I need to be honest with you: I am a bad blogger. ("Bad" as in "producing content," not as in "content produced." I hope.) I didn't get to write my review of Project Runway's part 1 of the finale, much less the actual finale that aired last week. The reasoning? I'm just not feeling it.
Bunim/Murray has sucked the life out of the show. It's edited quite flatly, there's very little suspense and what suspense there is feels "built" in the edit bay. In short, "BOOOO."
I loved that Seth Aaron won, however! I love his attention to detail and the construction of his pieces are AMAZING. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the dynamic he has with his family. I am SO GLAD that the good guy won! I'm so sad that he had to suffer through the bad production practices of a sub-par production company. I really hope that he comes out with a line of jackets. Not since Jillian have I been so in love with a jacket.
I wish Mila had come in second. Emilio's second place "win" was undeserved. My sister nailed it when she said, "He just designed a nice line for Kohl's." And nothing against Kohl's, but that's not really the aim of a line at Fashion Week. I read on one of Mila's tweets that someone suggested she work for White House/Black Market. YES! Perfect! And once someone builds a store called "Smug For No Reason," I can see Emilio finding a home for his (safe) life there.
The reunion show was also quite dull except for a few moments: Emilio's complete lack of anything likable about his personality, especially when arguing why he dropped his model Holly; Anthony's extremely insincere apology to Mila for calling her a 50+ year-old hag; Ping's wailing; and Jay snapping at Cerri that she has fat legs and crooked teeth. (PS - I now HATE Jay as I adore Cerri. I am now glad he did NOT make it to Fashion Week.) And sadly, this paragraph reads more interestingly than the actual 22 minutes of the show.
....Sigh.....
So I apologize for not making it work. My blogs take hours and hours to write and I couldn't give Bunim/Murray my time to help promote their less than stellar job with this season. I wish them the best of luck in Season 8. I hope they take a class on how to tell a story. I hope they open up the challenges to 2-days so we can see more interaction and talent ability from the new designers. I hope they get an editor who isn't fresh out of college and can actually cut a show with some energy and power behind it. Yes. I have opinions.
So PLEASE make sure you go to MyLifetime to view the episodes and lines and then go to Blogging Project Runway to read recaps and hear podcasts with the finalists! And hopefully, by the time season 8 rolls around, I'll feel invigorated to keep blogging about this show. Because it just keeps getting harder and harder...
Hugs and hoodies,
Jennifer (Eolin)
I agree 100% what was your opinion btw on Tim and heidi and all saying that this was the most impressive group of designers. I didn't see a whole lot of standouts in this group. I liked Seth Aaron but as i've said before he makes an aweosme jacket then something under it. Granted the fact that he did so many pieces in shuch a short timeframe was amazing and a well deserved win. I've been "done with this show" for 2 years now but keep watching anyway mostly so i'll have an idea of what you are talking about in your blogs! ha! Have a good summer, get out ... get some sun, take the dog and the new nephew to the park. I hear they have a big one in NY. :-)
ReplyDeletethanks for all the time you take to entertain us.
Laters!
Marcy
Marcy!
ReplyDeleteMy blogs will go back to blogging about things in my life, observances, et al. So hopefully, you'll be reading about my summer! :)
Thank YOU for reading!
Jennifer
It's okay, Jennifer, we still love you... but not in a creepy, stalker-way or anything. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy too about Seth Aaron winning. Emilio is still a smug douchebag, but Jay takes second place on that count for his rude comments about Cerri. I understand designers (and artists!) can get defensive about their work, but come ON. Oh, and Ping gets the passive-aggressive trophy for "forgetting" that she had even done the show, because it obviously wasn't that important to her.... *eye roll*
Toonnes D,
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling Ping is a straight up ding bat. I hope Jay and Emilio have a "smug off" at some point. And I hope Holly and Cerri are there to judge. :)
Once again Jennifer you have said it all exactly as was in my head, Including the part of Jay who once was liked and then turned ((meow hiss)) - I loved Cerri and I also questioned why Jonathan would have dumped her. His apology to her in the reunion also sounded lamish. Thank you for your blog whether short, long, late or not.- "fan not stalker" Lori
ReplyDeleteEverybody's apology sounded lamish. I loved when Tim Gunn called out Anthony as "that's all?" and Anthony said, "What? I can't give her a kidney, I said I'm sorry." WHY do people think just saying it is enough? Accountability and sincerity are required for an apology to be effective!
ReplyDeleteOh my god... I am so crabby for being this young... ;)
Have you read Tim's finale blog on MyLifetime.com? Apparently there was all kinds of drama between he and Jay, and it was COMPLETELY edited out of the whole season! Unbelievable. Actual, real drama that didn't need to be created in post.
ReplyDeletei definatley can't wait to see what adventures you come up with for the summer! You didn't however answer my question about the quality of designers. Seems Tim thinks the crop he's dealing with at the moment is always the best he's ever seen. That could be the teacher in him. ha!
ReplyDeleteMary - I have! The production company cuts out ALL REAL STORY LINES! Just like poor Chris March being super sick during the special episode that aired last year. They just played it off on the show that he was lazy/tired. Boy was SICK as a dog. WHY cut that out??? It's a real story!! BAH!
