Friday, March 17, 2006

#34 - Project Runway - Lessons Learned

Everything is right with the universe.

Chloe Dao won PROJECT RUNWAY. Good thing too... that gal worked like a pro throughout the contest. I love her designs and can't wait to see what she does with this.

Daniel Vasovic was generously offered an internship with Michael Kors. He never would have fallen into that without this show.

And Santino?

Santino... is well, selling t-shirts, buttons and undergarments on his web site, doing interviews , and toodling about having a good time.

Here's the thing...

I thought Santino was going to win...


I truly did.

I thought his final show was excellent, but he fooled around so much with all the previous assignments, that I think the judges soured on him.

It didn't help that he yelled at the judges either...

Nope...

that doesn't work in your favor.

I hope Santino gets a good business manager who can get his stuff out there, and give Santino the liberty to design and...


well...

be Santino.

What shocked me about being a viewer of PROJECT RUNWAY is that I got so caught up in the whole thing.

I mean really caught up.

Just like an armchair quarterback watching Monday Night Football.

I rallied for the "good guys" and booed the "bad guys" and totally fell for the show aspect of this contest...


hook, line, and sinker.

And that brought out the worst in me.

Looking back, I am stunned.

Is this what reality television does to you?

The contestants are not scripted characters pulled out of the imaginiation of some playwright's creative mind.

They are real people being squished into stereotypical roles, manipulated by blunt editing and used up to feed the television machine.

I think I caught track of that after some of the contestants started blogging and I saw how they were truly being effected by the representation fo themselves on PROJECT RUNWAY.

I learned that reality television is sort of kind of real, but then again it is not.

For someone of my generation, this form of television programming is confusing.

I grew up on The Brady Bunch, Mary Tyler Moore, Starsky and Hutch, Happy Days...


that sort of stuff.

The actors became famous and known for the characters they played, but you know they were playing CHARACTERS...


that they existed separately from the images on the television screen.

This reality television thing is turning out to be something that I really have become quite wary of.

People become fodder for the purposes of entertainment.

Public humiliation seems to be the goal of most of the reality programming.

Singling out people's idiosyncracies, encouraging wild behavior (it makes good television), and character assassination are the prime objectives of reality television.

I would love to know the after effects for the participants in these programs.

I know that during Survivor, contestants are given psychological exams prior to being selected and that debriefing counseling is done afterwards.

But, I have a feeling that this is the exception, not the rule.

Who helps out the women from Flavor of Love who have bared themselves on television and are tossed away like yesterday's trash?

Who helps the Wendy Peppers (Porject Runway - Season 1) whose marriages fall apart after the show?

Do the makers of reality television own any responsiblility for the psycholgical damage created by their shows?

I just have to wonder.




In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.
Andy Warhol




Wednesday, March 08, 2006

#33 - Jumping the Shark with Water Skis and Final Thoughts on Project Runway

Blogging pal, Paul, Aurora Walking Vacation, informed me that Fnozie not only jumped the shark... but, that he did it on WATER SKIS!

Oh, Fonzie!!!

There is an interesting remark about Fonzie in the film THE WEDDING SINGER. ( Moviefone: The Wedding Singer Movie: MAIN)

You know why shows like Happy Days get cancelled?

Because no one wants to watch a fifty year old Fonzie still trying to act cool and picking up girls.

Good point.

Which brings me to tonight's finale episode of PROJECT RUNWAY.

After last week's debacle... I am half heartedly waiting to see who will win tonight's fashion show.

Truth be known, though... I feel like I have had "reality" television smudged all over my face and the creators are rubbing viewers noses in it.

PROJECT RUNWAY should just be a contest... plain and simple.

I think back to an event that was documented on film, Quiz Show (1994), is about summing up my feelings to the whole thing.

The creators manipulate to appease what they think the audience wants.

When does the whole thing border on fraudulent?

Oh, gosh... who knows.

But, I don't blame the contestants.

These are all talented folks just trying to break in to a highly fickle and competetive arena.

Still thinking Santino is going to walk away with the prize tonight.


Thursday, March 02, 2006

#32 Project Runway Jumps the Shark

I am going to show my age here:

When I was growing up there was a truly popular television show starring Ron Howard and Henry Winkler. It was called Happy Days.

The show ran forever.

And as with any show the plot lines were drying up.

There came an infamous episode in which Fonzy (Winkler) uses his motorcycle to jump over a shark tank.

Sorry to say that I have yet to see that episode.

But, that terrible moment of media has gone down in the annals of entertainment criticism as "jumping the shark".

Last night's Project Runway show jumped the shark.

The episode was so horrible that I felt sorry for Santino.

See!

It was so bad I can't even call him Jafar anymore.

WAH!

The powers that be decided to throw in one last challenge during fashion week:

design one more outfit.

To make matters even more complicated each finalist had to choose a former Project Runway contestant to assist.

Now... I have had the pleasure (if you can call it that) of working in costuming for stage perofrmances. Not a lot of experience, but enough to know the bedlam that reigns before opening night.

I can tell you that this "stunt" was absolutely cruel.

Cruel to the designers, and cruel to the viewing audience.

I have no feelings about Heidi Klum delivering this pathetic assignment. She would make the designers dance down their own runway in tutus if it guaranteeed ratings....

but, Tim Gunn????

FOR SHAME!

Tim Gunn if the chairperson for the Department of Fashion Design at Parsons school. He has also been a faculty member for 21 years.

He is an EDUCATOR.

I expect him to adhere to a higher standard of ethics. He is a teacher... he knows what emotional turmoil can be created by such a horrendous stunt.

I am deeply disappointed in his participation in such a manipulative ploy for ratings.

Will I watch next week's finale?

Of course.

Will I ever watch Project Runway after this season?

Highly unlikely.

Last night's episode has turned a delightful show into the Jerry Springer of fashion design.

Contestant Updates:

Uncle Nick has been in Torino:
Nick Verreos: PHOTOTS FROM TORINO!

New pics of Santino with his friend and children:
In the Park with Tony & the kids. - Santino Rice

And I am making it official... I am sorry I called Santino Jafar.
There... I've said it.


Daniel Franco has been the victim of really bad editting. He explains the origins of "I love you Heidi" in his blog:

blog.myspace.com/finedetail

(You may need to be a myspace member to view his blog... so here is a VERY brief summary. The statement was completely taken out of context. When you read his explanation... which makes perfect sense... you may feel incensed by the editting for the reunion show.)

Andre needs to finish his site... nothing new there.
:(

Diane Eng has new scarves for sale and a cute pick from a visit to Red Lobster after the reunnion show:

Popular Transit

Emmett just released a newsletter... just scroll down this blog for a read and a link.

Kara Janx has a jumpsuit for sale on her website:

KARA JANX :: Womens :: Jumpsuit

And that's all I have today for updates.

If you would like to learn more about shark jumping, please visit here:

Jump The Shark - Chronicling the Moments of When TV Shows go Downhill