Recapping Project Runway? Yes and No

Some of us on the Bravissimo team ARE dissin' Project Runway. We've decided to recap the show on our respective blogs, however. To find them, here they are:

• Ms. Place offers a conversation around the water cooler in which she and her coworkers either ooh and ah over the outfits or rip the designs apart.

• Eric 3000 brings his own sense of fun to his recap posts, which are often more entertaining than the show itself. His observations are spot on.
  

• Marius writes with a unique perspective about PR, but always with insight and compassion.
  

And don't forget to join our mentors, the Blogging Project Runway crew, every Wednesday night for a live Project Runway party.

To my way of thinking, the best PR recap post, bar none, was written by Dan's little brother. I laughed so hard that my throat stayed sore for days.

Posted by Ms. Place

They Are Back

They are back for their final season.

::: stopping to wipe a tear from my eye:::

and they have been missed. The show that brought a lot of us to the Bravo channel, is in its final season ...on Tuesday nights.

AfterElton.com snagged an interview with Ted, Kyan and Jai. Click HERE to read " A Look Back at Bravo's "Queer Eye" .

Posted by Calady

Congratulations, Hung!

Hung, Casey, and Dale cooked their hearts out for the finale.
They received sterling help from Rocco Di Spirito, Michelle Bernstein, and Todd English, not to mention Sara M., Howie, and C.J.

In the end Hung made the least mistakes. Dale came close, but his lobster dish was nearly "inedible" according to Tom, and Casey's best dish was mediocre at best according to Rocco's blog. Casey had built up a huge momentum up to the finale, and this was her event to lose. It was unfortunate that she drew Howie, who apparently added the salmon roe the judges disliked, but Casey's pork bellies (who chooses pork belly for a winning dish?) was overcooked. Her performance underwhelmed the judges, so the third Top Chef crown goes to Hung.

Now it's countdown time for Project Runway. Mark your calendars: Wednesday, November 14th, 10 p.m. EST.

Meet the new cast and read their bios in this link to
Fashion Forward News.

Posted by Ms. Place

Top Chef 3 Two-Part Finale: Here We Go Again

Will the chefs be catering a square dance? Hootenanny? Cowboy waltz? Stay tuned to Bravo tonight and find out, starting 10 PM EST! Who will win? Who will be eliminated? Your guess is as good as mine.

Posted by Ms. Place

Veronica, dahling, can we talk?

You're tall, thin, gorgeous, witty, and smart. So, do you mind if I give you some advice? Change your hair and makeup. As Tim's sidekick in Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, you are coming across as the person who needs a makeover.

If I may suggest: Soften your hair style a bit. Right now your hair is so mannish that it clashes with some of the outfits you've worn on the show. And your lipstick is so light that one of my friends thinks you have a mustache. I don't think you do, but he swears you have one. I think your upper lip looks dark because your makeup makes you look washed out.

Now, normally I wouldn't tell a woman of your beauty and style how to look. It's none of my business what hairdo you choose or the kind of makeup you wear, but as Tim's sidekick, you are setting yourself up as a style icon.

Thanks for listening, dahling. I'm not saying you look awful; you simply don't look much better than the women you are helping.

Dear Bravo,

From all the recent hype, I understand that Project Runway will be shown again in my lifetime, and perhaps during this decade. As we waited patiently, you've tossed every kind of reality series our way. Our excitement reached fever pitch with Top Design, but our adrenalin soon fizzled. We then started trilling again with Shear Genius, only to feel utterly deflated as the series was rushed to its disappointing conclusion. Frankly, I can no longer recall ALL the reality series you've scheduled since the last episode of Project Runway aired. I do know that some shows, like Hey Paula and The Housewives of Orange County, were complete drivel.

I've felt nothing but relief since the last Flipping Out episode aired. In fact, from now on I am sticking to my new resolution of watching only two Bravo shows per week at the most. I'll definitely watch Top Chef and Project Runway, but as for any new shows you might toss my way: they'd better be good or I won't watch. Take Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, which started out with such promise. It seems tired and formulaic after only three episodes. This Thursday I'll miss the show. I don't care.

I've simply had enough.

