To avoid the scorn of those who haven't yet watched ANTM yet, I'm putting my pre-recap, post-finale comments after the jump. (Was this shit fixed...like, more than usual?)

You know I always like to post the most flattering shot possible of the winner. Call it a quirk.

Every cycle since Tyra demanded that we kiss her fat ass, I've predicted that the plus-sized girl (fuck the nouveau lingo) will take it. I refrained this time and whadda ya know: the plus-sized girl took it! How do you like them buxom apples?

I'd call this a symbolic victory, but this is ANTM: if it's not symbolic, it's as good as symbolic. However, earlier this week, I received an email from a source that would like to remain nameless (and, clearly, close to my heart) that suggests this victory is super-symbolic The mystery woman writes:

I debated on whether to share this given my source and you may have heard this already...The source is this wonderfully chatty boy in one of my classes...who says he went to high school with Whitney. The claim is that Whitney did not try out for top model but was approached on a plane by someone from the show. She was already doing modeling as a size 2 or 4 but because she was closer to a 4 she was a little too big for the show as a regular model. They told her that if she went and gained 10-20 pounds they would definitely put her on the show as "the plus-size model". She's about a 6 or 8 on the show. He even showed us this picture of her when she was smaller which was from a year ago.

He also said that she was going to make the top 3. That's why I held out from saying anything for 3 weeks. I wasn't sure if anything was credible. But since the "top 3" thing came through...

This email arrived, mind you, before the pre-ANTM shots of a much slimmer Whitney hit ONTD:

I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were true (knowing nothing about women's sizes, I'd guess close to a 4 is about right in those shots). At the very least, the pictures tend to refute Whitney's sob stories (heard most recently in the final moments of the show) about being teased for being curvaceous. Of course, given that it's at least third-hand information,this could merely be one of those things that make you go hmmm.

In any event, none of this is to diminish Whitney's hard work standing around and being fierce. Having the plus-sized girl win is a nice touch, and I'm never mad at a good plot point, no matter how contrived.

Full recap on Monday, OF COURSE.

Update from Whitney's interview on the Los Angeles Times Blog:

I saw some pictures on a Web site of you modeling pre-ANTM where you didn't look full-figured. What's the story with that?
I've only ever modeled locally in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't do any big campaigns. Those are from Jacksonville Magazine. I had a great photographer who does some great airbrushing too, but I'm not small in those pictures. I'm about maybe a size 6 or an 8, because those are from high school.

I wasn't sure if you had to gain weight for Top Model or anything like that.
Oh, no. I went on the show, and I'm the one who said "I'm a plus-sized model." Which is so funny because when I was when I was there, all the other girls there that were my size were like "Oh, you know, I'm a size ... 10." And I was like "Pfft. I'm a size 10! Yeah!" I think that's why they took me out to L.A. I didn't expect to make it that far. People always told me, "You should be on that show!" And I was like, "Please, I would never get on that show." And look at me now! Never say never. [via ONTD]

She doesn't seem too bothered by the allegations. I guess I believe her ultimately? However: bullshit to the airbrushing thing.