Ugh. This was the hardest post to write.
Good Lord, you can practically diagram the tension
and denial in this picture.
and denial in this picture.
See, we're all for bringing the bitchery to the designers because, hey, they chose to do this and if you want the exposure, then you have to put up with people's opinions about your behavior. But getting nasty with someone's mom? That's tough, even for us. You have to be a real asshole to do such a thing.
Well, meet the asshole:
Now, we realize that the producers edit the hell out of this thing in order to form a "story," but no matter how open-minded we try to be, there's just no way the Angry Little Peanut doesn't come off as a major jerk in this one.
To be fair, Angela's mom was whiny and more than a little passive-agressive about the whole thing. She would have driven us right up the wall too.
ever made this gesture to indicate they were upset?
Of course, we wouldn't have resorted to calling her a "crazy bitch" about it, but then again, our mamas raised us right. Which brings us to the next chapter in this little melodrama.
Jeffrey's mom seems like a very sweet woman, but we can't help thinking she's spent the last 30 years having conversations exactly like the one above. Both of our mothers, had they witnessed us behaving like Jeffrey did, would have spent their time leaving bright red handprints on our faces rather than trying to make excuses for us.
Then there was Angela.
helping your case, Spanky.
We were feeling pretty bad for Jubilee Jumbles. She seemed genuinely upset - and who wouldn't be? But then she had to go and do this:
Then there was the dress:
That is some serious fug. We said that Robert's auf'ing was deserved, but really, Jeffrey was the clear loser here. He not only designed something outrageously ugly and unflattering, but he also ignored his client's wishes and treated her like shit the entire time. And don't tell us the judges didn't know about all the drama. Why else would they question Angela, Jeffrey and Laura (whose client was Jeffrey's mother) separately from the other designers? Why did they ask Angela for her opinion on how her mother looked when they didn't ask anyone else that question? Clearly, the producers were doing everything they could to ramp up the drama and like we said, that's fine when you do that to the contestants, but dragging their mothers into it was just a shitty thing to do.
49 comments:
Couldn't agree more. But I do wonder how what the producers were getting at. There was a lot of goodwill built up around Jeffrey in the first part of the show -- his own sadness at Alison's depature, his mother's tearful description of his battle with alcoholism -- and in an instant, he pissed it all away by berating Angela's mom. (Jerk. And stupid jerk: way to ingratiate yourself with any potential clients who might be watching.) So yes it was cruel to focus on Darlene's ordeal so much but given Jeffrey's behavior, how else could that thing be edited without revealing what a total mess he is?
And I LOVE your blog. LOVE it.
"Don't touch me, bitch. Your son's an asshole."
LOL. Even in a post like this, you guys manage to be funny. Thanks.
BTW, I couldn't agree more.
" Why else would they question Angela, Jeffrey and Laura (whose client was Jeffrey's mother) separately from the other designers?"
As much as I agree with your post in every other respect, I think they chose runway groups so that everyone would be onstage as the same time as his/her family member. Jeffrey designed for Angela's mother; Angela designed for Laura's mother; Laura designed for Jeffrey's mother. I'm actually inclined to give the producers a pass on this, and assume that it was a concession to the fact that people would want their family near them at a time when they're all under the lens. But I could certainly be wrong. They're definitely fuckwits in any case.
Are you boys as disappointed as I am that we didn't get to see any of Laura's childhood photos? They probably didn't want to dispel the illusion that she sprang fully formed from her father's head.
That's a fair point about how the designers were grouped, guys. Although we still maintain that asking for Angela's opinion on the outfit was manipulative.
I couldn't agree more with your post. Every single point you guys made hit the nail right on the head.
Honestly, I found the taste level to be severely lacking the entire episode. I've never been more disappointed in PR.
my wife watched the "extra footage" on the website from this episode. she went into that footage hating Jeffery. HATING Jeffery. now she hates Angela, and Angela's Mom. it was a -total- set-up, and while it's difficult to justify harshing someone's mom, the woman -was- clearly and deliberately trying to set Jeffery up for a fall, at the urging of Angela, and she wasn't being subtle about it, so he was reacting to an obvious tactic. the producers clearly felt it was better to sell Jeffery down the river than Angela's Mom, so they editted the scenes to make Jeffery the villan. i mean, it's clear now that Jeffery is the guy you all love to hate, but keep in mind reality tv is about as real as Robert's bitch queen routine.
I suspect that the judges asked all of the mothers/sisters and all of the designers what they thought about the outfits and just used what was best for the purposes of the show.
