PamelaMaeSnap

Oy. I went through this in my teens when I went through, shall we say, the hormonal change and suddenly couldn't look at food without gaining weight. Definitely a trait inherited from my dad's side. My mom, on the other hand, was always skinny and flat-chested and could eat whatever she wanted without gaining a pound. I know she felt for me and my misery and did everything she could to support my desire to lose weight (paid for me to go to a fasting farm for a week where all we did was look at food porn in magazines LOL) etc. She advised me to start smoking cigarettes (she smoked three packs a day) so that I would have something else to "put in my mouth" ... and in those days that wasn't THAT bad a thing ... ironically, I put on a lot more weight when she was hospitalized with an inoperable brain tumor for several months, lost even more weight, and people would bring her hot fudge sundaes and cheesecake hoping she'd eat it ... I was her secret "designated eater," that would scarf down the treats when we were alone so people's feelings weren't hurt. (I did end up losing 50 pounds between the summer before I started college and my first semester freshman year -- yeah, my smoking habit worked! what a great trick! --, and frankly being thin (100 pounds) and suddenly unexpectedly attractive for the first time in my "potential dating" life had a whole 'nother set of unexpected problems!) Food issues ... gah. I have a gorgeously curvy petite daughter and celebrate every inch of her and made a point of NEVER bugging her about her weight. I figured if the time ever came that she was not happy with it, she'd do something. Hopefully her self-image is 1000 times better than mine was. FWIW, I think Lyris is gorgeous and curvaceous and proud ... she seems to be healthy, and that's what counts. I still believe Ashley Smashly or whatever her name was won her season simply because they wanted to be PC by awarding a plus-size designer but her outfits, IMHO, were hideous and would have been hideous on a Size 2 or a Size 22. I have, though, been inspired to pull out my croquis and box of a mazillion colored felt-tip pens to come up with MY plus-size-for-me collection.

SO many things to respond to ... apologies in advance (and especially to our incredibly patient mod) ... A) I have also been wondering many things about the models and model selection ... if they're switching up models every week, which obviously they are, then yes, a) who is the winning model and b) HOW are they doing it? I think I asked this a while back in this thread and if anything the show has been MUCH more secretive about the process than they used to be in the past when last week's winner would get to choose his/her model for the next challenge and then they went to the velvet button bag ... and one cheese model would be left standing alone on the red carpet dell. ALSO ... because I haven't noticed because I r dum ... does the model paired with the losing designer automatically get auf'ed then? But now we just see the pairings ... I am going to conjecture it's because if the designers had their way, the fuller-sized models would ALWAYS be the last to go. I thought about this when there was an episode a few weeks ago where the models got to choose their designers (wish they'd do that every season!) and one of the designers said something along the lines of (not a direct quote) "so THIS time THEY get to choose US," which I inferred to mean they have been doing some sort of picking models all along, just not publicly, so I guess when they open their envelope they just have to act surprised for the cameras? Wish someone had inside info on this! (While I am very much NOT a fan of the new American Beauty Star (Project NotRunway) mainly because the majority of the competitors are just heinous, but also because it is just trying SO HARD to be PR and failing SO MISERABLY, I do respect that they are paired with a model for keeps.) B) Re: last week's challenge (the pairs), I just have to say I was probably unintentionally judging some of the designs on the fabrics. For once, the designers didn't really get to choose their fabrics from Mood but rather all got the same batch, right? For me, that deep crimson (I think it was velvet? Whoever Margarita was partnered with used it for that sort of little girl tin soldier party dress?) was gorgeous and I'd LOVE something made in that color/material. Ditto the light blue large checked material that Brandon and Kentaro used. I am way too small to wear a duster like that but I would ABSOLUTELY buy the shorter jacket that I THINK Kentaro made, just because it's such a lovely color/print. (BTW, I did NOT see Margarita's design at MY local J.C. Penney's but then we are probably not their target audience ... my local mall is co-anchored by JCP, Sears, Lord & Taylor and Macy's Backstage, if you knew there was an outlet Macy's ... a lot of polyester in bright colors ...) ... B2) BUT, that said, I quite like our JCP if you know what to look for and just another reason to dislike those who sniffed their pierced noses at it. Yeah, a lot of the merch is crap. BUT there are a few store brands that you can find some really nice stuff for good prices (ANA for the slightly younger crowd, Worthington, I think it's called, for the slightly older, and I've been able to rummage through racks and get some nice blazers for the large of bust that don't leave the rest of my petite self swimming) ... Also, if you know where to look, and you have quirky tastes, you can get a great deal on Disney princess shoes that light up and twinkle (one of the benefits of being able to wear children-sized shoes). PLUS ... THEY HAVE AN IN-HOUSE SEPHORA!!!! C) I did put my name on the wait list for the Swatch T-shirt. I'm sure I'll never get it but I can hold out hope! They have a few other Swatch merch but the only thing in stock is a tote bag and I have too many tote bags. I've killed a lot of totes in my time. Save the Totes! And finally (you know I'd get there, right) D) ... If I created a separate thread in the PR folder for Clothes We'd Love To See Designed For Us Because We Have Long-Term Family-Based Body Issues (and what got us there), would anyone be interested? I'm finding that subconvo in here fascinating as yet another member of the PR fanatics that have/had major body issues, weight loss, weight gain, yoyo-ing, odd dimensions and all the history and genetics that they come from (not to mention what my offspring has gone through). Just say the word ;)

