S13.E02: Unconventional Movie Nite!

[Crystal]

How is the judging supposed to be anonymous if half the designers make themselves accessories from their materials? And when do they find time for that?

Also, they missed a prime opportunity to compare someone's garment to female anatomy, as they like to do. I saw the black on the bottom of Angela's dress and immediately thought "pubic hair."

[Beden]

 

I feel like I've seen that dress at least twice before, by designers who were either eliminated or almost eliminated for it.  I'm remembering a very early season candy challenge with string (?) and lifesavers (?).  And maybe a hardware challenge with twine (?) and washers (?).

The first thing I though of was an old (1960's? 1970's?) YSL design which was basically the same as the half assed mess last night but using these fabulous long, slender feathers instead of string and washers. Yves did it better...

[beesknees]

I did not like the winning team's looks all that much.  Sandhya could have calmed down a tad, I mean its so early in the game and she had immunity.  Save the crying for later in the season when things really get bad.  Its like, what? episode 2 and she's already whining and running to Tim.  I'm glad the girl with the purple/blue hair went home if only for the fact that I find her eyebrows uber-distracting.  Perpetual scary/mad face!  In last night's episode her complexion color/hue looked like white, melted wax in HD.  No thank you. 

[DAthene]

First, my IOS device doesn't let me see the "thumbs up" signs when I read these posts so let me just give everyone a big one. You'all are hiLAROIUS.  I'm coming to this group whenever I just need to laugh out loud (literally).  Hi-LAR-ious.

 

I think the producers are confused -- this isn't "What Were They Thinking".  Maybe this is PR: the Punked season.  At the end, those left standing will discover they are the biggest losers and we will learn that those who were dismissed earlier are going to fashion week.

 

SMH.  Seriously? Those winners?  You have Amanda conspiratorially whispering to her team that they need to make that stuff into textiles and fabric.  And then their group does it the least.  It was pretty much a team of muslin.  And duct tape?!? I worked in a movie theater for 10 years -- never EVER did I use duct tape.  not even in the projection booth.  MAYBE on a ripped seat, but I don't even remember.  And didn't a group in the past get slammed for using duct tape in an unconventional challenge because it could be too much like fabric?!?!  What the HELL did that group do that was so inventive?!?! A guy made a dress OUT OF STRAWS for chrissmasss sake (although as someone pointed out, when he took all and then said no one had anything like it, I laughed).

 

As for the bullying - S. went off on her own completely at first.  All of them would have needed to incorporate those letters if she finished the sci-fi-theatre-cheerleader-Barbie-from-hell skirt.  She, .like Angela, was completely rigid in her thought process...and then went to complain about being picked on.  You weren't picked on!  They disagreed, they were scared because YOU have immunity and it doesn't matter what you do, and you refused to compromise.  Instead, let's finish our individual looks and then we'll all use the same color lipstick.  yeah, that shows cohesion.

I don't have any sympathy for H or C either, though.  You are blaming Tim Gunn?  Really?  You had no cohesion and your outfits were costumey.  Where is he guiding you wrong.  

 

But shame on the judges.  Are you trying to make Angela do something really bad with all of those sharp objects in the workroom?  Because singling out one person like that is just wrong.  I give the men in her group a lot of credit for recognizing she was beating herself up and not adding to it.  Had her group been safe but she was with Hernan and Carrie, we would have had a very dramatic end of the show with Angela either quitting Runway, running out onto the streets of NYC not to be seen again, or something even worse.  

 

And a team, unconventional challenge during week 2?!!?!  To the PTB: there will be enough drama without you attempting to manufacture some.  I love the UCs, but only after I get to see some "real" garments come down the runway.  Then it's fun to see where the designers will go.

 

I, too, am 0-2 in the guessing what the hell makes good fashion.  

 

If next week is a 2.0 version of all this meschugenah, I'm taking PR off my DVR.

OH!!!! And the anonymous runway show.....what?!?!?  Do you think the judges have a runway show before the designers come in?  Because since the PTB started this, it's clear whose dress is walking down that runway.

[needschocolate]

That said, what Carrie and Hernan did on the runway was inexcusible. Blaming Tim? Nope. Doesn't wash. Throwing Sandhya under the bus? Sorry, but also... no. She had immunity. I don't know if they thought the judges would suddenly change the rules for them, but again--self awareness, they lack it.