As to Jeffrey's treatment of Angela's mother, am I the only person in the world who has spent a lifetime dealing with a whiny, passive-aggressive mom? I didn't really think that Angela's mother behaved badly (she initially seemed upset because she was worried that she was limiting Jeffrey, and that's really a kind impulse), but even if she had, you make allowances for mothers. All he had to do was offer her a bit of reassurance, and she'd have been fine. It did sort of seem like he designed that monstrosity of an outfit just to punish her.
It may have been a tough post to write, but you nailed it.
Nobody (Jeffrey, Angela, the two moms, the producers and the judges) came out smelling like roses on this one.
Just cause Angela is a pain in the ass, doesn't get Jeffery off the hook.
Jeffery and Angela hate each other because they are both fighting for victim status, woe-is-me status. It's just like an alpha dog fight but sort of flipped around, you can't have two.
I also saw the extra footage in addition to the episode and I don't think Jubilee Jumbles did anything outside of admissable behavior.
Jeffrey has bullied her before (regarding the sewing machines) and then he disrespects and bullies her mother. In advising her mother - who didn't strike me as the most confident and outspoken person in the world - before the runway show, Angela just seemed to be a) exacting a not exactly unwarrranted vendetta against Jeffrey and b) helping her hesitant and insecure mother express how poorly she had been treated as a client.
There could have been other things kooky angela could have plotted, such as encouraging her mother NOT to do the runway show (which is apparently what Robert's model threatened according to him, something I find kind of doubtful).
What Jeffrey didn't get is the way to get the greatest "revenge" on his nemesis Angela would have been to totally win over her mother, be flattering and (cough) charming to her and dress her like a Queen (casual Queen anyway). Take the win on the runway and have her mother sticking up for him to her.
He's either not smart enough or too ruled by his disdain for women to figure that out.
When a peanut needs to bully a middle aged Mom...ok well I guess that just sort of fits in it's pathetic sort of way. He's not even a good "villian". There is just nothing interesting or endearing about this angry peanut.
From Mandy:
"Are you boys as disappointed as I am that we didn't get to see any of Laura's childhood photos? They probably didn't want to dispel the illusion that she sprang fully formed from her father's head."
High-larious.
Anyway, I can't say I'm 100% behind y'all on this one. For the simple fact that Jeffrey has gone out of his way to be a smelly scrotum to Angela. Also, calling her mother a "crazy bitch" is automatic grounds for a gunshot wound to the ass. Everyone who's said that this episode made everyone look bad is spot-on--still, I think the producers are the ones who come off looking the worst. I hated Project Runway last week. I hated it SO hard. And I blame the producers for that. Punkasses.
I would have been in his face -- IN HIS FACE -- about being rude to my mother and making her cry. Looking at the preview video, you see that Jeffrey keeps it going and Angela is too timid to call him on it. Peanut and I would have been taking it outside at that point. Don't nobody mess with my mama!
And I even have a rebuke to Tim Gunn for not better explaining to Jeffrey that Mom's objection was mainly the choice of one color and her fear that the dress was matronly. She said that to Tim, not to the judges, so how was that "sabotage," as Jeffrey claimed? If Tim was making his usual rounds and raised the same questions himself, would Jeffrey have reacted the same way?
I felt the moms/sisters were put in an awkward position to start with, having to go on national TV (to support their family members--how could you say no!) and walk down a runway in weird, possibly unfinished clothes, then get scrutinized and discussed. It's enough to drive and average-sized, average-insecurity gal nuts, let alone someone with additional issues and/or inches. Mother-love has to be pretty strong to go through this trial. A big part of the designer's job was to boost confidence. I agree Jeffrey really missed an opportunity here.
But in the passive-aggressive vs. aggressive-aggressive contest, I always side with aggressive-aggressive, so my sympathy was with Jeffrey on the whole thing. Angela's mom was mad because Jeffrey had refused to make her a tailored jacket in one day. (Am I remembering right?) A reasonable refusal. That's where it started, and we all know where it ended up.
The result definitely showed Jeffrey's POV, no? And what a POV it was! Ecclesiastical vestments, maybe? I want Jeffrey in the final four cuz I want to see his collection. More alien robes!
I love you, prgayboys. What did Kayne say when Robert left? You brighten up my morning? You're my sunshine? Oh, shoot, I can't remember. But it was sweet, and you guys do make me laugh every day!
ANYWAY . . . I agree completely that this was a terrible episode. Painful to watch. But I think I'm closer to jhimm on the who-was-at-fault-here question. Even before I watched the bonus video, I thought that Angela and her mom were up to no good.