Empress said: "Swatch was so cute with his little crown." Of everything I have seen on this show all season, the ONE THING I WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? That T-shirt the Mood-goers got with Swatch in his birthday crown!!!

That is also my hope ... and the theory that if Twin 1 gets auf'd after head-to-shavedhead challenge, and Twin 2 is auf'd for cheating and that subsequently the most recently auf'd contestant comes back, meaning Twin 1 ... well, if indeed the cheating scandal that gets uncovered was about BOTH twins, then I'd think the returnee would be the person auf'd before this last episode, meaning Samantha. My hope, anyway. Dying to see what causes Michael to flounce. Especially if it has to do with his friend Margarita ... wondering if he flounces in solidarity to her or is finally pissed off at her shady ways. Finally ... whatever happened to the Heidi Proclamation of two weeks ago (I think) that "one ... (dum dum dum) ... OR MORE of you ... (dum dum dum) ... will be eliminated." So why couldn't they have just auf'ed BOTH twins last night for possibly the two fugliest outfits I've ever seen in the show's history? (Poor Lyris, I think it was, in that sweatshirt dress. Yow.)? Oh right, I know why. So they could ratchit up the drama for next week. BTW I keep forgetting that Amy exists. I was reading a recap as recently as a week ago and was trying to remember "Amy? There'a an Amy on this show?" And I think she realizes she's been banished to oblivion though she thought she would do well and it is not sitting well with her. Though if her best try is to make, as someone put it SO well, a pantsuit that should only be worn by the parent of The Silver Platters, then maybe she'd be better off in obscurity. This should have been her wheelhouse. Instead I'm waiting for Alice to call me to dinner.

I figured it would give it that much needed dose of Klass (though based on Abby's itching, it may already have its dose).

LOVED LOVED LOVED this ... and literally the day before I watched this episode, Mr. Snap was working with two vocalists who have a show coming up this weekend who were singing this in harmony and I just stopped working (home office upstairs, his studio downstairs directly below me) to listen. I just bingewatched this whole thing over two days/nights (I am working only sporadically so it seems like a good time to catch up on all the good stuff I've missed), prompted not just by its Emmy domination but especially by the fact that it won the first-ever Emmy for music supervision (Little Snappy works in that industry so I am always interested) ... and I give the MS a HUGE thumbs-up. Outstanding job. Favorite moments for me, other than "Harvest Moon," were Irma Thomas' "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" (from the small world department, the B-side of that single was "Time Is On My Side" -- yes, THAT "Time Is On My Side" -- which was released around the same time as the Stones' version and was co-written by a longtime friend and collaborator of Mr. Snap) and Zoe Kravitz' "Don't."

Who does NOT think now that Corrine and DeMario are going to get their own spinoff reality show? Or are at least "in talks" for one (and we all know how that can end up ... pffffft and crickets).

Thank you for clarifying this with so much more info (scary, sad info), Amy ... Obviously I knew that DR and Haiti were the two parts of Hispaniola, neighbors geographically and yet so many worlds apart, etc. (I've been a baseball writer for 30 years so always found it interesting that they stitch the baseballs in Haiti yet there are virtually NO Haitian baseball players whereas, obviously, the DR is a hotbed for talent ... read an interesting article about a Haitian-born youngster who is making a name for himself but playing with the Dominican pre-teens but that's off-topic LOL ... plus I have a relative who is very involved in Haiti and its culture) ... but I DID NOT know about the "subculture" you mention around the border of these louche men creepers! I just don't see ANY way this relationship can end well whether Abby "ends up" with Chris OR Sean. Hoping TLC is providing a healthy paycheck and she can come stateside (but am not holding out hope).