If they would have done a great job, then Sandhya's dress wouldn't have been enough to auf them - just like with Angela's team.  Angela's dress was worse than Sandhya's, but her team was safe because of how good the other two designs were.  They acted like they had winning designs but Sandhya's was so horrible that one of them had to go home.  The reality is that Sandhya's may have been the worse of the three, but theirs weren't much better. 

 

And since they had the same opportunity as Sandhya to win last week and have immunity this week, then it is fair.  They may consider themselves unlucky to be on a team with someone with immunity, but it was still fair.  

Edited August 1, 2014 by needschocolate

[Pepper Mostly]

 

Carrie was arrogant and cruel and after all was, in the end, defending a very banal design times three. I was glad she went home.  I could have seen Hernan go too for that matter. However, Carrie's tantrum in the green room was infantile and difficult to watch. Sandyha was hard to work with but conformed in the end. And it was conformity that doomed them. So whose fault is it, anyway?  Sandyha warned them in the beginning.

 

Agreed. I was very impressed with Sandyha's demeanor on the runway--Hernan and Carrie were tripping over themselves to see who could throw her under the bus faster, and she remained calm and ladylike and took the high road, refusing to rise to the "who do YOU think should go?" bait. So even if she did overreact to their behavior by going to Tim, I choose to overlook it. Its a very stressful environment and I'm sure people can very quickly get marginalized. Or at least feel that they are. And rather than feed that beast, she went to Tim. I saw it more as a way to express her feelings and vent her frustration as opposed to running to the teacher. I am a fan of hers and I want her to succeed. Hernan and Carrie were appallingly rude and Carrie's attitude after her auf'ing was sickening. Blame the judges, not Sandhya. It was their decision, not hers! But of course she can't be a little bitch to Heidi or Nina or Zac. And Tim was certainly "go clean up your space. don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out". that made me laugh.

 

Mitchell redeemed himself by offering a little human kindness. Korina is just awful, so smug for no reason. I hope we are over team challenges for now.

[PepperMonkey]

I think the bullying card with regards to both Sandhya and Angela is being massively overplayed here.

For example: The Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute defines workplace bullying as "repeated, health-harming mistreatment, verbal abuse, or conduct which is threatening, humiliating, intimidating, or sabotage that interferes with work, or some combination of the three".

I am the first to say that people are not exactly being nice to Sandhya on the show, but MOST of that, except for the Hernan and Carrie on the runway incident last night, has been seen in THs and not to her face. Not that THAT's okay, but still. I thought her running to Tim was a little passive aggressive unless the idea was planted by the producers to give Tim a "redemption" moment.

And Angela is fragile; Heidi was not exactly nice to her, but I haven't really seen anyone else be overtly mean to her. And what the hell is she doing in fashion of all things, if she can't take criticism?

I think Carrie, and I am NOT defending her, thought if she went on and on, ad nauseum, about how Sandhya had the lowest score would accomplish one of two things. Either the judges would decide not to eliminate anyone because in Carrie's mind, Sandhya had the weakest look on their team, or, as I stated previously, she thought she might be able to convince Tim to save her. Glad it didn't work out for her.

Edited August 1, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[meep.meep]

Thank you to everyone with good eyes and large monitors for confirming that Amanda's dress was not made out of muslin.

 

Even with Angela's sad entry (basically a simple short dress with a minor amount of paper tatters glued one, she missed the whole idea of the competition this week), Fade and Sean should have carried that team to a victory.   Angela has a bigger problem than her lack of self confidence and whining.  She's really rigid in her thinking and was unable to come up with something new.  She wanted to design a paper version of her wedding dress.  Thank god she was talked out of those paper flowers.

Imagine if Angela had just made her flowers out of the straws.  They probably would have won.  But, no, she had to make her paper cut outs instead.  My younger sister is just like her - a fluttery bully.

 

Didn't Amanda's team win the duct tape challenge in her original season?  So, of course she was a strong advocate for using duct tape this time.

[ratgirlagogo]

.

I love the unconventional materials challenges, but this one seemed a little lame to me in that the crew had just pre-selected some kind of movie related stuff and put it on the table.  I prefer it when they set them loose in some kind of a themed store and have a wider range of things to choose from. At least this time the judging did take into account the way the materials were/were not incorporated, unlike the complete WTF? Who Care Really? way these challenges were judged on Under the Gunn.  (My apologies for mentioning UTG.)

