Tyra Banks and America’s Top Model are taking hits for having the models portrayed as bi-racial and using blackface.

Tyra told bleached-blond Erin Wagner she was going to be “Tibetan, like the Dali Lama, and Egyptian”; Southern belle Laura Kirkpatrick was put into makeup to look “Mexican and Greek”; Jennifer An, who is Korean, was told she was going to be “Botswanan and Polynesian”; African-American Sundai Love was made to look “Moroccan and Russian”; redhead Nicole Fox was “Malagasy and Japanese,” while blond Brittany Markert was put into makeup to look “Native American and East Indian.”

I thought it was one of the best episodes of the season. The models looked exotic and beautiful, and I took it as a celebration of the ethnic heritages they were representing.

I also think both Brittany and Erin deserved to go home. I hope Nicole wins it.