And whatever, it's just a show, it doesn't have to crown the next Evangelista...but Tyra takes herself and all the little branded fillips of the show So Goddamn Seriously, and expects both participants and viewers to take them So Goddamn Seriously, and to take Nigel seriously as Captain Stern of The Good Ship Panel when it's evident from the fact that he never misses a panel that he can't get another job?  Then she should take the actual process of picking an actual model just as seriously, and Saleisha is Exhibits A through, like, W that it's not about that for Tyra anymore. 

The estimable Potes will get into it at more length, no doubt, but let's just review quickly: Saleisha is too short.  (Endemic problem on the show.)  Saleisha is attractive, certainly -- she's cute, and wears clothes well -- but she's not model-pretty.  She's girl-next-door-y, not high-fashion at all, and can't really vary her face much from what I saw.  And that Great Wall photo is a joke; she looked like ass, her front leg all jenked around to the front, what you could see of her face all fisted up and scowly, and the panel's rote insistence that it rocked because she "took risks" just made me sad.  She has no future in this business, people!  It is unfair to her to let her think that she does!  You can ask Jaslene!  Well, you can't, because if she tells the truth she'll probably get shot in the head, but maybe in five years you can!

Not that they had much else to choose from, but Jenah took a power of ten better pictures than Saleisha, and she looked good for editorial work.  She's short, too, but they all are; not the issue.  She gave Nigel some lip that time; also not the issue.  Tyra knew Jenah wouldn't break down in sobs of I'm-not-worthy-of-your-Tyra-ness; that's the issue, and I'm surprised Jenah lasted as long as she did, knowing that.

It wasn't any better in The Dickinson Era, when Janice favored the girls who had, you know, any prayer at all and Tyra would promptly put them out on the curb just to show Janice who was boss.  But...this is what I mean.  Looming over these poor don't-know-any-betters with your giant weave and your still-sadly-amateurish line readings doesn't mean you're a kingmaker.  We already have an Oprah, so if you want to pick out models, do that, and at least try to do a good job.  Otherwise, why should we care about anything you do?