It's a muthaf**kin' walk-off!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 by
Darlings, we may get a tiny amount of flack for this, but thank god for the overreactions of gay men and supermodels. Otherwise, this show would be a lot less fun.



"So Zulema, this is also a competition for the models as well, too. So you also as well have the option to choose another model too. Also, what's it gonna be?"


"I'd like to have a walk-off between the following three models: Danyelle, Tarah and Shannon."


"Girl!"


"Girl!"


"Girl!"


"Girl."

DELICIOUS, delicious drama! Darlings, we love it so. Especially when it's designer-provided. You would have thought Zulema pulled a knife out and held the models hostage the way these drama queens reacted. At the time we were like "What a BITCH!" but really, did she do anything so wrong? Every winning designer had this opportunity. The reason most of them didn't partake is because they either lucked into having good ones and/or they had good relationships with them.


Zulema and Rachael pretty much hated each other at this point. Now, a really good case could be made that the blame for that entirely rests at Zulema's feet, and we'd agree. The case could also be made that Rachael wasn't doing such a hot job so far and we'd agree with that too. Either way, Zulema had an opportunity to repair a handicap and she took it.


Y'know, they're all in the middle of an insane competition, working all day and getting little sleep, so we can understand people having emotional reactions to certain things and in a way, we don't blame them.

She didn't honestly do anything wrong, but we can understand the rest of the group not loving her at the moment. She hadn't actually built any relationships in the time she was there anyway. From the beginning, she took an overly adversarial approach to things and in the end that bit her in the ass because the group wound up turning on her for a relatively minor infraction (if it can be called that at all) and it wound up seriously throwing her off her game.

Still, it was dramaliciously high school prom committee in its maturity level and who doesn't love that? And if you want to read Zulema's thoughts on all this:

“This is an everyday occurrence, from my understanding of the business. I just switched my model. Tim Gunn and Nick went on and on about how horrible she was and they said really nasty and disparaging things about her. I never said anything nasty about my model, I just simply said [that] I need to change her," Zulema said. "She’s not good; the judges don’t like her; Tim Gunn doesn’t like her; none of the other contestants like her; so I was actually shocked when people were like, ‘Oh my god, you’re going to change models?’ Of course I am going to change models, you all agree that she is horrible, so why should I keep her?”

...check out this eye-popping interview here.


[Screencaps: projectrungay.blogspot.com]


Post a Comment

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of the best episodes ever!!!!

This is where I fell completely, totally and forever in love with Daniel, had second thoughts on my crush on Nick (too much whining about the loss of "his" model) and began to picture Zulema burning in designer hell.

Anonymous said...

You guys nailed the entire episode. What fun it was to watch unfold.

It's entirely spontaneous moments of drama (and the other humorous moments as well) that make this show so special. You have to love Heidi and her facial expressions. She's terrific.

- Barnaby

jinxy said...

This whole situation with Zulema made me laugh so hard when it happened. I just knew it would be Nick or Andrae changing up models and I knew it wouldn't be pretty.

At the end of the day it was a competition and in that sense Zulema made a good decision.

On the other hand, given that she had not developed any relationships with any of the other designers, and given that she was upsetting a norm thus far in the show, she had to know that there would be fallout.

Either way I think Nick acted like a total drama queen over it. I had sympathy for him for like a minute, but then he started whining. As the mother of a small child, I can attest that whining is possibly the most annoying thing ever. EVER.

Anonymous said...

"So Zulema, this is also a competition for the models as well, too. So you also as well have the option to choose another model too. Also, what's it gonna be?"

Tehehehehe.

Anonymous said...

"So Zulema, this is also a competition for the models as well, too. So you also as well have the option to choose another model too. Also, what's it gonna be?"

ROFL. That is freaking hilarious! I love Heidi. I think she has a great sense of humor.

For once I agree with Zulema. Nobody had a problem with Uli snatching Nazri from Michael.

Anonymous said...

Geeez, I just finished reading that interview (By the way, thanks for the link). Man, she hates everything about the show, doesn't she?

Anonymous said...

thanks for the link to the interview. Verrrrrrrrrry interesting. I love Nick - but he cried for two days over losing Tarah?????????????
CP

Anonymous said...

