Using this and this post, which I made right after the first full episode.
Amanda
Original thoughts: "She is adorable but I don't remember much of anything she did. I can't believe she just had a baby! Models are insane." & "She's gorgeous, but like Gabriel I think she'll get complacent and will get kicked off for OMG resting on pretty. Tyra would be so ashamed."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Kinda. She's adorable and really pretty, but I wouldn't go so far as to say gorgeous, and I think she got more and more busted as the show went on. Still, other than the rare "I walk around NAKED so my kid won't be GAY" comment, she seemed like a really sweet girl who was very easy to root for, and who was extremely grateful to be on the show, possibly more than anyone else. When it came to Jordan vs. Amanda, I was soooo Team Amanda.
Original prediction: 7th
Actual place on show: 7th
Branden
Original thoughts: "He's being edited as a homophobic tool in a Bravo reality show. Yeah, he ain't lasting long." & "Eh, he seems like a tool. When he was going on about how he was "exspecially not gay" I just wanted him to shut up. That said, he did kind of bring it to the shoot and he seemed to get over his icked-out-ness quite a bit. That said, because he's a homophobe and it's a Bravo show, he won't be here for very long."
Was I right?/general thoughts: ROFL WHOOPS. I don't think Branden was genuinely homophobic as much as he just hadn't been exposed to gay people at all, and his edit indicated that, in my opinion. He really developed as a person on the show. I don't think he deserved the win, because Jonathan and Sandhurst performed more or less flawlessly and he still couldn't walk all that well, but he'll have a nice career that MMaS can take credit for. But I hope Sandhurst shows him up TBH.
Original prediction: 13th
Actual place on show: Winner
Chris
Original thoughts: "Definitely my least favorite guy. I thought he could use his androgyny to be interesting but no, he just looks like a chick and kind of sucks as a model. Oh, and I can't get over how much he looks like Scarlett Johansson with tiny lips!" & "My guess is he brings nothing new next week, when the judges had high expectations for him because he's so interesting-looking, and he gets kicked off."
Was I right?/general thoughts: I think Ken moved to become my least favorite guy, but Chris just kinda sucked. His look was rather frightening, his walk was awful, and his photos all kinda sucked too. He's a sweet guy, though.
Original prediction: 15th
Actual place in show: 15th
CJ
Original thoughts: "she's doomed by The Curse of Being 5'8"." & "She's cute. She looks like Keira Knightley in this picture, but not in real life. Like everyone else, I felt terrible for her when Salome was like "I'm going to take you with me on the go-see because I can beat you!!!!" Oh, and I love that she is ~vilified~ for being 5'8". This is why I can't oppose Tyra's idea for a short cycle in C13 of ANTM. It's like, no supermodels are going to come out of either series, why not not be so damn serious?"
Was I right?/general thoughts: In a word, no. I really liked CJ after the first episode, because she had such a great attitude after Salome was like "ZOMG YOU'RE SHORT WITH BOOBS, I WILL BEAT YOU!!!" But after that she devolved into this horrific bitch, and according to everyone else in the house, what we saw of her was actually the nicest possible edit they could have given her. A lot of her raging against other people in the house was supposedly cut out. Her super obnoxious final blog (and actually, all the other blogs she wrote) proves this point, IMO. She could have been 5'11" and it wouldn't have saved her. Her eventual boot had nothing to do with her height. That said, she photographs beautifully. If she gets her shit together, she could actually be a print model.
Original prediction: 9th
Actual place in show: 12th
Colin
Original thoughts: "I think he'll be around until nearly the end, because Tyson will like, personally mentor him and he will massively improve, but will get kicked off right before the finale in a heartbreaker because, I dunno, he's not "experienced" enough." & "Oh, man. My fave, if Sandhurst isn't. He is like... beautiful. And his personality seems really great too, like I loved loved loved his face when Tyson said he wanted to keep him because he had potential. It's like, I dunno, it seems like he's always been pretty dorky or something, and only now he's starting to realize how good-looking he is, and he can't quite believe it and he's always going to be, like, cute and modest. I do think he has a lot of work to do, but I also think he has tons of potential. And he's scaldingly hot. According to his Bravo bio, he goes to Carleton College. GAHHHH guess where I applied and got in but didn't go! Oh well, I'm plenty happy going where I went. ;) He seems cute on his Twitter too. OKAY I'LL STOP BEING A STALKER NOW."
Was I right?/general thoughts: I LUUUURVE HIM. I really thought he did improve, to the point where he was actually good, albeit with his one screw-up week the week of the '60s shoot and the improv runway. And you can't deny that he's a model with that body and face (okay, he could be an inch shorter or so). His inexperience really hurt him, though, and his general awkward demeanor.
Original prediction: 5th
Actual place in show: 8th
Gabriel
Original thoughts: "This is a terrible photo, but he's such a fucking hottie on camera and in photos, I can't get over it. Ugh, he's like... too good-looking." & "He is SO HOT but something tells me at the midway point he'll get too cocky (he already seems a bit cocky) and will get kicked off for not standing out enough. God, I'll miss his hot ass/abs/lips/face/everything, though. Drool. Gabriel. DO WANT."