 

his/her inability to hot glue Twizzlers.

Ah, memories of one of my favorite unconventional challenge dresses, Jillian's Twizzler dress from season four.  Much the way Amanda's winning dress brought back memories of Emilio Sosa's hardware store bathing suit from season seven. Except, oh, whoops, Emilio ended up on the bottom for that and almost got eliminated.

 

Korina really looks like Gretchen to me, maybe partially because she seems to have a similarly unpleasant personality as well.

 

I can't tell, mostly because I don't care, what was/is going on with the interpersonal "dramas" so far.  I do note that two episodes in we're seeing a LOT of a few people which makes me think we won't be seeing some of them very much longer.

[PepperMonkey]

ratgirlagogo! From your mouth to god's ear...

[candall]

Bitch, bitch, bitch--I thought of something else that bugs me.

 

It was frustrating when the judges (supposedly) didn't know about any of the sewing room drama.  I would mind meld at them through the screen: "But Designer X stole her sewing machine at the last minute and that's why she didn't finish her hem!"

 

Except, you know. . .   It's.  About.  The.  Clothes.

 

There was a certain purity when the designers had no choice but to stand by whatever they sent down the runway and that was the sole basis for judging.

 

Now the judges see the clothes--and then Tim comes along to spill some (but not all)  juicy bits from the backstage process.  He throws up his hands with dismay and the judges just eat it up with a spoon.  Their brows furrow in disapproval or concern.  How is any of that shit relevant?

 

I'm not sure about the closeup judging.  Scrutinizing construction would certainly be legit, if the designers ever had adequate time to work.  But every episode is "The Lightning Bolt Round."   There are more unconventional material challenges than two-day challenges--a gimmick they now throw in once per season.  What's the point of pulling out the magnifying glass when the rules are geared to make sure it's all sub-par?

 

"Project Stress & Drama" makes me sad.

[larapu2000]

Speaking of prizes- there's a Best Western "stay at fashion capitals" prize.  Does that mean there's some kind of trip that they're going on, and Best Western is covering airfare and whatnot?  To me it seemed like they were saying if you happen to go to a fashion capital, you'd get to stay at Best Western for free.  Which isn't all that impressive.  Although I have to admit, I appreciate how generic game show some of the prizes seem.  It's funny.

 

I'm shocked the Best Western prize doesn't come with a luggage set.  And a a jukebox.  Maybe a car stereo.

 

Imagine if Angela had just made her flowers out of the straws.  They probably would have won.  But, no, she had to make her paper cut outs instead.  My younger sister is just like her - a fluttery bully.

 

These people are so stupid.  Work together on team challenges!  Those are the teams that win!  It's like no one has watched the show sometimes.

 

To be fair to Sandyha, she said she was being "picked on," not bullied, and I think she went to Tim because she was feeling like they didn't respect her aesthetic or opinion (because they were saying so to her face and then talking about her in the sewing room), and it seemed like she needed a confidence booster.  I thought she handled herself pretty well during the critique, too, even though I wish she would have told the judges that she didn't agree with Hernan and Blue Hair's idea of what "cohesion" meant.

[candall]

Also, they missed a prime opportunity to compare someone's garment to female anatomy, as they like to do. I saw the black on the bottom of Angela's dress and immediately thought "pubic hair."

Do we need another coupon for a Brazilian, Tim?

Edited August 1, 2014 by candall

[magpye29]

It was "Slutskaya" instead of "Sleutskaya."

 

There's a figure skater named Irina Slutskaya, so they may have misspelled Carrie's name in innocence--I had wondered if there was a connection even with the different spelling.

 

I'm shocked the Best Western prize doesn't come with a luggage set.  And a a jukebox.  Maybe a car stereo.

 

It's a CB radio.  And a thermos.

[millennium]

  So far Korina reminds me of Cindy Crawford from around 30 years ago.  I can see the Anne Hathaway resemblence, too.

 

 

I get a Carrie Bradshaw, um, vibe.   Smug, entitled, the-whole-world-is-waiting-to-see-what-I-do. 

[SistaLadybug]

Am I the only one who looked at Amanda's winning "dress" and immediately saw that washers and string monstrosity that Emilio (?) made some seasons back?

