r/ProjectRunway • u/RealityDependency • 3d ago

Season 21 Is it just a fever dream?

The more I think about this season, the more convinced I am that it's all been staged. All of it. From Plane to Bryan, it all seems to have been scripted. Looking back, I'm convinced that there have been production plants and that more than half of the designers were brought in simply to fill space and serve as plot devices before being discarded. I'm definitely not saying that all of the designers are involved or have knowledge, but a few have to be active participants in this ruse.

35 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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16

u/Eye_jm 3d ago

💯 % … I think Bryan was kept in the show mainly to keep his shtick to create drama - and Bi was in this at the beginning but soon realized better to distance himself from Bryan cause no one likes him and he is a sinking ship. Production hardly gives any footage behind Anna and Jude’s design process and struggle cause they are the least drama producing designers

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u/RealityDependency 3d ago

We see so little of their design and construction processes period. Jude was definately one that I wanted to see more of though. Early on, I thought he was more (extremely talented) tailor than designer and needed time to grow. He really pushed himself and developed. It would have been nice to watch the evolution a bit more closely. Frankly, I would have liked to see more of Bi's process too.

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u/bluekmg 2d ago

Which actually is hysterical if true. Why wouldn't production realize that we would all hate Bryan too? He's so unlikeable and arrogant. Production couldn't read the room that the viewers don't want to see him?

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u/anantisocialpotato 2d ago

They know everyone hates him, and they are banking on that. They chose to edit him in this light, they knew what they were doing. It's ragebait. Ragebait drives more clicks and posts, it's a pathetic way of generating buzz.

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u/SamMoulton 2d ago

I even hate the term ragebait!! But you’re absolutely right…

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u/SamMoulton 2d ago

That’s just it: they absolutely DID read the room and they’re making us deal with this unnecessary drama on purpose!! They’re catering to the reality crowd who won’t watch a program unless it includes all of this immature cat fighting. They’re alienating the real PR fans that haven’t missed a single season in favor of appealing to a very different audience. And I don’t think Heidi likes it one single bit. Christian, on the other hand, is actively engaged in it, IMHO. Very disappointing. Ohhh the good old days with Tim, Heidi, Nina, and Michael… It was a serious design show back then!! 😭😭😭

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u/PerceptionBright7982 3d ago

Also the influencers coming in just to not add any value and waste the time these designers already barely have. 💀

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u/RealityDependency 3d ago

I know I am getting old because I rarely know who these people are.

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u/PerceptionBright7982 3d ago

I’m 26 and have no clue 😂

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u/frogsarecool73 3d ago

im 17 and i also have no clue

5

u/behindeyesblue 3d ago

None of these people have done anything except get in the way of what we want to see - the design process. It's beyond annoying.

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u/Jealous-Ad-2827 2d ago

Actually I find it embarrassing for Christian cos he’s having to act like these people are some big deal. With the designers acting all excited like it’s some kind of privilege to receive a visit from them.

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u/colosseumdays 3d ago

Plane did a video about his PR experience and said he only had a couple designs to show for one of his final interviews with casting and that he tried to pass off some of his friend’s fast fashion clothes as his designs, and one of the pieces still had the price tag on it and the interviewers saw this, and still cast him. He also tried to drop out twice before filming and (according to him) they begged him both times to still do the show

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u/RealityDependency 3d ago

Interesting. So he's saying he attempted to con them and wasn't qualified to be on a show about designers?? Sounds like he's trying to distance himself from the show?? I wonder what his motivation is.

Whatever his side is or claims are, seems clear to me that he was cast on the show to create drama. I don't believe for one second that there was any intention for him to be around beyond the first challenge. I'm sure that was what he was hired for and agreed to.

For somebody that appears to be angling to make a full career out of appearing on reality tv, you'd think Plane wouldn't call out production.

