Real Blogger

Who should win Top Model 13, Laura or Nicole?

Heading into Wednesday’s cycle 13 finale of “America’s Next Top Model,” there seems to be a clear-cut favorite - Nicole-  and a lovable underdog - Laura - after Jennifer and Erin were eliminated in “Hawaiian Hip Hop”.

But, on “Top Model,” that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Look at Cycle 12. Allison had been a judges favorite the whole time, winning photo shoots and challenges. Teyona had only recently become adept. Teyona won.

In Cycle 10, Anya had a nymph-esque look the judges loved, and she had flourished in all types of shoots. Whitney, the plus-size model, had decidedly uneven performances almost the entire time. Perhaps in favor of finally having a plus-size model win, Whitney won, although she certainly did have some great weeks.

And in Cycle 8, Renee had been getting better and better and seemed like a strong candidate to win, and Natasha had a great exotic look, although limited on-camera skills. Jaslene, who often used her Latina flair to help win judges’ favor, had constantly done well. Jaslene won.

The lesson is you never know with Top Model. A judges’ favorite one week could be viewed as having “plateaued” by the next week. They could randomly decide she doesn’t offer enough variety in her facial expressions. They could think she’s not nice enough. They could  prefer a gap-tooth over a snaggle-tooth.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of Laura Kirkpatrick, 19, the smalltown girl with a funny drawl and a charming personality, and Nicole Fox, 18, the former shy girl who’s found her own in the competition and won photo shoot after photo shoot. Who will win? Check out my prediction on the bottom, after reviewing the entire Top model photo portfolio for both Nicole and Laura.

Nicole: Age: 18 Hometown: Louisville, Colorado Occupation: Student Height: 5’7”   Thoughts:  You knew after the first “baby photo” Nicole was going to be a contender. The only thing that was going to hold her back was finding a more endearing, memorable personality. Nigel Barker consistently said she was too droll. And the, all of a sudden, Nicole found a way to stay true to herself and become more outgoing, and bam, you’ve got a Top Model. Best photos: Make Me Tall, scarf, Pele. Worst photos: Ninja, Cirque de Soleil.

Laura: Age: 19 Hometown: Stanford, Kentucky Occupation: Waitress Height: 5’6”   Thoughts:  There is no way you can watch Cycle 13 and not remember Laura, and not find her totally fun and refreshing. She somehow balanced being a simple hometown girl-type with being a sophisticated, edgy model. Her grandma may make her clothes, but Laura rocked designed fashions. She’s everything Top Model is about. Best photos: Baby photo, Cirque de Soleil, biracial Worst photos: Horse, ninja

And here’s the Cover Girl commercial. Surprisingly, Nicole was better than Laura on camera. If Laura gets rid of her nerves on the next Cover Girl shoot, she could ace it, but the pressure seems to be getting to her. The Pele shoot showed how she was getting nervous, and Jay Manuel even mentioned something was off about the whole thing. A Cover Girl shoot only exacerbates insecurities.

With all that in mind, that’s why Nicole will be the winner of Cycle 13, despite my heart wanting small-town girl Laura to pull it off. Nicole has become likable and a modeling chameleon. Those are two very important traits, plus she has a very unique look, while Laura, as they have mentioned looks like Rachel Hunter (there are already enough blond models out there). Laura’s baby photo and biracial shoot were some of the best photos of the season for me, but Nicole has been more consistent. It should be noted Laura never won a photo shoot, while Nicole won two and came in second four times.

Could I be wrong about my prediction? Let me know, and we’ll find out for sure Wednesday night.