Thank you (and thank you to the other poster who clarified this). I have no idea where I came up with DR and Haiti. I r dum. ETA: I swear to God I thought the LED-lit balloons on Jesse's bed were blown up condoms. I thought that was an interesting use of them but that he had better save them to double-down against Darcy-the-Wanna-Be-Mom.

So, I am sort of a late-comer to the entire 90DF oeuvre and am trying to catch up with all of the versions and seasons bit by bit ... am pretty familiar with the whole Danielle/Mohammed Loren/Alexi crew etc. as well as several others ... But this particular series is the first one where I THINK I've been on from Day One with these couples. I'm fascinated and repelled and aghast and addicted ... But I do have one major question I'm hoping someone here can answer. My assumption from "Before the 90 Days" part of the title was that we'd then get the 90DF from the couples that actually get the visas done and the 90-day count begins in the U.S. But the new 90DF starts in a little over a week and it appears that the "cast" of that show does not feature ANY of these couples. Is it possible that they didn't want to "spoil" this show so the "winners" (or losers) won't be on a regular 90DF until the NEXT cycle? Will we ever get to find out what happens with dead-eyed Jenny (who never bothered to learn "love's" name), Chrabbyn, CORT-NEE, Father Karine and his machete, etc.? Oh, also ... I tried to find this out online with no luck ... Chris, who from what I recall spends six months a year in Haiti and six months a year in the Dominican Republic (if he's smart his homes are each within a mile or so of the border on Hispaniola so he only has to walk between his summer and winter homes) ... is it possible there are certain residency requirements for sleazy old American men so he can just cross the border and not be kicked out of either country after the deadline (I think it's 60 days in a given place), or, as someone suggested, was he actually living in the DR, met Abby and THAT'S why he "lives" in Haiti the rest of the time? And finally, DITTO THRITTO QUATRITTO on being disappointed and feeling robbed when I get excited for a two-hour episode of these freaks and geeks only to get stuck with the most boring people EVER for the second hour. I think TLC figured out that that group would NEVER get people to watch so they tuck them in after the good stuff and hope people are too stunned from the previous hour to change the channel. Oh, finally, I'm in the tiny camp of people who quite like Patrick (I don't care if he's short because I am fun-sized myself). Maybe it's just that he looks good in comparison to the other men in this particular cycle, but he's cute and funny and seems like a good dad and just seems ridiculously normal. I find it hard to believe he wouldn't be having women (US or foreign) hitting him up after watching this show. The other guys ... no.

So the more I look at photos from this week, the more I have to admit that I personally loved Samantha's dress. It was probably the only thing from this episode I would have worn (were I not a woman of a certain age who would look like an idiot in it, and maybe even then). I definitely did not think it should have auf'ed her. Which is why I held out hope until the last moment that Twingate would come down right afterwards and Samantha would be returned to the work room.

Not to argue but just to ... well, either clarify or just wonder ... was it supposed to be "streetwear" for the average everyday person walking down the street, or "streetwear" for the model. For whatever reason, the way I inferred it (meaning I could be TOTALLY off base) was along the lines of "your client today -- YOUR MODEL!!! -- spends most of her time on runways wearing other people's designs. We want you to get a feeling for what SHE would like to wear if she had spare time and could just go shopping or go out and do things during a normal (for most people) day." So if my read is right (which it may not be), street wear meant "design something your model would wear if they had a normal life where they could choose their own style for a day.

I'd LOVE a challenge where all of the models are not just the ever-popular "real people" but "real people who have a very specific body issue that makes it impossible to find things that fit" ... whatever that might be, maybe with each person having a different issue ... too tall, too short, too boobalicious (raises hand), too big a butt ... SOMETHING that makes them not able to fit into whatever the "rack size" is for what their "normal" size would be ... I hate looking for something that is a 14 for the boobs, a 12 for the waist, an 8 for the butt, and, oh yeah, a 4 for my height. No WONDER I always look like I'm wearing maternity clothes! (At 58, not a good look).

I definitely think the montage they showed of every time Claire-Hair came over to fix/help/do something for Shawn-Lawn HAD to be setting up something and is proof that the camera folks and producers caught much of what happened. I don't know the real-time schedule of how things come down there but can't help but wonder if Heidi's "one ... OR MORE ... of you will be eliminated tonight" (I THINK that was two weeks ago, not this most recent episode?) and then only one designer being auf'ed may have been setting things up for a double-elimination of the Indeedy-Duo down the road. Or maybe that's wishful thinking.

