Whitney Wins

Seriously?! Seriously! Ladies, break out your ice cream spoons, ask for the extra bread basket and order yourself a hamburger, because it is finally okay to eat. Plus sized girls are shaking their full figured bellies in the streets because finally, we have a spokesperson in the fashion industry - Whitney.
I was shocked. Totally shocked when the decision came down to the line that the full figured girl finally got the prize.
I didn't think they would chose Whitney. I was waiting for them to send her home and hand the prize right over to Anya. Not because I didn't think Whitney could do it, but because the show typically discriminates against the full figured girls (which was officially given that moniker during the finale. Apparently plus size is not the PC term anymore). Every season there is a full figured model chosen for the show, and some cycles even have had two. They are beautiful, they are confident, and more than anything, they are approximately a size 14, (which honestly isn't plus sized, but what are you going to do. I'm just happy to see someone who is not a size two.) And each cycle, one of the judges says very plainly that the industry in not ready to accept a plus sized Top Model. Traditionally it was Janice, which is one of the many reasons why she had the reputation of being a bitch.
So what makes this season any different. For one thing they didn't send her out on challenges and try to put her in clothes that obviously didn't fit her. Tocarra was one of the stronger plus sized models on the show. She took great photos, but when it came down to it, not only did they constantly comment about how they did not have any clothes to fit her, they poked, prodded and stuck her with pins and clips to try to break down her spirit. And it worked. She took a crap photo, which is the death nail in any contestant's coffin. But this season there was a different attitude. Whitney was not only given clothes that fit, but clothes that flattered. Also, it was discussed how she was a full figured model, but no one made the statement that the industry was not ready for a plus sized model. Does this mean that the super skinny model debate has finally hit the mainstream? Does this mean that the Jennifer Hudsons and the Sara Ramirezs have shown America that big is beautiful, and that a full figured lady is super sexy.
When I tell people that I watch this show, I get a lot of rolled eyes. Its hard to imagine why a reasonable intelligent woman would want to watch young hot girls pout into a camera so they can get a modeling contract where they can make a career of jetting off to exotic places so they can pout into yet another camera. Especially when many of the girls are unreasonable, egotistical and some, but not all, really dumb. But I find the competition irresistible. Not the cattiness and the fighting, because I could watch Flavor of Love if I was interested in that. The photos are fantastic and I love being able to predict who the winner is going to be.
I have discovered that since, I have started watching the show, I have developed some traits. I am more critical of my friends candid shots, the word Fierce is a part of my everyday vernacular, and my son rolls around on the floor giving his best Blue Steel poses whenever anyone whips out a camera.
The one thing I like about the show is it shows people that just standing there and having your picture taken is not all that a model has to do. They have to look the part 24 hours a day. They have to be on call all the time. They have to be away from their loved ones. And they have to be judged over minuscule aspects of their appearance and personality. It seems shallow and silly to see a panel of judges looking at a girl to her face and telling her that her eyes are too far apart or her look is not fashion, but more rap video. And if you think that is mean, imagine anytime you have watched TV or flipped though a magazine and talked about the size of Brittany Spear's ass.
I love it because I think there will always be girls who want to be fashion models, despite the fact that they promote an unrealistic idea of beauty that makes young girls want to vomit up their lunch, so at least there is a show that shows kind of how it works and that it is not easy.
And now there is a realistic sized woman, who God help me, I hope does not start losing weight like Sara Rue. That was a definite casualty in the full figured girl war.