ATRL's Next Top Member 13 | Judges Final Comments!
EPISODE 12 | FINALE: SPEECHES/OVERALL
THE COMMENTS
CITRUS says...
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Superpower
Speech: Coming into the finale, you had the best record (at least in terms of top call-outs; I think you and Jake are close, average-wise). But your speech didn’t do it for me at first. I felt no emotional connection. And yes, theoretically that shouldn’t matter, but every judge and reader is taking that into account, whether they realize it or not. I thought about how you really could’ve sold the perseverance angle. Talking about how you didn’t win a challenge until Episode 6 shows your dedication and ability to stay true to yourself. You could have easily discussed being overshadowed at first but then improving, and it would have made you this triumphant underdog (despite the fact that you aren’t the underdog at all). Honestly, though, I sort of admire that you didn’t give some contrived personal growth narrative. You’re so steadfast in your own personality that you refuse to bend to what is “expected” to win this competition. You’ve been playing to win, but I haven’t really noticed. That’s a good thing, and this speech feels like a continuation of that. For me, I see this speech as helpful to you, overall. I just don’t know that the other judges will see it the same way.
Journey: You were one of my only two (or three? Matty, PLS figure this out) “Definite Yes” votes when we looked over applications. The other one was Funky, who would’ve made it here if she had more time. But this is about you, and this cycle has been, too. I was very hard on you over the course of this competition. Not because I dislike you, not because I thought anything negatively of you, but because I expected SO much from you. I don’t like to often just say I enjoyed an entry because, when I competed, I felt like always-positive reception didn’t help me better myself. So, yes. I was harder on you than I was on most other people. And you delivered. The first time I got to know you was in The Sleaze (the biggest **** show I’ve ever been a part of on this forum). You won that competition literally because you were the only one to submit for the finale. Why am I bringing this up now? Because it just reminds me that you have always been dedicated. Even to boring, flop games. That’s the kind of member that can be a Top Member. The member who expands into the forum, the member who participates when others don’t, the member who doesn’t hold grudges, the member who isn’t hated, the member who is different but similar enough to not come off as an act. I think that member could be you.
JakeKills
Speech: “…Bringing liveliness to the thread” was a nice euphemism for bitch. I liked that. This is a very well-written speech that needed to be cut down. You certainly didn’t need two paragraphs to defend yourself from being written off as a crazed Taylor stan. If that’s the only criticism your competitors can throw at you, be thankful. You gave very well-articulated arguments not for why you deserve to win, but for why you’re a top member. I think that was a good approach that worked for you. I’m not a fan of overly sentimental speeches, but you struck a pretty good balance I think. There was self-reflection, specific instances showing your growth, and posts that showed you just having fun and being #Playful. This speech showed me the Jake I knew from Cher stanning, the Jake I wanted to see for a large part of this competition.
Journey: It’s commendable that you’ve pushed yourself so hard this cycle. It’s incredibly discouraging to be blocked from that top call-out spot, especially when it happens so many damn times. But you never fell down, instead choosing to keep delivering top-notch work. To be honest, you’re not a member whose entries I’ve loved in this competition. Some of your work has felt…how do I say this? Generic (and trust me, generic is what I do best). It felt as if you were trying to be the angelic goody-good member that this game tends to reward. I’m glad you’ve stayed as long as you have, though, because you’ve shown me that there is more to you than that. Out of the entire top three, I believe that you have the most potential to go out and actually influence ATRL. Part of it is who you stan for and your position in that base, part of it is your friendliness, and part of it is your maturity. Despite what I’ve scored you in some rounds (and most definitely not all of them), you have earned your spot in this finale 100%. You’ve provided a strong and compelling case for why you’re the next top member, along with clear proof that you’re already on your way. I wish you the absolute best.
A Bomb
Speech: Your speech relied on emotional appeal more than the other two, and you only cited a few posts in yours. It was sparse and it was slightly underdeveloped. But it was genuine. Giving a great speech can really push a member over the edge, and you definitely needed that push. I enjoyed this entry because it felt like you were taking us on a journey with you. I think linking your Sunny drag was a poor choice, and it sort of had me in a negative mindset from the start. However, you did a decent job of distancing yourself from that past. I wish you had more fully addressed wanting to quit, though. I know what you were feeling at the time because I talked to you; the other judges didn’t.