I'd rather see Kentaro overly concerned about being culturally insensitive than have him not give AF.

First of all, Mamadrama, hope you are feeling well and healing from your surgery! Sounds like we are "build twins" to a big degree ... I tower over you at 5'2" but am small-framed, very high-waisted (if you can find my waist amid my mid-50s flab) with HUGE girls ... to the point that basically there IS no waist, just a big rack and then my lower half ... I have not been able to wear a tailored shirt/blouse tucked into nice pants since I was ... well, ever. I have to work everything around the largest common denominator, which means kinda tunic tops over slim cut comfy pants or skirts that have NO buttons, etc so that it falls smoothly ... or sundresses that make me look pregnant ... Coupled with my similar sized feet to yours ... anything from a 2-6 fits (the kids and adults size have a lot of overlap but I like to shop in the kids department since they're cheaper, cuter and I don't wear heels or I'll topple over) ... I have finally just thrown my hands up in the air and accepted I'll never "look good in clothes" ... but I LOVE to design them on pads and dream of learning how to sew and design stuff that would actually maybe FIT me and LOOK DECENT on me when I retire in a few years and get a big-ass old sewing machine in the apartment we get in some 55+ community in California and make my own clothes and someday go on Project Runway: Senior Amateurs. Join me? PS I've found H&M has pants I love ... kind of slouchy and loose, funky and comfortable ... I roll them up a tiny bit, sew a small button on each lower leg above the cuff, and hand-sew on a small loop so I can keep the cuffs from falling under my shoes or getting caught in my heels.

Question that occurred to me this episode when they were drawing buttons from the bag for the models to choose their designers: One of the designers (can't recall who but think it may have been a twin) commented something to the effect of "This time they get to choose from us rather than the other way around." I had thought that this season the matching of models to designers each week was random (then opening their little envelopes and seeing "with surprise" who they'd be designing for), plus with the different body types it would be pretty demoralizing to see the plus-sized girls going last every week. Is it possible that indeed the designers ARE choosing their models but they're not showing it? Anyone have any insight on this? I really thought, especially after Claire's outfit was called safe down the stretch (one of the single fugliest things I have ever seen on this show), that "twingate" would come down and when Tim came into the room he'd save Samantha. I am among the minority that actually quite liked her design. And I really like HER. But yes, that would have not been nearly as dramatic a demise for the Indeed-y-Duo. I want hell and brimfire and schadenfreude and dramah. Also, can't remember who came up with this, but THANK YOU to the mnemonic of "Claire Hair, Shawn Lawn." Brandon's design was a hot mess, IMHO, but they just gushed over it so much that I have to think he is TCO. Also? I couldn't remember who Amy was when I was reading something until I watched the episode and was like, "Oh, right, her." I think the preview says next week's team challenge has to do with menswear. If so, she should kick ass. I like her work but it's either safe or just what she does which is sort of forgettable (but not in a bad way ... like, the way Claire's outfit was unforgettable in a bad way).

My daughter and her boyfriend LOVE this show and turned me on to it towards the end of the last season so this is my first season watching (on my own) from the get-go. I was glad they had the preview introducing us to the cast members (am I right in inferring they've never done that before?) Also surprised by no match ceremony ... for some reason, I'd assumed they do that at the end of every episode ... the theory that they figure out the matches early and have to pad mentioned above makes sense ... but during the previews/clips pre-commercial, doesn't Terrence J do a sort of "come to God" speech to them that they've never been this far behind in the history of the show? Maybe just trying to add drahmah. Question re the match ceremonies (I can't remember because of short term memory issues): Do they have to actually BE with that person for a certain amount of time, or are the matches strictly used to team them up for challenges and then matching room? Dreads guy (Clinton) is pretty gorgeous. And while I know it's not his hometown (he's from Jamaica but was raised in Florida), they list New Rochelle as his home (it's where he lives with his mom) and that's where I was born so I can call him my homeboy. Hee. My favorite guy, though, is Joe (former JW with the bun). I think he's freaking adorable and hilarious. Interested to see who his perfect match is ... maybe Alexis? I know this is not a heavily-populated board but glad to find others who watch this, especially since DD is traveling a lot this fall and we can't play east coast/west coast phone call the next morning to catch up. She hasn't even seen preview or first ep yet ...

