'Project Runway': Grading on Their Curves
Open your blue books, people. Pop quiz. One question: pass/fail.
After four seasons at Heidi High, you're either in...or you're out of touch. Auf wiedersehen.
The question: As this fourth-year senior of a show returned last night, why is Bravo's "Project Runway" so broadly, wildly addictive?
The answer, of course, is that at its rah-rah, tsk-tsk, grade-on-a-curve heart, "Project Runway" IS the universal experience that is high school. Which means that while fashion will be brutally scrutinized, the real action is in the social puzzle that plays out between the Parsons New School workspaces -- the show's version of the locker bay of our adolescence.
And last night, deliciously, was the first day of class. Heidi is still Most Popular Girl turned Principal. Tim Gunn remains the nicest of nice-guy school counselors. But who ARE all these new, conspicuously experienced students?
Let's size 'em up:
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: The talented and artful RAMI, who deservedly won last night's challenge with his beautiful "signature" draping.
MOST LIKELY TO GO ALL ALLY SHEEDY (SEE: "THE BREAKFAST CLUB"): The supremely funky, "I Am My Own Dress Form" ELISA, who dodged elimination by the closest of shaves, which is exactly what she should have given that ridiculous cascading train of If-Grace-Slick-Played-the-Little-Mermaid plumage. Easy there, Rain Goddess.
MOST LIKELY TO DROP OUT BEFORE GRADUATION: The likable JACK. We base this entirely on the tease to next week's episode, which just looked ominous in that "Keith Michael Right Before He Got Booted From Season 3" kinda way. How we hope we're wrong.
MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT: The perennially optimistic CHRIS. Even though the Great Fabric Grab was no walk in the (Bryant) park for him, he still offered nothing but verbal pom-poms.
MOST LIKELY TO BREAK ANDRAE'S RECORD FOR CONTINUOUS WEEPAGE:
RICKY. Like a Celine Dion song reaching its lush, bag piping crescendo, we can just hear the future waterworks now. True HANKY-panky.
MOST LIKELY TO NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS: Beneath her penchant for the monochrome, JILLIAN seems to be cloaking the potential for colorful fireworks.
Catch you manana in Mr. Gunn's class...
-- Michael Cavna
Michael Cavna
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November 15, 2007; 8:35 AM ET
Project Runway
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Posted by: howlless | November 15, 2007 12:58 PM
but, in the immortal season-two words of contestant Zulema, "i don't understand these people. it's like we're in kindergarten."
Posted by: to howlless | November 15, 2007 2:10 PM
Project Runway has never seemed high schoolish to me. If anything ANTM is in terms of the cattiness amongst the girls and the girls' being highly emotional (expect tears and/or a fight almost each episode).
Posted by: me | November 15, 2007 4:42 PM
cliques...outcasts...humiliation...taunting...namecalling...crying jags...homophobia...trashtalking...tests of skill...teacher's pets...caring about popularity.
face it: nearly every competition reality show, on some level, has elements of high school. that's part of the reason we watch.
Posted by: project | November 15, 2007 5:36 PM
Here's why I watch: I get to see someone infinitely more talented than me create a work of art from nothing. OK, so a large number of these works should only hang on the refrigerators of the designer's parent - but still, the thrill is there that we might just have the opportunity see a true genius at work. Plus I love the histrionics.
Posted by: FAbulous | November 16, 2007 2:17 PM
You should know by now that the previews of comments, reactions, etc. are never what they seem. The producers delight in mismatching these in the previews and also the lead-ins to the commercial breaks. I'm waiting on Rami--if everything he produces starts to look the same, he might be off faster than predicted.
Posted by: joho | November 16, 2007 3:41 PM
*BLOGGER'S COMMENT:*
absolutely regarding Rami. what was it that Heidi said during the judging this week?...that she wanted to see more from him -- perhaps as though she were reserving judgment to determine whether he's a one-trick designer.
(Rami's our early pick to get a big "bump" from the show and go on to greater success, but that certainly doesn't mean he's a lock for Fashion Week, especially if Heidi's "hunch" proves correct. Just means this former Alba dresser will find a higher niche.)
and maybe we'll see a downside of "PR" selecting a field of *so* many true industry veterans to compete this season: accomplished designs, but fewer risky chances and out-of-the-comfort-zone creativity. but let's hope not.
Posted by: michael cavna | November 16, 2007 4:26 PM
PR4 is so high school! Thank you for showing me the light!
Posted by: WRONG! | November 16, 2007 4:47 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Hey Michael. Givin' you the heads up: the reason why no one, in four seasons of Project Runway, has ever compared the show to high school? Is because the show is absolutely nothing like high school. Really not even the littlest little bit. If it were like high school, when Tim Gunn informed the contestants of their assignment, most of the group wouldn't be listening. They'd be playing with their DS or text messaging each other. They'd all sort of wait until later, then saunter over to one of the "smart contestants" and kinda ask what the assignment was. Then at least six of them would just copy off each other. A full half the competitors wouldn't even do the challenge because they figure the judges never look at them anyway.
In my high school, my homework wasn't shown off by a six foot tall girl weighing 90 pounds. And the person who did worst on the test WASN'T EXPELLED FROM THE SCHOOL, as much as I might wish them to be.
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Channel This = Television Without Funny!