OK, I do have a decent scan of a Pirelli pic. It's a photo of Natalia Vodianova that Bruce Weber shot especially for the promotion of the calendar in a Vanity Fair article (The December issue, otherwise disappointing). She certainly looks sweet. I've uploaded the bigger version here.

You probably heard already that Tyra Banks hosts and produces a new reality series, ''UPN's Supermodel Show,'' airing in 2003. Contestants (who can apply online until Nov. 22) must be at least 5'7'', between 18 and 27, and, of course, smoking (just kidding).

Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Tyra Banks for the occasion, and this being Tyra, she has a lot to say. The highlights:

On the increasing trend of putting actresses on magazine's covers: "There are no supermodels to put on the covers of magazines, in my opinion. I don't mean to insult models working now, but when I first started there was Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington -- girls whose names people knew".

On models IQ: "I think there are dumb people in everything. There're dumb actresses, dumb models, and dumb businessmen. So I'm not saying every model is smart. And there are some really good models who aren't smart. But there is a learning curve. And if you look at the top, top models, those are the ones who are very intelligent, like Heidi Klum."

On the disappearance of supermodels: "A supermodel is a chameleon. She can change with the times and with the fashions, but at the same time has branded herself to be a household name, which is very rare. I think the term ''supermodel'' is overused, because now it's anybody who gets on the cover of a magazine, even if you don't know her name. But if you can do a survey across America asking if they know this woman's name and they do, that's a supermodel". Read more