Project Runway Season 8 Finale: Andy & Mondo Out While Gretchen Wins

Thanks to the technological miracle known as a DVR, I was easily able to zip through Thursday night's Part 2 of the Season Finale of Project Runway, while eating lunch today.

It was a 2 hour long Part 2 Season Finale.

It started with the Final 3 of Mondo, Gretchen and Lizard Man, I mean, Andy, sitting around talking about how amazing it is that they were where they were.

While staying true to their "design aesthetic."

I really have grown tired of that "design aesthetic" phrase.

Back at their domicile a note is found telling the Final 3 they will be meeting some old friends. It occurred to none of them that the old friends would be the cut designers.

What followed was a reunion, of sorts, that was sort of amusing. Then the Final 3 came out and we suffered through montages of their journey to stay true to their design aesthetics.

Finally it was back in the workroom.

And then to the Runway. Where Jessica Simpson was the Guest Judge. I figured we'd get some classic Jessica Simpson dumb comments. As I often am, I was wrong.

Andy showed off his design aesthetic first. Gone was his embarrassing bikini. It all looked blah to me.

Then Gretchen showed off her design aesthetic. It did not look as blah as Andy's. But where is it women were those short shorts on some of Gretchen's models?

And then it was Mondo. All dressed up in a suit. Mondo's design aesthetic was quite clear. It is good? I have no idea. Sort of entertaining to look at.

And then it was time for the Judges to chat. They quickly agreed that Andy was out.

After making the quick Andy decision there was a lot of arguing about the design aesthetics of Gretchen and Mondo, with Nina Garcia and Michael Kors thinking Gretchen has a feel for the pulse of current trends and fashion, while Mondo has a feel for the pulse of circus attire.

But, Heidi Klum and Jessica really liked Mondo's circus wear, both wanting to wear Mondo's polka dot dress.

Jessica was actually quite bright. At one point, when it was Andy being discussed, with Heidi, Nina and Michael agreeing that Andy had toned down, way too far, the design aesthetic that made him stand out, to which Jessica asked, "Did you guys scare him into scaling it back?" Or something like that.

Finally the arguing was over. Cut to commercial. Andy is quickly cut. We may have cut to another commercial. Hard to remember with DVR fast forwarding.

Heidi praised both Gretchen and Mondo and told them it was the longest deliberation in Project Runway history. And then told Gretchen she was the winner of Project Runway.

Mondo took his shocking defeat well. Very classy little guy. I thought he was the for sure winner.

Below is a video of Gretchen in which she demonstrates why some found her insufferable. I grew to like her. I like insufferable people who stay true to their design aesthetic.

Survivor Nicaragua: Marty Throws His Hidden Immunity Idol Away, But Not To Jill

No, that is not Marty throwing away his Hidden Immunity Idol. That came later in Wednesday night's Episode 7 of Survivor Nicaragua.

Marty and Jill knew they were in trouble. Fellow old-timer, Jane, had defected to the kids, who collectively out-numbered Marty and Jill.

Sash plotted with a pair of the kids and then offered Marty a deal. If he'd give Sash his Hidden Immunity Idol, Sash would protect Marty and they'd vote out Jill.

Marty did not do much contemplating before agreeing to throw Jill under the bus. I mean, off the tribe.

I did not understand the logic of Marty's move.

And, am I just remembering wrong, but was it not Marty and Jill, together, who found that Hidden Immunity Idol after Jill got the clue?

Why did Marty not simply tell Sash he was going to use his Hidden Immunity Idol, that night, to guarantee making it to the merge? And tell Sash that he was willing to vote Jill out. I think Sash and his crew of kids would have been too dumb to think that Marty might double-cross them by not using the Idol. And instead give it to Jill.

Which is what Marty should have done. If the kids didn't throw any votes Marty's way, Marty and Jill's two votes could have gotten rid of Sash. That would have made for some good TV.

Survivor Nicaragua is not being as entertaining as the two most recent Survivors, those being the Samoa ones with Russell Hantz providing good entertainment.

Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for October 18 - October 24

The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for October 18 - October 24. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.

