A-N-T-M, What?
In case you haven’t been able to tell - what with all the reruns 
and marathons on - America’s Next Top Model premiers next week with a futuristic theme.
The CW (the merged station of the former WB and UPN) will be the ANTM home on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m./7 p.m. central starting September 19.
This season is Cycle 9 and will put the model-wannabes up in an eco-friendly Los Angeles house, and has ditched the limo for a biodiesel-fueled bus.
Other changes to be seen this year include the ladies’ heights - it is going to be the tallest group of girls yet. Ken Mok, executive producer, also says that there’s a particular contestant that “people will talk about and relate to … she has a disability.”
We’ve already had plenty of “quarks” to relate to in the past. We saw Mercedes Yvette with lupus on Cycle 2 (who can know be seen on TV saying “Welcome to 
Chili’s!”), and Amanda Swafford (pictured here) deal with legal blindness on Cycle 3. Cycle 4 brought us Keenyah Hill’s battle with weight gain, Rebecca Epley’s fainting in judging, Michelle Deighton’s skin disease, and Kahlen Rondot’s intense insecurity. Kim Stolz of Cycle 5 was boldly gay, and twin Michelle Babin of Cycle 7 was unsure of her sexuality. Cycle 6 was one of teethy issues with both gap-toothed winner Danielle Evans and snaggle-toothed runner-up Joanie Dodds getting some (but not all that Tyra had hoped!) dental work done.
Past models have also struggled with being short, bitchy, plus size, accused of having an eating disorder, and … well, how do I even begin to describe Cycle 6’s Jade Cole’s self-loving issues?
What will this year bring us? One can only imagine. Chat rooms are abuzz with talk of ADHD and Asperger’s possibilities. I’m thinking maybe a one-armed girl would bring the show some spice.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
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September 27th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
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