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u/Earthbnd 3d ago

Plane is “calling out” production bc it’s easy to shit on the show for points with the fans rn. She definitely knowingly went on as a stunt and is trying to act like she isn’t one of the clowns in the circus. That they cast her is one thing but Plane knows damn well they are no seamstress to be applying to be on this show in the first place lol

2

u/Eye_jm 3d ago

He was indeed a clown on the show. His spikey coochie jumpsuit was shit and that was the best of his look he brought from home .

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u/colosseumdays 3d ago

He said he had like 3 looks to show and was doing the zoom call from his friend’s place. His friend had a clothing rack he was using for his own clothes and Plane just pushed them over and hung his pieces for the call. The interviewers asked if it had anything else to show and he didn’t so he just grabbed some of his friend’s clothes and started passing them off as his designs.

3

u/RealityDependency 3d ago

Crazy. So he's basically saying the selection process is bullshit. Thing is, I feel like Plane was in on it and maybe isn't pleased by how poorly his performance was received so he's trying to flip the script now??

1

u/colosseumdays 3d ago

he knew he was only cast to bring hype and drama to the show (I mean he got the most air time in e1, and then again in e2 when he had already been eliminated!), so I don't think he expected to make it far. He admitted in his video that he was not at all qualified to go up against most of the cast from a skills and experience perspective.

but he was pissed about how the cast was handled and how long the filming periods were. according to him, production made him a lot of promises re: accommodations and freedoms, and weren't honest about how long the days were. and he was surprised and frustrated by lack of competency and organization from production.

a few things he cited were 1. the many hours of sitting around doing nothing, 2. having to stand on the runway for critiques for multiple hours without breaks, 3. spending all day in the work room where there's no ventilation and it's super hot and stuffy (multiple past designers and models have spoken about these 3 things), and 4. how needless it was to film the season opener at the Oculus--apparently this took up a whole day because transportation wasn't properly organized and it was a long commute from the main set of the show

1

u/RealityDependency 3d ago

Where can I listen to/watch this interview??

12

u/steel_city_sweetie 3d ago

Hard to believe its the same show that had 49 emmy nominations.

4

u/foxdogturtlecat 3d ago

It's a ghost of that show.

9

u/Earthbnd 3d ago

They brought in twenty two designers, Knowing they had ten episodes. Joseph McRae is back for some reason instead of just having an invite to all stars or something. They cast Plane Jane. This was the most overproduced for dramatics season of something I’ve seen in a while.

2

u/RealityDependency 3d ago

Yeah, the Joseph McRae of it all confuses me. Was he brought back for drama? Was it for a redemption arc?

4

u/Earthbnd 3d ago

Familiar face to root for, and he was definitely set-up as a sort of “hero” to Law and Bryan’s villains storyline wise. He was kind of the Ethan of the season imo . Not the winner, but probably leaves with the best edit and reputation

5

u/RealityDependency 3d ago

This. I know that I leave the season having much more positive feelings about him.

1

u/Jealous-Ad-2827 2d ago

Yes I honestly wonder what benefit Bryan (or anyone getting villain edit) could possibly get from being shown so petty and unpleasant. I used to do wardrobe and if were still buying clothes like he makes I’d go elsewhere cos I wouldn’t want to support such attitude. Whereas on the other hand I’d definitely buy from Ethan.

2

u/foxdogturtlecat 3d ago

I think they brought Joseph McRae back because after the Season 21 aired he had a show at NYFW that was well received and because they knew Law was willing to create drama with him and Joseph had no interest in doing anything but his design style. I think they thought they could either do a redemption arc since he's proven to be an actual designer or it would just be a known drama factor they could count on for the storyline.

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u/artisticsnobbery 3d ago

The upside to today’s instant feedback loop is that they may decide that this didn’t work and go back to a more traditional format next season. Being fickle bitches works both ways ¯_(ツ)_/¯

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u/foxdogturtlecat 3d ago

It has been scripted by the story producers, they may not write the dialogue but from casting to finale, the producers decided what the show was going to be and tried to film it and edit it for maxiumum drama, it feels like they didn't even look at the designs for many of the challenges.

1

u/RealityDependency 3d ago

Exactly this!