Sincerely, Ms. Place

Rumbles in Tim Heaven

Well I like Tim Gunn's new show, Guide to Style, even though I am hearing a few grumbles. "I hope the show doesn't have that predictable format every week. That would be boring," said one co worker as we dissed the show around the water ooler.

"Veronica looks mannish," said someone else. Even Tom and Lorenzo would seem to agree with that assessment.

As for me, I adore the whole concept of Tim assessing a woman's look before, during, and after her transformation, trashing her wardrobe, showering her with gifts, taking her for a hair and makeup makeover, and introducing her to designer clothes. I could do without the "life coach," however. Walk the carpet in a garbage bag? Puhlease.


Not everyone is as enamored of the show as me. Frankly, it will take a whole lot of ugly and repetition for me to get bored with this pat formula - at least until Project Runway airs. Thanks for this breath of fresh air, Bravo. Love Tim. Love Veronica Webb. Adore the show. Ahhhh. Finally some relief from that Hey Paula debacle.

Posted by Ms. Place

Top Chef Chat Tonight!

Psst! Did you hear? Top Chef will be showing a new episode tonight! We heard that .... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... Want to find out more? Starting at 10 PM EST and continuing through Pacific Time, come join the BTC gang in their live chat room and speculate with them. Let's GOSSIP! Click here for instructions.

Posted by Ms. Place

He Is Coming

That is right Bravo fans. Tim Gunn's new show begins next Thursday evening September 6th.

Our BFF over on Blogging Project Runway will be covering everything Tim. Be sure to check them out HERE.


Can't wait... Then here is a little taste.





Want to meet Tim Gunn in NYC? Check out the official Tim Gunn's Guide to Style profile at myspace.com/guidetostyle and make Tim your #1 friend for your chance to win a trip to New York to meet him!

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Everyone needs a Tim in their lives.


Posted by Calady

See Ya at The Parker, Michael Twomey

Come on in whenever you wish and work a spell. Oh, and don't forget that in the hotel world the devil is in the details. People don't pay $95 per plate to watch you make mistakes. Before watching this episode, I was all set to dislike Peggy Bilous (what an apropos name), CEO of Desert Cancer Foundation and the woman who accidentally smacked Andrea in the schnoz. She was actually well behaved under the circumstances, because had I been placed in a similar situation I would have found a machete and gone after you. One hopes that her Foundation made a ton of money off this fundraiser, because you did everything you could, Michael, to subvert the event.

Question: Who waltzes in 3 hours late on the day of an important event and keeps his job?
Answer: No one.

Stay tuned for the finale tomorrow night and find out.

Top Chef 3 Crawls Along at a Snail’s Pace, While Bravo Pushes Welcome to the Parker Out the Door

This Wednesday, Top Chef fans are forced into enduring another hiatus and watching another nonsensical repeat of the all stars episode. Here's what I think about that.

To add insult to injury Bravo isn’t even trying to cobble together a “What are they doing now?” show, or a reunion show of all the chefs ousted in the first two episodes. Pouring salt into the viewers’ wounds, they scheduled this blank moment after back to back Restaurant Challenges that already had slowed momentum to a crawl. (C’mon, fess up folks, which of you didn’t know Tre was going? The clues were HUGE, with Tom portending that it doesn’t matter how great your past performances were, it’s the last performance that counts!) And for those of you who are into Sara bashing, just remember Ms. Place’s kind remarks about her all along in her comments on other blogs as well as her own. Girlfriend’s been working under the radar, garnering solid reviews and pleasing the diners. BOOM! Now she’s won an elimination challenge and quickfire challenge. She reminds me of a charcoal fire that simmers for a long time before it bursts into flame.

But Tre amd Sara are not the point. Here’s Bravo’s juggernaut hit Top Chef (outgunned only by Project Runway) inching painfully along, while Welcome to the Parker is already staring at its finale. Just when I get comfortable with this quirky but well done show, I’ll have the rug pulled from under me after only six shows. Why? Will Flipping Out also enjoy a similarly short run?

