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...