That's an odd awards-show scenario, isn't it? I don't really think that particular situation would pop into most people's heads when they hear "unscripted awards-show moment." But whatevs, just last week Tyra called traffic a "natural disaster," so I'm used to this show making my brain hurt.

Anyway, the hippy dippy Analeigh took a pretty great "attitude-y reporter" photo.

But wait a hot-mess second. Does Analeigh remind you of anyone??

The resemblance is uncanny, no? Normally I would have just said, "Funny! That girl looks like Kim Stolz in that pic," and then moved on to watching "Project Runway." But then I remembered that earlier in the episode, Jay Manuel explained that Tyra was inspired to do this shoot after producing her own awards show, the Fiercee Awards.

Didn't our resident "ANTM" alumna cover the Fiercees for MTV News?

And didn't she and Tyra have a borderline-catty interaction on the red carpet?

GASP! Is Tyra calling out our girl??

Tyra, Tyra, Tyra. If you're gonna mess with my friend Kim during an episode of your hit show, I'm gonna have to knock you down a notch here.

So how's this for a comparison?

To the left, Emperor Palpatine from "Star Wars." To the right, Tyra Banks during last night's judging panel.

PS: How's that music career comin', TyTy?

Six cycles and three years after Nigel Barker nicknamed me "Tim" (like, I get it — he thinks I'm too gay), "America's Next Top Model" has announced that one of the contestants of Cycle 11 is transgender. This, no doubt, is quite a historic move for the show, which previously had a sort of unspoken "must be born a woman" clause. However, from scrolling through the photographs of the Cycle 11 girls, Isis looks just as — if not more — qualified than the rest. She's more model-esque than most of her competitors, with long, skinny legs, and it's clear that she's had top surgery (her boobs are bigger and prettier than almost all of the girls' — oh my!). Plus, I'd bet my "ANTM" earnings (OK, fine, a lot more than that) that she's got the best walk of the bunch.

That said, whether or not she wins isn't what I'll be watching for. You — and CoverGirl — can count on her walking out of the elimination room, tail between her legs (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist), sometime mid-season. Instead, I'll be keeping an eye on how Tyra and the "ANTM" team follow through on their so-far commendable move. Right now, they have LGBTQ blogs galore on their side. "This is an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on television. We applaud Tyra Banks and the CW for making this historic visibility of transgender people possible," GLAAD President Neil Giuliano said in a recent statement. But wait a second — has Neil seen the season? Aren't we talking about a reality show here? With ratings?

Yeah, we are. As much as we should applaud the subversive topics that "ANTM" has covered in its reign thus far — physical and sexual abuse, homelessness, female circumcision, gayness (hi!!) — we must also accept that there were moments when those issues were clearly exploited for entertainment value. Maybe we can't blame Tyra for this — after all, it's business, right? But with Isis taking the role of the most taboo contestant yet, there are clearly concerns that can't be overlooked. Those of us from cities and liberal-arts colleges (I stress the liberal) tend to forget that most people watching the show have never met, seen or perhaps even heard of a trans person. I remember talking to the girls on my season about transgender people (the conversation didn't make it to air). Most of the girls reacted with confusion, and more than a few said, "Ew!!!" Most people don't even know the difference between transgender and transsexual, and what "top surgery" and "bottom surgery" mean, and that many transgender people identify as "straight" because they are, in fact, attracted to the opposite sex of what they consider themselves to be.

Now, weeks before the first episode airs (19 days and counting), the media is already hailing Isis as a role model. When asked about earning the title, she responded, "I like to help people, but I'm here to follow my dreams." I respect that, but I do hope she is aware of the intense scrutiny — by the media and her fans — that will follow her appearance on the show (if I were her, I'd count on some inappropriate and offensive hate mail as well). The fact of the matter is that "ANTM" is made up of approximately 13 41-minute episodes, and there are challenges, photo shoots, judging sessions, random drama and 13 other girls to watch. The moment that the transgender issue is addressed will bear great weight on the perception of trans-ness by the viewing audience, and subsequently, the way they treat any trans person who crosses their path. I'm certainly not saying that Isis deserves special treatment or that she and "ANTM" have a responsibility to educate viewers; I'm merely stating the fact that this season will have the capacity to shape people's minds across the world about a minority that is still "taboo" and thought of as a "mental illness" by many of the nation's top physicians.