"Every winning designer had this opportunity. The reason most of them didn't partake is because they either lucked into having good ones and/or they had good relationships with them."

EXACTLY! I'm sorry but her model was awful!

Anonymous said...

LOL. Funny post, guys!
She was justified, but she could have been less of a drama queen about it.

GothamTomato said...

Hmmmm...Eye-popping interview is right. Don't know what to think here. My opinion of Zulema was largely formed by that 'I don't believe in fairness' line in the first episode. Now I wonder if what she's saying about Marla is true. If it is, that would very well explain that.

But then again, in the interview, she also says

" I never said anything nasty about my model,"

but she then goes on to say,

""She’s not good; the judges don’t like her; Tim Gunn doesn’t like her; none of the other contestants like her; so I was actually shocked when people were like, ‘Oh my god, you’re going to change models?’ Of course I am going to change models, you all agree that she is horrible, so why should I keep her?” "

Yikes. I'd hate to see what she'd say about her if she really wanted to get nasty.

--Gotham Tomato

GothamTomato said...

"LaFemmeFataledeNY said...
For once I agree with Zulema. Nobody had a problem with Uli snatching Nazri from Michael."



I did.

--Gotham Tomato

Anonymous said...

Zulema had a bad reputation for the way she treated her models, that's why she didn't get along with her model or any of the models.

Anonymous said...

GIRL(S)!!!!!!! I love the post, hilarious! Great interview too.
I cannot believe (assuming it's true) that Nick cried for two days.

kora in hell said...

Uli was able to change models because she had established good relationships with the other designers whereas Zulema had put no effort into establishing good relationships. It shows that success sometimes can depend on how you treat others in the business.

Also, when Uli changed models she also created the perfect dress for that model and won the next challenge.

The other issue is that Zulema could have just picked a model. The "walk off" was a high-handed power play, like she wanted to humiliate the models in order to put them in their place. It guarantees that she's not going to be liked by any of them.

Editing and racism may be part of the construction of her character on the show -- but she also said and did those things. She also uses them as a shield so that she doesn't have to own up to the ways that her own bad behavior was the real reason for her problems.

Zulema was right about the one thing: Tim says some really awful things about models' bodies. Any hint of flesh is revolting to him and he has no compunction about letting people know this.

Jenn said...

One of the most quotable quotes of all time!!!!

Thanks for the link to the Zulema interview, everyone should read it, it really is eye-opening, especially regarding Marla!

I'm a little embarrassed by Nick's behavior though. I love him, but he bitched and moaned like a 2 year old.
I wouldn't want Gumby either, but she managed a moderately respectable walk here and its not like Zulema shot his dog or something.

Anonymous said...

Lafemmefataledeny said...
"For once I agree with Zulema. Nobody had a problem with Uli snatching Nazri from Michael."

With the exception of Gotham Tomato--

Wonder why?

Anonymous said...

"DELICIOUS, delicious drama!"

Indeed, darlings. This turned into one of the most memorable moments of the show for me! Shatangi did nothing wrong, by the way, and I LOVED the interview. Thank you for the link, guys.

Anonymous said...

I didn't think Zulema did anything so horrible in snatching Tarah, but was really disappointed in Nick and his hystrionics. It was in the fucking rules. I think what he was really bugged about was having to work with Rachael, who, sorry to say it, wasn't such a hot model. But after putting up with Zulema's crappy clothes and attitude, and being forced to walk with her ass hanging out on national tv, how many of us would be on their game?

Nick was nice to his models so even Rachael was motivated to work it on the runway.

Notice how the article never mentioned Shetangi? Tim hated Zulema even more than Vincent (listen to his podcasts of S3). Zulema was hardly a shrinking violet bullied about for no reason by that bitch Marla. Please. I'm not drinking that Kool-Aid, sorry.

Anonymous said...

"While she emphasizes that her impression of Marla may be misguided, she presses forward with her brutally honest assessment. She says this encounter is the misrepresentative moment of the show that angers her the most, a moment so intense that the camera crew and everyone else in the room stopped for a second because they couldn’t believe how Marla had spoken to her."


