My Guilty Pleasure

I love Project Runway! There...now you know. When the whole reality TV thing hit, I was resistant and avoided it at all costs. But now, I'm addicted to a few. Top Chef and Project Runway are probably my two favorites. I'll watch a few others if I happen to catch them (and Erik loves American Idol) but these two are my must watch shows. And the new season started yesterday. Yea!!

While I love to shop and have more shoes than any one person really should, I'm not all that into high fashion and the whole New York, Paris, Milan world of fashion, but something about Project Runway has drawn me in. Yes, the designs are fun to see, but I think the part I like most is all the drama among the contestants - the egos, the tempers, the cattiness. American Idol is fun, but they're always so nice about the whole thing. We never get to see the real drama.

I would never audition for shows like this - not because I don't think I'd do well given the right gimmick but because I know they'd never pick me to be on it. I just wouldn't be good TV. I sometimes wonder how much we see of the "real" person on these shows, but who cares? I sure have fun watching them and making judgments that in the real reality, I would have no business making.

After the first episode, it should be a pretty good season. Some of the designers really better kick it up a notch after so many disappointing tablecloth dresses (the challenge was to make an outfit from items they bought at a grocery store). But there were some more inventive ones, too. Especially the dress made from plastic cups.

I always feel a little bad for the first person auf'd. It's like adding insult to injury. "Not only did your design suck, but you're the first to go home so you don't get to redeem yourself in any way, shape, or form." But Jerry's hideous shower curtain trench coat and cheesecloth minidress were truly awful.