Journey: I feel a certain kinship with you because you’re also the least-known member of the Top 3. It’s a weird position, to be up against really big-name members and feel like you’re this little speck of dust on the ATRadar. But you have something that I didn’t have then: Full, unabashed confidence. Remembering your presentation entry, I know that your confidence has been hard-won in your life. Don’t be ashamed of being confident; be ashamed of not admitting when you’re wrong. And you admitting you were wrong is one of the biggest personal growth statements I’ve seen from you. I mentioned in the speech comments that you were genuine, and I’d like to reiterate that. It doesn’t feel like you’re competing whatsoever. It feels as if you are fighting to show everyone that you have a voice, and there’s something more noble in that. Out of the three of you, I think you have the most potential. But I also think you’re the least likely to utilize that potential. Now that brings us to a conversation about what constitutes a top member (and that’s a debate for Matty and the other judges to have because I think I’ve said more than enough this cycle). But, for me, a top member is a top person. And, despite your sometimes rough exterior, I think you are one. I’m so proud of you making it this far. Good luck.
SUPASPAZ says...
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It’s been a long and winding road, but we’ve finally made it to the end. Congratulations on getting here! You’ve all worked hard and definitely earned your spots. It was interesting reflecting on this final three and who should win, because you’ve collectively got very different strengths than the finalists in past seasons that I’ve judged. This is more mainstream group of contestants, with a lot of potential for success on ATRL. I wasn’t always as awed by your work or your creativity within the tournament, but all of you has a strong presence on this forum that I can see you building on to become a top member.
Superpower, if someone had asked me a few weeks ago who I thought should win this cycle, I would have said you without hesitation. It felt like no one else had amassed a portfolio that could stand up to yours. You distinguished yourself through the challenges as a smart, hard-working, classy member—the type of leader I like to see on this forum. Some doubts have emerged recently, though, about whether you have the charisma to carry this crown. I’ve begun to wonder about that, too. I had noticed you around the forum before this tournament, but you never left a huge impression on me. Do you have that extra spark, the X factor, that will take you to pinnacles of ATRL? Maybe you’re a different kind of Top Member, one who would set an example, rather than amassing a cult of personality; I can imagine you as a moderator one day. Picking you now feels like the safe choice—the best performer this cycle, with solid prospects moving forward. Does that mean it’s the right one?
Jake, you’ve come on strong with your performance in these last few rounds. I wrote recently about how I was expecting a lot out of you when you signed up for this cycle and that I was disappointed you hadn’t lived up to those frontrunner predictions, but you’ve put together a good case for yourself as a winner since then. This is a wonderful final speech, and it makes me so happy to hear that being part of this game has reignited your interest in ATRL. Your contributions around the forum are among my favorite: As an enthusiastic and widespread participant, you bring elegance and intelligence and wit to your posting. I love to see a new generation of members carrying the mantle of elevating what ATRL is about. You have already built a prominence for yourself as one of the top Swifties, and it feels like this title could shoot you to that next level; of the final three, you seem closer than anyone to making that leap to top member status. But I worry that I’m giving too much weight to factors outside of the competition. You clawed your way to the finale. Is it fair to call you the best of cycle 13?
A Bomb, what a ride it has been with you! I had never heard of you before this competition, but you’ve certainly announced yourself as a force to be reckoned with. No one can fault you for a lack of passion, about this game or what you stand for. I find it admirable, even as it frustrates me at times. (Is the little dig in your final speech necessary? It feels petty that you’ve made it all the way to the finale and you’re still carrying a chip on your shoulder about something that happened all the way back in the second challenge.) That fire within is just waiting to be directed toward a purpose—whether it’s becoming a top member or continuing to work on the new you. I loved reading about your journey of self-improvement, and I hope to see you continue on that path. You already have the strong persona to attract fans and elevate your status on ATRL; some further maturing might help you figure out how to best wield it. So picking you would be a bold statement. No doubt you’ve got the hustle capitalize on this title. But are you ready?
UMICH says...
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First off, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this game from day one. Even as a judge, I found these challenges to be difficult, at times, when it came to evaluating you all. This is my second game participating as a judge, but I'd have to say that this was the most interesting of the two. Not only did I learn a lot about your all, but I learned a bit about myself as well. It's been wonderful seeing some of you grow through these experiences, challenges, and interactions within this game. Even if you don't win, know that you've all outperformed and outshined beyond my beliefs. To my fellow judges Citrus, Cupid, and supaspaz, it's been great interacting with you all during deliberations and some of our arguments ...but without disagreement, there wouldn't be any fun. To Matty, thanks for choosing me to be a part of this cycle's panel. I am very honored to have been a part of such a dynamic group of judges and even more stellar group of contestants.