What is Bravo doing? There have been so many new Bravo reality shows this season that I can’t keep them all straight. In addition, these shows have had to compete with American Idol, Dancing Under the Stars, America’s Got Talent, Big Brother, and the current Design Star. It’s hard to remember the who, what, where, when, and why.

Hey Paula deserved its short run. In fact, the show should have been pulled after the first episode, but I could have watched more of Life on the D-List, Work Out, Shear Genius, and Top Design. Those shows, along with Welcome to the Parker are being rushed so quickly that they're gone before a viewer can really get invested in them.
Here are a few of my suggestions for scheduling future reality shows, Bravo:

• Air only two new reality shows at a time.
• Give all of them a minimum of an 8-week run.
• Keep reunion shows and hiatuses to a maximum of one per show.
• Keep elimination of two contestants in one show to a minimum.
• Do what Idol does (and what you're doing with Project Runway), and let us get to know all the contestants in the first show; don't begin eliminations until the second episode.
• Keep the judges in the background and let the contestants shine (you generally do this very well, but you failed miserably with Top Design.)
• Keep covering those poignant moments so well, as with Doug Blasdell's and Patrick Griffin's deaths.
  
• DON'T schedule another hiatus for Top Chef 3.
• DON'T ever show another Hey Paula ever again. Don't even think about repeats.
• Toss those Orange County Housewives on their well massaged rears and cancel those repeats.Thanks for listening, Ms. Place.

Pot pourri of Bravo Links

Top Chef

Rocco Di Spirito posted his blog on Bravo's website yesterday. Click here to read his very interesting take on last week's episode. AND he answers Anthony Bourdain. I'd say he has the final word.

And click here to join the Blogging Top Chef team for their live chat tonight, starting 10 PM EST. They will provide the link to their chat room and instructions.


Flipping Out

For different perspectives on Bravo's new series, click here and here to read Marius' posts, and here, here, and here for my takes on this wonderfully watchable show.


Welcome to the Parker

Also, stay tuned for my reviews of Welcome to the Parker. My first post sits below this one.

Enjoy!!

The Parker

Dahlings, not to put too fine a point on it, but how assholic are some of the guests of The Parker? PUHLAY ping pong on a high maintenance manicured lawn? Ride a tricycle in a room filled with fine furniture? Drink and puke all night long? Create a hundred amuse bouches for some pseudo dingbat food critics?
Have Jonathan Adler request a fluff maiden to fluff pillows, drapes, and what nots? PUHLEASE spare me.

The only sane creature in this show has been Winston, Jonathan's kewpie dog.

These quirks make for fine television. My take on The Parker? Stay tuned. You're in for a bumpy ride.

Submitted by Ms. Place, the snarking blogger

Live Chat

Join the Blogging Top Chef team for a chat this Wednesday and watch Tom and Padma put the cheftestants through their paces.

Click here just before the show starts for instructions to enter the chatroom. Chats start at 9:00 PM EST and continue through the Pacific Time showings.

Who do you think will be the next cheftestant asked to pack up their knives and go? Will it be Howie or someone else?
Posted by Ms. Place

Workout: Chatting With Jesse

Wow first Brian, then Rebecca and now Jesse has drop by the blog to chat with us. Welcome to Bravissimo Jesse!


Us: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Jesse: Um, let's see... I'm 27, born on June 19, 1980- which puts me on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer. I am originally from Seattle, WA and am the middle child of three (though, it should be noted I now have a baby brother who is 5). I am very close to my family and I speak to my Grandma Jean at least once a week.

I have an endless love for my best friend Jasmine and my dog Sammy. My celebrity favorites are Oprah, Martha Stewart, and Mariah Carey (if that doesn't make me QUITE gay then I don't know what does). I love cooking for my friends and family- I think that is a result of having a Southern mother who always cooks for everyone.

Um, I could go on and on... but let's see what your questions have in store and I will give you more if I feel like we haven't covered all the bases!

Us:Why did you decide to become a trainer?
Jesse: Became a trainer when I enrolled in culinary school- simply because I didn't want to gain a TON of weight!


Us: Were you working at SkySport&Spa when Bravo came calling?
Jesse: No- I was a new hire... I was actually the only trainer hired ON-camera.



Click HERE to read more.