The Daily Telegraph are saying Australia’s Next Top Model judges Charlotte Dawson and Alex Perry are suing Nine MSN and Facebook over allegations she bullied a university student during a vicious online exchange. (Previous blog post on the issue here).

The stoush cost Charlotte an $18,000 contract.

The article says:

Dawson said she initially joined the Facebook slanging match, believing it was “one of our friends joking around”.

“But as soon as we started, the responses became really full-on and the messages we were sent were so explicit,” she said.

Dawson said comments described her as a “disease-ridden prostitute” and “crack whore”.

“I was so fascinated people would write such hateful things and when I wrote back they’d say, ‘Oh, we love you, we were just having fun’.”

But the online “fun” allegedly ended in death threats to the pair, who now plan a joint action against a Ninemsn report which documented the thread.

In the piece, Dawson reportedly conceded calling the page’s creator a “westie scrag” and its members “f … ing losers”.

Ninemsn head of news Hal Crawford defended the article yesterday, stating: “Charlotte Dawson confirmed with [us] that she had made those comments.”

I think this will be an interesting court case to watch, and wonder if it will set case law in relation to social media comments.

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One of the most entertaining aspects of tonight’s show was when the judging panel were doing an advertisement for Pineapple Dance Studio (a show on Fox 8 on Monday nights). I thought it weas interesting that Alex Perry thought he was closest to Andrew Stoner who reminds me of ’80′s icon Marilyn.

I don’t know why but I am slow to get into Australia’s Next Top Model this season. The girls are so vacuous, with no strong personalities amongst them. Josh Flint is a step up from Jonathan Pease but he is not exactly exuding witty one liners.

Back to the girls Kirsty the alleged bogan from the Gold Coast is the one getting most of the airtime, but she is not producing that much drama.

Here are some quick thoughts on the episode:

• Amanda gets points for using the word clacker on a reality show, when she knew she was going to get in trouble talking to the press at the Vivid show.
• They are presenting Kirsty as this year’s bogan but I find Avon lady Sophie a bit of one also. Particularly her episode over her hair make over, she did not like not being blond, and got out some hideous peroxide blonde extensions and tried to put them and style them. Then whined down the phone to her mother who sounded like Kath Day-Knight;
• Last year’s winner Tahnee made an appearance with her Nivea products, and made the girls take off their make up, and ye
• Kelsey looks like she could be the resident bitch of the house;
• I think Chantel is stunning but can’t see her there at the end of the competition;
• Another favourite is Jessica with her more unusual look, she reminds me a bit of Petrova from Season 1 Project Runway Australia;
• I noticed tonight there was not much footage of the models in the house, which would indicate they are dull;
• Bottom two were Ashton and Brittany with Ashton being eliminated. Even this decision was uncontroversial.

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Australia’s Next Top Model judges Alex Perry and Charlotte Dawson have again created controversy by using the social media to have a stoush.

This time is with a student Lucy Blunt who set a facebook page called Alex Perry is a C**T. However the groups name was changed to Alex Perry is a T**t.

What I don’t get is why Alex and Charlotte bothered to respond to this girl’s offensive group. There are some things I really like about Charlotte Dawson, as she is open and direct, but seriously why bother engaging on this level. Also I am not sure why living in the Western Suburbs is such a negative thing.

The Nine MSN article said:

Sydney student Lucy Blunt set up the anti-Perry group in September last year, shortly after he appeared on Celebrity MasterChef.

The war of words began when Ms Blunt wrote last year: “Masterchef were after celebrity cooks, Alex Perry signed up, he thought they were after c-cks!”

Perry discovered the group and joined, referring to its members as “f—ing losers”. He told ninemsn he did not know Ms Blunt before the random attack, which he said left him deeply offended.

“I have a right to my opinion and others have the right to theirs but there’s a certain level of decency you have to uphold,” he said.

Dawson was among those who leapt to Perry’s defence, calling Ms Blunt a “sad attention whore who is loving winding everyone up”.

“Some suburban fattie [sic] with too much time on her hands and a dirty crack pipe has had her jollies creating this page,” Dawson wrote.

“Some fame whore … suburban moll wanting to brag to her mates about calling you a twat.”

Dawson, who also called Ms Blunt a “westie scrag”, said she had no regrets about defending her friend to online “trolls”.

The debate about this and other issues related to Australia’s Next Top Model has moved to a very interesting blog post by Melinda Tankard Reist. She discusses this Facebook incident as well as questioning how Sarah Murdoch can host a show like Australia’s Next Top Model, and be Chairperson of a Body Image Committee. It is something that has crossed my mind as well.