Superpower
Let me just start by saying that you've come a LONG way since joining in 2014. I've always noticed you perched in the charts thread (where I primarily saw you) and watched you blossom throughout the forum within other subforums of ATRL - base, music news, etc. You mentioned in your speech that you didn't grow, but I have to disagree with that. Personally, I think growth can be shown in a number of ways - from interaction with forum members, your posting habits, etc. You branching out from the charts thread is one example. I know there are many members who stay glued into one section and never interact with anyone else on the forum. So, I don't think you should beat yourself up for that. In my eyes, you have grown. Going along with that, being a top member doesn't always have to be about creating shock posts or 24/7 trolling artists you dislike like Rihanna, I see you - when you are yourself, then people will respect that.
As I look at your journey through ANTM13, I've seen that you pushed yourself beyond limits. This game is just about that - and I personally feel that the majority of your entries were well-thought and put together - both with content and presentation. Your weakest challenge, to me, was Episode Four (Trends). The smiley that you used didn't seem like something that would become trendy, and it didn't (as we saw). However, from that challenge, I think you learned from your mistakes and became better with your subsequent entries - which is what a top member should always be doing. For example, the Threads challenge is where you really stepped up. Not only was it thought-provoking, but it kept its legs well after the challenge ended. That's what I like to call "impact," and these are the things contributed to your continued growth over the cycle.
I wish you nothing but the best after this cycle ends, and I'll always enjoy your discussions around the forums. Continue to be YOU, and don't feel the need to bend in order to be "edgy" and "trendy." The fact that you've been a member for a bit less than two years and are already making noticeable impact around the forum says a lot to me.
A Bomb
I am very proud to see you here in the final three. During the selection process, you were one of the top picks I chose to be a part of this cycle - mainly because you were a very low-key member whom many may not have known about just yet. I felt like you would emerge and that this game would bring the best out of you. The best thing about your time here in ANTM is that you didn't change who you were. We (mainly the judges) grew to know you as the "feisty" one and the person who literally didn't care too much about what others said or thought about you. Because of these reasons, I felt like all eyes were on you. You gave a lot in your entries and showed us why you should be here - despite being one of the major underdogs. To be honest, I think your fearless attitude is what brought you here to this day. I honestly, one day, will shed the fear of thinking about what others will perceive of me if I posted something that most people wouldn't agree with. The music taste challenge (where you were partnering with Sam) was probably your weakest to me. You admitted that you had a lot going on that week (which is completely understandable), but in comparison to your previous submissions, this one really stuck out like a sore thumb.
I think the biggest flaw you had, as we all know, is the "I quit"-gate that transpired not too long ago. I know the competition can be a bit rough when you're very engaged and invested into it, but it's also important to remember that quitting is never an easy way out. I am glad that you learned from it and explained your reasoning behind it. To me, it sort of made you look "weak." However, the fact that you acknolwedged this flaw makes you a bigger person. Let's just hope you don't have this type of behavior again Adding on to this, I am glad that you had outside help/advice from the likes of Kitt, Edge, DOM etc. to push you along in the competition. They are very wonderful members whom I look up to as well. My only recommendation to you is to spread your wings a bit outside of The Lounge. You're an older member (in terms of join date) and you're quite popular there. A polarizing member like yourself would be well received around the forum among those with differing opinions and such. Your journey represented such an underrepresented type of member on this forum, and I hope that future contestants of the next cycles will feel encouraged to, at least, sign up based on what you've done and how far you've gotten here.
JakeKills
What a pleasure it has been to see you in this competition. I was shocked when you signed up, not because I didn't think you would make it through, but only because I thought you'd be shy to do things like this. I say "shy" because I've always thought of you as the admirable, yet witty, Taylor Swift stan that always have been quite helpful to many members here. Through your journey of this competition, you brought a lot out of yourself that I have never seen before from you on this forum. Many would say that you're just a Swiftie who only worships and adores her. I'd mostly disagree with that because they've probably never seen your presence throughout ATRL. In my personal interactions with you since being here, I have seen a growth in you, and I'd hope that you will take everything that the judges have said about you and use that to shape the rest of your time here.
In this competition, you also revealed some personal things about yourself, and I think that was a good way of letting your guards down a bit. Considering that this place is super judgmental of almost everything, I feel that was a bit risky of you to do. Personally, I think it helped for you for us to connect with you on a deeper level and really understand who you are. Some may call it sympathy points, but I feel that it's coming from a genuine place. Another thing about this competition, for you, is that you were able to show us that you're more than just a Taylor Swift stan. What nailed it for me was your testimonials. I thought they really showcased your persona and abilities outside of the Taylor Swift "realm" that some have boxed you in. I admire that you've used ATRL, in general, to enhance your own life in a way (as you mentioned your exposure to the ATRL gays and how it impacts you). You've honestly made me very proud during this cycle's run.
CUPID says...
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Cupid feels bad about not having any comments for you all. He has been very sick lately that he was hospitalized over the weekend. He gave his vote for the winner, but feels bad for not being able to express his thoughts for the finale.
