Reality on Bravo

Have you ever watched Top Chef and wished you could be a contestant…if only you could cook? Or wished you could be on Shear Genius…if only you could cut hair? Or wish you could be on Project Runway…if only you could design clothing?

Well, now’s your chance to take part in a competition that’s perfect for you—Project Blog.

Project blog will begin this fall to coincide with the new season of Project Runway. Every week, you’ll take part in a competition that mimics the PR challenge, and readers will have a week to vote. The contestant with the lowest number of votes gets eliminated, and the winner will get a special prize. It doesn’t matter what kind of blog you write–all topics can participate. For example, if the challenge on Project Runway is to design an outfit from recyclable trash, I might as you to write a post that “recycles” a post you’ve written in the past.

And oh, there are some great prizes lined up for those who rise to meet the challenge. The winner, choose by a panel of judges and popularity (not by votes alone), will receive a prize every week, as will one lucky reader who votes and leaves a comment. At the end of the competition, the two bloggers still standing will compete for an extra-special prize pack full of goodies from our wonderful sponsors and maybe even some cold, hard cash!

To apply for a spot in Project Blog, click here.

To sponsor one of the challenges email me at allison.boyer-at-yahoo.com.

I can’t wait to get started! Good luck to everyone involved!

Being a reality show bobble-head only ever really pays off in, well - more reality show gigs…Starting Sept. 6, Tim Gunn will be helping real fashion victims “make it work,” when “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style” debuts for eight episodes on Bravo. The show is actually based on Gunn’s new style tome, “Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style.” But wait, “Runway” judge Nina Garcia is releasing her own style bible the very same week, “The Little Black Book of Style.” So how do the “Project Runway” vets stack up against each other? You be the judge.

Read more about the Tim versus Nina showdown here.

Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, Project Runway, reality shows

Tonight is a rerun Top Chef. Sigh. Let’s not talk about how unhappy I am about that.

Instead, let’s turn out mind to happier things! Next week is the premier of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, and here at Reality on Bravo, we have previews and pictures from the first show. Check it out:

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If I could meet some Bravo stars, I’d list Sam from Top Chef, the ladies from the Real Housewives of Orange County, the team from Work Out, and Tim Gunn (yes, I met him already…would like to again!).

But who would these Bravo stars like to meet? According to their myspace pages….

Brian Peeler: Robin Williams, Ed Norton, Jim Carrey, YOU!

Tom Colicchio: I have humbly met everyone I have ever dreamed of meeting.

Lee Anne Wong: Partners in crime. Or the man with the kovorka.

Zen Gray: People interested in fitness, dancing or comedy.

Steven Asprinio: Steve Jobs, Nelly Furtado

Ben Mollin: Mr. T, Jesus, Ice T, God ,Michael Jordan

Brian Malarkey: Happy People. Creative and passionate beings.

Santino Rice: Creative, Unaffected, Honest, Beautiful Human Beings.

Michael Midgley: Hugh Heffner, The MAn Anthony Bourdain, DON AND MIKE RADIO GODS, and Golf Pimp John Daly

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ — The Weinstein Company is pleased to announce that they have completed five multi-year licensing agreements with category partners to coincide with the airing of the fourth season of the Emmy-nominated hit fashion design competition series, PROJECT RUNWAY. This marks the first time PROJECT RUNWAY has extended the brand with a series of licensing partners in consumer products. The licensees include Aaron Company, Brother International, Prym Consumer, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and Simplicity Pattern Co. The partners are currently developing collateral, for both in store and online that will expand the PROJECT RUNWAY brand into retail channels globally.

The PROJECT RUNWAY licensing program was structured by ACI Licensing on behalf of The Weinstein Company. The announcement was made today by Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company.

Pam Henning, SVP, Global Integrated Marketing at The Weinstein Company stated, “As we expand the footprint of the Project Runway brand, we are excited to make the shows fashion and design experience accessible to consumers worldwide with specialized products and tools. This marks one of the most comprehensive consumer product licensing programs ever launched by a reality television series. We’ve seen how Project Runway resonates with consumers and with the show’s tremendous reach and credibility within the fashion community, it is a natural platform for brand extensions.”