Was I right?/general thoughts: He's obscenely hot, but he kinda sucks. Or rather, he did on the show. I do think he took some really strong photos, honestly, like his Plexiglas lingerie shot and his underwater photo, but when his photos were bad, they were bad. His walk, after Week 1 where it was strong, was almost laughably bad; he'd lumber down the runway awkwardly, screwing up that GORGEOUS face into horrifying contortions. Still, I want to see more from him, both in terms of his potential and in a "I WANT TO SEE HIM NAKED OKAY???" way.
Original prediction: 8th
Actual place in show: 11th
Jonathan
Original thoughts: "He'll be kind of a minor villain (like Stefan on Top Chef where he's more entertaining than villainous, but his edit makes us think we're supposed to hate him or something), so I think he'll stick around a while. He also seems to photograph well and have a good walk." & "He seems cocky and I hate his hair, but seriously give him a buzz cut and he looks like David Beckham. YUM."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Well he definitely wasn't a villain, unless you're from TWoP and he made that (disgusting TBH) comment about Salome having cellulite, OMG HOW DARE HE ATTACK PRECIOUS SALOME SO VICIOUSLY?!?!! IT'S PRACTICALLY LIKE HE MURDERED HER WHAAARBLGARRRRBLEEEE!!! Sorry, the TWoP posters are collectively unhinged. Anyway. He photographed extremely well and had a great walk, and the haircut was such an improvement.
Original prediction: 6th
Actual place in show: 3rd
Jordan
Original thoughts: "My guess is she's the bitch of the season and thus she'll get far but won't win. They won't want a white girl with dark hair and sharp features to win again." & "Another girl in an unflattering garment. She's okay. I know she won the week and she was rocking it at the photoshoot while CJ was terrified, but the final photo they chose of her blows. I'm not sold yet."
Was I right?/general thoughts: More or less. Most would argue CJ was the bitch of the season, but I don't think she was around for long enough, and I think Jordan took up that mantle. Her attitude was really repulsive a good amount of the time. I don't understand why she hated Amanda AT ALL. Sure, Amanda was semi-annoying, but she was also sweet, harmless, and not all that much of a threat. Jordan totally deserved to leave when she did, both because she performed poorly that week and because she thought that, because she won the first week, she didn't have to do anything else to beat anyone. Oh, and too many times, she did really well on set, and then her photo would be terrible, and the judges would praise her up the ass for it. They were insanely biased toward her, up until the final seven (and even then, Catherine saying she had the best walk that week? Gimme a fuckin' break, lady.).
Original prediction: 3rd
Actual place in show: 6th
Karen
Original thoughts: "Who? Her face scares me. The judges always seem out to get the people who the public votes into the competition; this was the case last season, they already got rid of Ken, and with no more public voting system (THANK GOD), I don't think Karen will stick around very long..."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Kinda. I didn't think she did badly the week she was kicked out, minus the crazy eyes on the runway. Oh, and now I think she's actually really pretty and interesting-looking. I liked Karen! I would have liked her to stick around longer, actually. Certainly longer than the other black girl, Laury. And the judges really DO seem to have it out for the people voted into the competition by the public...
Original prediction: 12th
Actual place in show: 14th
Ken
Original thoughts: "Yeah, he was kind of a waste of space, but he seemed like a really nice guy and took his elimination extremely well; I thought he would be a douchebag from this photo. And yeah, I was riiiight there with that judge that said he had one heck of an ass. Ahem."
Was I right?/general thoughts: I overpraised him in that quote. I think he took his elimination so well because he didn't want to be there. He's possibly the least modelesque contestant on a modeling show ever, to be honest. I think they may have sent the invitation to the wrong person. He does have a nice ass though.
Original prediction: well, 16th, but I had already watched the episode
Actual place in show: 16th
Kerryn
Original thoughts: "She seems like total filler." & "Cute, but she didn't get very much screentime and seems a bit like filler. That's also not a flattering dress, like, at all."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Not really. She wasn't filler. She was GORGEOUS with amazing hair and skin (especially considering she was a heavy smoker), didn't look 24/25 at all, took pretty strong photos, and, when she was at her best, she stomped the hell out of everyone else on the runway except maybe Sandhurst. I think, looking back at the season, she really was my favorite girl. Her elimination was unfair, but she kinda blew it that week... the bullshit "you've been fading for weeks now" excuse bothered me BEYOND bothering, though.
Original prediction: 11th
Actual place in show: 10th (jointly eliminated with Laury)
Laury
Original thoughts: "Ugh, she SUCKS. She's got an okay walk but there's no way this girl looks like a model. She's incredibly harsh. Easily my least favorite girl. Ew." & "Who? She doesn't seem to get a lot of screentime and I don't think she'll be on this show very long."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Yeah. Actually, she had a pretty strong walk and a great body, but oh my gosh, she was just SO ugly. That's not a model face at all. And she looked at least 40 at all times.