[millennium]

And am I the only person who reads "Sandhya" as "Sanjaya?"

[Beden]

 

Korina really looks like Gretchen to me, maybe partially because she seems to have a similarly unpleasant personality as well.

Yes, thank you--that was her name. It looks like we now have her two baby sisters to dislike...smug, superior, not all they seem to think they are with the added attraction of Amanda casting herself as 'Ms Been There Done That'. Excuse me, but wasn't she thrown out of her season for failing?

[heckkitty]

I really hated Amanda's at first, but I didn't even notice the straw cuff, which is pretty cool. Perhaps she's onto something; after all, part of the "prize" is the "opportunity" to "design" an "ass-scessory" for people who schlep burgers for a living, so maybe they always should be judged not the quality of the accessories they make?

[Wootini]

And let me say a word about Sandhya--she seems nice. Pleasant. But she also immediately started designing without checking with her teammates, when she had immunity and they were on the line. I don't think she did it maliciously, but there is a level of self-awareness that she most definitely lacks. When she started talking about respect and acting like a victim, I thought my eyes would roll out of my head.

 

^^THIS.

 

When she said "Let's all go do our own things and then come back together to see how we can merge them together to have some cohesion instead of standing here arguing about ideas and not getting anywhere" I thought it was a good idea. Until they all three basically started making their outfits! I thought they would go sketch stuff and then show each other their sketches before actually doing work! Just making an outfit and then trying to tweak it afterwards sounds like a REALLY bad idea.

And look, it was! 

[Bosman]

I feel like that was an episode of Project Runway: Bizarro World. Because the winning outfits = FUG. They looked like a cheap craft project gone awry. On the other hand, will not be losing any sleep over Bratz doll getting off my TV.

[Cyranetta]

 

As much as I liked the two looks that featured the CDs, I didn't see how they fit into the "things found in a movie theater" category either. But I thought perhaps I had missed some explanation?

Actually DVDs are becoming the exclusive format for distributors to send movies to theaters now (unless streaming is becoming an option), since it saves so much on shipping costs. There were a couple of theaters in my area who had to raise funds to convert their theaters with DVD projectors.

[KimberStormer]

I applaud PR for gathering together people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, but why do we need to hear "I'm Mexican!" "I'm Native American!"  "I'm a poor immigrant from FillInTheBlank!" in every talking head?  Be proud of where you came from.  Admire your family's struggles to give you a better life. Celebrate your culture in your work if that's your aesthetic, but I don't need to hear the same one-note autobiographical by line every time you are on screen.  Why pigeon-hole yourself with such a narrow definition? It only gives Heidi & Co. something to hand out biased snark or praise IMO.

 

I very much doubt that this has anything to do with the designers.  They are being told to tell their background, which the editors then replay over and over again.  Because we in the audience are stupid, you see, and we need to be reminded of these things.  (Then when, e.g. Korina doesn't make something that looks "Native American" to Nina, they can auf her for "not being herself")

 

I have to say I quite often thought about Zulema's immortal "you better cry and cut!" this episode.  She (and several other past designers) would have eaten these people alive, and deservedly.  Sandhya's "plan" of "we all go off and do whatever and then make it cohesive in the end!" was just as stupid as "everyone make the same dress with the same stuff", and she really didn't seem to get that she was putting her teammates in danger of going home, as indeed one of them did.  It's amazing to me that in a one-day challenge she had the time to go cry in the Red Robin Presents Tim Gunn's Redemption Room about people not letting her destroy their team.  Not that Carrie and Hernan were being good teammates either, but they were right that having a concept from the beginning was a better idea.  None of them came off well to me, but I liked Carrie's design last week so get rid of Hernan, judges!

 

Angela too could have used a quick kick in the butt from Zulema.  I agree though that Sean had also come in with an idea and no desire to change it, but at least his was a better idea.  Making everything out of paper is weak, man.  But I have to say I blame the judges for Angela a bit--not only were their critiques last week preposterous, but they seem determined to undermine her as much as possible for Maximum Drama!  Calling her out like that could have no other explanation.

 

Overall a terrible episode, nobody to like, pointlessly multiplied challenge conditions with boring and crappy unconventional materials plus team nonsense, crazy judging and transparent manipulation.  As bad as it gets without a screaming fight/physical altercation.  I liked Samantha's dress, I guess.

