It’s never too early to start handicapping this fall’s most squirm-worthy, Darwinian reality competitions. Let’s start with Celebrity Duets, which debuts Aug. 29 on Fox. The network announced today that the golden-throated competitors are WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, Lucy Lawless, Cheech Marin, Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum Alfonso Ribeiro, Queer Eye‘s Jai Rodriguez, Queer as Folk‘s Hal Sparks, and Lea Thompson. (They’ll be paired each week with pros who should know better, including Clint Black, Michael Bolton, Belinda Carlisle, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Brian McKnight, Aaron Neville, Smokey Robinson, Randy Travis, and Dionne Warwick.) Now, Lawless, Rodriguez, and Thompson have all sung on Broadway, and Marin proved he can sing (sort of) on old Cheech & Chong bits like ”Earache My Eye.” My money’s on Xena, if only because of Lawless’ excellent impersonation of Stevie Nicks in this classic SNL sketch.
As for America’s Next Top Model, whose seventh season begins Sept. 20 on the CW, that’s a much tougher call. (Especially since my track record here is about as poor as my predictions for who’ll survive on Lost.) Still, looking at this photo, released today, of the 13 finalists, I’m struck by the exotic visage of Anchal (bottom row, right). No doubt Tyra will decide her eyes are too far apart and send her packing about halfway through. So I’ll go out on a limb and guess Eugena (third row from top, third from left). She looks fierce enough to cut down anyone who gets in her way, using just her sharp cheekbones. Besides, her day job is as a customer service rep, so you know she’s just about to snap.
What about the girl bottom row in the center. She’s the best looking out of all of them (too tired to look up names, someone do it for me).
Are the two on the second row from the top, right-hand side, twins?
I like the girl top left and the girl second row from the top, two to the left. I think it’s time for a girl with a pixie haircut to take home the gold.
My prediction is that whoever Tyra feels threatened by the least will win … what? … too easy?
Alfonso also sang when starred on Broadway in the Tap Dance Kid, I believe. I think he also sang a song or two when he was on Silver Spoons.
Wow Lucy Lawless was spot on with her Stevie Nicks impression. Thanks for bringing some laughter to my afternoon.
This is hilarious! Don’t these contestants realize that every single one of them have very little chances of becoming the top model Tyra promises them they will be? Past winners will prove this. Tyra laughs herself all the way to the bank while the winners get a taste of 15 minutes of model-dom and like a stone thrown in the sea, the sink to oblivion…never seen or heard again. Unless they join a reality show of course and skank themselves to TV fame.
Thos two girls look far too similar to not be related… unless they airbrushed it so badly that any distinct features disappeared. …they also look the least attractive of all the girls.
I think Anchal is the most striking… so she’ll probably leave in the first few weeks.
Well racial politics eliminate all the black girls. Hopefully Anchal doesn’t fit into that unfortunate reality. She’s obviously the prettiest.
Those twins(?) look like grade D Fionna Apples!
One man’s exotic is this gal’s freaky and computer-like looking. Anchal looks plastic.
They all look robotic in this picture. I’m still pissed about Mollie Sue getting kicked off way too early last season (but woot my girl is not signed with Elite!) so I am going to go with either the Kim from C4 look-a-like at the top left or the other one with the short hair cut in the second row down. What’s up with the budget Fiona Apple in the second row? God I love Top Model…
Lucy Lawless was a classically trained opera singer before she started acting. While she was working on “Xena,” she sang the funeral dirges when characters died, as well as several songs on the show’s soundtracks. Even though the premise of the show itself sounds goofy, I’ll be watching it because Lucy will be singing. She’s extraordinarily talented, and I’ll be rooting for her!
in response to christie’s post, how many models can you actually name? it’s just like the question they asked during interviews this past cycle. the age of the supermodel (naomi, claudia, christie, cindy…) is long gone. if they’re not victoria’s secret girls, odds are the avg person can’t name them. and eva has actually seen alot of face time in more urban markets…and you can’t call antm until you see the runway walk!
The girl on the top-left is a Charlize Theron look-alike.
Yes, I saw Tyra talking on Entertainment Tonight or some show like that and said that they had twins on the show this year. Unless those are just horrible pictures of them, that was a waste of two spots in the top 13. Sure it is gimicky, but it wasn’t necessary for Tyra to try to go quite that cheesy by bringing in twins.