Video: ‘Top Model’ stampede

For those who missed this yesterday, here’s the Reuters story on the “Top Model” audition stampede and the oddly hypnotic screaming-reality-contestants-as-human-lava-lamp video. Fierce!

Six women received medical treatment Saturday and three people werearrested after what local radio described as a stampede asthousands waited in New York to audition for the CW’s realitycompetition show “America’s Next Top Model.”

A New York Police Department official said two women and a man werearrested on charges of inciting to riot and disorderlyconduct.

WINS radio reported that chaos erupted outside a midtown Manhattanhotel after a car belching smoke pulled up near the line of womenlate in the afternoon, leading to a cry of “fire” that sparkedpanic. Witnesses told the station the situation was compounded whena man leapt from a car and began grabbing women’s purses.

The police spokesman could not confirm the details of the radioreport. Police said six women in the crowd were treated aftercomplaining of feeling faint. Some of the women had lined up allnight to audition for the show, which stars former model TyraBanks.

Sidewalks were littered with chairs and sleeping bags from thosewho waited overnight as well as clothes and shoes abandoned in therush of screaming women, radio reported.

The auditions were for the show’s 13th cycle of competition, forwhich about a dozen contenders will eventually be selected. Moreauditions will follow in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, accordingto the show’s Web site. — Reuters