I did feel sorry for her mom because she didn't sign up for this garbage. And how humiliating to have been selected last. But I think Angela manipulated the whole situation.
BTW, I started off the season disliking Jeffrey, but I have grown to like him more and more with each episode. I don't like the way he treated Angela's mom, but at least he's up front with how he feels, and I don't think he's trying to sabotage anyone.
Most of all, I'd like to see Jeffrey's runway show, which is why I'm rooting for TALP. No, I'd never wear anything he designed, but I think his show would be really interesting to watch.
Angela? I was never a fan, and last week did nothing to alter that view. I cannot even imagine granny circles at Bryant Park. The horror! The horror!
At first, we thought Jeffrey's refusal to make a jacket seemed reasonable too, until we realized he made a dress with sleeves and a vest. So he refused to use the colors she asked for and he refused to do the design she wanted.
jeffrey. fucking asshole peanut in my book. hell, he's giving recovering dopers and drunks everywhere a bad name.
and then to compare her mother to the "starship enterprise" ~ an "oh haha" slam upon the size of her person. pig.
but angela was really shitty in coaching her mom, who obviously didn't need to be coached about this garment.
and this "Has anyone outside of a drag queen or silent movie actress
ever made this gesture to indicate they were upset?" at least provided a bit of humor for me.
the answer is yes, i often make this gesture which, i suppose, says more about my life than anything ;-)
carry on darlings!!
Hey, there is ample blame all around. Peanut for making a butt-ugly dress, Angela for manipulation and trying to torpedo Jeffrey and for her mom for being whiney and passive aggressive. Jeffrey's behavior would not have been questioned had the dress been fabulous. Shitty dress = mean. Great dress = excentric. Personally, I want to see a cage match fighr to the death with pinking sheers.
But can we get back to hatin' on Angela for a minute. If someone was behaving like that to my mother, I wouldn't be all "Oh, don't worry mom, he's not nice, la-de-da, la-de-da."
No, I'd have been in that workroom shoving a sewing machine up little peanuts ass!
WTF? Bitch just sat back and let her mother get dumped on. Bad daughter!
Well I dont know if you watched the PR crew on Larry King but they showed every remaining designer BUT Jeffrey...so I have a feeling that is a sign
and on Jeffrey's MySpace there's a picture of him and Allison both doing the Big L for Loser on their foreheads...
Jenn in Vegas
I think that was quite possibly the worst episode in 3 seasons of PR. I don't know who I dislike more for being so common - Jeffrey, Angela or her mother.
I find it hard to believe Jeffrey has much experience doing the rock n' roll clothes he lays claim to. Performers have much more riding on their appearance than a mom does and I'm sure they're not that easy to work for. Nor can I imagine a big rock star putting up with derogatory treatment. Jeffrey should watch how Kayne operates. Kayne sells his ideas to the client and knows how to make a woman look and feel good. Kayne is confident and trustworthy as a designer. If you can't sell your ideas and keep the client happy you won't get anywhere. Jeffrey is supposed to be the fashion expert, right? Then act like it! I'm sure even Michael Kors has to be skilled in keeping the actresses happy who wear his dresses to the Oscars.
I don't think Angela was "too timid" to defend her mother. I think she showed restraint and let that little douchebag hang himself. Like I said before, aren't you supposed to learn to be nice to others and get along in those 12-step programs? So, Mr. Neck Tattoo is clean and sober. Good for him. Too bad a sober Jeffrey is an asshole and a worthless human being.
Angela may not be a favorite, and I don't think she'll actually win. But seriously, she is not trying to make herself the victim here. She told her mom to speak the truth if asked, not "trash him!" or anything like that. Her revenge will be that Mr. Neck will be Auf'd before she will.
But if he had done that to my mother..... oh.... a sewing machine up the ass would only be the beginning.....
Thanks guys! Jeffrey's behavior was not okay -- but I couldn't possibly read another post about what a sweet, defenseless, bambi of a woman Angela's mom is. Nobody's all good or all bad -- and your post highlights this beautifully. And without sacrificing an ounce of your hilarious bitchery! Brilliant.
Ok kids, maybe I've been in Brooklyn too long but where I come from there's no crime in calling someone a "crazy bitch" IF THEY ARE ONE. Yes, Jeffrey is an evil little elf. Shocker.
But Angela had two chocies,calm mama down or play the game. Seems to me she chose door number two and played her own mother to look good on a TV show. That doesn't make her a bitch a that makes her a fucking bitch.
Agreeing here. Jeff is indefensible.
