“The Face” lift: Oxygen’s popular TV show inspires cut-up poem

Whenever I experience writer’s block—as one writer once told me, “you can’t force nature”—it seems to be cured (or exasperated) by binge-watching an entire season of a reality television series. I recently spent two days watching Season 1 of The Face (7 episodes) while simultaneously collecting lines from the show as potential writing material.

The show is a reality TV modeling competition on The Oxygen Network that premiered in February 2013. Hosted by Nigel Barker, a former judge on America’s Next Top Model, the series follows three supermodel coaches, Coco Rocha, Karolina Kurkova, and Naomi Cambell, as they compete with each other to find “the face” of ULTA beauty, a beauty retailer in the United States.

For the most part, all lines in the cut-up poem appear in chronological order. Nature works in mysterious ways.

Karolina Kurkova in the makeup chair.
[Source photo by Walter Sassard for Oxygen Media]

THE FACE
(a poem composed entirely of found lines from season one of THE FACE)

The theme is sassy yet classy
Dress professionally yet relaxed

Be daring… the spirit of revolution
Military green apparel with a girly twist

Trend-setting fashionista, but accessible
Rough and edgy yet stylish

Celebrity style with glamour and sophistication
Quickly relaxed looks pulled off with ease

Inspired by free love, comfortable & flowing
Masculine pieces with a feminine touch

Can you believe you will have lingerie named after you?
Having to switch from sexy to conservative messes up my flow

To see them come together for a pillow fight
This is not fun—I am breaking inside

I don’t want to be the rookie anymore
I’m not doing an intervention with a psycho

I wouldn’t call any of them conservative
I know I’m doing this for my family

Girls, what do you think is happening today?
How fast can you get an outfit on without ruining your hair and make-up?

I didn’t even notice that my doorknob was hanging out
There is only one

You are the winner of a $5,000 shopping spree to Marshalls™
But career is second to family

I have to put being a mother first
Wearing dresses that are 10 to 30 pounds

I don’t want to fall down the stairs
I don’t like what she does with her mouth

It’s not going to be easy for either of you to select a girl
Sick of getting the holy ghost every time you win

You’re going to make people love this beanbag
(She fluffs a zebra-print beanbag)

I’m not the same girl
What’s in your bag?

I don’t want anything really awkward to come out of this bag
Extraordinary people sharing extraordinary products

(She pulls out a pair of bunny slippers)
You’re a little too old to be homesick

I’m frustrated because I love being black
Can you see my wrinkles here?

If this were a poker game
I would have all my chips on myself coming back

You’re not friends, you all want the same thing
I wanted to keep the girls who wanted to be here

Come on, Coco
I kept the best girls

Do not say my girl lied
You better recheck your facts

You better check your lipstick before you
Come and talk to me

What is trend development?
Tinted moisturizers, mineral foundation

They have shea butter in them
“Yes, I want to look like that”

Incredibly feminine and ageless
There’s no one like her

Walking the walk. [Image source: Oxygen]