WOW, I'm in shock! Was Marla really a bitch?

Anonymous said...

btw, I much preferred S1, where the designers welcomed working with different models during the show. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through that people settled in with their favorites, and still there was no "that was MY model" crapola. I just kept wishing these S2 people would grow the fuck up.

Anonymous said...

for the overreactions of gay men

i thank you, the world thanks you. it would be a dim, dark place without y'all.

Anonymous said...

Not sure if it was a good thing or a bad things that Zulema wasn't outed during the season, given her screen persona. At the same time, she should have been included in the photo shoot/interview of gay PR designers.

Re Uli and Nazri: Uli is no dummy and knew full well that Nazri was Michael's muse. Those two had killer chemistry (don't forget that it was Nazri who picked "Pam-mother-f**king-Greer" as Michael's fashion icon. How right on was that?) I've often wished that we could have seen a Michael Knight final collection designed around Nazri. Every time he sketched, he sketched for her.

Having said that, Uli made a great tactical choice by selecting Nazri, both because it must have been jarring to Michael AND because Nazri is a kick ass model.

I'll bet the calibre of models will go way up with this next season of PR...even as an unpaid gig, this must be a great opportunity for the models (although, I wish that they were paid something...).

Anonymous said...

Ditto what Trixie said.

I didn't think Rachael was terrible; she just had a lot to have to deal with. How well is anyone going to be able to model when your clothes are poorly made and/or you're sewn into them and/or various body parts are exposed that shouldn't be? All of that affects a person's confidence and confidence is exactly what a model needs to sell the garment she's wearing.

And if Zulema had interacted more with the other designers (Tim always mentions in his blog that she was off in another room somewhere during challenges), she would likely have known that Nick had a special bond with Tarah. So I'm not buying her 'oh poor me i didn't know' act. She didn't want to know.

And BTW, I recall that Zulema did talk disparengingly about Rachael. Didn't she say something about scoliosis?

Anonymous said...

macasism said...
Notice how the article never mentioned Shetangi? Tim hated Zulema even more than Vincent (listen to his podcasts of S3). Zulema was hardly a shrinking violet bullied about for no reason by that bitch Marla. Please. I'm not drinking that Kool-Aid, sorry.

I'm sure this will be deleted but I don't care.
Why would the article mention "Shetangi"? "Shetangi" is not a real entity. However Zulema utilized this "alter ego" is not part of the issues delineated in this article. Perhaps the stereotype "Shetangi" represents is more comfortable to you. Does Tim Gunn's feelings for Zulema invalidate Zulema's stated reasons for how she handled Marla? Not once did Zulema say she was a "shrinking violet" or implied that she behaved like one. Why are you commenting about Zulema's behavior and not Marla's(particularly if she went off the way Zulema said she did)? How would like someone speaking to you like you were a child because of your race? Would they deserve your friendship or respect?

Anonymous said...

"So Zulema, this is also a competition for the models as well, too. So you also as well have the option to choose another model too. Also, what's it gonna be?"

I am SOOOO glad to now that I am not the only one who grinds her teeth every time Heidie says that horribly redundant phrase: "Models, this is also a competition for you as well." Seriously, by the second season, hadn't ANYONE on the whole freakin show noticed how repugnantly ungrammatical it was.

Ok, I'm a drama queen for grammar. Comes with my job: copy editor. But please. Were the writers trying to make her sound extra exotic or something?

:-)
CB

Unknown said...

Who is Shannon?

Anonymous said...

"Kristen said...
Who is Shannon?"

Emmett's model

Anonymous said...

I've never gotten the whole "Shetangi" thing. Is this something Zulema calls herself, or is it something Tim Gunn called her, or what? Is it a nice thing, or a snide thing?

I read the article too, I was surprised by how pretty she is. But having said that, I'm not buying the thing about Marla. It's one thing to say that a person was racist and patronizing, it's quite another to be saying by intimation that all the other (white) people in the room were fine with it. No way that shit would go on in front of *my* face without me getting in it, and I can't be the only one!

Also, I'm sorry but if you're going for drama, there's no WAY the producers would have edited out a curse-filled tirade directed at a black person by a white person. Are you kidding? It's their wet dream come true!

