As we near the end of season 6, I challenge anyone to convince me that Michael Kors’ and Nina Garcia’s prolonged absences haven’t been disastrous for this season of Project Runway. Nina herself more or less acknowledged this fact a few weeks back. An utter lack of continuity on the panel paved the way for the premature elimination of talents like Ra’mon, Epperson, and Shirin. And that’s not the only problem it created — at least according to the vociferous Runway fans who comment on the boards of my TV Watch (thank you for weighing in each week!) and to recently auf’d designer Gordana Gehlhausen. Their argument? That the judging has been unnecessarily harsh of late.
Now, part of the reason we all watch the show is to experience the laugh-out-loud packages of wit in which Michael, Nina, and Heidi wrap up their critiques. But in past seasons, even the sternest of admonishments usually came with a constructive chaser that kept the words from feeling gratuitously bitchy. The chemistry of the Holy Fashion Trinity tended to guarantee an affectionate jocularity. (I give you: “That crotch is insane!”) This year, that’s been rarer. A lot of fans, for instance, were put off by Jennifer Rade’s icy take-down of Qristyl in episode 4. And even more of them have commented on Heidi steadily turning up the harsh-o-meter to 11. This last point in particular unnerves Gordana. When the fourth-placer came to the EW offices for Project Runway Talk, she explained how hard it was to relive Heidi’s glare while watching the Bob Mackie episode. She also talked about much she envied the supportive brand of judging that the So You Think You Can Dance contestants enjoy each week.
Take a look at Gordana’s Runway Talk episode [embedded after the jump] and tell me what you think. Are she and the fans right? Has the judging gone from humorously blunt to flat-out mean?
(Also, there’s no elimination on tonight’s episode, but Dalton and I will be back with three new episodes of Runway Talk following the Nov. 19 finale. See you then!)
Photo Credit: Mike Yarish/Lifetime
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The judging isn’t “mean” but very inconsistent. I’m still mad about Epperson being dumped.
Sorry Missy – get over it!!! Ra’mon was a big ole mess and there was no way in H*LL he was going to win this show – Nina, Michael & Heidi or not. Yes, Epperson probably did go a bit too soon, but I don’t think he would or should have won either. I think the judging this season has been fine – in fact the only “HUH?” moment for me came when Nina said she had no idea who Gordana was as a designer – it’s like DUH! Of course you don’t because you were never there. I think some of Gordana’s early work was really great and I was bummed it was over looked, but I think the right 3 designers from this season ended up in the finale. You can scream about Ra’mon all you want, but that bowling ball bag he tried to call a dress was so far beyond heinous it wasn’t funny.
umm, that wasn’t Ra’mon. that was Christopher.
Ra’mon was the bowling ball dress, or as Nina put it the “HERE is the baby” dress.
Yup…the bowling bag dress was Ra’mon’s, and I agree with OMG, Ra’mon wasn’t as great as everyone’s making him out to be. He should have been eliminated for the horrible yellow outfit from the surfer challenge.
And yes, I think Heidi’s gotten a whole lot meaner this season, but as much as I missed Michael Kors, isn’t each elimination supposed to be based on the design of the week and not on past work? So it doesn’t matter if they had entirely different judges each week, since the contestant’s previous work really shouldn’t be taken into account when it comes into elimination.
I don’t think it’s a matter of Ra’mon and Epperson winning. They’re just pointing out that better designers were eliminated earlier than expected. I mean, let’s be honest… that Chris and Nickolas should’ve been gone a lot sooner.
I agree about Epperson. He was the only designer with an exciting “voice” on the runway.
He only had one dress of worth, the shredded one, and even then it was hit or miss depends on who you are.
I agree that the judging has been wildly inconsistent this season. The reasons for this have been established, so I’m not going waste time getting into that.
However, I’d stop short of saying the judging has been harsh. I do like that Heidi, Nina and Michael’s critiques have been more constructive in the past.
Personally, I feel that the reason we haven’t gotten the same number of positive comments from the judging panel is because the work has been overwhelmingly uninspired. Sure, part of the reason is that inconsistent judging again, resulting in the likes of Logan and Christopher lasting well past their expiration dates.
However, even the top 3 is a little flat this year. Carol-Hannah is good and makes pretty dresses (but that’s all she does), Althea is talented, but I’m personally not a major fan of her “my models boobs HAVE to hang around her stomatch” aesthetic. The most “exciting” designer has been (shiver) Mean-a Irina.
Maybe the judges’ critiques would’t be so “harsh” if the work was any better.
On that note, I blame an equally uninspired batch of challenges. Design two outfits for Macy’s that are BLUE? The only fun one was the newspaper challenge and it actually produced the best results.
Too true!
The newspaper challenge was cool, but there weren’t nearly enough signature, tear-something-up “Project Runway” challenges this season.
I agree, except that I also really liked the film genre challenge.
ITA. The challenges have been so boring. The beachwear was boring. It made me long for the car challenge, or even the denim.
Oh, and I agree with Ceballos – the designers this season left so much to be desired. Their designs are not that inspired. I am also disappointed in the editing of the show – sorry, during the runway show I want to see the garments – not the designers facial expressions. I could care less if Irina is smiling or not. This show needs to go back to it’s roots and start relying on the fashion to be the star – not some whacky designers personality.
I write about Project Runway on my own blog, and that’s the very complaint I always make! Can’t see the darn garments! After all the sketching, talking, shopping, stitching, critiquing, tearing down and redesigning, fitting, and hair-and-makeup prep for the runway, we get the merest glimpse of garments being run down the way and back, with a giant overlay of the designer’s name! For heaven’s sake, what about the product?