ReplyDeleteMarcy - OOPS! I think there were some really strong people this year. Amy and Maya were amazing and I think they will do well in the future. But Ping, Jeneanne (spelling) and a few others were extremely weak in comparison. I'm sure Tim becomes emotionally attached to people, as that IS the teacher in him! :)
Jen -
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about this season. I stopped watching after Christian won, and then started again this season, and what do I get? A smug bastard, a one-trick pony, and a jackass who insults a model because she doesn't like his line.
Granted, I am THRILLED. TO. DEATH. that Seth Aaron won. I was rooting for him the whole time and right before they announced his name I was going, "They gave it to Emilio, I KNOW they did, that smug bastard." I can't say I was sorry to see him lose. He was a sore loser, too, man. I understand being depressed, as I could tell Mila was, but if you watch Tim Revolver's vblog on Facebook, you'll hear how Emilio and his whole family were whining and ANGRY that he lost. I can see upset, but ANGRY? He put out a crapfest line of clothing, and when you compare it to Seth Aaron's? The answer was CLEAR.
Anyway, I hope B/M does something to perk up this show - like let Michael Kors do more talking, and don't cut the awesome drama out, because that's what we are watching for!
Can't wait to read the summer blogs. :)
Jen, I've been reading your blog for ages (since I saw it on Jenna Fischer's blog actually) and at this point, I see YOUR BLOG as the story of the show. I watch the boring episodes for the info and pretty dresses, formulate my opinion, and then read your blog for the humor and interest that the show itself lacks. Thank goodness Project Runway has you! I found myself watching the finale and saying that if Smugface Mila or Douchebag Emilio won, I wouldn't watch the show again. Yet I hoped SA would win for his sake and mine since I couldn't imagine not reading your blog anymore.
ReplyDeleteLike you and your numerous commenters, I can't STAND what Jay said about Cerri...especially after she was so polite in her distaste for his style. She even said that it was good for what it was but it just wasn't her thing in particular. How could he see that as reason to attack her incredible beauty? Seriously, she's one of the best examples of pale is the new tan. However, I don't feel Anthony should get so much flack for his comment about and subsequent apology to Mila. She was rude to him throughout the show--not just during the talking heads. She is 40, not 50, yes, but she acted bitter and petty and like he said, her comments to him might have stemmed from insecurity. And Anthony even brought up his comment so that he could apologize. Definitely not on par with spiteful Jay.
I'm with you in the hope that the production and editing will improve. I also hope they will bring in designers like Leanne who are kind and likable as well as talented and innovative. Love Christian and Leanne. Oy. I look forward to your summer blog posts and more of your social media blog. In the words of Tim Gunn, "I salute you!" *encouragement fist!*
Yeah, I can't blame you either for not generating enough enthusiasm to write about PR anymore. I am so glad Emilio lost. I was shocked too, that they actually gave it to the person most deserving of it. Emilio's line was utter crap. You could find most of his stuff in department stores. Though, I did really like his dress at the end...that was the only thing about his line, and I mean, the ONLY thing. And I initially liked Jay's line the best but as soon as he made that comment about Cerri my opinion of him dropped to zero. He's as bad as Emilio now. But yes, I don't think many people these days know how to apologize correctly because no one knows how to be sincere anymore. Especially designers with inflated egos....but oh well. I probably wont be returning to PR if they come back...not unless I hear from people that it's improved...
ReplyDeleteGreat blogging though!!
I hate it when they say "this is the most talented group ever" every season. One season had to suck. Do they think we are stupid? Aargh.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, if you think the production is awful on PR, you should watch LA Ink. The producers have resorted to fabricating conversations. The entire season has been shots of people listening. You never see the person talikng because they obviously never actually said what the show is portraying as "reality". What happened to TV? : (
:::sigh:::
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you whatsoever. I simply couldn't bring myself to even watch the last two episodes. I was trying to hold out on seeing who won, but when I saw you blog I said "eff it, I'm reading the blog and that's it."
This is horrible. Bunim/Murray/Beelzebub didn't do the show a different way so they could reach out to new masses of people. The ratings prove this - they didn't reach a new target, but clearly they are rapidly losing their core audience, namely US.
Where others gave up last season, your blog readership is proof that the enticement of the series has left the runway. Even with the amazingly large headed/brained Tim Gunn and with Michael and Nina back, the blunders this season have been too much to bear, even for the PR stalkers.
1. Bad Project ideas
2. Not enough time to do the projects
3. Ridiculous choices for project presentations (you're going on the roof to hear from the hair guy. you're going to design for a huge celeb! Oh, it's Heidi. You need to go across town to hear from the make-up guy).
4. Too many fabric challenges. So why go all the way to park to pick out denim??
5. Horrible editing/story construction, the worst I've seen in my many years in the biz and watching the biz. Especially when you have natural characters like Brown Sugar and Emilio, and lookers like Maya and loons like PingPong.
