MovieChat Forums > America's Next Top Model (2003) Discussion > Heather Cycle 9 Opinion

Heather Cycle 9 Opinion

posted 8 years ago by jenshepmodel
16 replies | jump to latest

So I have been re-watching all the cycles and I just finished cycle 9. I forgot about all the special treatment Heather received and it annoyed me so much.

I do admit to liking some of her pictures. I liked her smoking shot and her rock climbing one, but that's about it. Her recycle photo, she had no neck and Tyra will usually go off on girls who don't have neck in shots, and nothing was said to her and she got best photo.

I understand she had a disability, but there is no way in hell she would be babied like that in the real modeling world. She had a terrible walk and could not talk to designers/clients. I was most annoyed when she stayed over Lisa at the covergirl shoot in China. Lisa was very modelesque and I would've loved to seen her make it further.

I absolutely think that people with Asperger's/autism can succeed in the modeling world if they really put their mind to it, but the portrayal of Heather being coddled and spoon fed is not the way to show any other aspiring autistic model how to go about trying to get into the industry.

I feel like her entire stint on the show was to boost ratings and make Tyra appear like a "do-gooder."

Cycle 9 was just pretty terrible in general for me, but her whole plot line really aggravated me.

/rant over

[–] Crazygreen1127 8 years ago

I like Heather, and she was photogenic, but I also think she allowed herself to be victimized one too many times.

[–] OutForAWalkB-tch 8 years ago

Oh goodness, the Heather-love on the boards was INSANE back then. I never got her appeal. The world doesn't baby people. No matter what your condition or life story is, if you enter any professional field, you have to bring it just like everyone else. Heather was lacking in way too many ways.

What I've got in my head you can't buy, steal, or borrow. I believe in live and let live.

[–] Rainer90 8 years ago

I always loved Heather. She had a cool gothic look.

[–] matthieus2 8 years ago

Maybe I remember things differently, but I didn't remember her being that baby-ied. Maybe more so at panel.

I actually think she should've made the top 4 and deserved another week, as if I remember rightly it was her first time in the bottom two.
I thought her pictures were consistently strong.

I also agree about Lisa. I think she should've made it further. I'm sure I remember one of the photographers from Cycle 9 did an interview and he was saying Lisa should've won and he thought she was one of the strongest.

[–] Rainer90 8 years ago

Lisa should've made it further. I think the top four should have been Lisa, Bianca, Jenah, and Heather. Chantal was boring and Saliesha wasn't high fashion at all.

[–] leegilley1287 8 years ago

Replace Bianca with Ebony and that would have been a super strong Top 4. Even though she quit,Ebony probably had one of the best portfolios of that cycle, it just sucks that she wasn't emotionally ready for the competition.

[–] Rainer90 8 years ago

I think Ebony is a little overrated. Bianca had a more interesting look, IMO. I would've put Ebony at 6th or 5th place though.

[–] TwentytoOneDevotchka 8 years ago

I agree, I dont remember her being babied...I remember the other girls (inparticular Bianca, kinda being mean because of jealousy actually) She was dehydrated at the video shoot and the other girls were concerned for her but I would hardly call that being babied. Heather has a beautiful gothic Tim Burtonesque (as Tyra would say) look to her. She stood out for looking different...and she was super sweet, smart and artistic (which I think helped her a lot in the competition)

As far as Lisa, definitely think she should have been in top 3 with Heather. Chantal and Saleisha were just very mediocre models to me.

[–] past_tyme 8 years ago

That season Jenah should have won. She looked like a real model and had the attitude to withstand that kind of career without being crazy like Lisa. The others were so boring.

[–] b73142 8 years ago

I didn't get past episode 4, with this cycle, but I did manage to keep up with the photo shoots. ITA that Jenah should have won based on her portfolio. I loved her pics!

[–] stefanheikel 8 years ago

Cycle 9 started out great and then went to crap. The fact that Jenah didn't win, let alone wasn't the runner up was a travesty. If there was ever something fans of the show could rally around, it was that Saleisha was the most un-deserving winner ever.

I will always love Heather, but she didn't deserve to win, or even make it to the final 3 IMO. She took incredible pictures, but she was weak in other areas.

[–] matthieus2 8 years ago

I agree. I wouldn't have put Heather is my winner, but I still think she deserved another week.

In my opinion, Saleisha seemed to have a strong walk and that at least deserves some credit. But I agree, I think she was probably the most undeserving winner overall. I don't think her portfolio was strong at all, but because of her runway walk I wouldn't say she was one of the weakest contestants that cycle.
I think with Saleisha's connections to Tyra and the fact they seemed to change the rules to accommodate Saleisha reeked of favouritism and I think we all knew she'd win. In fact I don't remember the last two episodes of Cycle 9, as I think I thought by that point with the likes of Heather and Lisa gone what was the point.
I remember Saleisha won a lot of challenges, and I'd like to think it's because of her strong walk, but then the cynical side of me wouldn't be surprised if it was rigged in her favour.

Interestingly enough, I didn't really like Bianca in Cycle 9, and not just because of her attitude and how she treated others, but her overall portfolio. But in Cycle 17 for I thought she was a front runner, and I felt she should've gone further in Cycle 17, and been eliminated sooner in Cycle 9.

[–] matthieus2 8 years ago

Does anyone remember there used to be a CoverGirl of the week each week where the favourite contestant was voted for?
I'm sure Heather was still voted CoverGirl of the week in the episodes after she was eliminated!

I seem to remember on The Tyra Show, Tyra called Bianca out for she treated Heather and I think there was some stuff that wasn't shown on TV, and Tyra basically said had she known about it at the time Bianca probably would've been eliminated a lot earlier.

[–] leegilley1287 8 years ago

As photogenic as she was, there's no way Heather deserved another week after her horrible go sees. Heather was strictly a photo model and nothing more.

[–] Rainer90 8 years ago

Heather deserved to stay over Saliesha though. Saliesha should've placed 7th, TBH, and Ambreal should've gone overseas instead.

[–] stefanheikel 8 years ago

I totally agree about Bianca. She should've came in 6th, and Lisa and Heather each should've gotten one more week.