fit model" size for all fashion is typically a size six. Now, that doesn't mean the RUNWAY girls are a six, but that's what size the garments are fitted on when they are created. Her belly was skinnier back then, but her legs were still a bit thick. I like her either way though. Not the best model on the show, but Tyra did need to make her fat ass point.

[Junior Samples]

Whitney won because Tyra wanted the Next Top Model to be fat which justifies Tyra getting fat (who looked slim standing next to Whitney). Cycle 11's winner will be 35 years old. Anya should be happy: none of these Next Top Models ever went on to be anything outside marrying a D-list TV star from the 70s.

[Bjooks]

YEAH for Whitney!

Overall, I think Anya was a better model, but the specifics of this prize package (a Covergirl contract/commercials during the next season) meant that she didn't have a chance. With all the carping from the fans about how you couldn't understand Jaslene or Danielle, I can't imagine Covergirl wanting Anya to win -- they'd have to put subtitles in their commercials.

As for Whitney and the weight -- lots of "juicy" girls go through yo-yo weight periods, especially if they've had body image issues. Whitney's stories about being teased/whatnot about her weight especially make sense if she was trying to be a stick-skinny model but couldn't because she wasn't anorexic enough.

I have no problems if producers asked her to gain weight. After all, they did it all season last time with the girl who no longer looked plus-sized once she got her makeover. Whitney was just smart enough to realize that their suggestions would help her career -- AND she'd get to eat!

[bazooka joe]

Greg...don't feel bad, I totally screamed w/ joy when Whitney won as well!

[Norm]

I love Whitney and I'm really happy she won.

Rich, there is no way she is a 6 on the show. She is at least a 10. I'm tall and an 8, and she looks like she weighs about 20lbs more than I do.

[ChrisKelly]

See, this explains why Whitney was *constantly* eating during this cycle. You ever notice how she was always talking about food or making food or consuming food? I know lots of big girls, and none of them eat that much, they're just naturally curvy. It always seemed wrong to me that she was loading on calories like a bodybuilder. Now I get it. That's false weight. She'll be a size four before the ink on that Cover Girl contract is dry, just you wait.

[BingBing]

I am waiting on Whitney to call out for "Sugar Pie" or ask "Do you like my bawww-deee?"

Btw, I love Paulina for calling out both of those heffas (Anya and Whitney for those terrible CG photos). Even if Fatima was just plain unlikeable, that picture this time was the best.

Boo on megalomaniac Tyra Banks!

[tia]

alls i'm saying is why did this yamp have to be the first fattie to win? she's horrible.

[spielster]

Um I am pretty sure that after the Caridee season with the FAKEST runway ever between her and Melrose, I understood this show was a fake as Tyra's weave. I think Tyra had to big the "big"girl this time around. I also think since Tacora is the most famous of any ANTM contestants, she understood it. Paulina said it the best "Whitney is the girl dudes want to bang and Anya is the girl girls want to buy the dress from".

Tacora could have won if - Janice wasn't on panel and Tac pulled it together. The girl fell apart mid-season and if this lame ass version of modeling is getting you down, imagine what would happen if you were actuall in it.

[Lizzie]

I dont think it was fixed at all. I think that they probably wanted a plus size model to make it far, so they decided to cast someone who was extremely beautiful and had a lot of past modeling experience, and they made sure to give her one of the best makeovers.

From her past print work:
http://all-antm.net/thumbnails.php?album=25

its pretty clear that she was always a little chunkier than the average model, so I think that realizing she'll never hang with the size 2 girls and gaining 40lbs (she had to be a 12, her body looked a lot like mine when I was that size) whether it was her idea or a producer's was genius.

Come on- Anya's runway walk was lifeless and terrible, whereas Whitney rocked it by channeling Tyra's Victorias Secret runway walk. Also Whitney's cover girl shot was better. She deserved it.

[Katie]

Anya totally should have won. Whitney was so fugly. Oh well it's probably better that she dind't win b/c now she might actually get jobs. I can't believe I'm going to have to hear Whitney's fake voice doing the My Life segments.