I'm finally caught up (through Ashlee 1 and 2) and now am wondering when the next episode airs ... nothing coming up on my DirectTV search option. ETA: JUST showed up in previews, so October 3. Great way to kick off birthday long weekend: watching more meltdowns! Am I the only person who thinks the stupid JoJo bows are hideous? But I know they're HUGE (literally and figuratively). They take up half a wall at the local Claire's (don't judge me, I'm about to grow out my bangs, a long and arduous process for an alleged grownup, and needed to load up on headbands.) I also had not realized until yesterday that unless I'm mistaken Kalani is actually the SHORTEST of the "older girls." I'd usually watched her in solos and she gave off a strong and fierce bigger presence so when I saw a shot from the back of her, Nia, Kendall and ... Cameron, I guess? ... I was wondering who the "little" one was and realized it was Kalani. And does Kalani's mom's throat and neck always turn bright scarlet when she gets upset? That looked scary. I thought she might stroke out.

My daughter, while she does not have little teeny tiny features or a turned up cute little nose (like her mom hahahaha) and while she is quite mature and poised, is constantly being carded and assumed to be younger than she is. I'd say she even gets asked for her ID more often than not when she is out for dinner with me and Mr. Snap (and we are pretty clearly her parents). And today is her 27th birthday. I've told her that someday she'll really appreciate this. I've joked with her (since she lives in LA) that if she's looking for extra money she should go out for extra jobs as an 18 TPY. She actually worked as a set-sitter for one indy film when she moved out there and they used her as an extra (a scene with three people) and though she had graduated college ... she played an 8th grader.

So true. The term 18 TPY (to play younger) is very common in casting ... someone who is legally 18 or older so they can work the maximum hours but can play younger ages. There is also, with kids, a set of ages which I don't know offhand where the hours/schooling bumps down so you'll often find, say (and these may not be the right age bumps) 8 TPY, 12 TPY, etc. So in modeling, being tall is a huge asset for young'uns but in acting, being teeny tiny and looking younger is money (and woe be to the kid actor who actually goes through puberty and gets into the dreaded dead zone).

I just want to see a show in which he is a regular and SURVIVES! (BTW, he's active on Twitter and really seems like one of the nicest people in the biz!) ETA: Hoping that the show's music supervisor finds a way to get this gem onto the show one of these days ...

I've never really had a strong feeling about James Franco one way or the other with the exception of my eternal adoration of "Freaks and Geeks" and thinking he was perfect in that. I've respected that he seems to choose his projects without really giving AF what others say ... But now, between Deuce (which I already love) AND the upcoming "Disaster Artist" and his involvement in getting that to screen I am totally on board with all things JF (if we had little photos for our avatars mine would be the dinosaur coloring book page where my daughter's friend turned hers into a "Wiseausaurus" screaming "You're tearing me apart, Lisa!")

SO ... I came here and thought I was being gaslighted (gaslit?) because I was sure I'd posted on this thread and couldn't find the post ... so when I went to "start" a post just now to SQUEEEEEEE about the unexpected and awesome renewal, I found that for whatever reason my original post had simply never gone through ... so, yeah, I'm excited ... and NOW ... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ... PLEASE GIVE A WARM GOLDIE'S WELCOME TO ... PAMELA MAE SNAP'S ORIGINAL POST ON THIS THREAD: *** Add me to the 10 and to the first feeling of hope I've had in a while (not gonna get political) ... was SO depressed by the likelihood of this show being canceled (or rather I guess not renewed) that ANY crumb of hope I can pick up off the carpet is good. I just feel like there is so much they can do with this ... as the time passes, keeping the characters that work, eliminating those that don't, adding more (including more "cameos" like they did with Pryor), etc. ... the music is outstanding and I'd love to keep my ear out for the evolution of 70s music since that was the soundtrack of my teens. If there is anything "we" can do re: the media and getting it out there that we want more of this just say the word. Oh, one question ... because there are no more recent episode threads this may be the only thread the octet of fans are reading ... I was a little confused by the finale and watched it a few times and even made Mr. Snap rewatch it ... so, it's Teddy's club that burned down (there was an earlier reference to his not having fire insurance right)? Because as I watched the (whatever the technical term is) camera pulling away from the crew singing along to "Dancing in the Moonlight" I THOUGHT they were at Goldies and that they went right to showing the marquee on fire. But hubbie said they switched to a shot of Teddy's ...

Adored her in "Show Me A Hero" so thrilled to see her in this! BTW, is this the first Simon series that Clarke Peters has NOT been in? Can we hope for a cameo just to keep the streak going?