Rank	Show name	Network	Viewers in millions	Season-to-date average (in millions)
1.	Vikings/Packers	NBC	25.7	21.2
2.	NCIS	CBS	19.4	20.8
3.	Daincing with the Stars	ABC	19.3	20.8
4.	NCIS: Los Angeles	CBS	16.0	17.3
5.	60 Minutes	CBS	15.8	14.2
6.	Dancing with the Stars results	ABC	15.5	17.2
7.	CSI	CBS	15.0	15.4
8.	Criminal Minds	CBS	14.5	15.7
9.	The Mentalist	CBS	14.4	16.7
10.	Football Night in America Pt. 3	NBC	13.7	11.7
11.	Two and a Half Men	CBS	13.5	15.2
12.	Big Bang Theory	CBS	13.1	14.5
13.	Survivor: Nicaragua	CBS	12.3	13.2
14.	Desperate Housewives	ABC	12.2	13.8
*	The Good Wife	CBS	12.2	13.5
16.	Modern Family	ABC	12.0	13.7
*	Undercover Boss	CBS	12.0	13.1
18.	Giants/Phillies Game 6	Fox	11.6	--
19.	Amazing Race	CBS	11.4	12.0
20.	Blue Bloods	CBS	11.2	12.8
*	Phillies/Giants Game 5	Fox	11.2	--

The Real Housewives of Atlanta: NeNe Surgery, Phaedra's Baby Shower & Kim's New Song

I think Monday's new episode of  The Real Housewives of Atlanta was episode 4 of the 3rd season. After the season opener I opined that it was very boring and that I fast forwarded past the new housewives, Cynthia the model and Phaedra the lawyer.

I read some amusing Phaedra stuff that my fast forwarding denied me the pleasure of viewing. So, I did no fast forwarding on the latest episode.

And it was the best episode of the Atlanta girls in a long time. 

NeNe went in for some plastic surgery. Apparently she'd had implants inserted some time back, but had grown tired of carrying around her big boobage. And apparently there was some extra poundage in the belly zone that NeNe wanted removed. And a nose job.

NeNe drugged up on anesthetics and continuing to talk was funny.

Then we saw, for the first time, Kim's mom and dad. The idea of a Kim mom and dad had not previously occurred to me. Apparently they live nearby, but since Kim has become a superstar they seldom see her. Kim's dad thinks he and she are lookalikes. During the course of this visit we learned, from Kim, that she is back with Big Poppa. Saying that apparently they can not live without each other.

There was a lot of talk from Kim's dad along the line that Kim needs to attend a Catholic Church regularly. So, that Kim's youngest can have communion or get blessed or something.

For some reason Cynthia and her old boy friend (by old, I mean age-wise, not ex) rode in a limo with Phaedra and Dwight, to some cheap looking horse event. Cynthia's old boy friend did not like it that Phaedra's husband, Apollo, had been replaced by everyone's gay boyfriend, Dwight.

The snarky comments from Cynthia, about Phaedra, were quite funny. That Phaedra is a piece of work. It appears she pays not attention at all to who is hearing what she is saying. Basically she called Cynthia's old boy friend dirty, because he had kids. There were many Phaedra faux pas.

Sheree went to a seminar presented by her new boy friend, Ty Muhammad, or something like that. That turned quite amusing as the boy friend brought Sheree up in front of the audience where, self-described shy Sheree, did real well in the witty repartee department with the "doctor."

Then there was Kim's visit to Kandi's studio. I have really grown to like Kandi. She is the sanest and most level headed of the Atlanta Housewives. Kim thinks she should have another song to go along with her Tardy For The Party mega-hit. She tells Kandi she has a title to the song. "Ring Don't Mean A Thing." I think that was it.

Then Kim told Kandi she still thought country was the direction she should go. Kandi said, fine, sing me your favorite country song. The crickets chirped as we waited for Kim to think of a song. That may have been the point when Kim told Kandi her brilliant song title.

The last segment of the episode was Phaedra's bizarre baby shower. It was sort of surreal. The other housewives all thought it odd and made real funny snarky comments. Cluelessly tacky Dwight helped Phaedra put on this fiasco, and played the role of husband, due to Apollo refusing to be part of the sissy event.

I can not remember any of the snarky comments at this point in time. What I do remember is I laughed more during this episode of the Atlanta Housewives than I have laughed at anything on TV in a long time.

The Amazing Race Season 17: Episode 5: Nat & Kat 1st Again While Volleyballers Katie & Rachel Eliminated

Another great episode of The Amazing Race. Doctors Nat & Kat were first to leave and first to the Pitstop, for the 2nd week in a row.

Nat & Kat found the first Fast Forward after driving to the Norway town of Narvik, to find a gondola station to take a ride to the top of mountain. A ride that had Nat in tears due to her fear of heights.

The Fast Forward directed Nat & Kat to a nearby restaurant where they were to partake of a traditional Norwegian Christmas ritual. The eating of a roasted sheep's head. Yum.

Now it was Kat's turn to be scared. She'd been a vegetarian for 22 years, with no meat passing her lips in all that time. But, somehow both managed to eat their was through the disgusting thing and then made it first to the Pitstop.

