The Amazing Race 17--Season Premiere--Too Many Blondes

There are just too many blondes on this season of The Amazing Race. In addition to the obvious blonde beach volleyball players (zoom in on the cleavage as she zooms in for the ball), there's the blonde doctor, the blonde home-shopping host, the blonde Miss Kentucky, and two of the girlfriends in the heterosexual couples are blonde. That's seven blondes--and they all look alike. I can't tell them apart. What is going on? Did CBS send out a memo to the producers reading "We're losing the young straight males, make sure you hire plenty of bimbos next season." (It's just a joke, so no letters please. But do comment if you're offended, blondes. I have a total of 152 posts and maybe 7 comments.)

Anyway, stupid football ran long again so I had to record Undercover Boss. It's too early to pick favorites, but I love the nerdy glee team. Jonathan is so adorable and I feel I could invite them and the two African-American guys from the cast of the Wiz over for a Golden Girls and Designing Women marathon, if you catch my drift. I like the Tattooed Couple too because they admit they're stupid and may look bad ass but are totally humble. Chad and Stephanie think they're badass but got totally humbled when they allowed the nerds to beat them in the turtleshell boat challenge and then dropped three places in the race to the pit stop when they got lameass lost.

Overall, this was an exciting beginning with lots of challenges and an unexpected twist with the Express Pass-but if they explained it one more time I would have screamed (at the same volume as if they had had said "Throw him under the bus" on Project Runway one more time.) There are too many similar teams with no enough variations. They're all too young and perky--the dads are the only older people and they're probably my age or younger (early 50s). It looks like they're going to new locations. They have been to London before, but not Stonehenge and next week it's off to Ghana. So they are not staying in safe, comfortable Europe, but heading straight into the third world right away and giving everyone cultural shock in the second episode. PLus, it's a loong flight from London to Accra, the Ghanese capital, so it looks like they are making good on their promise to make this one of the most grueling races ever.

Day 1--Gloucester, Mass to Logan airport in Boston

Day 2--Arrive London, drive to Stonehenge, then Castle in Tewksbury

Winners--Jill and Thomas--bland white het couple,loot: Express Pass.

Project Runway Season 8: Episodes 8 and 9: Battle for Most Hideous

The designers should know by now that if they are given two days for a challenge, there's going to be a big twist coming. For Episode 9 they had to create a whole second look--ready to wear based on their couture design. Ironically Michael C. whom everyone thinks is a lousy craftsman was already almost finished with his burgundy train wreck. So he was in the clear. It's also funny that even though he was in the bottom, the judges still said it was a well-made train wreck while Ivy and Valerie, the nasty naysayers of Michael C. from Team Luxe, had crappily made train wrecks. Ivy's was really bad with this blue material that looked like crepe paper sloppily attached. It looked like a little girl's Halloween costume. Valerie wasn't much better. I liked the outfit she was wearing better. She cried because she was saved rather than Ivy.

Last week was confusion city behind the scenes according the Tim Gunn's vlog--which was taken off of Facebook, did you notice that? The producers originally had Tim report to a dance studio for a dance-based challenge and no one was there! After some frantic calls, he reported to some historical gallery where they were to do the Jackie O challenge. And even that was screwed up because they wanted American sportswear and according to Tim, she mostly wore European sportswear.

Anyway, Ivy redeemed herself, temporarily with a sheer top and flowing pantsuit. I loved the asymmetrical neckline. But she slipped up this week and now is gone.

Project Runway Season 8: Episode 7--The Last Resort

The highlight of this week's Project Runway was seeing Tim Gunn in a full business suit on that boat while the designers looked like a whore convention, especially Andy who resembled a Native American slut bucket with that Mohawk and Cher ear jewelry. The challenge was to create a resortwear outfit. The twist was they had to have another designer execute their look and vice versa. That's a good idea in fact, because a big time designer does not sew his or her own dresses. Can you imagine Betsy Johnson or Vivian Westwood at a sewing machine? I think not.

