13 questions

DO-OVERS:
1. I wonder if there anything the designers said that they'd like to take back?
2. I wonder if there anything the judges said that they'd like to take back?

THE ZAFTIG DEBACLE:
Tim is so fabulous so it seems wrong to focus on his one misstep -– HOWEVER:
3. I wonder if Tim still thinks “pleasantly plump” is an accurate description of Alexandra.
4. I wonder what the model Alexandra has to say about the way Tim (and others) described her.

VINCENT -- HOW CRAZY IS HE?
Here is a quote from Vincent’s interview with EW:

"I was more of the older guy who would help everybody. I grounded the rest of the guys and let them see reality. I said, ''Let's all hang in there.'' I was kind of the elder statesman. I brought out a lot of camaraderie."

[Pause for laughter.]
5. I wonder how many of the designers feel that this is an accurate description of Vincent’s role in the group?
6. I wonder if people have things to say about various other lunatic things Vincent said in that interview. (He was the only real designer; he should have won; the judges were intimidated by how good he is, etc.
7. I wonder what Catherine Malandrino what she thought of his sleazy/sycophantic behavior towards her on the boat? I also wonder what Catherine Malandrino what she thought of Vincent's comment that she was "too old" for him.

FASHION VICTIMS:
8. I wonder why the judges tend to just express outrage rather than offering more constructive criticism? It seems like the judges are playing to the cameras and trying to come up with funny insults. Constructive criticism can also be funny and it is wittier than just bald put-downs -- but it is harder to do. (It takes more thought to be respectful.) Is that why they don't do it?
9. There was a general consensus among viewers that this season was meaner than previous seasons. Every season has its conflicts but in previous seasons we also saw more fun and camaraderie that wasn’t there in this season; it was balanced by humor. I wonder if, in casting the next season, the producers will try to avoid having so many people on the show who are likely to cause conflict?

GIRL PROBLEMS:
10. Nobody ever wants to admit that there was ever any bias. It just never happens. Not on tv. Not in fashion. Not ever ever ever. But I think it is fair to say that there were “issues” that troubled many viewers regarding the treatment of women on the show. The way that women who stood up for themselves evoked name-calling like bad mommy and feminazi (Who besides Jeffrey and Ann Coulter still use this Rush Limbaugh term?); Vincent and Jeffrey’s bizarre hatred/fear of Angela; Jeffrey’s treatment of Laura’s mother. On the judging side, Uli was robbed of at least one win, arguably more. Alison's "aufing" was controversial to say the least. Then there was the whole "plus size is worse than death” debacle. The cumulative effect is one that suggests a problem with the treatment of women and it did add up to something that a lot of viewers didn’t like. I just wonder if PR think there was a problem. In the unlikely event that they do, I wonder if the judges and producers have learned anything from this and if so wha

PR NOTHING WITHOUT ITS INTEGRITY, BUT IT DOES GET HIGHER RATINGS . . . :
11. Week after week Vincent was one of the worst in the group; week after week better designers were kicked off while he remained. Clearly there was some manipulation going on from the producers. I wonder, given such obvious manipulating, how much they really expect viewers to think that the show has integrity?
12. I wonder how ethical it is to cast someone who is mentally ill, manipulate the judging so that he stays on the show, in order to provide material that people can laugh at, or be revolted by?
13. I wonder if PR becomes (or has become) just another reality show focusing more on people arguing with each other than on the design process does Tim Gunn risk not only his reputation but that of Parsons as well by having a continued association with the program?

(I will pass out from shock if they actually address that question -- or any of the other questions above, frankly!)