MATTY says...
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Superpower:
Congratulations on reaching the finale. You really did deserve it. You’ve already mentioned it, but stats wise you have been the best of the final three. You weren’t once the best though, you’ve had a journey in this competition rank wise. You started out average, middle of the pack, and then started to fix your shine. It wasn’t until challenge 6 where you found your shine and shimmered your way to the finale. You found your niche and use it to your advantage. While we are talking about journeys, I do have to mention something you mentioned in your speech; growth. You mentioned how you went back on your old posts and don’t feel any kind of embarrassment of your posts and would say those things again. There really is nothing wrong with that. Coming into ATRL as you are and a strong sense of who you are is fantastic, and probably a big reason why you are here. My thing is, I don’t want you to have that thought and think growth or change is not in your vocabulary. Even if you find yourself consistent and finding who you are, there are always things you can think of that you would want to change or could change about yourself to make yourself even better. Nobody is perfect, nobody will ever be perfect, but there is always room for growth in any aspects of yourself.
JakeKills:
Congratulations on reaching the finale. You deserved this as well. I’ve seen a growth as a member and a growth in your journey in this competition. You started out in this competition as lower middle of the pack but steadily rose from the ashes, then fell a bit. You quickly found your footing again and became a force towards the end of the competition finally achieving your first first call out that got you into the finale. It’s this kind of pattern that does greatly exemplify of what a top member really is. Now to talk about an aspect of your speech that I wanted to bring up; T-Swizzle. It has been a great deal of conversation between the community and the judges of how much of a stan you truly are. I just wanted to take the time and be honest that for some reason I felt like the whole paragraph about your Taylor examples being an exaggeration of how ATRL stans a little fake. It felt like you were kind of trying to cover tracks to make yourself look better about those comments in order to win. Whether or not it’s true, I’m expecting a Jake paragraph in response to this like good ol times, I feel like you still need to always take this into consideration. For really anyone reading this, stanning is okay for your absolute fav or faves, but sometimes overly stanning can bring negatives to how people perceive you. You don’t need to degrade your love for the person, but just be a little weary on how you present yourself associated with said artist. Give them priority on your list, but show the love for all the artists you love and have found love for while being on ATRL.
A Bomb:
Congratulations on reaching the finale. Despite what people might think, you deserved this position just as much as the other two. You’ve come a long way and have had the biggest journey than the other two in this competition. You were chosen in to this competition as one of the last ones and then quickly showed us how you should have been chosen in the ranks much sooner with your first challenge. It still leaves quite an impact on me and is a challenge I remember. It had this vulnerability and sweetness to it, but yet had this cheeky feistiness to it as well. This is the personality I assume you mean to being the nu A Bomb. As the challenges went on you would fall, then rise, then fall, then rise, etc. You were never truly really consistent until towards the end after the quit-gate. I know you are probably sick and tired of everyone bringing up the fact that you quit. In the words of wise Edge from his testimony on you, “He quit, so what?” This game gets extremely stressful. I try to speak on it beforehand during the start of the game when people ask what it’s about and then during the finale as well. This game really isn’t for the weak of heart. You think it’s just a quick fun tournament to have your name included on the winners list, but there is a reason why it has impact and influences others. We’re here to test your abilities of becoming a top member, and give you tasks that can help you in the future even if you lose/get eliminated. Therefore when anybody quits, I always PM them and ask them why and try to convince you to stay. We’re all adults, so it’s your choice, but I know what this game can do to your mind so I try to help ease things to make you stay. I’m glad you stayed and realized how much heart you still had in this game to continue on. You’re feisty for a reason and it’s not something problematic unless you mean it to. Your testimonies can attest to that for they each had and continue to have a certain value of feistiness in them. Whether you win or not, something for you to improve on, which you know is to work on that balance of your nu personality and make sure people see it. You’re a great member, let others get to know who you really are.
When we return
Only 1 of you will become
ATRL's Next Top Member!
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this game from day one. Even as a judge, I found these challenges to be difficult, at times, when it came to evaluating you all. This is my second game participating as a judge, but I'd have to say that this was the most interesting of the two.
It's been a pleasure. This was my second game on ATRL but it was pretty fun.
I'll peep in here more often when I have the time.
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Originally posted by Matty
Cupid feels bad about not having any comments for you all. He has been very sick lately that he was hospitalized over the weekend. He gave his vote for the winner, but feels bad for not being able to express his thoughts for the finale.
...but without disagreement, there wouldn't be any fun. To Matty, thanks for choosing me to be a part of this cycle's panel. I am very honored to have been a part of such a dynamic group of judges and even more stellar group of contestants.
This was my second game on ATRL but it was pretty fun. 