“PROJECT RUNWAY is an amazing property with a fashion forward point of view. This exciting new line of products is the result of a collaboration between The Weinstein Company and the industry’s top manufacturer’s.” says ACI Licensing’s Managing Principals, Charles D. Mamiye and Andy Cohan.

The PROJECT RUNWAY branded products will be in the following categories jewelry, sewing patterns, fashion fabric as well as sewing machinery and notions. Details about the specific products and retail dates will be announced in the Fall prior to the season 4 premiere of PROJECT RUNWAY.

Project Runway

On last week’s episode of Meet the Parker, the Parker played host to some great guests, including owner and sales managers from the famous sex toy boutique The Pleasure Chest. Sex toys? In a hotel room? YES, PLEASE! The Pleasure Chest was really the first company to make sexuality “ok” for the mainstream world, especially for the homosexual community. And guess what? I’ve scored an interview with the owner of The Pleasure Chest, so you can learn more about this amazing company and how to get their products!

RoB: Thanks for the interview, Brian! Tell us a bit about the Pleasure Chest and how it got started.

Brain Robinson: The Pleasure Chest was started as a waterbed store by my uncle, Duane Colglazier in the West Village in Manhattan in 1971. He and his business partner had a small wall in the back of personal lube, condoms, and a few sex toys. Soon after opening they had to reorder the toys and realized the waterbeds had to move out to make more room. Since the store didn’t start out as a sex toy store they also changed the business philosophy to not be like other sex toy retailers of the day and be a brightly lit modern boutique and proudly educate mainstream shoppers on the wonderful enhancement toys bring into a relationship and the fulfillment of one’s own sex life. The idea caught on and quickly soon the founders were expanding into other areas in the city as well as Los Angeles , Washington DC and Chicago.

And how did you get started with the company?

After their deaths in the late eighties, I decided in 1996 after many years of the stores operating on primarily their own, to pick up the ball they had started and continue their mission.

Where can people visit your boutiques?

We currently have stores in the West Village in New York , in the Lakeview are of Chicago , and in West Hollywood in Los Angeles .

On Welcome to the Parker, you mentioned that your products were starting to be placed in some hotels. That’s a place I want to stay! Where can we find you?

We are excited to be in The Bryant Park Hotel in New York with the kits that were featured on Bravo. We also started an exclusive room service menu of sex toys that have been hand selected by us for the perfect fit with the hotel, Jay Leno talked about it in his opening monologue and the NY Post did a write up about it. Some of the toys featured are 24 karat gold.

Are you in the Parker minibars yet?

The Parker decided to start with the kits in the 14 suites that they have although it hasn’t been actualized. Stay tuned and it should be finalized shortly!

Which of your products are most popular?

The Pleasure Chest in New York was featured in the show Sex and the City in the famous Rabbit Pearl vibrator episode. This vibrator (and its cordless cousin the Rabbit Habit) are by far the best selling toys. Aneros is a very popular product for men, and the LayaSpot and the Lelo are extremely popular external vibrators. The simple yet beautiful Little Chromas have really become noticed in the last few months for their timeless motors.

Which products are you offering in hotels?

Primarily what is featured in the hotel rooms is The Pleasure Chest’s Intimix kit which was also shown on Welcome to the Parker. This enticing kit includes 4 yards of silk ties, a blindfold, a personal vibrator and melting massage bar along with lube and condoms. The Bryant Park Hotel’s Objects of Pleasure menu has several Pyrex glass toys, stainless steel wands, semi-precious metal vibrators and some personal massagers. The video the hotel is showing their guests you can view online at www.dehelmedia.com/PC.mov (takes a couple of minutes to download).

Overall, how was your experience at the Parker? On the show, the staff seemed fairly receptive to your products!

We had a great time at the Parker, the staff was really happy to have us there. Much of what we shot didn’t make it into the show but the boardroom meeting was very positive and so well received. One of the women on the crew said that they hadn’t seen the General Manager Thomas and the Hotel Manager Samir light up as much as the did during our meeting. Most of them had been in the store in Los Angeles and they were trying to figure out a time to take a field trip to the store to make final decisions on what they wanted for the Parker Hotel

What’s next for the Pleasure Chest? Will you be offering new products or opening new stores?