The good news is that even if the show's portrayal of Isis is extremely offensive and exploitative, it will undoubtedly start a mainstream discourse about transgender issues, and those conversations are what will lead to a greater awareness and equality for trans people — something that's long overdue. So, as September 3 approaches, I (cautiously) applaud Tyra, "ANTM" and the CW for, at the very least, putting the issue on the table.

What do you think of the show's decision to include Isis? Leave a comment and let us know.

This in from MTV News intern, "Gossip Girl" expert, and "Top Model" obsessive Rya:

So it seems that some of you really ran with my story about Whitney’s magical triumph as the winner of this cycle of “America’s Next Top Model.” There were enough, um, passionate comments that it seems necessary to get analytical.

Let’s start with the positive. Whitney, if you’re out there in cyberspace reading this: you’ve got a helluva fan base. Many have taken a shine to the idea that a toothpick with limbs didn’t win big. “Real Girls are not anorexic...Real Girls have meat…Whitney’s got that, thank you,” wrote Mawlo. Reader Wendy was especially happy with the show’s results because “She will be a positive role model for MANY girls/women in America. It’s great that she will be representing the average woman in the international modeling world!”

Others interpreted the win as a kind of patriotic statement. Georgetown Hoya got even loftier, attributing Whitney’s win to a political shift happening in America: “This is the era of change! We can see this in politics as we have Obama and Hillary running. America is finally being mobilized in a positive way, and I'm hoping the same mobility happens in the fashion industry. Stop hating on Whitney!” Hope! While Lacey Cloverdale made me want to wrap myself in the American flag when she declared, “Anya was nowhere NEAR being an American -- unless she just took her citizenship test. No American has that kind of accent. She could barely speak ENGLISH, and this is ‘America's Next Top Model.’ Whitney was the only one left. Good for her.” Hmm. Lacey, sweetheart, have you not noticed how Eastern Europeans, Russians, and Dutchwomen are dominating the pages of Vogue these days? Larger conversation!

But there were worlds more comments that were negative...

Eym was fine with Whitney’s size, but had a serious problem with her style. Whitney’s “just not attractive,” she wrote in. “I don't hate her look because she has curves, I hate her look because she looks like trailer trash to me [Ed: Ouch!], and that's got nothing to do with weight. There are PLENTY of skinny trailer trash girls (Britney anyone?). Whitney's face just screams ‘redneck trailer trash pageant princess Hooters waitress pole dancer’ to me, and seriously, it's not her size.” Impassioned!

Some comments were not only negative but also skeptical of The Tyra (Tyra: if you are reading this, I do not feel this way please do not hurt my family you are perfect the way you are). “Whitney won so Tyra could be proud of herself for picking a plus-size girl,” Sally rationalized. “There was no point in even having a competition. Congratulations, Tyra, for finding a way to make a statement.” “Consolations to the true best all-around model of the season [Anya] who was passed over like a sacrificial lamb,” Lynn agreed.

But the debate took on a slightly bonkers life of its own when it turned to talk of what constitutes a “healthy body.” Medical student Messenger of Truth (now that’s a righteous handle) got readers seriously riled up when she wrote, “In the real world, everywhere else you are going to be judged....but not because you're fat, but because you settled for it. I have been size 12 and know how it is, but now am size 2 and only through eating healthy and exercising I feel great and am not afraid to say it that it was miserable to be heavy.” This statement was quickly rebutted by Danielle, who wrote in, “You're sick if you have convinced yourself that diet and exercise resulted in you getting to a size 2.” Me-ow! (But Danielle, are you saying that all those Weight Watchers ads are, like, full of lies…?)

So what have we learned from this? Perhaps we should let Christopher, a man who admitted to watching the show because of his wife (awww), have the last word: “It is very cool that a young woman that represents a greater portion of American women won…Does it mean that there is pendulum swing towards thick (plus size) women? No. So, congrats to the winner and on to the next season.”

And speaking of the next cycle, do you think that Whitney’s win will affect how Tyra casts the next season of “Top Model”…?

MTV News intern and resident “Gossip Girl” expert Rya has expanded her overly personal obsessions to include "America's Next Top Model" -- and just in time for the finale:

So last night’s episode of “Top Model” was the grand finale, which I watched with the sincere hope that the show is actually aware of its all-consuming campiness. I mean, Tyra knows, right? Anyway!

If you didn’t know (how would that be possible?), the glorious final three was composed of Fatima, a gorgeous Somalian; Anya, a Russian/Hawaiian goddess; and (hold onto your chairs) Whitney, a pretty normal-sized, beautiful woman we at MTV News have totally been rooting for.

