Reality on Bravo

Kathy Griffin and Lance Bass act out a wardrobe malfunction scene at the first A-List Awards on Bravo.

All of the Bravo favorites were there. Top Chefs, Real Housewives, loads of Kathy Griffin and an all-star crop of Project Runway finalists and winners from the first four seasons. In a nutshell, the first ever A-List Awards on Bravo were a dream come true for those addicted to the network.

Griffin offered a variety of skits worth a few belly laughs, most notably a hip-hop duet with one of her main gays, Lance Bass, in which the two “exposed” one another ala the famed Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe scandal. It was a clever, unexpected throwback to a pop culture moment that goes back a few years more than Griffin usually digs.

The night was filled with few awards — does it really matter if you win one of these? — and served more as a reunion and chance for Bravo stars to meet one another. Sure, there were a few non-Bravo winners (Dana Delaney of Desperate Housewives won Best A-List Actor, Female), but the stage most often was overflowing with familiar faces.

Real Housewives from both coasts joined together on stage to present an award, Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio was challenged to a Quick Fire and, the coolest part of the evening, a handful of Project Runway favorites returned to design dresses for celebrities to wear in a fashion show that ended the night.

The dresses, as well as the sketches for each look, are up for grabs at bravotv.com, with proceeds benefiting UNICEF’s relief efforts in Myanmar. Throughout the night, progress was shown from the previous day of work at Parsons. It really made me even more anxious for the next season of Runway, which starts July 16.

Because I know how Bravo works, I’m sure the awards will be shown marathon style this weekend — and I’ll probably get sucked in to watching them at least another couple of times.

Designer Malan Breton and Nikki Blonsky, star of Hairspray, arrive on the red carpet at the A-List Awards. Breton designed the dress Blonsky wore, and it now is being auctioned off for charity at bravotv.com.

Kathy Griffin, Top Chef, My Life on the D-List, Bravo TV, Project Runway

It’s that time again, folks - time to talk about what some of your favorite Bravo stars are doing NOT on the screen. Here’s a look at who’s been out and about around the town recently:

The cast from Bravo’s Work Out, including Jackie Warner, was honored at the 15th Annual Diversity Awards. It’s an award well deserved, as they’ve been making leaps and bounds for the homosexual community, bringing issues to the forefront in the show. And look at them - they’re a hot bunch!

She may not be the “face” of Bravo (that honor has to go to Andy Cohen), but Lauren Zalaznick, the President of the network, recently attended the 27th Annual New York Women in Film and Television’s MUSE Awards Luncheon at the New York Hilton and Towers. She’s amazing. Bravo is amazing.

The giggling Chris March from Project Runway attended 2007 Saint Jude’s Toy Drive at DAVID BARTON GYM on December 11, 2007. He’s always SO HAPPY! I have no delusions that he’ll win Project Runway, but I am glad that he’s back for a little while longer.

Tim Gunn (my faveeeeee) and Veronica Webb were guests at The 2007 Safe Horizon Annual Benefit Gala in New York City on November 28, 2007. Don’t they look smashing? Tim ALWAYS looks so amazing!

Looking strange as always, Kelly Wearstler was spotted at the Hamish Bowles’ book signing for Vogue Living at the Oscar de la Renta Home flagship store on December 4, 2007 in West Hollywood, California.

That’s all for now - and Project Blog is on a little break for the holiday season, but don’t forget to vote this week for your favorite!

Bravo is all about the reality television, and right now, producers at this network are cheering. The WGA strike is going to affect most of the popular shows on ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, and Fox, but, at least for now, Bravo will go on as it always goes. After all, their shows are all about real life. Unscripted. Documentary-style. It’s not like Heroes, a TV show that really will be affected.

However, if the writer’s strike goes on for more than a few weeks (which I think is unlikely, but you never know), Bravo most certainly will be affected, just like everyone else. Here’s how:

• 1. NBC owns Bravo. If they aren’t able to show new episodes of their big cash cows, they may start pulling content from Bravo to put on NBC. It’s too late to transfer The Real Housewives of Orange County or Project Runway to NBC, but they could show reruns or the PR finale on the parent network. Some of the shows usually show on Bravo that are coming up in the future (Work Out comes to mind right away) could be put on Bravo. This is just my speculation - NBC hasn’t said they’ll consider moving Bravo shows to NBC.
• 2. If the WGA strike goes on and on, eventually, the actors and directors in Hollywood will follow suite. Again, there aren’t a whole lot of actors on Bravo, but there are hosts and judges. I’m not sure if they’re a part of the union or not. (If anyone knows, let me know.) I’m assuming that all of these shows DO have directors, so that strike really will affect these shows.
• 3. These shows aren’t totally writer-less. Someone has to come up with the weekly challenges, what the hosts say, questions the cameramen ask the contestants. Eventually, this will affect everyone.

So, right now, things look bright for Bravo, but really, eventually, this will hurt everyone. I full believe that the WGA is justified in striking, but I do think that everyone should focus on true negotiation. Backing down a bit for everyone is the key to successful negotiating and if the writers are forever unwilling to move, it won’t prove a point. It will just continue to hurt everyone.

writer’s strike, WGA strike, WGA, Bravo

Today’s Friday Fashion Finds special is a little different, simply because I want to check out the pictures for the fabulous Heidi Klum Annual Halloween Party.

I love Halloween, and it’s cool to see someone like Heidi not afraid to look silly for the night. After all, who can forget the year that she went as the apple/snake/devil thing lol.

