Is This for Real?: Reality Premieres Overshadowed by Violence and Self-Absorption

Posted at 9:30 AM Jan 18, 2010

But ... they LOOK like jeans ...

​

By Merritt Martin

I have a huge issue with Launch My Line: Are the designers ever going to learn how to sew?! WTF, people! It should progress past the current process of total wannabes dictating an idea to be sketched and produced by an expert. I thought slowly, the designers would learn how to create instead of maintaining order-barking. Lame. I'm kinda done with it. I was, however, thankful to be watching it so I could see the commercial for fucking Pajama Jeans. No shit. They're not jeans and they're not pajamas--they're an abomination, despite their "high-contrast stitching" and yes, rivets. If ladies have gotten to the point where they can't be bothered to put on a pair of actual denim jeans to leave the house, I'm out. I'm so out. Moving on, here's the HD take on this week's reality programming premieres ...

Project Runway premiered. I'm pretty stoked to have it back in ol' NYC with T-Gunny, Nina, Kors and drill-sergeant Heidi. More than that, I was happy to see what seemed to be a more dramatic cast (because it's only partially about talent, people, let's get real). There's the Cryer, the Guy Who Looks Like a Washed-Up Magician, the Flamboyant Gay from the Ghetto, the Obligatory Bob-Wearing Lady and others... The first challenge is always about the designer's personal look, so based on that, I gotta say I really, truly, like seriously wish the guy who made a floor length alligator print leather evening gown had gotten kicked off instead of the chick who didn't drape correctly. Such a bad decision.

I was excited that this was one of the big "premiere weeks" but most of this week's shows were overshadowed--for me anyway--by the physical male-female confrontation between Ty and Emily on The Real World. (The following is courtesy of The Real World Dailies, so you may consider it NSFW.)

Oddly, it doesn't seem that anyone on the actual show was too concerned. Yes, Andrew (love that guy) and Mike tried to stop things a few times, but Ashley finds it more amusing to tease them that it's foreplay or something romantic.

Now, I understand that it is possible for men and women to rough house and "wrassle" (as some say). I also understand that Emily spat in Ty's face. I also understand that clearly, most everyone involved had been drinking. But something about the altercation's shift from play to actual one-against-one alarmed me so much. And, I'm not one to give The Real World credit for affecting me (save the Pedro season), but the fight has stuck with me since I saw it. I so wanted it to stay joke-y, but it didn't, and I honestly got scared during it. And yet, I honestly don't know if I was more worried that they'd hurt one another or if I was more appalled by the castmate/crew apathy. Thoughts, Dolls?

Between that fight and Taylor Momsen's utter disdain for humanity or anything other than what she's pretending to be good at (already brought to you by Aftersn00z Roundup), I was at a loss this week in WTFs.

Sir Paul McCartney and the person who wrote his joke beat out Joel McHale on the favorite quote for this week: "Animation is not just for children. It's also for adults who take drugs." (In related Golden Globes news, I cannot handle Hugh Laurie in glasses and a tux...or Jon Hamm with a bearded face. Too. Much. Hotness.)