There were so many amazing, hilarious, and amazingly hilarious moments in the “Top Model” finale. (Like Miss J's rhinestone eyebrows. Note to whoever thought up such a facial accoutrement: I'll have what you're having.) My rundown after the jump.

· The episode began with a Cover Girl mascara shoot in front of the Coliseum in Rome. I took a shine to Anya, because her mind-melting amount of practice reminded me of how my immigrant mother sometimes repeats phrases in English until she gets them totally right. Aww. Otherwise, Anya and Whitney kind of sounded like weather women. Weather women who were on a mission to attain voluminous, separated, and curly lashes! Fatima, though -- her enthusiasm was akin to a woman who would host an episode of the E! channel's "Wild On" series. It's also worth throwing in that nobody on the shoot was having fun. Like, not even slightly. This is perhaps because eyelashes are so serious…?

· In fact, I'd like to take a second to address the Cover Girl crew, and say that next time you have a shoot being filmed for TV, it'd be in your best interest to act even more disinterested. I'd also like to shout out to Jay Manuel: if your look was inspired by my darling, pancake-faced, and lip-lined aunt, you totally succeeded. And Anya: when you wore that furry black hat and striped shirt, you looked exactly like Sarah from "Real World: Miami." Not sure where that places you in the haute-couture ranks, but it kind of warmed my heart.

· While I won't say anything negative about The Tyra (because I fear her?), I will say that I wish she'd perhaps…take her enthusiasm…to a safer level. Again, I am too afraid to get more specific here. Actually, forget it! Tyra, you’re perfect, don’t change!

· During judging, the great ex-supermodel (and Mrs. Ric Ocasek!) Paulina Porizkova looked at Anya’s black-and-white shot and exclaimed, "Here, you look stupid!" As bad as this kind of makes us feel, is it OK to admit that we enjoyed this moment? Don’t cry, Sarah from “Real World: Miami”!

· You know what’s truly great about this show? It’s the way Tyra (hi, Tyra, don’t hurt us!) is soooo understanding of the pain of being judged for physical beauty on national TV. Like, when Fatima got the boot, did Tyra just let her walk out of the room? No! The Diva soothed Fatima’s significant grief with the words “I’m so proud of you, you learned a lot!” I think I would learn a lot as a contestant on “Top Model”…Is it possible to intern there?

· The blonde-on-blonde final competition was a runway show styled by Versace, which is not a tacky and over-the-top brand. The show looked exactly like you thought it would -– but with a few added bonuses: The catwalk was covered in glitter! Like the title of that Mariah Carey movie! Do you know how much joy this brought me? Do you realize how badly I wanted to head to the nearest 24-hour craft store and drench my floors in the stuff? A truly magical touch. Also, the footage was divided between crisp shots of the women working it, and gritty, presumably handheld shots of the models and stylists flippin’ out backstage. If I edited this show, I would’ve used that “Here Comes the Hotsteppa” tune as the soundtrack, as this whole scene was totally reminiscent of the 1995 Isaac Mizrahi tour de force “Unzipped” -- without the actual famous people.

· Then, it was back to the judges’ table, and long story short: WHITNEY WON! In addition to her Cover Girl contract, her face on a billboard mere steps away from MTV's Times Square HQ, a contract with Elite, and the cover of Seventeen, she now joins the ranks of such luminaries as Eva Pigford, Yoanna House, Danielle Evans, and that girl who smokes a lot of weed, married Peter Brady, and wants a boob job. Wait, isn’t this competition supposed to make you successful and famous? Hmmm...

So now that this, um, “cycle” is over, what to make of Whitney’s triumph?

Tyra is a smart (albeit animated) cookie. She’s well aware that, while the winners of this competition aren’t necessarily runway material, they do have Cover Girl cover girl potential. “Full-figured” Whitney, more wholesome than a slice of apple pie that’s resting on top of a Bible that’s leaning on a baseball bat, is America’s Next Top Model for that very reason: she’s kind of the representative, very beautiful, face of our country. I cannot wait to see her face on a billboard. And I double-couldn’t-agree-more with Paulina when I say in regards to Whitney’s controversial figure that “This isn’t plus-size. This is beautiful.”

After being in the bottom two twice in a row, Whitney (looking particularly rock & roll above) broke the curse last night and made it into this “ANTM” cycle’s final three. Don’t say we never told you so!