Anne

GothamTomato said...

...but you've got to admit it was funny that, after all the drama, and all Zulema's insinuations that her model was a handicap, that when the dust settled, and with her new, fabulous model, she sent a dress down the runway that looked like a 7th grade home-ec project.

That's comedy.

--Gotham Tomato

Anonymous said...

Again the issue is about approach and drama.

The decision to switch models was not wrong but her style of doing it was totally unnecessary. Personally the walk-off only served to entertain the viewers. Yes Tarah was a far better model than Rachael but I have to say Rachael managed to do a respectable job for Nick and later for Daniel at Bryant Park.

Did Nick truly overeact? who can say for sure. Even Nick says that's old news and a model switch is not a big deal in the grand scheme of world events. However a show like PR is an intense non-stop event. Pass the halfway mark the pressure I imagine is pretty heavy and overbearing. Ergo Zulema's desire to switch models and Nick's intense response.

And let's not forget Nick was drawing his inspiration from Tarah. At the time, from his perspective it propbably felt like a stab to the back. Plus I noticed in her interview while Zulema was sorry for the mess, she makes no mention of trying to make peace with Nick at the time.

How much of TV Zulema is accurate. Who knows for sure. By her admission in interviews she kept to herself so not to give the editors any fodder. She was afraid to be exploited. But she ended up handing them a villainous identity to work with.

as a side note regarding Uli. It just wasn't the fact Uli had built good relations with the other designers that factored into. Yes she took Nazri from Micahel which seemed kind of pointless by then since Lindsay was doign a good job for her. However she first took Nazri from Keith after she won the Dog Challenge. Everyone already knew she wanted Nazri early on so it wasn't a big shock

FRank

Unknown said...

I am not sure I buy what Zulema had to say in her interview. While Zulema did assert herself (via Shetange') quite often on the show, she was NOT the innocent victim of editing. Let's not forget how awful she was to Kara Janx during their challenge. And I find it really hard to believe that Marla the Mouse was gearing towards being this season's Wendy Pepper. Marla seemed very weak as a designer as well as a person, I could not possibly imagine Marla going at it with Zulema. Zulema was always complaining about not having enough time to finsih her garments, she knew the parameters of the show and its challenges, and she knew what she was getting into as a contestant on a reality TV show. She gave the producers everything they used in the show to represent her, so I really have no sympathy for her being "misrepresented." She had awful relationships with designers and models alike, and she has always spoken ill of the show, its judges, the designers, and the models. So I really don't feel sorry for her in any way. She represented herself the way she did, so she shouldn't complain about her PR experience. She should be thankful for the global exposure the show has brought her.

JohnP

Anonymous said...

I agree with Anne. As a television producer, I can tell you that the curse-filled tirade trumps just about everything, especially a black woman telling people that life isn't fair. It's a rule. And if, for some strange reason, the producers chose to leave it out, I would think one of the other designers (weren't Kara and Lupe in the room?) would have mentioned Marla's poor behavior in a post-show interview. If I remember correctly, most people just said Marla didn't have a clue about design, not that she was mean.

- Sarah

Anonymous said...

Why is a walk-off a "high-handed power play"? Seems to me that it's a perfectly logical and reasonable way to choose a model.

Anonymous said...

"John said...
She represented herself the way she did, so she shouldn't complain about her PR experience. She should be thankful for the global exposure the show has brought her.

JohnP"

I agree, the designers know exactly what they're getting themselves into. When I hear them complain about the show, how they're portrayed blah blah blah I feel like reminding them that it's a reality show and that nobody knew who the heck they were before the show.

Anonymous said...

Zulema may be a drama queen about the walk-off but she was perfectly within reason to ask for one, given that Heidi allowed it and the producers allowed it. Is it wrong to switch models like the rules allowed Zulema to? Of course not. Why are these people acting as if Zulema has violated some unspoken codex of fairplay when she is just taking advantage of a rule of the competition?

Anonymous said...

"She feels that Project Runway’s judges were too restrictive in their aesthetic preferences, discouraging this creative philosophy. She notes that Banana Republic (a major sponsor of the show) and Michael Kors (one of the judges) have a clean, classic look that doesn’t leave much room for experimentation."