The Fast Forward provided some Nick & Vicki amusement. They opted to try for the Fast Forward. When the pair got to the restaurant there was a sign that said "Fast Forward Taken." They could not figure out what this meant. Eventually they gave up trying to solve that puzzle and proceeded on to a Roadblock.

The Roadblock was a rappelling challenge. Lowering yourself from the Skjombrua Bridge to the water below, then use a mechanical ascender to pull yourself back up.

Nick & Vicki do real well at any non-cerebral challenge, so Vicki was a speed demon on the bridge.

The clue after completing the Roadblock directed teams to find their next clue in Harvika. Michael & Kevin, Gary & Mallory and Jill & Thomas got to the Harvika cluebox first, to find a Detour. Bikes or Boats. With Bikes you had to ride a mountain bike to a sign with a combination lock code, in a color matching your bike lock.

Nick bragged about what a machine he has always been on a bike, back to his BMX days as a kid. I thought they might have trouble remembering the color and the combination. But they didn't. And it turned out it was Vicki who was a biking machine, while Nick had to walk his bike up steep parts.

In the Boat option teams had to find a fishing trawler and guide the captain to where they needed to get off the boat to deliver a pair of fish and a chain saw to an old Norwegian. Obviously Michael & Kevin took this option. No way could Michael have done that mountain bike ride. I find Michael very amusing.

Another thing I found amusing was Thomas getting lost, getting mad, sure he was looking at a different bridge than the one he'd just rappelled down. It was confusing to me. I did not understand how Thomas got so confused.

In the end, after all completed either Bikes or Boats, Gary & Mallory were #2, Jill & Thomas #3, Michael & Kevin #4, Brook & Claire #5,  Nick & Vicki #6, Chad & Stephanie #7, with Katie & Rachel sad to be last.

Next week we go to Russia where it appears some frustration takes place with Chad getting mad.

Project Runway: Part 1 of Season Finale Sends Michael Costello Home

I don't remember when I've seen such devastation on a Reality TV Show as what we saw when Michael Costello realized he was out on Project Runway.

I think among the sobbing I heard Michael say that this setback would have his family demanding he get married again. So, that is where the kid came from? He'd been married?

Anyway, Tim Gunn checking in on the final 4 at home was interesting.

Andy South, in Hawaii, was the most likable he has been. But, I totally don't get why he was not the one who was out, what with the bizarre bikini. Andy's back sob story caused me to find him a little less annoying. Apparently they'd escaped from Laos. And now operate a farm where catfish are grown among other things.

Hawaii made Andy seem like much more of a macho man than New York City did. Andy horrified Tim by picking up a live catfish and made Tim scream like a school girl when Andy suggested handing the catfish to Tim so he could have fun holding it. Andy was also very adept and breaking open a coconut.

I  think next up was Mondo in Denver. Mondo's family seemed nice. Funny dialogue between Tim and Mondo's mother about the raising of Mondo. Apparently Mondo was forced to place baseball (short stop) if he wanted to take piano lessons. His family seemed quite proud of Mondo now, especially his sister.

And then it was to Palm Springs to check in on Michael. Michael had a lot of friends there, all male, and his little boy. And his live-in boyfriend. Apparently Michael's family have long given him a hard time about his lifestyle choices.

And then it was off to Portland to check in on Gretchen Jones. Well, Gretchen has been a Reality TV Show Goldmine. I've gone for really disliking her and wanting her to have a humiliating comeuppance, to sort of liking her and sort of feeling sorry for her. Apparently Gretchen returned to Portland to find her life destroyed,   abandoned by her significant other (was not made clear what gender. I suspect male.), her bank account wiped out, no place to live. I forget what else was in Gretchen's litany of woe.

Then it was back to NYC where each had to put 2 things from their collection and one new item on the Runway. Andy's was the one among the 4 that seemed really really bad to me. But, what do I know?

Michael Costello just seems like a much better one to keep around, just for the making good TV factor. Andy is really not made for TV.

Tim Gunn and the others were eventually able to get Michael's hysterical sobbing to stop and get him back laughing. In the end Michael really did win everyone over. Except, I suppose, for Ivy.

Glee's Rachel, Quinn & Finn Shocking GQ Magazine Photo Spread

You are looking at one of the supposedly racy photos from GQ Magazine that has some Glee fans in supposed shock mode. There is a picture, or two, of maybe questionable taste, like one where Lea Michele (Rachel) is on a bench in a locker room with her legs up in the air.

The other two Glee people in the pictures are Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Cory Monteith (Finn).

Near as I could tell Cory Monteith does nothing distasteful in the pictures.

Dianna Agron has apologized for her part in this scalding controversy.

