Ding Dong, Ebony's Gone!

So the buzz all over the ANTM message board at cwtv.com is that many viewers think Tyra was mean to Ebony last night for throwing away the modeling opportunity given to her. And throw it away she did!

If you didn't see it, Ebony was in the bottom two, which is just where she wanted to be (and truly where she belonged). She told her fellow housemates even before stepping into panel that she wanted to go home. It came across in her interaction with Mr. Jay and in her pictures (did you peep the snarl in her closeup?). It came across from the moment she stepped into panel. And it came across when the judges were critiquing her pictures. In fact, I think she was purposely even more off-putting than usual (as if that were even possible)because she wanted to tick them off and be sent home. It backfired though, because Tyra chose her to stay over Ambreal.

And then it happened.

This is where I'm in defense of Tyra. Now, I don't remember her exact words at the moment (I'm not in a TIVO household anymore so I couldn't play it back, but I will watch the episode online later), but I do recall that Tyra did check Miss Ebony and called her a quitter. Some viewers thought that was rude. But here's the thing: I don't believe Tyra would've come that hard if Ebony hadn't been so funky all along (and let's not act like she hasn't been) and if she hadn't been so flippant in the way she announced that she just didn't want to be there anymore. Sometimes it's the way a person says something that works either for or against them. The end result probably would've been the same, but Tyra's response would most likely have been different. In fact, think back to Cycle 7 when one of the twins (I can't recall which one) expressed her doubts at being in the competition. Yes, she was sent home, but Tyra was wayyyyyyy nicer about dismissing her. You see? Tone and attitude truly make a difference.

I will say this for Ebony, though. She was woman enough to take herself out of the race before it went any further; before the opportunity was taken away from another model who really wanted to be there.

Drama.