Sean Patterson - Behind the Judges' Table

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

zibbie — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:26:44 GMT

The way the show handled the situation with Laurie was in poor taste. Even in just the way you all kept going after she exposed herself. It would have been much more professional, educational (and in good taste) to spend some time acknowledging what happened. I imagine it would be very upsetting to see someone go through the manic episode that Laurie went through. Please address this in the next episode with a mental health professional.

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Colleen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:07:28 GMT

As a health care provider I was suprised when the other women chuckled and rolled their eyes during Lauries meltdown. This was not the antics of an egocentric, "flighty" model; this is a woman who is very ill and in dire need of treatment. I only hope that the judges will be kind to Laurie when commenting on her behavior and that someone on staff at TV Land will assist Laurie in getting the treatment she so desperately needs. Colleen (not the Colleen who made the previous comment)

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Joyde — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:26:15 GMT

Laurie is clearly mentally ill. She shows symptoms of manic depression. This show has taken advantage of her. I am sickened that there has been no mention of TVland's trying to get this poor woman medical attention. There is a reason freak shows went out of fashion: they bothered people who have a conscience. Joy

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Tamar — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:19:22 GMT

Thank you for talking Laurie off a ledge. I sighed with palpable relief when you said calmly, "I will talk to you if you put your top on." Her reaction was not only unnerving, but I was concerned for the panel as her behavior became stranger and stranger. However, you may have been freaking on the inside, but you seemed in control on the outside.

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Colleen — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:26:13 GMT

Hi Annie, I'm not a professional in psychiatry and I thought the same thing. I felt it was that that or schizophrenia . I felt so bad for her. I really wonder how she passed the psyche test, if they have one. Wouldn't a true psyche test find out her issue?

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Annie200190 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:14:33 GMT

As a professional in psychiatry, it seemed pretty obvious to me that Laurie was dealing with bipolar disorder and having a manic episode.

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

M C West — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:05:15 GMT

I felt sorry for Laurie- She is ... sad. She is absolutely beautiful and photographs were stunning... but too emotionally unstable.

Re: A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

M C West — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:01:32 GMT

I was amazed at the judgements from the panel for what they had to wear to the surprise photo shoot at Gotham. I know I do not know what led up to this - except they were to pack a day bag for going out after they worked out. Jeans and a t-shirt and tennis shoes might be ok in New York City if you are going to be going to the park or maybe the museums, but if you are there with high end people you need to believe they are going to be taking you to high end places after working out. But day time high end. Not evening...

What do I carry in my Gym bag? I carry 2 extra pairs of slip on heels, one open toed, one closed, a hair brush, an extra pair of straight black jeans, and a sweater that does not need ironing, and if it is cool out I have a kimono jacket. Oh and a food bar and a water. LOL.

What would you have packed?

A Meltdown of Epic Proportions

Sean_Patterson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:59:42 GMT

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.

When we finally got to the point where Laurie just lost it, I decided I needed to take control of the situation and set her ass straight on a few things. None of these competitors (who are all very strong women) needed Laurie to look out for them even though that's what she professed. More importantly, if Laurie didn't want to be there, we sure as heck didn't want her to be there. We want competitors that realize this is the chance of a lifetime and seize it. Laurie seemed to have lost sight of the fact that she was a part of something amazing.

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.