28. PhD Candidate in Creative Writing and Literature. Loves cyborgs and zombies, sewing, steampunk and cosplay. Horror movies. Wants to be R. L. Stine when she grows up.
I've been watching more TV and reading more books and graphic novels (including manga) than I've read all of last semester. I am reading what I want to read! It's a novel idea, but a luxury I can't seem to work in during the semester.
And seriously: television is getting on my nerves.
The fourth season of Medium started last night, and dear GOD, I don't stare at car accidents as I pass them on the freeway, why in the world am I still watching this show? I am seriously contemplating recapping this show in a similar manner a la fourfour's take on America's Next Top Model. I have this crazy idea that with this writer's strike, and production on Medium halted, the writers (when not picketing) could get curious and Google Medium and find my complaints and actually retool the show to more Battlestar Gallactica/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine like (in their character driven mannerisms--thank you Ronald D. Moore, I would officially stalk you if you taught at USC, but that's okay because Andrew Robinson teaches there and he's one of my favorite actors on DS9, so I'll stalk him instead).
Anyway, it's a pipe dream that I could effect change, but it's my dream, and I think I might actually do it. This show is still on the air, whereas recapping something like Charmed would be pointless since it's ended. Since I might actually do this thing, I am not going to recount here how awful the season premiere was--but I promise to document in full detail just how bad it was, and why this show keeps stringing me along like the needy, clingy girlfriend I never had the honor of being.
That said, there is some hope for television, because one of my other complaints was going to be the fact that just about every television show or commercial presumes heterosexuality to such an extent that it starts to get really irritating. But then there was this:
I had heard about this variation of the commercial, but I specifically did not go looking for it because I wanted to actually see it on TV first. And I finally saw it during Project Runway tonight. It made me happy.
Speaking of Project Runway--I really love the show, don't get wrong--but it's v. v. boring this season, no? The caliber of contestant is top notch--they have some extreme professionals on the show this year--but I rewatched a first season marathon recently and there has been no one like Jay McCarroll since Jay. And I miss Jay. I feel like Santino was fun to watch in a different/familiar sort of vibe, but while I assume Jeffrey Sebelia was supposed to be the counter-cultural template to replace the fun of Jay and Santino, Jeffrey actually pretty vanilla in comparison to either of them. And by vanilla, I mean boring in personality, not necessarily in meanness. Because even though Jay and Santino were catty, there was always something extremely refreshing in the way they dressed and carried themselves with a oxymoronic cocktail of grace, arrogance, humor and humility. Jeffrey just whined. He whined about Angela. Then he whined about her mom. Then he whined about Angela some more. And then he bragged. And then whined that the other designers thought he didn't do all of his own sewing at the finale.
I hate Jeffrey, but I also am glad he won, because i liked his collection the best. However, still, to this day, nothing has matched the raw creative power that was Jay's collection.
Season One of Project Runway had personalities and talent--and by personality I don't simply mean "drama" like Wendy Pepper's working the game or something like that. Actual, honest to god personalities. I feel like a lot of contestants since that first season are robots instead of humans. But then, can I really blame them for not dressing in fuschia, or white, faux fur cape things with bug sunglasses when confessing to the confessional camera? Later contestants probably saw the personalities or styles of Season One and were like, "I don't want to represent myself on national television like that. I want to be more like Kara Saun."
I like Kara Saun. The woman is talented. She could sew a burlap sack that would still make a size 16 woman look hot. But, I felt like the fact that she won so many challenges was kinda of scary (and not in the good sort way). Daniel V. of Season Two also had four wins (if I'm remembering correctly), and while their styles are vastly different, I think they both were suffering from the same ailment: freedom. I don't think they gave themselves freedom to really explore themselves as designers. I think they were preoccupied with winning challenges, which led them to be preoccupied with making clothes that would win challenges instead of actually designing from a more honest and creative and personal space. I think this is why Jay rocked it out and why his collection is still the best finale collection Project Runway has ever seen.
My last complaint about Project Runway is about the models. It used to be that the show was a competition for the models, too, and that the model paired with the winning designer would get a spread in Elle magazine. In the first two seasons, the models were largely under-utilized (although there was that awesome Zulema Motherfuckin' Walk-off in the second season). Season Three seemed to get the models a little more involved. But in this season: where are they? Three of the seven challenges have used other models (male models, ladies would have lost a large amount of weight and now teenagers going to prom), and for the life of me I can't remember if Heidi has mentioned that this is a competition for the models or not. I wish the models could pick their designer one time. I wish the arbitrary "velvet bag" was thrown away and the designers magical "scores" that we're always hearing about would determine the order in which designers select models. Something. Or else the model's interaction on the show only continues to prove that models are essentially useless--and if Tyra Banks has taught me anything it's that models "gotta work for the children like the rent is due tonight."
Andrew Robinson at USC? What? I don't believe it. That's so cool!
As for Kara Saun, I was totally rooting for her until the whole shoe disaster. What was she thinking? She acted like such a weasel after her "better than you" attitude towards Wendy Pepper! Instead of getting rid of the shoes or being honest that her collection could stand on its own without the shoes, she tried to have her shoe man "sell" her the shoes at $5 or $10 a pair, if I remember correctly. BS! She lost me as a fan at that point.
You should totally do the Medium recap idea. Who knows, maybe some writer for the show could read it. Although, let's be honest, Medium will never be Battlestar or Deep Space Nine.
Yeah, I agree with you on Runway. Its still interesting but the success of season 1 (and 2 to a lesser extent) was in the reality of the people and their non-self-conscious creativity. I started in S2, but went back later to watch S1 and agree, no one has come close to Jay.
I think Top Chef suffers from a similar fate. Now that people have seen season 1 its like they're trying to fit a given character or archetype and there's much less of "them". Which is why you could have a cook-off challenge a dozen times and Harold/Tiff/Dave/Stephen would beat any combination of the rest.
I only got to see the first half of Runway S4 before I had to head off sailing. I'll torrent the rest when I get a chance. There is a lot of talent there, but not the same genuine-ness.
And I want a "Project Jay part 2" so I have some clue how the collection is going.
And since you mentioned it above, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about being a heterosexual male who watches, enjoys, and sucessfully predicts the winning looks and collections on Runway. Not that I'm insecure in my own sexuality or care about others opinions, but that I can't quite understand why I care about the show. I've never been particularly interesting in fashion design or fashion at all. My working theory is that since leaving theatre I have far less contact with flaming queens and miss them dearly, and the show helps to fill that void. Plus its all about creative people doing strange things. Anyway.
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