Original prediction: 14th
Actual place in show: 10th (jointly eliminated with Kerryn)
Mountaha
Original thoughts: "I don't knoooow. I think she might be the winner if Sandhurst isn't, but I definitely don't feel it. In person, she's really super cute and interesting-looking and I think her being Brazilian definitely adds an interesting layer. She photographs horribly, though. Her face is soooo busted-looking. She does seem to look really great in clothes, so maybe she'll make a great runway model." & "I dunno, something about her says she gets far because they think she's "interesting" (AKA in all her photographs, her face looks completely bizarre) and she does indeed have a great walk. They give her a platinum blonde makeover and it admittently looks hot."
Was I right?/general thoughts: She started out the season with her face photographing horribly, but she really worked on it, and a lot of her later photos were quite awesome. Her makeover was amazing, and her walk was generally so strong. I don't think she looked very cute in person, though. Dunno what I was talking about there.
Original prediction: 2nd
Actual place in show: 4th
Salome
Original thoughts: "One of my favorite girls, I think. She's beautiful and she rocked the photoshoot and did quite well on the runway. I feel like she seriously needs to develop her social skills though, due to the incident with CJ. Her naivete might be her downfall if she has one."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Yeah, she's gorgeous, and her photos were, for the most part, absolutely beautiful. I think her body was flawless, honestly. Runway ain't the only kind of modeling... makeup and perfume campaigns, like those Salome is perfect for, are where the money is. She had a lot of issues with walking, though. I kind of loved her bluntness and I definitely loved her determined personality, though apparently she was a lot more difficult to deal with than we saw.
Original prediction: 4th
Actual place in show: 5th
Sandhurst
Original thoughts: "Ugh, love him. He rocks at everything and he's gorgeous in a really, really interesting way. My only issue with him is that at this point, it already seems like he's the winner. And I like a little more suspense than that. :P" & "At this point, his win seems kind of obvious. He's gorgeous, photographs well, has a great walk, and is all kinds of interesting. And I think the judges want a dude to win this year."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Well, he didn't win, but I sure WISH he had, mutter mutter. He had a couple of clunky photographs in his on-show portfolio, but so did everyone, and that was really his only flaw. He's gorgeous, his walk is SICK, his photos at their best were AMAZING, his personality is amazing, and his charisma knocks you over like a bowling ball, even through the screen. I can't begrudge Branden but come on, guys, Sandhurst was robbed.
Original prediction: Winner
Actual place in show: 2nd
Shawn
Original thoughts: "Shawn is 30 and though you can be older when you start modeling if you're a male model, you can't be 30." & "Anyway, I didn't expect his cute squeaky voice to come out of that SERIOUSFACE, but he seems like a total sweetie."
Was I right?/general thoughts: Heh, I didn't really say anything about his modeling ability or potential or something. He had a great face, he seemed like a nice guy, and he was super determined, but that determined nature kind of lent itself to craziness. His stare was scary! He wasn't really any big loss.
Original prediction: 10th
Actual place in show: 13th
My Elimination Order
16. Ken
With such a bad look, he'd have to be the best performance of the week or thereabouts to stay. He wasn't, so... bye Ken.
15. Laury
She's got a great body and a strong walk. But with that face, she'll honestly never be a model. Like Ken, she'd have to have one of the best performances of the week to stay, and she never did, so...
14. Chris
Interesting look, but he just sucked so much.
13. Shawn
He had a great face, but he was simply too old.
12. Karen
I said I wanted Karen to get farther, but I don't think she was amazing or anything. Most of the girls were really strong in at least one department and she was just kind of okay.
11. CJ
She had a really bad attitude and was too short, few would deny that, but she took really stunning photos. For that, she's worth keeping for at least a little while.
10. Gabriel
He sucks, but he's just so pretty, and most of his photos weren't bad.
9. Jordan
Her portfolio is kind of lackluster, and she messed up on the runway just as often as she did great. I don't think she brings anything special to the show.
8. Amanda
Okay, she's only here and not #9 because this is my elimination order and I would be tickled pink to see Amanda outlast Jordan. Other than that, she'd be #9. She's basically just kinda okay in everything, not great or terrible. She did take some very good photos, too.
7. Mountaha
Great body, awesome walk. But that face! I just don't think she was as strong as the remaining contestants.
6. Branden
He was in the top three this cycle in terms of potential, wow. But he was still a dumb, over-sensitive kid, and his walk was very shaky, as was his consistency.
5. Colin
I love him to death, but come on, even I couldn't let him get past this point. I really do think he had a strong walk by the time he left, and quite a few of his photos were really good too. Plus, he had the most potential, but he just couldn't measure up to the three remaining. He is the winner in my HEART, though.
4. Salome
She's GORGEOUS, and she can model her ass off, but she can't really walk all that well.
3. Kerryn
She was the second-best walker of the season, she was stunning in person (well on TV she was), and she took great photos, but she just didn't measure up to the two guys in second and first...
2. Jonathan
He's gorgeous, takes amazing photos, and walks quite well, though he needs to improve on the whole melons under the armpits thing. He's not high fashion, but underwear modeling is where the money is, and hey, Tyson ain't high fashion either. He only wins because the person in first is even better...
1. Sandhurst
Um... let's think. Minus the thunderthighs and that mirror photo, he's basically flawless. Amazing look, great portfolio, amazing walk. And that's it.