Agree totally. You have to watch ane episode three times to actually get a sense of what was designed. It’s all quick shots of design, expression, design, express. (Especially early on when the middle designers aren’t called back to defend/explain themselves.) I’ve wondered if the move to Lifetime has affected the editing. The other problem — too much time on personal drama (which bores me) and less time for discussions of judgine.
I also agree with the above comments. Not only are the contestants lacking, the production itself has been dissappointing acorss the board. The challenges lack creativity and ingeniuty, the camerawork feels pedestrian compared to earlier seasons) and is not very creative, and the editing feels like someon phoned it in. I thought with Lifestime taking over they would’ve thrown their best talent at it. If it was the same production team as previous seasons, it shows they are getting tired creatively. The series needs to find talented contestants and change the guard with the production people.
I don’t think it’s been too harsh. Yes, the lack of continuity due to the absence of Nina and Michael has been a MAJOR problem this year. But we’ve also been saddled with, without a doubt, the weakest group of contestants in the show’s history. There have been so few standout pieces this season, the desginers deserve the tough criticism they’ve received. That’s not to say the judges have been making the right decision each week, because they most certainly have not. Gordana’s dress was the best creation last week, yet she gets eliminated. Huh??
I agree…I’ve found some of the judge’s comments offensively mean. Maybe they’re aiming for amusingly b itchy, but they’ve frequently missed that mark this season. The unevenness of the judging this season has been incredibly aggravating, though. If next season is like this one, I won’t be watching “PR” much longer.
Harsh? No.
Inconsistent? Frustrating? Illogical? YES.
I agree with this. I think many of the people who were eliminated (Qrystal especially) deserved to stay longer. While those who needed to go early (crying freak from last week) stayed too long.
I get that the absence of Michael and Nina has done some damage to the show, but I don’t understand what Nina was saying when she said that the lack continuity caused premature ‘auf’ings. I thought the whole point was that one day, a designer is in, but the next, they’re not. Isn’t the premise of the show to judge each designer on the merits of their *current* design?
I agree that inconsistent is the best way to describe the judging this season. Some of their best talent left way too early. Though I am a woman, this should not have been an all female finale. I can think of at least one male contestant who should have also been going to Bryant Park and his early exit was a shocker for me.
Why shouldn’t there be an “all female finale”? If they have been judged to be the best up to this point, then what their sexes are isn’t part of the equation. The three that remain have consistently been the three best designers; I don’t think anyone that has left so far left too early. Agree no one has been particularly inventive this season, but they are still making attractive clothes. Looking forward to what they do for the Bryant Park finale.
I agree that it has been inconsistent, but I also agree that this seasons designs have been more lackluster. I would think the designers would appreciate more constructive criticism even if it was a little harsh, but the inconsistency with the revolving judges has really been problematic.
I’ve been upset that Heidi all of a sudden thinks she has to be super mean. I can take it from Nina or Michael because I honestly feel like they know fashion…but Heidi? She revels in ready to wear, dislikes risks and only likes something if it is cute or if it would look good on her. I don’t want a goo fest, but I feel deflated after every judging session.
As for Bravo shows (I still consider this of that mold), I get really tired of the episode by episode eliminations. Good people go too early and mediocrity stays. They need to look at track records more.
I don’t think the judging was too harsh this season. The talent of these contestants is no where near the previous seasons. I was completely underwhelmed by the fashions shown this year. Contestants like Epperson and Ra’mon who took risks were sent home too early. Most of the clothes were uninspired and very basic. I blame the producers for weak challenges, but the contestants played it safe with the few challenges that required creativity. I would have been harsh too if I was a judge. Also, the contestants did not have the spunk of the previous seasons and were very bland. Bitchy can be fun to watch, but Irina was just plain mean.
I definitely think that not having Nina and Michael there each week has made the judging inconsistent. The show is much better when then the three of them are there each week, not only for the viewers’ pleasure, but also for the contestants. It’s possible that the judging has been more harsh this year, but that may be a reflection of the quality that’s been produced so far. If you look at the garments created last year for the final regular competition week, they are much better than what was shown in last week’s episode.
Is it just me or does Tim (and I love him) seemer just a little mean this season?
Sorry, but I think it’s just you.
In fact, I’d argue that he’s been more helpful and hands-on than ever with this particular batch of lost souls. I can think of a few instances where Carol-Hannah, for example, avoided disaster by listening to him. (By that same token, if only Christopher listened.)
Don’t forget him calling one of Irina’s intended pieces “roadkill.”
I meant that when Tim said that he was indeed guiding her in the right direction…
Sometimes the judging has been so delivered so unkindly it bordered on unprofessional. That said, the contestants as a whole are far below those of past years. Far below. So I’d say to Heidi: you don’t have to be so rude, you picked this group! A group who couldn’t come close to the likes of Christian, Chloe, Chris March, etc.
Too harsh? Are you kidding me? I would say the judging was not harsh enough. The fact that the more talented ones (Ra’Mon, Shirin, Epperson) were booted early while the ones with little to no talent (Mitchell, Christopher) were on longer than they deserved shows that we need either Nina and Kors to stick around or have on better judges that actually know fashion. And no more celebrity judges, unless it’s Milla. This was such a disappointing season.
Mitchell went in episode 3. 2 too long, but didn’t outlast any of the ones you mentioned.
Still, Mitchell should’ve been auf’d for that first challenge, not after three challenges in a row.
Yes, keep Milla! I respect her opinion more so bc she’s been modeling for a zillion years, and more recently, designing in addition to acting.
More Michael Kors, please. ‘Did you think those two things go together? (Pause for effect.) Because they DON’T!’