[Shardetta Tenderoni]

Whitney looked liked Anna Nicole meets Miss Piggy in that pink dress with her arms flailing wildly. They gave Anya shit she couldn't walk in. Both of their hair was fucked up. Why do we make Tyra Banks relevant... seriously?

[scorzi]

I've struggled with an eating disorder for a long time and whether people think it's fat or not fat, I'm 5'4 and a size 12...a healthy size 12 with no laxatives, binging, purging, starving, or excessive exercise. I thought Whitney's walk was fun (reminded me of the 90's with Cindy Crawford and the like) and it made me feel tons better to see someone with my boobs and butt and legs look fucking hot. Just for myself, I'm going to bask in the fact that Whitney won even if the whole thing was staged in the first place. I hate the color pink and I thought the way she moved in that dress was great.

Side note: Did anyone see how huge Anchal's boobs were in the ONTD pics?!

[Angela]

As soon as Fatima was gone, I said "Oh I feel so bad for Anya" because I knew she did not have a chance. "Plus sized" girl had to win if she made it to the top 2. Not to get into the whole "what is plus sized" question (Toccara yes, Whitney not at all). I think you at least need to have some rolls (love handles)to be plus sized. Whitney never did take one single picture with her mouth shut. Close your mouth Whit! I can;t even get into the whole go-sees not in Rome, etc. What a bunch of horrible tripe this season was....seriously thinking about hanging up my ANTM hat (if I can make it through the withdrwals). Just for the record I am plus sized (truly I am 5'10" and weigh 200 lbs.) and a photographer and I still wanted Anya to win. If Whitney had a portfolio that had some variety in it, I may feel differently.

SO DOES VERSACE DESIGN FOR THE PLUS SIZE NOW??? OR WAS THAT WAS JUST A STUNT? I Was really expecting the whole "dress doesn't fit" thing but it never happened.

At least Anya has a chance of a real career.

[Hep]

Missed opportunity to say how do you like them apple bottoms?

[pricolatino]

I love that Paulina said "when I see Anya, I see high fashion model; when I see Whitney, I see ham..."

And then when Whitney won, she said "this should not be called plus size, this should be called beautiful..."

So... Ham is Beautiful. I totally agree, Paulina... I totally agree.

[Plush girl]

WOW. I cannot get over the amount of HATE being aimed at Whitney all because of her body shape and size!
Listen to your selves; if you replace "fat" or some of the other charming descriptives you've used with "black" or "hispanic" or even the "n" word, you all would be called out for the haters you truly are!

How long is it going to take to get past this last road block of acceptable hate?

Would it have made a difference to you jerks if Whitney was a size 0? Then perhaps her perceived "fakeness" would have been embraced as being "Fierce".

God, you people sicken me.

[Roads]

I'd love to be as 'plus-sized' as Whitney. LOVE. Even with her struggles for acceptance as such a fat fatty mcfattenstuffed. *rolls eyes*

[Alexis Karlin]

Don't you guys think she looked like Anna Nicole stomping down the run way for one of her diet commercials?

[milkyaqua]

Whitney isn't a bad model because of her size. She's just a bad model. She's not an ideal shape for a plus as she's shaped like a pear and not hourglass. In NY, you're considered plus if your size 8. That's my only problem with her winning. That and her personality is too much like Tootie's. They've really only ever had two plus girls with the right proportions and that was C5 Diane and C8 Diana. C5 Diana is currently signed with Wilhelmina who along with Ford have lare plus divisions unlike Elite which only has them in Chicago and Atlanta. Tyra wanted a plus to win and she probably wanted to deflect from C9. Whitney is fine for CG/17. Anya will have the opportunity now to have an actual modeling career. The only decent CG photo was Fatima. All of the commercials sucked (I guess they blew the budget paying Badgley Mischka and Versace). Whitney was saved on the runway by her second walk. Anya looked scared both passes. Even if you give her a break on her more restrictive dresses and ding Whitney for jiggly and waving her arms, Whitney did better. This is not about find a real model because that ship sailed in C1. It's about Tyra. She's got her plus girl now and she's going to milk it for all it's worth. I want Paulina to take over this show.