Edited August 1, 2014 by KimberStormer

[cattykit]

 

Korina really looks like Gretchen to me, maybe partially because she seems to have a similarly unpleasant personality as well.

She looks like Irina to me.  Damn.  Two previous winners.  Better not be a precedent.

 

 

then Tim comes along to spill some (but not all)  juicy bits from the backstage process.

 

That really bothers me.  Nothing that they do outside the viewing of the judges ought to be shared with the judges, unless there's maybe a murder or two.  Talking to Tim should have the sanctity of the confessional.  What I really hate is that he seems to enjoy dishing so much.  Catty as hell.  

 

I don't think Sandhya was asking for protection from bullies.  We didn't see any intervention, just Tim giving her a pep talk.

 

I don't see a single reason why this needed to be a team challenge, other than the producers wanted to ramp up the draaahma.  You're trying to find out what these designers have to offer and then you tell them to subsume their own design aesthetic to a team process.  They each made one garment; let each designer stand on her/his own.

Edited August 1, 2014 by cattykit

[RemoteControlFreak]

The judges aren't judging team dynamics. They're judging the outcome. It doesn't matter that Hernan was a misguided bully. It doesn't matter that Carrie was immature and defensive.

 

Sandhya and Carrie's dresses were both worse than Hernan's.  Sandhya had immunity.  Therefore Carrie gets the axe.

 

On the winning side, I would have given it to the dress with big letters.  It was more of an actual garment than Amanda's.

 

As for Nina's, "Why are we explaining ourselves to THEM?" ... I think she meant, "why are we justifying ourselves to them?" 

[Ketzel]

I was done with Angela when she had the time to go to the Mary Kay discount makeup salon and order up "soft smoky" eye makeup for the whole team without, apparently, consulting her teammates. This, in spite of the makeup artist suggesting she do something darker and "edgier." And when the other two agreed with the makeup artist and told her they were changing the design, her response was to insist on the "soft" look. I thought she was a second away from explaining it was absolutely required because she wore soft smoky eye makeup on her wedding day and it was Part Of Her Vision. I don't buy the "woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown" persona. She stands up for her own rigid ideas entirely too well for a "fragile" person.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

2 of the winning team's dresses were made out of duct tape.  You can go on You Tube and see thousands of examples of duct tape garments.  How was that being "fashion forward"  They made dresses that high school girls have already made.

And during Amanda's original season, they had a team challenge where they had to make duct tape prom dresses! I would have been fine with Korina using SOME duct tape but the fact that almost her entire dress was duct tape didn't sit well with me. Now I really hope that they do the duct tape challenge again this season so that the judges can tell Korina, "But we've already seen this from you. Can you do anything else?" while they roll their eyes.

 

Although I didn't like Sandhya being so rigid with her team at first, I felt like when she went to Tim it was because she wanted to get it all off her chest. It's like when I bitch about work to Mr. EB. I don't expect him to actually do something about it but I just want to exress my frustration and verbalize what's bothering me. To his credit, Tim didn't intervene and just gave her a little "you can do it!" pep talk. To her credit, she went back into the workroom with a completely different attitude and agreed to abandon her original design altogether and do what the other two wanted without any further argument. Later when Carrie and Hernan were throwing her under the bus every time they opened their mouths on the runway, Sandhya did not say anything negative about them. Heh, I would have been like "These stupid bitches are the ones who wanted to do this dumb film material so cut one of their asses!"

 

I don't mind the judges asking questions on the runway, but I do mind when they ask questions and then get bitchy about the designers' answers. They're just answering YOUR questions! On the other hand, it was clear that Carrie and Hernan were just making excuses about everything and trying to blame Sandhya for all their woes, so there's that.

[beagletime]

 

 

Speaking of prizes- there's a Best Western "stay at fashion capitals" prize.  Does that mean there's some kind of trip that they're going on, and Best Western is covering airfare and whatnot?  To me it seemed like they were saying if you happen to go to a fashion capital, you'd get to stay at Best Western for free.  Which isn't all that impressive.  Although I have to admit, I appreciate how generic game show some of the prizes seem.  It's funny.

I'm shocked the Best Western prize doesn't come with a luggage set.  And a a jukebox.  Maybe a car stereo.

