Make Me A Part-time Model

My freshman year roommate from Scripps College, Stephanie Bulger, was eliminated from Bravo's reality TV series Make Me a Supermodel last Thursday. While I watched religiously, and exercised all 10 of my opportunities to vote for her when she slipped into the bottom 3, I am not upset at her rejection, nor do I believe that she is. You see, the ironic thing is that although Stephanie did indeed audition for the show and was eventually chosen as a contestant, she doesn't WANT to be a supermodel.

Stephanie has always been an art fan. Her room at home in Texas is plastered with her own acrylic masterpieces, and her class schedule is chock-full of artsy fartsy studio classes. In her spare time she studies dance-- everything from modern to ballet to hip-hop-- and is an afficionado of music and fashion.

Naturally thin, tall and blonde, with cheekbones to die for, strangers and friends would often stop us walking across campus to suggest the idea of modeling as a career to Steph. They seemed convinced that this suggestion was a moment of their own brilliance, an epiphany that, if taken, would change her life forever. But I knew better.

Stephanie is an artist first. Indeed, she fluorished in the art and movement-based episode of MMAS, but floundered when it came time to show off her acting chops. A rational being at heart, she loves quirk and flamboyance too much to subject herself to the whims of a handful of hack-job producers and celebrity judges.

Nor does she have a dearth of opportunity waiting for her back where she came from. While many contestants seemingly face a lackluster return to the real world with full-time jobs as waitresses and valet parkers, Steph returns to a nearly completed degree. A degree she wouldn't have taken advantage of as a supermodel.