I have been saying this to my friends all along. Time to get rid of MK.


Great post, boys!

Anonymous said...

Watching grown designers behaving like children can be deliciously entertaining.

I definitely agree that Zulema should not have been ostracized for switching models. But I found much of her interview pretty hard to buy.

First, her discussion of the model switch makes no sense at all. She says she thought choosing Tarah was the most diplomatic choice, and if she'd chosen "Daniel's model Shannon" he would have just won again and taken her back, causing Rachel to be sent home. WTF? The only and obvious diplomatic choice would have been to pick Emmett's model, and did she/does she really think that Shannon was Daniel's model?

The stuff about Marla also made little sense. On the one hand, she says that Marla was the one always telling people off and acting like a bitch. At the same time, she says that the producers' kept Marla on the show because they thought she was another Wendy Pepper, but that never materialized. Did she act like a bitch or didn't she? Make up your mind.

I've never really bought into the theory that the producers make the decisions about who to "auf." But even if they do, I find it hard to believe that, if Marla was giving off Wendy Pepper-like behavior at the beginning, that the producers would leave it on the cutting room floor. And if Marla engaged in a display that stunned everyone there, why haven't we heard about it before from anyone else? And why is it that Tim and the other designers have an obvious dislike for Zulema, and not for Marla?

eric3000 said...

Zulema: "I would like to have a walk-off between the following three models ..."

Heidi: "I don't remember mentioning a motherfucking walk-off; I just said you could pick another model."

Ah, as Trixie says on another blog, we can all divide our lives into the pre-Walk-off and post-Walk-off periods. Life will never be the same.

Anonymous said...

I didn't really think the walk-off made Zulema a villain or a bitch necessarily. It was allowed, and she just used her resources. If Nick did it, would he be thought of as an asshole?

Anonymous said...

Nick shouldn't have acted in the manner that he did, because designers lose models all the time. The emotional side of me was shocked and appalled and wanted to smack Zulema, however the more rational and competitive side of me believes that she did the right thing. If she had a model that couldn’t walk—and hell, even Tim called Zulema’s model “an elongated marshmallow with Gumby legs”—and couldn’t show off her clothes properly, well then hell yeah, pick a new model! As Zulema said, it’s not personal, it’s business.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:50am said:
"Why would the article mention "Shetangi"? "Shetangi" is not a real entity. However Zulema utilized this "alter ego" is not part of the issues delineated in this article. Perhaps the stereotype "Shetangi" represents is more comfortable to you."

Well, no. It is exactly one of the issues delineated in "Dualities: An Interview with Zulema Griffin...." One of the central issues.

Aside from her defense of the walk-off, the bulk of the interview concerns how Zulema thinks she was edited "beyond self-recognition" and that she was not portrayed as an out lesbian. From the article: "Upon meeting Zulema Griffin, it is not difficult to see how the articulate, assertive designer could be boxed into the caricature of a snarling diva on season two of Bravo’s reality TV show, Project Runway. Zulema’s presence is commanding; she is unabashedly straightforward and unapologetic, exuding self-assurance and characteristics that, in most contexts, are evidence of a strong sense of self. But when pared down to digestible snippets of reality television, these attributes transformed her (with the help of an editing crew) into the one-dimensional stock character of a bitchy black female, an irresponsible and unfounded stereotype that, for some reason, has become a staple of reality TV programs."

"Shetangi" IS that one-dimensional stock character of a bitchy black female. But she was Zulema's creation, not that of a Bravo editing crew. Zulema threw it out there and knew exactly what stereotype it represented. One of the ways Zulema seemed to use this alter ego was to avoid responsibility and distance herself from her own bad behavior. "Oh, that wasn't the real me, that was Shetangi." This duality strikes me as no different than the "real Zulema" vs. "Zulema the reality show character created by the PR editing crew" duality that is a central premise of the article.

