Project Runway - Or How I Know the End Is Nigh

As some of you may know, Project Runway is one of this household's guilty pleasures. I am by know means a fashionista or a clothes horse either one, but I honestly enjoy watching the show and its challenges and the competition between people who do actually have some skill at their craft. It's kind of fun.

Anyhow. last night I saw something happen that I NEVER thought I would witness on that show. Honestly, the contestants mostly seem to be pretty catty and sort of shallow and selfish for the most part, not all, but there is a good percentage of it and lots of drama queens. So when the inevitable team challenge or challenges come around, you always cringe because you know that so and so won't work well with someone else, someone will be off in a room crying or two people will b*itch, moan and complain about someone else's crappy skills or designs or sense of taste, etc. And then the main event happens, the models walk, most of the contestants are ticked at each other, and the judging comes around.

And they set the judging up to be as crappy as possible to exploit the inevitable cattiness and bad feelings. The bring out the teams and group judge. So everyone in a team knows what the judges liked or not and they all know who did or did not do what. Then the winning team, one by one, gets asked "Who do you think should win?" And usually at least one person or more claim they should and talk up why they were so great - selfish. Occasionally, they also throw in why they were also better than someone, or someones, else while they are at it.

On the losing side, the same thing happens only everyone is asked "Who should go home?" This is when it gets ugly because almost always it's a rush to throw someone, usually everyone's least favorite person, under the bus, and they usually explain their decision in the least tactful way possible.

The rub is that the judge's decision is the final one, and they don't always consider the contestants' responses very much. So you can end up with people who have been thrown under the bus still in the game with people they know threw them there. DRAMA!

But last night ... Wow!

From the outset both teams gelled and got along. They all worked together very well, no one was petty or catty about things. People worked on every project unselfishly. One team member on one team sacrificed making his own personal piece in favor of going and helping everyone else wherever he could in whatever way he could and because he did that his personal touch was the unifying element to the team's mini collection. It kept them cohesive without anyone else losing their personal style to their own pieces.

That team won. And at the end, not a single person nominated themselves to win. Every one of them spoke up for someone else to win. Two spoke up for the roamer guy, and that guy nominated another gal. In the end, the guy who didn't make his own piece but kept the group together by helping them all won.

On the losing side, it was just as dramatic. All of them save one nominated themselves to go home, and the only reason the guy who didn't nominate himself didn't do it was because the judges had outright said his piece was one of their favorites of the night, so he kind of couldn't very well. In the end, he stood there in tears sputtering, not knowing what to do until the team mate who had pitched the collection in the first place came up to him and said - pick me, and he agreed but said, "I'm only doing this because the judges said if our pitch had been different we would have won and because you said to and I don't want to!" And then he broke down like a baby. They all did for the whole segment honestly. I've seen some cry, but not like that. And the pitch guy said, "It was my pitch that got us here. I misread our collection. I take accountability. I deserve to go. Don't send them home for my mistake."

And he was the one who went.

I've just never seen anything like that happen on that show. It was stunning. There are honest people left in the world.

a reply to: ketsuko

Thanks for the recap. I have been a fan of the show but I haven't watched in some time.

The way you pulled their story together is very inspiring.

And that's why I'd have to agree: The End Is Nigh!

Why would that signal the end?? Shouldn't it be the opposite??? What an awful way to view the world.

a reply to: mOjOm

Why would that signal the end?? Shouldn't it be the opposite???

Irony?

originally posted by: mOjOm
Why would that signal the end?? Shouldn't it be the opposite??? What an awful way to view the world.

You missed the joke I take it?

a reply to: ketsuko

I see. So it's like an opposite kind of thing. Everyone seems so different lately I guess I just missed the joke. I kept waiting to hear the part of the story where everything went to hell but it never came.

a reply to: Dan00

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: ketsuko

I see. So it's like an opposite kind of thing. Everyone seems so different lately I guess I just missed the joke. I kept waiting to hear the part of the story where everything went to hell but it never came.

That's because it didn't, but in all the previous seasons, it always has.

That's why I was saying it's a sign of the end (tongue in cheek). What I saw was as rare for a reality TV show (which Project Runway is) as the six-legged calf the superstitious always call a bad omen - It was a cast full of people who all were as unselfish as could be in a situation designed to bring out the very worst in people.

It was staggering. I wanted to cry after seeing season after season of the absolute opposite. It was a shining moment of absolute beauty and the best of humanity in a place no one ever would look.

a reply to: mOjOm

Superfunny dialogue in that bit. The Jerk, right?

This place, though, is the epitome of an irony.

originally posted by: Dan00
a reply to: mOjOm

Superfunny dialogue in that bit. The Jerk, right?

This place, though, is the epitome of an irony.

Close but no, that was from Roxanne. It's a modern day version of "Cyrano de Bergerac".

This is one of the few shows I've watched, no matter what, since season one.

It was definitely different than it past seasons, and that's kind of a bummer. Honestly, it's more interesting to watch the drama of the designers clashing over ideas and arguing with each other. But hey, good for them for being so supportive of each other's ideas and designs.

As of right now, I find Erin's designs the most interesting, and am rooting for her to win. The dress she designed for the black light challenge was out of this world, the color was dreamy. Absolutely loved it!

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

It doesn't bother me that for once we have a bit of a break from all the typical cattiness. It's still there to some degree, but I was really impressed with the way they all withstood the temptation to chuck each other under the bus. I always hate watching that in group challenges.

a reply to: mOjOm

No, I meant like, "Steve Martin?! The Jerk's a cool movie, right!?"

You're just not having any? Are you?

a reply to: Dan00

I loved "The Jerk." I still laugh at it and I love Steve Martin. They say he is actually a depressive personality but I had a huge crush on him in the 70s. Yuge.

originally posted by: Dan00
a reply to: mOjOm

No, I meant like, "Steve Martin?! The Jerk's a cool movie, right!?"

You're just not having any? Are you?

LOL

Yes that's correct, it's Steve Martin who also was the lead in The Jerk and Man with Two Brains. The movie I got that clip from was Roxanne with Steve Martin.

But yes, I like Steve Martin movies. Anyone using the word Irony always reminds me of that part in the movie.

Another couple good ones are Three Amigo's and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Oh yeah, and All of me was pretty good too. Parenthood. There are so many actually...

He's a hell of a banjo player too.

a reply to: mOjOm

Indeed:



You're awesome.

a reply to: ketsuko

The group challenges are always my least favorite as well.

Love the unconventional challenges, it's always so interesting to see what crazy ideas the designers have, then watch them brought to life.

My favorite was the season that used Christmas ornaments and decor for the unconventional challenge.



I mean, come on, it's unbelievable!!