It’s ironic that a plus-sized beauty would triumph in a particularly food-averse episode -- the girls ganged up on Dominique behind her back, calling her out for eating candy and snacking at 2:30 in the morning (scandal!) -- but that’s just what happened. Continuing the corny themes inspired by the Roman backdrop, the girls were forced to “act” once again (gag), this time running down some steps with their (surprisingly short) Italian model “boyfriend” while being stalked by a paparazzo. Whatevs. Tyra, woman, those pseudo-concepts are so Cosmo/Allure/Seventeen -- i.e. not haute fashion! But what do you expect from a TV competition sponsored by Cover Girl? We wouldn’t be surprised if Oxy sponsored cycle 11…

Anyway, Whitney took some OK pics, as did the rest of the gang. Not an inspired/inspiring week. But what we came away with is the fact that, as the Blonde Bombshell herself put it, “America and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ are ready for a plus-size model to win the competition.” Yes, we are! Bring it!

So will Whitney take it all the way? It’s looking like a real possibility. What do you think…?

Along with her Miley Cyrus obsession, we have learned that MTV News intern Jackie is also a devotee of the Tyra Banks-athon, “America’s Next Top Model.” Here she shares her thoughts on contestant Whitney, the plus-sized model currently dominating this season:

Being a self-proclaimed religious viewer of La Tyra’s “Next Top Model,” I find this season to be the most exciting for one reason: Whitney. The stunning 20-year-old from Atlantic Beach, Florida, has gotten farther in this competition than any of the previous “plus-sized” girls, and I’m sure a lot of women would agree that it’s been a long time coming. Last night, although in the bottom two, she was pushed through to the final four, sending the once-favored Katarzyna packing.

I, for one, was getting a little tired of the same sort of girl winning every season, and when Whitney stepped in the room the first episode, I wondered if finally we would see a “plus-sized” girl win. Modeling shows have become so popular, it’s great to see a normal body type – one you’d see in your mom or best friend (or in the mirror?) -- getting closer to winning.

Marilyn Monroe was a size 10-12 by our standards, and we idolized her as being a sex symbol. What happened over the years that being malnourished has become sexy? Alessandra Ambrosia is my favorite model, but I don’t always want to see women that I have to kill myself to look like.

I believe the most important reason Whitney has gotten so far is her confidence and personality, a quality Tyra said was missing in many of the other plus-sized girls in the past. That confidence is what truly makes a woman beautiful -- as clichéd as it sounds. It’s a modeling competition, so what you look like should matter most. But it’s also a TV show, and personality is a big part of the equation.

Along with that personality, Whitney does have an amazing body, one that a lot of women would love to have: tall, toned, and curvy. She is what a real woman looks like. And by the way, real women buy clothes (hint hint, retailers!), and real women probably want to see what a dress would look like on them when they flip through the magazines.

Has “ANTM” finally seen that there needs to be a lot more variety in the fashion industry? I hope so. And I hope Whitney takes this all the way.

The recap: "The Tyra Show" threw the "Fiercee Awards" last week in New York, a sort of celebration of that other show Tyra hosts, "America's Next Top Model." Our own dynamite reporter, Kim Stolz, used to be on ANTM but instead of coming back as a second-hand slog, she showed up in her new digs. AND HILARITY ENSUED.

For example, this clip, where our fetching Kim Stolz talks with "Celebrity Apprentice" reject, Carol Alt. We're not sure what Carol Alt was doing at the Fiercees but, in between her grammar lessons for Kim (and subsequent self-conscious paranoia of being made fun of) and that blouse dress, we're pretty sure that she's never watched ANTM.

Oh, Carol. More after the jump.

Anyway, we promise we'll stop posting about this, until we maybe discover something else pretty great from the tapes. In the meantime, the whole segment on that wonderful, glorious, fabulous morning can be viewed below. It's worth a watch, trust us.

Anyway, Jay Manuel was there, too. He's Tyra's partner in ANTM and so Kim interviewed him, too, which was convenient since there are all these rumors (ok, just a few), that Tyra and Jay hate each other and that Tyra is bolting the show and that JAY HAS WON AND CONQUERED ALL. So, you know, Kim asked him about it. And aside from his perfectly cute answer, he also revealed that THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THE NEXT TOP MODEL IS. Shocker!

This is how it went down when Tyra and I saw each other on the red carpet:

We'll get all of that out to you next week (including my bizarre dress-down from Carol Alt!) - secrets from the carpet!!