Project Runway is Back! And (not) better than ever!

I worked last night but returned home to a heapin' helpin' of Project Runway on my DVR. The verdict? Well, I won't say they've jumped the shark, but I wasn't bowled over by this season's premiere.

"Welcome designers to FIDM, the premier fashion design school . . . in the city."

I caught your jab Mr. Gunn, and I'm with ya. It's a New York show. It just is. Moving it to L.A. makes it seem all the more artificial and forced, and Tim seems especially off-put.

Anyhow, it's a little early to write it off as a lame duck, and far too early to waste much time breaking down the contestants individually. I will say comment on a few of them that played major roles this week.

JOHNNY: Here's a new drinking game, one exclusive to PR. Every time this guy mentions his past addictions, uses it as an excuse to cry like a girl, or says a prayer to Crystal Meth for all the camera time it earns him, chug one down. I'm aware the judges claim to love his ill-fitting, droopy dress, but if they were serious it just means they were sharing the pipe too.

SHIRIN: I'm not even sure I have the right designer, but I *think* Shirin came up with that jacket that flipped down to integrate itself seamlessly with the back of the dress. Nice.

MALVIN: Hmmm. An egotistical adrogonyous designer with zero personality and ho-hum skills. Yuck.


ARI: Her design was crap. She was a flake. She had not a chance in hell of making it to Bryant Park. But I liked her as a contestant and would have enjoyed watching her for a bit more of the season. It's a shame she was sent packing so soon.

MITCHELL: Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have our villian. He presented an unwearable nightgowny piece and blamed it all on the model, saying her measurements differed from her card by five or six inches (depending on when in the program he was asked.) Dude. She's the size of my wrist. There aren't a spare six inches, or four, or two on the woman. If there was a difference, it was not what you advertise it to be, and frankly: even if it was, DEAL. He should have gone bye-bye.



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Now as for the show after it, "Model Runway", I'll pass. It was nothing more than a waste of my time and offered no insight into the design process. And darlin', can the "I have beauty and brains" bit: you are paid to be tall, and to be skinny. No shame in it, but kindly don't make it out to be rocket science.