Last night's "Charm School" saw the inevitable booting of Brooke, the reality TV artist formerly known as Pumkin. It was hard to say goodbye. Brooke has exposed her body and soul to so many reality programs --- Blind Date (more than once), some MTV dating show I can't remember, Flavor of Love 1, now this --- that when she was finally snuffed for acting like a ho it was kind of hard to watch. That was why we liked her in the first place! Her willingness to remove her top, her glee at discussing the size of men's members... Inappropriate sexuality was Brooke's thing. That, and spitting. But you certainly can't fault Mo'nique for dismissing her from a charm-school competition on those grounds.

Unless you're Brooke, of course, who cried and cried that it was unfair for Mo to bounce her and also call her a whore. Brooke, I love you, but the proof is in your quivering mound of love pudding. You drank like a lush. Allowed at least three men (that we saw!) to grind into your privates on the dance floor. Sucked liquor out of an ice sculpture while an ex-con muttered filthy come-ons to you. Went for a secluded make-out/chest-burrowing session with another man you'd barely met. And that was just this episode! It doesn't bring up any of your other indescretions.

Still, Brooke was personally offended when Mo called her a whore. Mo then recast her sentence, saying that Brooke engaged in whore-like behavior. Brooke still took offense. Honey, own it. I'm sure it's no fun being called a slut to your face, but really. Bitching that it was unfair of Mo to take you to task for it? Or that she didn't bother to mention all the wonderful things you've done (which, incidentally, I kind of thought she did; it was one of the more well-meaning dispatches so far in the series)? You really come off looking like an asshole. (But not as big of an asshole as you did when you shouted out Leilene earlier in the episode; that got pretty gross pretty fast.)

I've been reading a bunch of post-show interviews with the girls and many of them bitch about Mo'nique. I'm not sure that's fair. A bunch say that she was overly harsh to them at elimination (um, duh --- she's the "principal"). A bunch say that she has no business teaching women how to be charming when she herself has a foul mouth (there's a little bit of truth to that, but by that same token, I've never seen Mo'nique's hoo-hahs and I also don't read about all her sexual escapades in the tabs). And a bunch say that she's just a fake bitch who had it out for the Flavor of Love girls. I think that last one might have been true at the beginning of "Charm School," but it's clear that Mo has some sincere affection for these ladies now. You saw it when she eliminated Goldie (who had no reason to be there in the first place), and you definitely saw it last week when she comforted Becky. She also has lots of love for both Saaphyri and Leilene. I think Mo's pretty great. I'm sure I'd have a different take if she was the person who just killed my chances at winning $50,000, but seriously, she's done a great job on this great show and I hope the catty eliminated contestants don't preclude her from doing a Season 2 (PLEASE let there be a Season 2!).

Anyway, next week we have a half-hour filler episode of stuff we haven't seen (whoopee), followed by the finale the week after. With a Final Four of Leilene, Becky, Shay, and Saaphyri it's anybody's game, but if we don't have a Saaphyri/Leilene F2 I'll be disappointed. They're the two that have done the most to better themselves, I think (Shay and Becky just turn it on and off) and I'd be happy if either won. But I sure hope it's Saaphyri, the most amazing woman ever in the history of the world. Seriously. I am in love with Saaphyri.