oh project runway, why?

[threeplusfire]

Dear Project Runway,

I see it was that time of season to remind us again how much designers don't like people with bigger waists, bigger breasts or bigger anything. Those people with their extra inches use up too much fabric! I have an idea though - you should totally team up with American Apparel for your next set of challenges. No fat people allowed!

Why am I still watching this show? Oh right. My annoyance is usually good fuel for working out.

no love,
me

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This season is the sorriest crop ever. Have we run out of bright young things to toss in the reality television blender? It's rare that I find such an odd group almost uniformly hateful for one reason or another. I think the show produces know they have a bumper crop of drama with little talent and that's why we keep seeing team challenges so often too. There have been way too many of those. I would rather see drag queens, female wrestlers, soccer players, postal workers, anything other than another wretched team challenge.

I sort of curse myself for watching but I started and now I have to know how it ends. Plus splix writes pithy comments and I so look forward to those.

Recently I watched the first season of Project Runway Australia from 2008. It was worlds away more engaging than the current American season. It's really interesting to watch because it makes me think they must have some very different regulations about how much time these people can work every day. (They never seem to be in the workroom past ten, and they aren't leaving home at dawn.) It also shows a very different emphasis on the balance between commercial interests and runway fashion. Plus everyone has Australian accents and it is fun. I think I might watch the Canadian version as well.

Comments

[brienze.livejournal.com]

I liked the Canadian ones, but I seem to recall one of the two seasons being really disappointed that my favorite didn't win. Just watched the PR:Aus season 3 finale last night, and yeah, there was a lot of talk about who should be the winner, who can handle being the winner or would they tank their career within 6 months, etc.

Top Chef: Just Desserts has rocked this season so far. The challenges have ranged from acceptable to downright great, and they're expected to actually use pastry chef skills.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I wanted my favorite to win the first season soooooooo much. I was a little diappointed! I can't wait to watch seasons two and three!

I might have to watch Just Desserts too.

[k00kaburra.livejournal.com]

The American PR has been all downhill since the second season. Or at least, it was sometime in the third season that I lost interest...

There were some fun challenges, though. I really liked the postal worker one, back in the first season. It was fun.

[splix.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! :D

They need new challenges. This team challenge stuff is for the birds. I'm really pissed that the producers are playing to the lowest common denominator - like there aren't enough stupid dramatastic reality shows out there to choose from. I started watching because I wanted to see people utilizing their imagination, creativity, and skill, and now it's just hissing match after hissing match. Sad, sad, sad.

[alainn-sorcha.livejournal.com]

I watched last night, and I'm officially over that Oliver kid. Boobs are the worst things EVAR!

And I agree about the drama and the team challenges this season. One of the things I loved about PR was that it was more merit based than other reality shows. It was about talent and the reward was achieving a goal rather than getting money for being an asshole. I'm sad to see that with each season of PR, it's getting more about the drama.

That said, I really love Anthony Ryan. I hope he wins.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I've always found it engaging because you see something made and a creative process and usually there are a few very talented people in the pack. I think it started hiccuping around the time it moved to Lifetime for me.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

You're right about how this season isn't even trying to hide the manipulation with pitting people against each other over and over. It is really kind of ridiculous. I have seen so many fabulous suggestions for challenges over the years in forum discussions, T&L's comments and livejournal posts. I know there's something to be said for classic challenges (unconventional materials challenge) but how hard can it be to think up a few new ones?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I agree - While I watched the first couple seasons of The Real World, most reality TV kind of leaves me cold. It isn't something I can relate to and I'm really grossed out by the humiliation factor on stuff like Survivor and the Bachelor and such. I loved the Project Runway and early Top Chef because it was so much about doing something and doing it well with talent and work.