[Pocketesque]

When Pauline called Whitney a "ham," she meant that Whitney was hamming it up on the runway. Which was totally true. Anyway looked so high fashion it was ridiculous, and her mesmerizing paparazzi shot was one of the best ANTM photos hands down. But, fine, let Whitney have it. I hope Anyway has the kind of success Elise from Cycle 1 has. Sure, Elise never totally blew up as a model on a global level, but she gets work constantly in foreign markets, which is a success on many measures.

[nona]

Wow, that photo on the left is the first one I've ever seen of Whitney with her mouth closed.

[Rachel D.]

Eh...ANTM is largely fictional, anyway; I think Whitney's "plus-sized girl overcoming adversity" character was in perfect sync with the show's penchant towards the manufactured and the scripted, and - personally - won't hold any exaggerations against her.

As far as I'm concerned, her skinny past is irrelevant; the fact remains that she entered the "competition" as a girl with curves. It's nice to see a more relatable body type in the media.

[SarahD]

I just love that she's got the Bitchface working, pre- and post-ANTM.

[Joe]

I think all women should be a size 8. Whitney is a straight up cutie.

[Jamie]

To be fair, she looks a lot younger in those pictures. Women gain weight with age, especially going from highschool age to early twenties, ya know?

[Erika]

I have to say that this was the best ANTM finale, well, probably EVER. Instead of some theatrical crap, they had an actual FASHION SHOW modeled designer gowns that were just beautiful. Even Saleisha looked decent!

However, I'm wondering if this show is somewhat fixed because they criticized Anya for her walk in the silver gown (she looked STUNNING in it, btw), but that gown was so tight around her ankles that they almost looked taped together! I was expecting there to be problems with Whitney's fitting but I was relieved that ANTM didn't bring up that drama again. Besides, Whitney isn't really "plus-sized". She doesn't really look much bigger than C9's Sarah, come to think of it.
Not that I'm disappointed in Whitney winning the competition. I thought it was time for a plus size (I use the term loosely) to take it. My original favorite was Katarzyna, because she had stunning facial features and wasn't the house bitch because of it.
Whitney had a lot of personality, though, phony as it might have seemed. And she took some darn good pictures. I mean, think back to C8. Diana showed promise in the beginning, but she killed her chances when Mr. Jay asked her why she wanted to be a model and she answered "Just 'cause." Whitney (C8) had a cool personality but she COULDN'T TAKE A DECENT PICTURE TO SAVE HER FRIGGIN LIFE.

[JennyRat]

This story is highly likely. I remember -- I think last season, when one of the "plus" girls started losing weight and she was scolded by the judges for doing so.

Also, there was another girl who was NOT super skinny, nor was she near "plus sized". Tyra and her crew advised the girl that she needed to gain some weight to be able to fit the plus size role.

So, I completely believe this story is legit - I could be wrong, but I have been watching this show from day 1 and it is obvious how they mold it all to fit.

It's so easy to figure out who is going to win this show each season. They are so blatantly obvious. The judges (and probably producers) decide which girl will be their charity case and have her win to vindicate themselves.. Fugly ho's like Eva Pigford and Naimi ----- Eva is 5'6" -- entirely too short to be a model... and Naimi is straight up FUG!

This show is going downhill fast!

[Mark]

Obviously it was fixed.

Anya won every challenge and always got high praise.

Whitney was always in the bottom 2.

How can the winner be the one that was almost voted off every week?

[Emily]

You can speculate on sizes (was she a 4? was she a 6? she's definitely an 8 now! no, 10! no, 16!!!), but what the eff does it matter what number size someone is?!

Depending on the brand/designer/label, I can wear pants anywhere from a size 8 to a size 16, quite literally. And depending on the cut of the garment, I can wear two different sizes in the same brand! Shocker!