Further in the article: "One major aspect of Zulema never made it into the show: her lesbian identity. While it would be impossible to edit out the overtly gay characteristics of her male castmates (“Where the hell is my chiffon?”), it would be equally difficult to portray Zulema as a lesbian without some sort of explicit personal declaration."
In other words, the boys are SO stereotypically queeny that we automatically know they are gay and they don't need to say so. But, unfortunately, Zulema doesn't fit a corresponding visual stereoptype of a lesbian, so this key part of her identity was hidden from TV viewers.

Well then, why wasn't there a personal declaration from the articulate, assertive, self-assured Ms. Griffin, if this was important to her? Daniel V. had a very touching conversation about his coming out and his identity as a gay male. Wouldn't it have been interesting for Zulema to do the same, rather than just playing up the Shetangi character?

Anonymous said...

I find Zulema's comments about how she was portrayed a bit hard to fathom (agreeing with previous commenters in that regard). Sure the public sees a very watered down version of what goes on, but she makes it sound as if she was booted from the show for no longer having any good drama to offer. She had managed to skate by (no pun intended) on most of the previous challenges. Her last dress was hideous. How can she possibly believe it was all about the producers deciding it was her time. Marla was aufed pretty early on, so I also don't see how she can claim the producers kept her around for drama potential. I think Zulema is in the habit of finger-pointing everywhere but at herself. I think it's also telling that she doesn't maintain relationships/contact with most (any?) of the other designers. Makes me think she really IS difficult to be around.

Anonymous said...

You know, that's the first interview with her where I haven't heartily diliked her after reading, and I liked her fine on the show, mind you. I agree with most of her choices; she wasn't going to be bossed around by some wussy, talentless hack (it would be interesting to see the uneditted footage of Marla to see how it really went down, but I imagine Zulema was neither as bitchy as the editted version let on, nor as innocent as she protests that she is), she wasn't going to let a sniveling mess ruin the challenge and get her kicked off the show, and she wasn't going to stick with a model that was crap. She could have done it all more tactfully, certainly, but I don't think the way she did was so terribly inappropriate. And I love Uncle Nick dearly, I truly do, but if you can't keep your shit together over something like a model switch, you've got bigger problems ahead of you in the industry.

Anonymous said...

GP said...

Anonymous 11:50am said:
"Why would the article mention "Shetangi"? "Shetangi" is not a real entity. However Zulema utilized this "alter ego" is not part of the issues delineated in this article. Perhaps the stereotype "Shetangi" represents is more comfortable to you."

Well, no. It is exactly one of the issues delineated in "Dualities: An Interview with Zulema Griffin...." One of the central issues.

Where? Where is the character Shetangi depicted once in the article? THAT'S the point of the response. Macasism asked, "Notice how Shetangi is never mentioned in the article?".

Once again, YOU are attempting to use that (regardless of who created it) stereotype to further your assessment of ZG's character instead of addressing the point of the question. Note that the quote you're utilizing (whether it's accurate or not is also in question) is not in the article in question. How typical.

As for the issue of Ms Griffins lesbian identity, how do you know any reference wasn't edited out? I remember an article (aol black voices) where she states that she was in contact w/ her partner during the course of the competition but it was never displayed in the editing of the series.

Cat said...

Bring back the button bag. It's more of an impetus to win if it improves a designer's opportunity to work with her/his favorite model.

Someone would have brought up Marla's behavior on the show or at the reunion if it had been as juicy as Zulema says. They showed Vincent's laundry meltdown, and that only involved shirts.

Anonymous said...

How would like someone speaking to you like you were a child because of your race?

Perhaps, being a mother, Marla comes off in a momlike/condescending way to anyone who is rude or obnoxious. Zulema chose to believe that it was because of her race, but perhaps there was another reason.

And even if Marla did treat her badly or lose control, are we meant to believe that it was utterly unprovoked? Zulema did say, "I don't believe in fairness." If she were just defending herself from someone who had gone off the beam for no reason, would that be a meaningful response?

I would be more inclined to believe Zulema if ANYONE from the show backed her up, or if she showed any self-awareness or responsibility for her actions. Even during the judging, she had excuse after excuse for her poor execution and design issues. (Rachael's ass was exposed because she had a big butt, WHAT?) Besides, if Tim Gunn doesn't like you, there's got to be a reason.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and btw, I'm not defending Marla. If she did bitch Zulema out, that wasn't cool. And on the dvd's you can hear her flinging f-bombs from time to time so it's not so far fetched as that.

