MMAS: The Models Move In

In episode one of Make Me A Supermodel, the fourteen contestants move into their New York apartment, burn their clothes, and parade around in underwear and skimpy swimwear. Lord love kooky reality shows featuring male models.

At the beginning of the show, the models immediately start working by doing a photo shoot in Times Square. Though the temperature was below freezing, photographer Lee Strickland had the models pose in summer wear while being outside on a platform in the middle of it all.

Dominic Prietto was first and I think his photos came out pretty good. He photographs better than he appears on videotape. Ben DiChiara was next and although Lee thought Ben wasn't very versatile because of his close cropped hair, Ben's attitude about it all shows he's up for anything in order to do a good job. He had to wear pink pants and a pink scarf but he looked totally at ease and made it work. Later Perry Ullman went out and Lee loved him even though his hair is just as short as Ben's. I don't like when people's critiques are not consistent. I also don't like when people imitate faggy lisps as Perry did to show how he felt about the flamboyant clothes he had to wear. Of course he's a character and I'm sure he's going to say a lot of crazy things. Ronnie Kroell went out with a smile but not much reason for one since I think he had the ugliest clothes to model. How did the gay model get the dullest outfit?

The models go see the apartment for the first time and Ronnie and Ben decide to be roommates. It looks like Ronnie and I share similar tastes.

The next morning the models are told there are going to a go-see and they all dress up in their best clothes. Instead they are taken to see a burning garbage can and told to throw something they are wearing into the fire to symbolize discarding their old lives. They are encouraged by co-host Tyson Beckford to show how much they want to win by throwing in as much as possible. Anyone who has played these kind of mind games at a corporate retreat would know what a load of crap this is. Unfortunately, most of the models are too naive to see how stupid it is or to tell Tyson to throw his own clothes in the fire if he really believes it is such good therapy. Dominic wisely kept his clothes on and suggested that the people that burned all of their clothes were just tools. He's got a good head on his shoulders.

Afterwards they purposely stand around in standard issue underwear for exhibition before Cory Bautista, Director of New York Model Mangement. Cory tells thin Dominic, who has a 38" chest and 30" waist, that he looks good, while telling Ben, who lost 20 pounds since the casting, that he lost too much. It's a great thing in this country that you can be President of the country or Director of a modeling agency and still be hopelessly wrong about a lot of important things. Bottom line is that Ben looks incredibly fit.

Cory tells one of the female models that her hairstyle won't work in New York. In this election season where "change" is what its all about, I get sick of hearing on these modeling shows how there is only one standard and no one must be allowed to veer from it. Agencies should be on the cutting edge of pushing change in looks and styles and not constantly conforming to the ways things are.

The episode ends with a swimsuit runway featuring parke & ronen. By luck of the draw Ben had to wear a thong, but it really wasn't very revealing. It only showed a slightly saucy set of cheeks. The judges criticized him for looking to much like a prison guard walking on the runway. Uh, prison guard in a thong. What beside everything is wonderfully right about that picture?

Of the favored four (Dominic, Ben, Perry, and Ronnie) Dominic was put in the set of three to be voted on by the public. Its too soon for him to go so I'm sure he will not be voted out.