Our new product line should be out just before Christmas - beautifully packaged very main stream gift items and personal items as well as larger kits for Christmas. We are looking at a couple of new markets to introduce us to so stay tuned…hopefully there will be a Pleasure Chest near you!

Thanks for the interview, Brian! For more information and to order your own fun sex toys and bedroom products, check out The Pleasure Chest online!

The Pleasure Chest, sex toys, sex products, sex, Welcome to the Parker

Will it be Brain with his sweat that seemed, last week, to rival Howie’s? Will it be Dale with his scented candles and bad decor tastes?

Watch what happens!!

Tonight looks like one of the most interesting episodes of Flipping Out yet–Jeff’s dad, called a con man by his own son, comes to town. I have to say, I like the Bravo reality shows (at least, the non-contested-based ones) that actually get into the nitty-gritty issues. Do you remember that Work Out episode where Jackie and her mother confronted one another about the lesbian issue?

Anyway, here’s a preview clip from tonight’s epi, as they celebrate Chris’ birthday. Don’t forget to tune in and watch what happens!!

Reality on Bravo is proud to present Inside the Blogger’s Studio–a spin on Inside the Actor’s Studio, specifically for bloggers. Here, we’ll talk about the journey each blogger has taken to get where they are today, hopefully to inspire others to blog their hearts out.

Today’s guest is a true Idol fanatic–she watches the show in both the United States and Canada. Her blog, www.idolstalker.com, is one of the leading sources on the ‘net for news, reviews, and, of course, lots of gossip! Welcome, Jeanne Dupuis.

RoB: How did you get into blogging in the beginning?

Jeanne: I applied for a job that I thought was interesting.

What other blogging experiences have you had?

I write for daytimetalk.com, beyonce-k.com and a city guide for Calgary, Alberta (calgary.cityguide.ca)

Have you had any negative experiences blogging? How has that helped you grow?

I’ve had a run-in with a well-known blogger which was completely bogus and I had Splash News threaten me for using one of their images without written permission.

What projects do you have planned for blogging in the future?

Really, mostly improving upon the blogs I currently write.

What are some of your favorite posts from the past?

I went crazy about American Idol season 6 cast-off, Chris Sligh. It was liberating…

And now, here are the 10 questions compiled by Bernard Pivot, made famous by James Lipton, and modified for the blogging world

1. What is your favorite word?

Love

2. What is your least favorite word?

Zucchini

3. What kinds of readers turn you on?

Active ones!

4. What kinds of readers turn you off?

Unnecessarily critical ones. We can have opinions without attacking others.

5. What is your favorite curse word?

Hmm…ass, I think

6. What blogging responsibility do you love?

Responding to the requests of visitors

7. What blogging responsibility do you hate?

tagging, ugh…

9. What blog subject other than your own would you like to write about?

Some ultra gossipy celeb, environmental issues and distance education

9. What blog subject would you not like to write about?
Taxes

10. If the leader in your field was to read your blog, what would like to hear him/her say?

That he/she learned something

What advice would you give to someone interested in blogging?

Make sure you are dedicated. It’s a lot more work than you think!

Thanks, Jeanne!

Jeanne Dupuis, American Idol, Idol Stalker, Insider the Actor’s Studio

In case there was any doubt in your mind, Bravo’s Work Out, along with the fabulous Jackie Warner, Peeler, Jesse, Rebbecca, and the rest of the gang, WILL be coming back for a third season next year! Filming begins during September/October, so the next season won’t be ready for months, but it will arrive at some point!

I’m not a HUGE Work Out fan myself, but I can appreciate what Bravo has done with the show, and until season three starts, we can only hope that Jackie will be shown from time to time on other shows, like she was on this past season’s Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Jackie Warner, Work Out, Bravo

Last night’s episode of Welcome to the Parker featured two amazing guest: a charm school for three awkward guys and the Pleasure Chest, a high-class sex toy company.

