If you watched this episode, you know that there's only one place to begin: 
The Meltdown! It certainly was a bizarre experience for us all, but I'm going to hold my thoughts on that until the end of this commentary.
Let me begin by saying that this competition is one that Wilhelmina is very proud of. We have always believed that beauty comes in all different shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities. That's the reason we have 15 different divisions that have a place for all the types of beauty that exist in our world. The 11 finalists have really been amazing to work with, and watch grow and I tip my hat to them.
I think potential models would be wise to learn from the makeover portion of tonight's show. Rule No. 1 in modeling: You must be willing to adapt and change your look to the one the creative team chooses. If you think that modeling is about individual expression, you're right, it is -- for the individual expression of the client or fashion editor -- NOT for the model! You can style your clothes and your hair however you want when you go to the mall. When it comes to a photo shoot and a modeling career, you should heed the creative opinions of the experts around you.
Case in point, Rachel's fighting the hair experts on what her look should be wasn't professional, and didn't help the final result. I think that if she had fought the hairdresser a little less, the end result would have been much more to her liking. There's a finesse with which you should make a point to a creative type, and I don't think Rachel showed it. Theresa, on the other hand, was emotional, but she still did it and let them cut her hair -- and looked fantastic as an end result. There's a lot to be learned from that.
With regard to the go-see at Gotham advertising, there's a lesson to be learned there as well. Having a verbal spat in front of a casting director is inexcusable, and is totally lacking in professionalism. Shelly, no matter how beat up she felt, should absolutely have kept her mouth shut rather than take a jab at LeeAnne. She embarrassed herself and made the other girls and the client uncomfortable. That is a no-no, and it cost Shelly the sympathy that she was getting up to that point, too.
In regards to the photo shoot, I think that there were some good performances and some bad ones. Rachel showed a distinct lack of confidence; Laurie shouldn't have fought the photographer; on the flip side, Dolores was easy in her manner and ability to take direction and she got a great photo out of it. Jacqueline was beautiful and had a key prop to work with -- yet she still was barely noticeable in the photo, and this is essentially why she was voted out of the competition.
Now, let's talk about what you all really are interested in, Laurie's meltdown. I have to say that everyone on the judges' panel was just as shocked as anyone watching the show. It was a meltdown of epic proportions that none of us could have seen coming, and there was a palpable air of fear in the studio. Clearly, we didn't want a contestant there who could possibly be a threat to herself or to other competitors -- and Laurie's behavior was becoming more and more erratic as the competition wore on.
This show is about pushing the boundaries of what society considers beautiful. Beauty has no age, but when a beautiful person like Laurie becomes too wrapped up in her own insecurities to appreciate how far she has come, then I have to say that's just not attractive -- at any age.
Sean_Patterson