I don't get the sentiment that Jeff and Angela's mother were both at fault. Angela's mom didn't have to be anything but herself. She thought she was there to visit her daughter. The modeling gig was pushed on her at the last second. It was up to Jeff to rise to the occasion and at least attempt to put her at ease. Instead he was rude and sulky from the start. What was the woman supposed to do? Jeff's lucky she didn't walk out on him.
Oh my god... "Meet the asshole" followed by THAT picture. The most perfect screencap-to-caption relationship I've ever seen.
All I could think of during the drama was how hard my mother would beat my ass if she saw me behaving like that in public - much less to someone else's mother - regardless of national tv/professionalism/etc! I still wouldn't be able to sit down!
Boyz I start and end every day checking to see if you have posted something new - you MAKE my day!! But no one has mentioned the fact that when Darlene came out in that horrible ugly dress, she actually tried to make it look good and walked the runway with a big old smile. Only when asked did she comment, and she wasn't as ugly about it as the dress was! (Point of view? - my a**!) I imagine they asked each model what they thought about their outfit, and edited at will. If Vincent's sister had been able to walk better and had smiled, I don't think Robert's creation would have been received as poorly. And what about the fact that the producers really threw the mothers and sisters a curve by not telling them what was planned and getting their consent before they came? Not fair - who wants to be the spoilsport who won't cooperate?
Not a fun episode ... I don't watch the first run of PR episodes because 10 PM EST is a bit late for me (a girl needs her beauty rest), so I catch it on rerun Thursdays (or any of the next 16,000 times Bravo airs it afterwards) ...
I read on Thursday morning that Robert got the boot AND Vincent won (that man is clearly insane). I was gonna need a slurpie-sized cocktail and box of durable kleenex just to get through the first re-run at 6 PM EST. I text-messaged the boyfriend to be prepared.
THEN THEY BRING IN THE MAMAS AND THE SISTAS ... Well, I was just undone.
The Peanut completely ignored everything Darlene said and created perhaps the worst thing I have ever seen come down the RUNWAY (including that hideous jump suit Santino did for the other designer from season 2 whose name I forget at the moment). I think Peanut was pissed with getting stuck with a woman who was large AND Angela's mother.
You guys keep up the good work; I enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy watching PR.
a wannabe PRGayboy,
Brian
You guys are absolutely right. Asking Angela her opinion about her mom's dress when they didn't ask any of the other designers was manipulative. It's probably why this drama will spill over onto this week's show.
I'm actually thinking about skipping the first half of this week's show and just watching it from the runway show forward.
does anyone get the feeling that maybe angela's mother was picked last because her daughter is known to be such a "biatch" and underhanded?
rule #1 of basic common decency - NEVER fuck with anybody's mama!!!
(i watched a guy get his ass beat on the subway last night for saying shit about somebody's mother...)
theres no excuse for jeffrey's behavior. he should have been auffed this episode.
robert's design may have been bland, but it is exactly what the client wanted & she said as much to the judges. jeffrey didnt even come close to what darlene wanted & his outfit was hideous...
and to be fair, i think angela deserved to be in the bottom two, as well... as designers, i think they both suck hairy balls. the show needs to get rid of them quick!
"Jeff could have handled the situation better, Darlene could've handled it better, and Angela could've handled it better."
Yup, pretty much...in a nutshell.
As much of an asshole Jeffery is, you've got to admit, it was pretty sweet when he cryed over Robert getting auf'd.
But other than that, Angela and Jeffery should just get into some huge fight to the death. That's pretty much the only way to resolve this.
I think it's fun that the designers who got "fuller women" as Uli called them pretty much had mental breakdowns from the outset. I'm a total proponent of PR incorporating such a challenge into every season from here forward -- plus size models throw a total wrench in those prissy designers' day and it makes for good tv.
It seems I'm in the minority thinking that Jeffrey's reactions were understandable, if unwise. But I am SICK AND TIRED of complaints that Jeffrey "did not please his client" or "take her input seriously."
FOR GOD'S SAKE, the starship came into the show dressed like a nine-year-old boy. A fat, dumpy nine-year-old boy. And she LIKES looking like a fat, dumpy nine-year-old boy.
In that situation, "pleasing your client" and desiging a fashionable outfit are two mutually exclusive endeavours. Period.
I love you.
Who are you?
"FOR GOD'S SAKE, the starship came into the show dressed like a nine-year-old boy. A fat, dumpy nine-year-old boy. And she LIKES looking like a fat, dumpy nine-year-old boy."
Hi Jeffrey!!!