This was by far the best episode yet. I was jumping out of my seat when the one charm school guy kissed a girl during his final night at the Parker. The sex toy company was great too, and having those kits in the mini bar is a FANTASTIC idea.

And for all of you clamoring for more information about the Pleasure Chest, I’m on the snoop. For now, check out the extra clip above!

sex toys, pleasure chest, Bravo, Welcome to the Parker

After countless interviews, James Lipton’s questions are still fresh, interesting, and insightful.

Before Tim Gunn ever existed on our radar, there was, of course, the Fab Five.

Can you say Sam Talbot? Mmmmmm….

Does anyone ever listen to Andy Cohen? Not really. But he does always have amazing guests on his show!

Enough already. This list need to mention the one, the only, Santino. Love him or hate him, he was great on Project Runway.

Flipping out is surprising good. Especially when the show is centered around Monkey, the grouchy, yowling, asshole cat.

Gays and lesbians have a home with Bravo when other networks aren’t ready to allow that yet.

Heidi Klum is an amazing Project Runway judge, even when ready to burst because she’s so pregnant.

I can catch any episode I miss again and again thanks to Bravo always running reruns and marathons.

Just when you think Bravo couldn’t do any better, they give us Shear Genius, a pleasant surprise next to Top Design, which was a total bomb.

Kathy Griffin keeps coming back for another season. Yay!

Late night Bravo isn’t just infomercials, so night owls can enjoy the network as well.

Mimi was finally ousted on this past season of Work Out.

No one was eliminated this week on Top Chef. BEST DECISION EVER!

Only Bravo would bring us a judge as crazy as Top Design’s Kelly Wearstler.

Paula Abdul’s show is finally over.

Quickfire and elimination recipes are online so you can try them yourself (or, if you’re like me, you can go over to your boyfriend’s mother’s house when SHE tries them).

Right before the new epi, you can watch last week’s show. That way you can catch up in time for the new show, even if you miss a week.

Staff members at the Parker on Welcome to the Parker are downright hilarious–especially the people in charge of room service!

Two words: Tom Colicchio.

Until recently, Bravo only showed original programming one or two nights a week. People are finally taking notice to the network and they are showing more original series!

Vicki Gunvalson, one of the Real Housewives, was nice enough to do an interview with me, and after chatting with her for a half hour, I knew that Bravo did not misrepresent her on their show.

Watching what happens is a must.

Xtras are always available on BravoTV.com.

You’d think that one marathon would be enough. But I watch them again and again.

Zoila on Flipping out. I mean, it really is her show, isn’t it?

Agree?

Although last season’s final episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County put the fabulous Jo De La Rosa and somewhat- house-wifey Slade Smiley at odds with one another, rumor has it that they never really officially ended things. At least not in any way where the “ending things” would last. Jo moved to LA, but it was later reported that her and JJ, the notorious party friend, had a falling out. She’s since been seen photographed at quite a number of events, both with and without the smiling Smiley. The latest shots of the “couple?” can be seen online at Hollywoodscope.com, where its been reported that the couple attended Alex Quinn’s “Dialed in With Blackberry Party.”

So what’s the deal? Hell if I know. But they sure are an attractive couple!

In a complete surprise to the cheftestants and viewers (including me), Top Chef sends NO ONE home tonight and instead opts to allow the restaurants to fix their mistakes and open again for a second head-to-head challenge.

Best. Move. Ever.

I really thought Brian was going to go home…and I’m glad he didn’t. He’s a really talented chef and really, are you kidding me? He should NOT have been front of the house! Dale, on the other hand, was killed for bad taste in scented candles and black tablecloths. I actually thought the tablecloths looked cool (especially for a place called “the garage”), but I whole-hearted agree with the scented candles. Really, what were they thinking. That’s food 101.

So who will go home next week (which, in the chef’s time, means “tomorrow”)? I think it will be Howie, Tre, or Sara, unless they can really, really improve.

What did you guys think of tonight’s epi? Was calling it a tie a good decision or should someone have gone home?

And where would YOU rather eat?

Top Chef, cooking, reality television, Bravo

Watch what happens as the cheftestants get to run their own restaurants.