Clothing manufacturers' sizes are widely disparate. There's no universal number "size," so it's an absolute waste of time to argue about what "size" Whitney is. In fact, I am annoyed with myself for even taking the time to mention this.

The point here is that Tyra & co wanted someone who wasn't super skinny, and Whitney was the slimmest and most marketable (for CoverGirl, Seventeen) of the non-skinny ladies they've had. Anya didn't win because they already had a skinny white girl who was high fashion.

We all know it's a farce, so let's all just laugh at it and enjoy Rich's recaps.

[amy]

I totally believe it!! I've also seen pics of Whitney being skinnier from a forum, possibly twop. I didnt think of as being ridged like that, I thought she just gained weight by herself. I thought it was funny when at the end Whitney talks about being fat her whole life but I saw those skinnier pics. I joked with my brother saying she wasnt fat her whole life, unless she was being anorexic/bulimic during those skinny years.

I definitely didnt think whitney deserved to win. I thought Anya should have won but they
let Whitney win cause she was plus size. So I thought it was a little fixed but not that extreme with many skinny girl going fat.

[Kate]

Did anyone else catch Tyrant calling Whitney "Britney" during the first elimination round?

I also agree that Whitney's arm-flailing walk was absolutely ridiculous. She walked like Tyra's demonstrations of bad walks in previous cycles.

[Michelle]

That swimsuit Whitney is wearing is a Brazilian cut bikini bottom... it fits lower on the hips and is cut TINY in the back (made by Salinas). She needs to pull it up though! Yes it's designed to be lower on the hips, but it's still designed to be raised on the sides and not straight across like how Whitney has clearly placed it. All this does is make her torso look ten miles long (and not in a good way) and her hips and waist the same size. If she had pulled it up on the sides a bit her legs would look longer, her torso more normal sized and her waist smaller than her hips.

I.e. I hate the styling in these pics!

[Tamara ModernGear TV]

Seems like a case of trying hard to stay relevant and have the appearance of being open to larger, more healthy models, after Italy banned models with an unhealthy BMI. I'd applaud the effort so much more if this story and the photos hadn't come to light...

[Ms. G]

Nope, no thanks Ty-Ty. Easter Buffy said it all earlier - FIX!!! No go-sees in ITALY?? And we all know why. Whitney is a cute girl and all, but she wins with that same damn open mouth that they gave her shit about?

Toccara Elaine Jones and her full grown dogs forever!!!

Luv you Rich!

[Lizzie]

I just watched the finale again and I realize Fatima's exit speech (which I never caught last night because I was screaming with happiness that Whitney was still in the game) sounds a lot like Jade's...talking about how this face will be hard to forget...I just wish she would have also given a little spoken word poetry...maybe "Leftover Labia"

[oi vey]

YEAY--anya can have a real career now! which she totally deserves!
we were rooting for whitney since she is done for after the show anyway. let her have her 7.5 minutes...
i don't really care that there is one more fake thing about antm. it will be good for all the 'real size' girls out there who still believe in the fantasy of tv ;]

btw, my friends and i are totally done with the show (but not with your re-cap) until paulina kicks tyty to the curb!!!

[Johelia]

Personally I think those photos make her look skinnier by the way she's posing. She is hiding her butt and thighs in both. And I wonder if they're doctored because the model's head looks a lot smaller and out of proportion with her body. I never noticed that on ANTM.

Anyhoo, I don't care. I'm still glad she won. The show's fixed anyway like all reality shows.

Anyone who knows the industry would realize that Elite Models, Cover Girl and Seventeen Magazine choose the winner early in the competition. The judges may have some input but they aren't the ones sponsoring the show.

[Tim]

This season is such bullshit. Tyra is not even trying anymore. She should hand the show over to someone who cares a little more. And if they were going to choose a plus size girl, Toccara for the motherfuckin win
Every season they dangle potentially great models in front of us, and then they send them away leaving America's Next Top Tyrabot standing.
Quit playing with my heart Tyra!