Don't forget a year's worth of Rice-A-Roni! Wasn't it Hollywood Squares who always had a prize of a fur coat from Dicker and Dicker of Beverly Hills or something like that.

 

 

I very much doubt that this has anything to do with the designers.  They are being told to tell their background, which the editors then replay over and over again.  Because we in the audience are stupid, you see, and we need to be reminded of these things.  (Then when, e.g. Korina doesn't make something that looks "Native American" to Nina, they can auf her for "not being herself")

I was once on a game show. We filled out pages of information about ourselves. It was interesting to see what they put in our intros and what they chose to talk to us about.  I would think they do the same on Project Runway.  

[Day2Day]

Sorry folks, but I have a problem with a man who dresses/looks like this judging a fashion competition.  Did he get sooooo caught up in it being a challenge associated with movies, that he dug out his best "Saturday Night Fever"  look-alike outfit??   Bring back Michael !!

[NikSac]

Good list of hijinks. Here's another one--Sandhya's running to Tim because she's being picked on. Tim's being his kind, sympathetic, father-figure self. I'd say rehabilitation for the Under the Gunn debacle.

 

It's so sad that in the 'old days' (pre-Under the Gunn) I would've probably liked how this conversation went, but since seeing that show I can't watch any of his interactions with the contestants objectively anymore. I thought the whole conversation just seemed so fake. In the back of my mind I kept thinking "yeah Tim probably wants to pick on you too!" (but he's not allowed to on this show)

[LexiconDevilOne]

I have the opposite opinion of a few of you on here.

 

I think Sean's straw dress reminded me of Lambchop, that puppet that Sherry Lewis had when I was a very young kid. Sorry, but it bugged me. However, it was still better than that crap that won.

 

I don't get Project Runway anymore. The judging is appalling. The clothes are hideous, and so are more than a few of the contestants. It pretty much jumped the shark when Anya won (Come on. Who calls themselves a designer and only learns to sew four months before a major competition?) I only watch it now in hopes someone actually good, like Dmitry, comes along. If not, then to mock the clothes...

Edited August 1, 2014 by LexiconDevilOne

[April Bloodgate]

I liked Sean's straw dress, but it reminded me of the pipette dress from one of the final collections in a previous season. Also, like several others have commented, I immediately thought of Emilio's bikini when I saw Amanda's dress.

[GaT]

I very much doubt that this has anything to do with the designers.  They are being told to tell their background, which the editors then replay over and over again.  Because we in the audience are stupid, you see, and we need to be reminded of these things.  (Then when, e.g. Korina doesn't make something that looks "Native American" to Nina, they can auf her for "not being herself")

 

 

 

The judges are beginning to remind me of the judges on Food Network Star. They make people have a specific POV, & it doesn't always have anything to do with what the contestant wants. If you're Mexican, you better cook Mexican food. if you're italian, your dish better be Italian. Heaven forbid a Mexican cooks a French dish, then they're "not showing themselves" even if they grew up in France & have never eaten a taco. It feels like PR is doing the same thing.

[3jt]

Ok- chiming in - As most have said Amanda win was absolute BS! I thought for sure that Char's team would take it. As for the Sandhya Boo-Hoo fest- again calling BS. Just because someone isn't agreeing with you- has another POV about how the "collection" should be approached does not mean that you are being picked on - from what we could see the Carrie and what's his name talked between themselves about Sandhya not listening- they didn't broadcast it to everyone. Not every idea is that best idea EVER! and simple communication would have solved the whole thing. I did like the skirt that Sandhya originally made better than the drek that all three of them sent down the final runway----- so who knows.  In the past designers have stayed WAY past their pull date by defending their subpar and fugly work (Santino) but Carrie didn't do that she tried to stay by throwing shade at other designers.  I don't know if I can take a whole season of this crap.

[candall]

So much speculation about Sandhya's chat with Tim!

 

I have a sawbuck that says one of the producers took her aside and said, "My, but they're really giving you a rough time in there today, Sandy.  Would you feel better if you took a little break and talked to Tim for a minute?"

 

I watched it again and yes, she's weepy, but she's a long way from asking that "someone pull these jackals off me."  In fact, she only asks for feedback from the previous challenge--which is quite odd.

 

I detect producer manipulation. 

 

J'ACCUSE!!!

[BradandJanet]

So much speculation about Sandhya's chat with Tim!

