Cheryl Shops

America's Next Top Model vs. Project Runway
I will readily admit that I watch a lot of TV, much of it reality shows. I may be snobby about fashion, but when it comes to TV, I'm not so classy. (Then again, is TV ever classy?) I am addicted to The OC (how about Cohen and the punk girl, eh?), for example. And while America's Next Top Model has been a highlight of my fall TV viewing schedule, I can now happily say that with the addition of Project Runway Wednesday has become Fashionista Reality TV Night.

However, I am quickly losing interest in ANTM. This season, there has been no Shandi (the ugly duckling-turned-swan) or Yoanna (fat duckling-turned-swan); basically, there are no truly likeable characters, because they're all bitches. (The exceptions to this, however, are Toccara, who got booted several weeks ago, and my favorite, Norelle, who was eliminated this week.) While casting such strong personalities may make for good television, there is no star, there is no one I really want to root for, and I feel like none of the contestants is going to make a kickass model, as opposed to last season, when, by the time they got down to the last four or five girls, any of them could've been a great choice as the winner. But now we're left with Yack Yack, who I hope to god gets kicked off soon because she is so goddamn annoying; Ann, who is gorgeous but can't pose for shit; Amanda, who is a friggin' model dinosaur at 25 years old; and Eva, who is so obviously going to win, I almost don't need to watch the show anymore. Eva's the only one who can walk and she's the most consistent in the photographs, but she turned off Tyra this week when she showed some emotion. I was like, What?!?! I give up.

I perked up considerably while watching Bravo's Project Runway, a reality show for aspiring clothing designers. It's hosted by Tyra Banks' fellow Victoria's Secret "Angel" Heidi Klum, who goes about her duties with a friendly chirpiness but quickly turns into a stern German hausfrau when it's judgment time. The contestants range from a mulleted recent Pratt graduate to a really annoying 41-year-old gown designer/mom from Washington. While a few showed some surprising insecurity, most of the designers are so flamboyant and cocky, it's fascinating to watch. Their first competition was to make an evening gown out of items from the grocery store; the winner constructed his from corn husks, and it was simply gorgeous. The guy who was eliminated was by far the most cocksure and egotistical (but, who I thought, made a pretty decent dress out of admittedly mundane materials). It takes a flamboyant personality to become the head of a clothing empire (hello, Michael Kors or Donna Karan), and as I watched the designers proudly, self-assuredly watch their designs parade down the runway, I knew this was going to be an interesting show.