I suggest we all jump off the ANTM bandwagon, and onto AusNTM or GNTM

[jtalia]

this is the first time i was okay with any outcome. i am happy whitney won, but sad that anya didnt. even though both of the girls were swinging their arms like crazy down the runway, i did actually think whitney served it more, anya looked like a stunning corpse. but maybe thats more fashion?? oh well, i actually thought anya would win at one point since she won two major challenges. at least she made all that 7-up money. i realized yesterday that anya is the bastard child of gwen stefani and elmo.

now, regarding those pictures on ONTD:

1. lauren's armpit bush made me dryheave
2. jaspeen's pictures are pretty fierce
3. it was cute seeing janet and mollie sue side by side since they always reminded me of each other
4. and damn, anchal has tiggo bitties!

oh, and i agree with those who discredit the conspiracy theories, i mean, it aint like whitney is down on saleisha's level, maybe you guys give tyra too much credit...

[ricky]

i do question why anya, who had been hailed as a classic beauty all season, suddenly became the embodiment of 'ugly beautiful' during the last panel.

but i question out of love and in vain -- this i realize as that combo has kept my interest in top model piqued through all these cycles.

[Chandra]

I think it is funny how people don't realize their opinions are subjective. For everyone who hates Whitney someone out there loves her.

I agree she isn't the best model, but she is adequate, and when has the best model actually won?

I think people are giving ANTM too much credit for the level of conspiracy theories going around. The show could have focused on Whitney eating, because you know, she ate. We never saw her consume massive quantities of food. Foraging throughout the day is actually the healthiest, I got the impression that is what she did.

As for all the Toccara love, that girl had the biggest breasts ever that were WAY out of proportion to her body. I think that caused the clothing issues more than anything else.

okay, for the record, i worked with a fashion designer once, and she preferred size 4 girls

I too went to high school with Whitney. She was actually the mean girl in high school who looked down on everyone else, despite what she said in the finale. She was probably a size two throughout high school, and was never called fat or anything because she never was. Makes you wonder...

[matt]

Rich, who is in your banner this week?

I'm sorry but whats up with the haters. Why can't she be a plus size model and win the show. She looks good. She was heavy throughout the entire show. Remember the Go Sees. Lets be real people. She has amazing pictures. She took over that cat walk.

Why as Americans we promote celebrities, praise them for everything. But as soon as they fuck up. We try to bring them down and destroy them. Like seriously. Grow up people. Dont judge anyone about there issues when your backyard isn't so fresh so clean

[Kate]

I thought the most fascinating thing about the finale was how Paulina was totally trying to take over the panel (and the show). I mean, girl showed up with a tiara on. It was beautiful. And Tyra seems blissfully unaware...I smell a coup!

[Steve G]

Ugh. Who knows if the thing was so deliberately staged... It doesn't even matter. It seemed like Tyra was dying to make a statement, ready crown a plus-sized model sooner or later. I'm just disappointed Whitney was it. Could you have picked a more boring-looking girl, one with a disagreeable personality to boot.

I had a secret spot in my heart for Dominique (being a Columbus girl and all), but of course she never would have won. When that ship sailed, I was ready for Anya to win. She had a great personality, and took some of the most stunning photos in the show. Plus, she looked abso-freakin'-amazing in the brown Versace dress.

I couldn't care less about Whitney.

[serena]

Sorry. I don't care what anyone says, I still love Whitney. I would've been happy with Whitney *or* Anya [best top two EVER!]; but let's face it -- Anya is Vogue/Mac and Whitney is Seventeen/Cover Girl. Since this contest is about Seventeen and Cover Girl, they picked the right girl for what they're doing.

Personally, I think she looks much better now than in the size-4 pics. Then again, most women *do* look better with boobs and butt (no matter how thin or thick you are, real women have curves). Thinner didn't look natural on her (look at her ribs).

The fact that she gained weight doesn't necessarily make it a conspiracy. I myself have been everything between a 00 and a 14. And I know plenty of women who also fit that bill. There's no way she could have gained weight quickly enough to make the ANTM deadline if she hadn't already been packing on the pounds -- her stomach is too tight. Also, if you pay attention to the end of the show, they showed a lot of old pictures of Whitney. She was chubbier in some of them [not that I'd classify her as "chubby" now].