Anyway Charlotte Dawson responds in full to the issues in the comment section of the blog post. Not sure I agree with everything she is saying, but hey it is nice to see a personality/celebrity give a full and frank opinion without a publicist nearby.

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It seems to be a part of the Australia’s Next Top Model formula now that there must be a bogan on there to be looked down on and laughed at.

I actually find it a bit classist, with both the contestant’s and judges looking down their nose at the uneducated working class girl Kimberley.

They get to pick on her manner of speech, her dress sense, and her personality. She in turn wanders around looking perplexed and alone as everyone ignores her. Why is being working class so wrong on this show, is it because it is every thing that is the anthesis of fashion?

This sector of society does not get in a lather over a $1000 pair of shoes or a statement handbag. Also it appears if you are a bogan you are automatically thought to be stupid. Kimberley looks like she is struggling with the competition, and it all appears to come to a head next week.

On the other side of the coin, I don’t find her at all model like and think she may be being kept in because of this friction in this house.

Last week I was prepared to give the girls the benefit of the doubt for not knowing Grace Kelly last week, but Brooke Shields? I thought Brooke was an icon that crossed generations, and she is not THAT old.

The girl’s first challenge was a genes for genes day grab to camera for a viral marketing campaign. And if you did not get that this whole episode was sponsored by Levis then who did you think was sponsoring it? As the beaver was nowhere in sight.

Erin McNaught was also there and was coaching the girls from behind the camera. She told the girls they must “inject your own personality into it” and they must “enunciate their words”.

Erin really liked Kelsey, and I wonder if it was because they look alike.

Up next was the Channel V challenge where the girls had to style themselves and talk to camera with V Jay Danny Clayton.

This test was to see if they could read from an autocue, and putting up with Danny taking the piss out of them. He was in his element as it was probably the first time he felt more intelligent then the person he normally stands beside on camera.

Jessica ended up winning the challenge, and probably because she knew the meaning of collaboration.

Sophie struggled a bit with toning down the cheesiness, and  Charlotte said Kimberly needs to know about fashion. Could Charlotte also tell this to Josh Flinn when she see him as the short sleeve denim shirt with the sparkles was not great.

Next it was on to the photoshoot where they were to be photographed wearing denim on some scaffolding. Kimberley was told she was unprofessional as she was talking and joking between shots. Chantel was all legs akimbo and Megan just looked plain dull.

The bottom two were Megan and Kimberley with Megan going, something the Jez Smith was opposed to.

It is taking me awhile to get into ANTM this year but hopefully after a few more people are eliminated the entertainment factor might ramp up again.

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Australia’s Next Top Model premiered last night and here a few thoughts on the first episode.

1. Props to Sarah Murdoch for being the only cast member not to have botox, and therefore a moving forehead. Charlotte Dawson, Alex Perry, and Jez Smith all were very Stepford wives. Yes Alex and Charlotte were joking about it but did not divulge that they had a mound of collagen in their lips.

2. Kimberley the Gold Coast metre maid seems to be the bogan of the bunch, and apparently being a metre maid is a stepping stone to working at Hooters. And of course working at Hooters is a stepping stone to being on reality TV. I thought she was going to be eliminated, but she did take good pictures, and will give great TV.

3. Jessica 19 who is from a small country town, appears to be this year’s Alamela, as she made sure she got shot with a book in her hand, however I am sceptical about her alleged intellect as she is unemployed.

4. Sophie looked older then 19, but maybe it was that her make up made her look like a cadaver, shouldn’t your lipstick be a different shade than your skin.Considering she is an Avon lady not a great advertisement for her product. And at judging was told to tone down the beauty queen and fake tan look.

5. Josh Flinn is the new Jonathan Pease taking on the model mentor role. Obviously they wanted to stop the mentor flirting with the young models rumours starting again by appointing someone that is gay. BTW I thought he earnt is pay packet by actually giving some pertinent advice at the photo shoot.

6. The catwalk challenge was at Fashion Week, and it was sponsors Harper’s Bazaar parade, four girls were to miss out on the on the show. Claire missed out as she has something wrong with her legs.  Alison legs didn’t follow her feet. Also she was having troubles following instructions.  Claire was relieved, and good humorously took the piss out of herself. Kathryn was told her body was out of proportion.

Ashlea was told she was fat as she did not fit the sample size by Claudia Navone, who had a look on her face as if she was telling her she had leprosy. Which I suppose excess fat in modelling it is probably the equivalent of.