I still doubt Z's version of events. And think she had every right to steal Tarah.

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting the article. It helps put Zulema's frigid behavior on the reunion show into perspective. I don't know how many episodes had aired by the time the reunion show taped, but she was clearly unhappy to be associated with the show at that point.

Anonymous said...

I also have a hard time believing Zulema's implied allegation that Marla was a bitch and a racist. After all, she seemed to work just fine with an Asian woman and a Latina in the team challenges.

Anonymous said...

"She feels that Project Runway’s judges were too restrictive in their aesthetic preferences, discouraging this creative philosophy. She notes that Banana Republic (a major sponsor of the show) and Michael Kors (one of the judges) have a clean, classic look that doesn’t leave much room for experimentation."

Neither Jay McCarroll or Jeffrey have clean, classic looks. Yet they both won. How does Zulema explain that?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I'm not drinking her kool-aid either. She was the one unyielding about the closet and "not believing in fairness". IIRC, one of the reasons Marla, Kara, and Lupe were in the kitchen getting ready was because they said Zulema took forever in the bathroom. She threw a (loud) fit over her missing manequin. Tim mentioned that she would took bolt(s) of muslin for herself. Separately: quirky behavior; all together: obnoxious.

I think she was within her rights with switching models and don't have a problem with that. But, I think she needs to look at how she came across and learn from it. Maybe she doesn't realize that she is sometimes too assertive and her tone is harsh. When a person blames everyone around them, I'm suspicious.

Re: her comments on the judges, I'm with tina (6:02)--S1 and S3 winners didn't have clean styles. And Santino was in the final three in S3. If she had produced anything out-of-the-box, she might have a point, but she didn't--her designs were not that innovative. I could buy this point from Lupe, but not Zulema.

Anonymous said...

How could I forget about Santino? Talk about lack of clean lines, and they loved his "point of view."

Jukey said...

I always felt a little sheepish approaching the question of Zulema's supposedly high-handed request for a walk-off. Until you Gayboys got all sensible about it -- which is just so charming, how utterly sensible Tom and Lorenzo are -- I never wanted to say what I am about to: It was within the rules. It shouldn't matter what kind of person you are perceived to be around the Atlas Apartments if you take advantage of a kink in the rules. I didn't love Zulema or her poorly made, high-school drama-department designs, but the setup of Season 2 allowed for a designer to choose a new model, and she did. Rachael was no prize; not that she did much for Shantagi's crap-ass designs afterward, but girl was trying to hang on.
That said, a friend found a fabulous sign in the parking lot of a CVS near his house: No Walk Offs. Oh, honey. If only.

Anonymous said...

Zulema may have been within her rights to change models (and I don't have a problem with that or with the walk-off), but she was an outcast before this. It's just now become obvious to the rest of us. I don't buy that it was racism. I think Zulema is just a nasty, difficult personality disorder in action. Her interview clinches my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Bunch of bitchy drama queens! I wanted to slap Nick. The little shrew got so hysterical.

Zulema had the option of switching models and she took it. That's perfectly acceptable. It was the smart thing to do.

Uli did the same thing. She switched models. And Michael handled it like a reasonable adult.

Shut up, Nick! He could learn a lesson from Michael Knight.

Anonymous said...

I'll never forgive Zulema. Because of her and her crappy designs Tarah was out.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe Zulema. Marla would never say those things.

Anonymous said...

And did Nick really cry for 2 days?
Considering the source, it's probably another lie.

Anonymous said...

I thought Zulema decision to choose another model was within the rules and appropriate for her situation with Tarah.

However the attitude that Zulema had during that scene I found to be bitchy and she seemed to think she was superior than the other designers. If her previous designs were big hits I could understand see where she was coming from.

Zulema understood the competition, but didn't try to at least function with the other designers and the results did her in.

Nick whined too much about the loss and I was SO happy when he finally buckled down and made lemonade out his lemons.

PS I really feel for Tarah, who was eliminated so quickly after the switch.

Bill said...

Girl!! That was a riot.