 

I have a sawbuck that says one of the producers took her aside and said, "My, but they're really giving you a rough time in there today, Sandy.  Would you feel better if you took a little break and talked to Tim for a minute?"

 

I watched it again and yes, she's weepy, but she's a long way from asking that "someone pull these jackals off me."  In fact, she only asks for feedback from the previous challenge--which is quite odd.

 

I detect producer manipulation. 

 

J'ACCUSE!!!

 

Yes. The team has half its time used up with false starts and must scramble to finish, so Sandhya takes a break to talk to Tim? Uh, sure.

[Kelli9]

Sandhya most certainly earned the fate of going home. Respective toward all that is deemed fair, having one's work -- of more than two dozen designers -- determined "the worst" would only dictate a sensible exit from the competition. Moreover, to be judged "the winner" should result in, perhaps, a time-oriented advantage during the next challenge: all others, for example, would be required to end their work day two hours early whilst the latest winner may continue working.

 

Further, it appeared evident that Carrie and Hernan, while not exactly the cream of the crop, are simply more adept in terms of overall ability (to say nothing of Sandhya's unwilling nature for working as part of a three-person team). Any thoughtful, objective viewer would sense a whiff of inequity per the directive that says Sandhya cannot be sent home. As a result, it seems natural that team-oriented challenges allow for too many possibilities of a designer getting railroaded.

 

By default, the art of design (be it clothing, buildings or furniture) is inherently an individualistic endeavor. Any sort of activity under the "team" umbrella is akin to focusing upon areas of tangential importance. One can be hopeful that the producers of PR are dealing with an avalanche of negative feedback in moving toward (finally) eliminating any such group or team activities. While each designer truly is unique, there should never be a situation that compromises one's own efforts.

[Kromm]

Man, I know there are cultural differences, HUGE ones, but Sandhya sure comes off as a Professional Victim, doesn't she?  I thought her teammates were trying very hard (TOO hard actually) to remain calm and cater more to her feelings than practicality, but she conveniently turned it into being "picked on" (and on top of that shoveled some bullshit boohoo to Tim about how wounded she was because of her bad construction for a challenge she WON).  Later on the runway, yes her teammates totally stabbed her in the back.  But at the stage where Sandhya went to Tim that was in the future and she was already setting up this narrative of her as the poor victim of mean meanies who are nothing but mean.

 

Even the on-screen poll annoyed me.  I liked that the viewing audience saw through her crap and didn't think she should "stick to her own design", and yet the way the question was worded was total bull.  It made it seem like an all or nothing thing, where in the real world a collaborator, in the fashion industry as much or more than many other places, would need to be willing to find a middleground (where Sandhya's point of view seemed to be to pretty much do her own thing and at the very end make a few token efforts to match it match--while pontificating about how she'd go home if her choices were bad, even though... she won't).

Edited August 1, 2014 by Kromm

[Kromm]

Meanwhile, poor Angela makes my teeth hurt just watching her.  How does she get out of bed each morning without going into catatonic shock?

[ShaggyDog]

 

I think Sean's straw dress reminded me of Lambchop, that puppet that Sherry Lewis had when I was a very young kid.

 

Lambchop !  Its been years since I've thought of her !

[walnutqueen]

First, I'll restate the popular opinion that I think the judges are smoking some bad crack.

 

 

Is there really such a thing as good crack?

[Kromm]

Is there really such a thing as good crack?

Jessica Biel's?

[anonymiss]

I like Sandhya and Carrie, personality- and design-wise. Amanda's team was the worst and definitely "DIY" as Carrie pointed out. Only took 2 episodes and back to mistrusting PR again.

 

Angela is being a mouse and I hope she overcomes it because it sucks to see her making herself an easier target. That behaviour magnifies her weaknesses and doesn't promote her strengths. She's being no more emotional than anyone else in her reactions to things but because she keeps talking about it, she's creating that image of herself and perception is reality, e.g., when the two-faced Samantha narrated: "Angela is freaking out and grabbing everything!" They were all doing that.

Edited August 2, 2014 by anonymiss

[Ketzel]

Purple Hair Girl was an irritating, entitled whiner. Immunity is part of the game. kid. You're on a game show, capisce?  Not to mention that you are a contestant, not a judge, and it is entirely possible that the people who are judges are not going to agree with your personal assessment of (a) your competition or (b) your own awesomeness.