Josh said to camera the girls would learn from this as it is important for models to be able to process rejection.

7. The photo shoot was based on Mad Men, the judge Jez Smith was the photographer. Josh who appeared to have swallowed a truth serum this episode, told Valeria she was too highly strung and this was a competition. She then went off and sobbed in a corner.

8. At judging Alex thought Kelsey was mesmerising on the runway, was that because her shirt was see through and her swaying boobs were hypnotising him?

9. Five girls were eliminated to bring down the numbers to a more manageable eleven, Alison, Claire, Valeria, Sally, and Ashlea were the first to go.

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For Australia’s Next Top Model fans, good news, as the sixth season will be premier on Tuesday 20 July at 7.30pm on Fox 8.

Sarah Murdoch will return as host, but with Josh Flinn, who has joined the cast as Model Mentor.  He has worked in the fashion industry for 10 years. Clearly I don’t as I have never heard of him. Also Jez Smith, one of Australia’s leading fashion photographers, is returning to the popular reality series as a regular cast member.

Charlotte Dawson and Alex Perry will add the snark and the botox.

It will  be interesting to see if any of the contestant’s can be as controversial as last year’s runner-up Cassi Van Den-Dungen who looks like she will have a promising modelling career.

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Josh Flinn, who apparently is one of the people inside a Banana In Pyjama is taking over the mentoring role on Australia’s Next Top Model. Jonathan Pease stood down because he had so many other projects going on, however there were stories from last year that he was a bit too flirty with the young ones on the set.

I am not sure what credential Josh Flinn has for this as  a quick google had him come up as a PR person, and he attended East Sydney Tech fashion show. Anyway it will be good to see a fresh face on the series and I never thought Jonathan Pease added much value to the fashion shoots.

However at the excellent ANTM fan blog, they have scanned an article which would indicate he won’t be advocating for the average or plus size model.

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Controversial Australia Next Top Model runner-up Cassi Van Den Dungen is one of the faces of the Myers Youth Campaign. The Herald Sun states she is currently on a three day shoot with the company shooting the spring/summer catalogue.

She was saying positive things about the company which makes a change from the time she dissed on the French on her Facebook page when she was over there for the shows.

This years series of Australia’s Next Top Model is currently filming and will be starting soon.

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The Herald Sun reports today that one of the contestants on this year’s Australia’s Next Top Model has been told to lose weight.

The article states:

At 55kg, Melbourne’s Alison Boxer is underweight, according to the universally recognised Body Mass Index.

But that’s not good enough for a guest mentor on the latest series of the Fox8 show.

Alison, 16, said she was told to lose “centimetres from her thighs”.

“It was a shock to the system to be told I needed to lose weight,” she said.

“At home a lot of people say I’m too skinny. I was 50kg at one stage, which I thought was a bit scary.

“So I was coming from a place where people were telling me to gain weight, to now people saying I should lose weight.”

Alison, the second-youngest of 16 contestants, said she was one of four girls told to lose weight just a week into filming of the catty TV competition.

A Foxtel spokesperson confirmed Alison was told to shed a centimetre around her waist. But the Yarraville teen said she was told her hips and thighs were the real problem areas.

“It was a bit of a shock as I’m so young and new to the world and to be told, no, your walk was bad and to lose weight in the first week was pretty full-on,” she said.

“I have never tried to lose weight before, but since then I have been going to the gym twice a day and eating in proportion to try to lose the weight.”

I take it that this girl is not going to win the series after blabbing on like this. However isn’t the show’s host Sarah Murdoch the Chair of a group promoting healthy body image? I am not sure what Sarah would think of this, but the reality is the modelling world want their girls young and thin.

An article in the Daily Telegraph confirms the producers went with “more commercial” frames. It also reveals the three NSW contestants  - Ashton Flutey, Chantal Croccolo and Kelsey Martinovich.

The series will premiere on Fox 8 in July.

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Johnathan Pease will no longer being giving guidance to the young models on Australia’s Next Top Model as the Daily Telegraph reports he is living the reality show.

He said he is busy working on his new business Tongue.

Johnathan Pease said:

“I have absolutely loved being on Next Top Model and I want to be on there in some capacity,” he said.

“But a lot has happened for me. I have launched [new business] Tongue and that has really been quite consuming … and have come to the realisation that I probably need to focus more on Tongue.”

I wonder if his decision to leave is because it was reported last year they were going to downsize his role on the show, due to him allegedly flirting with the young models.

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