America's Next Top Homeless Person

America's Next Top Model is back in New York and in its second episode, which airs tonight, things are getting a little bit real. The episode brings the fourteen newest model wannabes to the not always fashionable streets. After the troupe mingles with the tourists at their fashion show in Times Square, it's off to their first photo shoot.

For regular watchers of the show you'll know there's always a theme to the shoots, well tonight...they pose as homeless people. For those who recall the 2001 flick Zoolander, you'll know this isn't the first time homelessness and fashion have converged on screen. In that movie, Will Ferrell's character Mugatu designs a line called Derelicte, described as "a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crackwhores that make this wonderful city so unique."

Off-screen Mary-Kate Olsen has made that homeless-chic look into a trend. But you just know Tyra is going to make this serious -- see video of her going undercover as a homeless person for her talk show, here.

Check out the awkwardness tonight at 8pm on the CW. And read these recaps from fourfour and Television Without Pity to catch up on last week's premiere.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on February 27, 2008 4:00 PM

Comments [rss]

JMH

Referencing Derelicte = win

Posing as homeless people = fail

Dave Hogarty

Zoolander Gas Fight, for those that missed the reference.

smitty

Eh, it's "acting". Who cares.

allie25

tyra banks and everyone that likes her needs to die in their sleep

sarahlucy

yeahhhh, i agree with taylor. this is classic top model, people. melodramatic and over-the-top to the point of absurdity. way beyond absurdity, actually. and yet, i continue to watch, because train wrecks are fun. and dude, it is nowhere near the same level as people dressing up as VTech victims.

taylor22

Lighten up! Tyra is not mocking homeless people and it seems people are taking America's Next Top Model a little too seriously.

Pharmer

^^

That reminds me of the Penn State students who went as Virginia Tech massacre victims for halloween.

Jen Chung

Given Tyra's do-gooder bent, I imagine she'll want to make it very PSA-y. But I have to agree - it's a bit much. What's next for the season, posing as 9/11 victims, with toxic dust on them?

Muscley Armed Paper Boy

The amount of money they spent on coffee for that photo shoot could feed a homeless person for a month.

Tyra Banks you can Dere-licte my balls, capitan.

jenchungsgrammar

i present to you... DERELIQUE!

seriously though, i hope these models all die in a gasoline fight accident after going out for orange mocha frappucinos.

ChampionOfTheSun

Oh, the humanity! Or, lack there of.

gossipgirl

that.is.awful.

zodak

mer-man, dad. mer-MAN!

giraffo

I can't believe that such an incredibly demeaning and insensitive photo shoot got approved by the powers that be over at that network. Wow. Way to go. Because, you know, mocking homeless people is so high fashion.