 

There are other shows where the person with immunity would unblushingly attempt to sabotage a teammate that looked like too big of a threat, and you are whining about Sandhya because she didn't cooperate well enough with you? BTW, had you and Other Guy On Your Team actually done work as brilliant and inventive as you seemed to think you were capable of, it would have out-weighed Sandhya's dreadful attempt enough to save your entitled butt. Or didn't you notice when Heidi lambasted Angela for creating the worst look of the whole challenge, but her team was still safe because of the awesomeness of the other two team members?

 

I think PHG and Other Guy managed to spout every single excuse I've ever heard for bad work - uncooperative team mate, bad advice from Tim, not enough time . . . There were others but she was going so fast I must have missed some of them.

 

Heidi mentioned on a talk show that all the auf'd contestants are sequestered in a hotel for the rest of the competition, because the show is now popular enough that having the auf'd contestants roaming free generates media spoilers. They do, however, get sewing machines and stuff to design with to while away the time. Boy, would I love to see what Purple Hair produces now that she has all the time in the world!

[Kromm]

the remark from Heidi to Angela about her dress? Whoever said upthread that it had Jonathan Murray written all over it was dead on. This show has been like a soap opera ever since Bunim/Murray took over, and they've just about ruined it at this point.

Angela seemed like she was a total basket case anyway, constantly looking like she's on the verge of fainting, having a heart attack, a nervous breakdown... something.  THEN to pile on with singling her out like that?  I admit I was shocked at how cruel it was (while at the same time the show jumped through hoops to nudge the viewers towards seeing Sandhya as this total savant enduring the slings and arrows of meanies--being FAR more cruel to Angela than anyone was to Sandhya, at least to their faces).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Heidi mentioned on a talk show that all the auf'd contestants are sequestered in a hotel for the rest of the competition, because the show is now popular enough that having the auf'd contestants roaming free generates media spoilers. They do, however, get sewing machines and stuff to design with to while away the time. Boy, would I love to see what Purple Hair produces now that she has all the time in the world!

She is probably embroidering pillows and shirts that say "I HATE SANDHYA" and "I HAVE CRAZY COLORED HAIR SO I MUST BE CREATIVE" (I must admit that I disliked her as soon as she said that and this episode just made it even easier for me to dislike her whiny entitled special snowflake ass).

Edited August 2, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[leighdear]

One can be hopeful that the producers of PR are dealing with an avalanche of negative feedback in moving toward (finally) eliminating any such group or team activities. While each designer truly is unique, there should never be a situation that compromises one's own efforts.

Never gonna happen.  It's been the same for 13 seasons and however many spinoffs.

 

As long as there are wildly successful design teams as examples, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Dsquared, Proenza Schouler, and Rodarte, the producers will continue to stress/insist/demand that a designer must be able work in cooperation with others. 

[walnutqueen]

Jessica Biel's?

 

You - are incorrigible, Kromm.  :-) 

 

well played

[KimberStormer]

I believe the aufed contestants are in fact forced to go to all the places the people still in the competition go, just out of the shot, and even to Mood where they hide under a table or something while the still-alive designers shop for fabric.  (I can't remember who talked about this in an interview...but it was hilarious.)  If they really do let them sew I think that's really nice, since it sounds like torture otherwise.  I remember Kara Janx's face in the S2 finale, when the final 3 were picking their helpers...it was wonderfully grumpy.  "Fuck you, guys, I'm working on my own damn decoy collection which I can't win with but is 100x better than any of the crap in this room"

[Kromm]

Um, Nina ... because Heidi keeps asking the contestants what they think and who they believe should go home. Maybe you should demand that Heidi shut her pie hole or strudel hole -- keeping it culturally sensitive -- if you don't want to hear their opinions.

Well meanwhile Heidi's place is singling out people to tell them how much MORE they suck than everyone else.  And Zac.  What can we say about Zacky?  He'e been getting crueler and crueler each season he's involved in this show, to the extent that he makes Michael Kors look like he was Mr. Nice Guy in comparison.

 

As for Nina?  I actually appreciate she threw some criticism Sandhya's way after the Tongue Bath the woman got last Episode, but at the same time (as seems to happen about ten times per season) you could see the gleam in her eyes when she started enjoying cutting people down.