Call her chubby, call her thick, call her plus-size, call it fixed, whatever. I just call her "Juicy Booty." Yay for the Juicy Booty women!!!

[mela]

honestly, I am a 5'7' size 12 chick.
I have been as large as a plus sized 26, and the smallest I've been was a juniors 9.
I would been happy as hell to see a plus sized girl win this time.
But I was trully not feeling Whitney.
She is very average looking.
She is cutish. And I am not mad that she won. But I just felt that Anya was the best model out the entire group.
It felt too set up that finally a plus sized girl should win.
And Tocarra is gorgeous. she should have been the first plus sized model.
I was dissapointed last night.
there is nothing speacial about Whitney at all.

[matt]

Ok can someone answer me PLEASE?? Who is that Asian lady that Rich put in the banner this week? Does anyone know??

[Jaybird]

Seriously......WHERES THE SARAN WRAP?!?!

[Liz]

Yeah, when they showed Whitney's old pictures after she was named the winner, all of the pics showed her looking much skinnier than she was right now. It was weird, because she kept talking about how she was made fun of, but the pics told an opposite story.

[melissa]

matt

"Ok can someone answer me PLEASE?? Who is that Asian lady that Rich put in the banner this week? Does anyone know??"

Pretty sure that's the main girl from "Lust Caution"

[Emily]

I can't really tell what size Whitney is in those swimsuit pics...she looks about a 4/6, but I'M a 4, and maybe smaller than that? I can't really determine it, I kind of have BDD, heh. Most people think I'm a 2/4.

Anyway, if she was a 4/6 before she gained weight, that is definitely not too big to be a "mainstream" model. It may be too big for high fashion (where they supposedly prefer 2's), but it's fine for commercial and catalog stuff, and girls about that size have won ANTM before. If she gained the weight just for the show, I don't really understand why she did that.

[brittany]

I really think thism photo looks photoshopped but that is just my opinion. And I dont know many girls who would gain that much weight on purpose.

[LikeLike]

>>I really think thism photo looks photoshopped but that is just my opinion. And I dont know many girls who would gain that much weight on purpose

They made Jennifer Hudson gain weight for Dreamgirls.

[Amber]

Way to promote healthy eating habits by convincing someone to GAIN WEIGHT for a show, Tyra. Gaining weight puts her in bad health, although she DID look great, weight gain ain't healthy.
this is shameless promotion of Tyra and her fat ass.

[Kaitlin]

awww, maybe she's just a little older. a shot of me at 17 versus a shot of me at 23? yeah, bodies change. and sometimes we put on weight. i went from a 0-2 to a 6. which is cool by me, but it's probably a similar to difference to whitney.
regardless, her body looks hot both ways. lol.

[Dodger]

plan or no plan, i predicted her, mainly on the basis of the tyra bikini pictures and nows about the right time that the antm rebutle would come out. saleisha was already in the works right? that puts me at 3 correct of the 7 cycles i've seen. i'm rooting for spontaneous this round!!! bring it. thanks Rich!

[Emily]

I actually dont watch the show (but feel like I do because I check each week for updates) and am a bit disgusted that they consider a size 8 "plus size."

[Faith]

For all of you who dont understand--Whitney is a plus sized model. In the Industry, Plus sized is a 6. If being 110 at 5'9 makes you too big to be a model, and its thin, Then you should expect that a plus size will be smaller too. The clothes still hafta look good, you cant have a damned cow marching down the runway.

And her walk was phenomenal

[Colleen]

Whitney was an excellent model with ten times the personality of Anya. The dress they gave her was probably the only Versace dress in her size!

I flipped when she won, shes been my favorite since the beginning.

[Alexandra]

You know, it is actually possible for her to have been a size four in the ONTD pictures, and chubby at other times in her life. I'm her height and have been everywhere from a 4 to a 14. These fluctuations just happen, and it doesn't have to be part of some grand conspiracy.

[Elena]

EPIC Fail.