It appeared Michael C. was like the kid who always gets picked last for volleyball. In spite of his two wins, no one wanted him because if his alleged poor skills. But Mondo realized he wasn't so bad and they bonded, actually hugging by the end with Mondo apologizing for being such a bitch--I can't picture Gretchen or Ivy doing such a thing. Speaking of Ivy, she should have been the one to have been ripped off the walls (that's a pun on her name, hon). She can't blame Michael D. for her poor choice of fabrics or her ho-hum design. Her model looked like a protester at an Earth Day demonstration in 1971. That color was so blah and the blouse looked like a moo-moo on Kathy Griffin's mom (OK that was probably Michael D.'s fault, but what the hell.)

The bottom two were Ivy and Casanova, and though Casanova's work would have more appropriate for Rue McClanahan at a Florida cocktail party for seniors than at a beach in San Paolo, at least it had a certain amount of flair. And why does Casanova rate an entire clip montage when he's auffed? He wasn't that charismatic. I did like Andy's sexy bathing suit and wrap over April's punk baby doll. I loved Michael D.'s piece esp. with the asymmetrical back, I think those are always interesting.

Ivy is going down soon. I think it's interesting that all the people at the top in early episodes like Gretchen and Valerie are now in the middle most of the time and people on the bottom previously like April and Michael D. are coming out on top.

And if I hear the phrase "throwing him under the bus" one more time, I'll scream. Can't they come up with another way to describe backstabbing? How about, kicking him in the bajangas?

Project Runway 8--The Story So Far

I've been on vacation for most of August and catching up with work, so I haven't had a chance to comment on the new season of Project Runway. After viewing episode six in real time, I am finally up to date. Since we are now about halfway through the series, I wondered if it was even worth it to start talking about it here, but rather than go over each episode, I'll give my impressions of the first six here and then go episode by episode.

In his vlog Tim Gunn said he thought the judges were smoking crack this season because of some of their wacky decisions and I have to agree with him. In the very first episode they kept Jason and Casanova who made monstrosities and kept McKale whose look was rather cute. I believe they were told by the producers, "Jason is a straight guy and we need at least one and Casanova is a major drama queen, so he'll be this season's Santino. Keep them and ditch the vanilla girl.Besides we'll send her back to her baby at home and that will make us look good." (Although I only found out about that from Tim's vlog.)

In the second episode, the judges continued with their crack-smoking by choosing Gretchen as the winner when it should have been Valerie. Gretchen's jump suit was clean but not as exciting as Valerie's. And thank God they got rid of Jason who blamed being a straight guy in a gay man's world for his shortcomings. His silver Lost in Space uniform with the safetypins was obviously a piece of crap. But why did they have to get rid of two people that week? I do like having as many designers as possible--I think 17 is the most they've ever had. I also like to 90-minute format, it gives more time for Tim's critiques.

The party challenge was fun and I thought Michael C.'s flamenco dress from plastic cups was very pretty. Maybe he's not the best seamstress, but he does have good taste and good ideas--in spite of everyone else's mean attitude towards him. The African-American woman's (forgot her name, too lazy to look it up) dress was a real mess--the hem was awful--and I was surprised she wasn't on the bottom. Did they want to get rid of one of the two tall blondes that time?

I had to agree with the judges somewhat on the hat challenge. Christopher's heavy hostess outfit was a bit much, but it did not deserve to be in the bottom. Michael C.'s Hispanic spitfire gown was a little simple, but it work with the hat. I thought the other Michael's farmer-sun thing looked like cardboard.

Then it was the clusterfuck of Team Luxe versus the Misfit Toys and their military lace collection which I loved. It was cohesive and unified without hitting you over the head--or "matchy-matchy" as Nina likes to say. Gretchen took the cake in backstabbing. I couldn't believe the whole tearful team vow not to betray each other and then as soon as they get on the runway they throw Michael C. under the bus because he has immunity. He proceeds to cry like a little girl. Bravo to Tim for ripping Gretchen a new one.

Michael C. shocked everyone again with his slutty remake of the bridesmaid's outfit.
But how much longer will he be able to get by the judges?