6. Worst. Directing. Ever.
7. Some talented designers, but obviously they tried far too hard to fill 'expected slots' in casting. The crazy one. The black one. The gay one. The cute gay one. The older woman. The very young girl. How about casting talent first, ignoring spitmark and Pingalings?
The only good thing I can give this season was the choice to judges overall. Some superior design talent there, and even the celebs had nice opinions going. But why not then devote more time to the natural conflicts of story?? You present us in TV land with a challenge, then show more of Tim denigrating and advising the designers, then show more of the opinions of the judges.
STORY IDEA FOR NEXT YEAR: Instead of making us go to mylifetime.com for it, spend the last 5 minutes after the elimination with discussion between Tim and the judges, a televised opinion blog if you will. If the designers aren't going to be interesting enough for you, add the natural conflict between the judges and the expert Tim Gunn, who more often than not disagrees with the judges.
GOD would you PLEASE hire Jennifer Eolin and I to work on this show!!! Give us some power, tho, because if you pooh-pooh the good ideas (as you've obviously been doing), the show is completely dead in one more season.
Thanks so much for the bloggage, Jennifer. I am a huge fan, the completely creepy stalker kind. Luckily for you I couldn't possibly afford to stalk you all the way in NYC. Heck I couldn't afford to drive to LA when you lived there.
Hope to see you in some summer videos, starting with Cerie!
It's harder and harder to watch it. And honestly, as much as I love your writing, I don't know if I look forward to the PR blogs you write as much as I used to because it's about a boring show. You need to utilize your resources efficiently! And I too am so glad Seth Aaron won!!
ReplyDeleteKaryn - Ugh, yes. So get it. And it sounds like Emilio's apple doesn't fall far from the tree... :(
ReplyDeleteFoodtopiarecipes - AWWWW! Shucks and blushes. And true re: Anthony. His snark was not on par with Jay who was just downright f'ing rude without cause. HORRIBLE! *Encouragement fists* back! :)
Sherry - it will be hard to blog next season. I'm going to give it a few eps and see if its improved. Project Runway has become my abusive relationship. I keep hoping it will change! ;)
Joanne - YES - they do say that every year! And granted, every year there ARE good designers, but wow. Stop with the generic lines, PR! And that is an interesting aspect you noticed on LA Ink, very typical in the reality TV world!
Mintzworks - YES YES YES. And sigh indeed. And readership is way down from last season. Maybe its me? Nah...! ;)
Jen - It is boring! The blog used to just flow. Now, it's freaking WORK. Booo. We'll see what happens next season.
TO EVERYONE - THANK YOU FOR READING AND ENJOYING MY BLOG!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEE! Happy fists! :D
Since I don't have Lifetime, I've been following PR entirely on your blog. It goes to show how unenthused I've been (by PR, not by your blog!), that I'm not even disappointed to not get a full recap.
ReplyDeleteI hope the production company can recognize that the quality of their product is way down, and make some big improvements next season. I think two changes would make all of the difference. First, give the contestants longer to work. I'm not talking a week--of course, part of the drama is what they can come up with in a short period of time. But I feel like the first few seasons there were many more "two day" challenges than "one day" challenges, but now it seems like everything is one day. I would much rather see an amazing product than a good designer being eliminated early because they couldn't throw something together quickly enough. Second, do away with conventional challenges! The most innovative and entertaining challenges always have involved making garments from non-traditional materials. I'm thinking of the time they had to rip up a car, shop at a grocery store, make clothes from candy wrappers, etc. This is where the real designers can shine, and the so-so ones sink, and everyone loves to watch both.
They have plenty of seasons to look back at and see what type of challenges resulted in both high drama and amazing clothes. Learn from your mistakes, PR producers! I miss my show, and I miss Jennifer's amazing recaps!
Yeah... it's sad, right?
ReplyDeleteAnd YES - I want to see them rip up a car again! I loved the designs that came out of that challenge so much! Season 5 was truly the last GREAT season. I miss it!
And I miss my recaps too! I use to LOVE LOVE LOVE writing them. Now I'd rather rearrange my sock drawer or do math. Phooey. :(
Hey, NOB, did you watch the Christian Siriano special?
ReplyDeleteOf COURSE you did.
Now that's everything I miss about PR. His character, his silly little gays, and his gorgeous designs...wow, some of those runway dresses (ie, everything not cream colored) were stunning. His Emmy dress was absolutely stunning. And what is he now, 24? 25??
I found this special even better than the Jay McCarroll special. Christian is even (dare I say?) more talented than Jay. Jay ran away from his signature style while Christian just keeps inventing and improving.
More Christian less PR!
(Bows head in shame...) I did not see Christian's special. I don't have cable and didn't think to look for it online. Bravo usually doesn't air their things online. Phooey!
ReplyDeleteI watched The City last night (also produced by your favorite production company) on MTV and in the first 5 minutes of the episode the Editor-In-Chief of Elle gushed over how much she loves Michael Kors and Whitney went shopping at Mood. I laughed by little tail off. As someone who doesn't know much about TV production and all that I really appreciated you pointing out all the mistakes they made with Project Runway and helped us understand a little more about the wonderful "reality" shows we all love.
ReplyDelete