Apparently Glee is very popular with 8 and 9 year olds. It is the parents of those pre-teens who objected to the GQ layout. I guess. What 8 or 9 year old reads GQ?

And what parent in their right mind would let an 8 or 9 year old watch Glee?

The most recent new Glee episode, titled Duets, seemed to contain far more scandalous stuff than what I saw in GQ. You had an apparently quite slutty Cherio Cheerleader Glee Singer making whoopy on a bed with another cheerleader who was in dire need of body warmth, something to do with being like a reptile, due to her boyfriend being in the slammer and unable to provide warmth.

Then the slutty Cheerio Cheerleader Glee Singer needed a duet partner. So, she targeted the Glee Singer in the wheelchair. He was having trouble agreeing to the duet, so she picked him up out of the wheelchair and put him on her busy bed, where he asked if he was about to lose her virginity, to which she said, "We're gonna do it and duet."

Those are just two examples of stuff an 8 or 9 year should not be seeing on TV.

Now, the duet between Finn and Rachel and its tastelessness would sail right over an 8 or 9 year old. The other Glee Singers seemed more shocked by it than I was. I likely would not have thought anything of it, had not the fuss been made. Rachel and Finn were attired like a nun and priest, and sang a love song to each other.

In the next episode of Glee the Glee Singers put on a production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. That has all sorts of tastelessness potential. Glee should do HAIR.

Nielsen Rating's Top 20 for October 11 - October 17

The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for October 11 - October 17. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.

Rank	Show name	Network	Viewers in millions	Season-to-date average (in millions)
1.	Dancing with the Stars	ABC	19.5	21.0
2.	NCIS	CBS	19.2	20.6
3.	SundayNight Football	NBC	19.1	20.5
4.	Dancing with the Stars results	ABC	16.1	17.5
5.	NCIS: Los Angeles	CBS	16.0	17.1
6.	The Mentalist	CBS	15.1	16.6
7.	CSI	CBS	14.5	14.9
8.	Criminal Minds	CBS	14.0	15.4
9.	Two and a Half Men	CBS	13.5	15.1
10.	60 Minutes	CBS	12.8	13.7
11.	Desperate Housewives	ABC	12.7	13.8
12.	Big Bang Theory	CBS	12.6	14.2
13.	Undercover Boss	CBS	12.4	13.0
14.	Survivor: Nicaragua	CBS	12.3	13.0
15.	Grey's Anatomy	ABC	12.1	14.5
16.	The Good Wife	CBS	121.8	13.2
17.	Modern Family	ABC	11.5	13.3
18.	Glee	Fox	11.4	13.4
19.	The OT	Fox	11.3	11.8
20.	Amazing Race	CBS	10.9	11.9
*	CSI: Miami	CBS	10.9	12.2

The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Kim's White Party Singing Without Wardrobe Malfunction

Last night was another amusing episode of the new season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

With Kim providing the most amusement. Along with Kim's equally, more sophisticatedly amusing, sidekick, Kandi.

Other things happened on this episode, like Sheree confronting Dwight about his claim of spending $30,000 on Sheree's fashion show. Meeting Sheree's daughter who we had not met before, who, apparently Sheree had when she was very very young, was semi-interesting.

I fast forward through the new housewives, Cynthia and Phaedra.

So, back to Kim. Heading to Palm Springs for the White Party, a big weekend long party for boys who like boys, Kim packed enough clothing and wigs to last her a year. Kim talked Kandi into coming along.

Upon arrival in California, Kim rented a Lamborghini and a limo to haul all her luggage.

Kandi was a bit exasperated with Kim's diva act. But Kim's diva act is pretty funny. As is Kandi's reactions to it.

Kim had trouble focusing during the rehearsal. Trouble getting gracefully out of the giant martini glass in which she was to be brought to the stage, carried by 10 half-naked guys.

Kim's excessively over-developed boobage amounted to being a new cast member this episode. The boobage went bared and blurred multiple times. With Kim saying she'd be mortified if such exposure occurred while she was singing for the boys who like boys.

To prevent a wardrobe malfunction a last minute alteration was made so Kim's boobs could not escape.

Kim was very very nervous, leading up to the show. Or so she said. As she was heading towards getting into the martini glass, and Chi Chi LaRue was introducing her, a gust of wind blew Kim's dress up, ala Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.

A quick fix was made and then Kim was on stage singing Tardy for the Party for her adoring fans. Soon joined, and helped by Kandi. I was very surprised at how well Kim did. As was Kandi.

Kim said once she started singing her nerves went away and it became fun.

In the end, so much fun was had by Kim that she suggested to Kandi that they now tour together. Kandi was perplexed. Tour? With one song?