As someone has already said, the mothers weren't told they had to model or be glamorous. it was a surprise bravo sprang on them and darlene's only job was to be herself. What Jeffrey did was unforgivable and she wasn't like "I fucking HATE these colors and I am never going to wear them." She expressed doubt to which he could have been like "i'm sorry, but please trust me, don't worry, it will be great."
also, angela telling her mom to be honest can hardly be called 'coaching' another designer's model. it's fair game and a given that jeffrey has been trying to sabotage her by bullying her.... it was be stupid for her not do so. All she was like was "be honest"
I wish Zulema was on this season. Let's see what shit Jeffrey would have sprung on her.
If Jeffrey had designed something edgy and original, I might have forgiven his lack of manners.
But Russian bureaucrats would have refused to distribute this horrible shapeless sack to the masses. The nuns of Monza would have chosen to commit suicide rather than wear this monstrosity.
Jeffrey lacks grace, manners, and humor. His designs are butt fugly. For that alone he should be booted.
annabelle said...
"As much of an asshole Jeffery is, you've got to admit, it was pretty sweet when he cryed over Robert getting auf'd."
Actually, I don't. While he was boo hooing about Robert, he managed to lob childish insults about the other designers even as his mom tried to get him to shut up. I seriously doubt he was crying for Robert so much as he was crying for himself because Robert was one of the few people who put up with his sorry a$$.
brilliant and embittered--you nailed my sentiments as well about Jeffrey's faux tears "for Robert". He managed to get in a dig about the other "not nice" (or whatever) designers. Big baby misogynist peanut.
And Peanut's tears, in my opinion, were nothing more than tears of relief that it wasn't himself that was auf'd.
He doesn't have one ounce of compassion for anyone.
I agree with whoever said that he gives recovering alcoholics a bad name!
Auf with his head!
^^ Thank you!! Exactly! Jeffrey was crying because he was completely at a loss - for his failure to design a decent outfit, for not handling Angela's mother better, for embarrassing his own mother, and finally for realizing how badly he was going to look on national television. It was a nervous mini-breakdown NOT sadness for Robert. What a joke.
And you know what? Besides being an asshole, Jeffrey is a complete coward. He NEVER would've behaved that way to anyone else's mother. Not Kayne's, not Laura's, not Michael's. He likes to pick on the weakest people in the room because he can. He hates his own weakness and projects that anger to another person. In this case, Angela, who - come on, folks - has done nothing to cause this type of vendetta. Nothing except exist. What a bastard.
^^^ Complete agreement. Kayne, Michael, and Laura would have f*cked him up royally prison bitch style if he had so much uttered an inappropriate word to any of their respective moms.
Looks like the drama llama follows Angela around but I did really feel bad for Angela's mom. To be perfectly honest, I thought Angela did the right thing by trying to console your mom. What would you have done in her situation - make an ass out of yourself by throwing a hissy fit and shove a sewing machine up TALP's ass on national TV or attend to your mother (and then throw a hissy fit etc.)? The coaching was a bit questionable though.
Imagine how TALP's mom must feel? Not only does she have to watch her son make a total ass of himself on national TV but also be diplomatic and try to normalise [if not apologise since she was excusing TALP's] bratty behaviour. She and Keith must be the laughingstock of their groups.
PRGayBoys, I love you guys. I'm not afraid to admit I make a few stops at your blog every day to see if you've updated.
~Ninjarina
First: Peanut's tears - Guilt that he wasn't the one auf'd as he did such a wack job.
Second: Angela's mother was passive aggressive and anyone alpha can't handle that. Jeffrey wasn't being an asshole, he got fed up.
Third: Really though, that salute on the runway was, to me, "Hey asshole, I'm so gonna screw you."
Last: Angela didn't coach her mother and she did coach. Here's why. Passive aggressive is often misinterpreted as assent and Angela definately wanted her mother to speak out against Jeffrey.
Okay. Yes. Jeffrey is a fucking jerkoff. But he is one sexy sexy fucking jerkoff.
Yeah. I said it.
I don't care if his neck looks thicker than his thighs.
Oh. And Angela's mom sucked. I would have flipped out on her and made her wear an ugly shower-curtain too.
first....http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/characters.jhtml?show_id=ast&character=Macie%20Lightfoot
second....
http://i5.tinypic.com/2i231ab.jpg
Jeffrey was and is the biggest A$$ on this show and possibly most "reality" shows. And to those or you blame Angela also - for shame!
Even *IF* Angela tried any manipulation - J was supposed to be professional and adult and is responsible for his own behavior.
plus out of his enitre runway show there was ONLY that one dress(With stripes and the zipper) that was fairly good - the rest .... trash just like him.
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