This year, Heidi looked totally hot as a black cat. Sneak a peak at those shoes! As always, though, she looks sophisticated, not slutty. Too many girls use Halloween as an excuse to dress up like whores. No offense to any whores out there who may be reading this.

So, how do you get on the guest list for Heidi’s party? Hell if I know. But, if you find out, please share your secret, because it looks like a fabulous night!

Kyle McLaughlin looked crazy!!!! He was my absolute favorite costume of the night - the unlucky golfer!

The one and only Britney Spears was there as…herself ten years ago?

Nick Verreos, one of my favorite Project Runway alums, was there in a costume that was toooootally “Nick”.

Um. I want Quentin Tarantino to come to MY party!

Santino Rice, one of the most abrasive Project Runway designers, showed up dressed like (I think) an ancient Asian emperor. Later pictures show him ripping open his shirt. Some might have asked “Did he have too much to drink? But, it’s more likely that he just wanted to show his nipples to the camera. Because that’s how Santino rolls.

Aww, Stacy Keibler looked cute! Too bad I have no freaking clue who Stacy Keibler is…

And let’s not forget some of the other awesome celeb costumes from this past week! These people weren’t at the Klum party, but they were out and about to show off their Halloween spirit!

DJ Hollywood and DJ Vice…oh man. Anyone dressed like Johnny Depp gets my seal of approval!

Ok, Neil Patrick Harris is just scary.

Haha! Well, at least she has a sense of humor!

A lot has been happening with Bravo and your favorite stars, so here’s a look at the November Bravo News:

AllThePrettyPeople.com (http://alltheprettypeople.com), a celebrity/entertainment website, released the results of its Annual Reality TV Poll today, declaring Tyra Banks of “America’s Next Top Model” to be the Best Host, Tim Gunn of “Project Runway” the Best Mentor, and Janice Dickinson of the “Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency” the Worst Mentor - to name a few.

Congrats to our main man, Tim Gunn! Jackie Warner and Brian Peeler from Work Out also won awards fro being HAWT! Lol. Usually, I don’t condone looking past a person’s talent or class just for looks, but All the Pretty People’s awards are just fun-spirited. Congrats to the winners!

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. and RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Oct.17 /PRNewswire/ — OC Energy’s KIK-it(TM) label was awarded first place in the Labels-Gravure category in packagePRINTING Magazine’s 2007 Excellence Awards, which were presented to OC Energy and SleeveCo at a reception during Pack Expo in Las Vegas on October 16. READ MORE

As you may remember, OC Energy is the the company started by the late Lou Knickerbocker. With their sexy OC Angels, OC Energy promotes their line of cutting-edge energy drinks, which are largely based on a new process that introduces larger levels of oxygen into the water. This season of the Real Housewives of Orange County will document Lou’s passing, which I can only imagine will be extremely difficult for Tammy and the girls.

Padma Lakshmi apparently wasn’t selected to host Bravo’s Top Chef just because she’s another pretty face (although that surely couldn’t have hurt). This is one model-actress who actually eats — and cooks. READ MORE

The article above isn’t exactly new news..but it is a good story! The article talks about Padma’s latest book, as well as includes a recipe you can try at home. Mmmm…braised beef. Check it out to see if Paddie really does know what’s up in the world of food.

Heidi Klum will host a sneak peek fashion show Tuesday featuring designs from each of the 15 contestants on the new “Project Runway.” READ MORE

If you live near Pittsburgh, make sure to head over to the Lincoln Center this weekend to check out this live show (and if you’ve going, be sure to send me some pictures!!!). Apparently, Tim Gunn and Nina Garcia will be in the audience, and you’ll get to see samples of the upcoming Project Runway season. Sounds like fun!

That’s all for now! Check out the categories to the right for more news on your favorite Bravo stars!

I turned on TLC today (It’s one of my staple channels when nothing is on - TLC, Food Network, Discovery, and Bravo of course), and the show on was Trading Spaces. I like that show, but it was already 3/4 over, so I wasn’t going to watch it.

But suddenly…SUDDENLY…

GOIL!

The sweetest, funniest designed from Bravo’s Top Design - Goil Amornvivat - seems to be the newest member of TLC’s trading spaces. Maybe he’ll be the new “Vern,” who I haven’t see on the show for ages. They have very similar clean, architectural styles. Oh man, Goil is soooo nice. You can just tell that his team is having the BEST time. On top of that, his room looks awesome.

Congrats, Goil, on your new job! I’ll have to watch trading spaces more often!

With the southern part of California being ravaged with wildfires, I just wanted to take a moment to note that Bravo has issued a statement regarding the Real Housewives of Orange County. The ladies and their families are all safe, in areas unaffected by the fires, other than the fact that their mansions are covered with ash, which also is probably making it difficult to breathe outside.

That said, I’m sure many of our favorite Bravo moms do have friends and family being evacuated or that have lost homes already. Please keep them in your thoughts, along with all Reality on Bravo readers battling the blazes.

Bravo is all about the “look”. Project Runway is overtly about fashion, of course, but most of Bravo’s other shows also celebrate style. On the Real Housewives of Orange County, Bravo documents the crazy-extravagant style of five Orange County women. On Top Design, style is on the walls. On Work Out, they get you in shape so that you can better show off your style. On Top Chef, the style is about the food.

In any case, in honor of Bravo’s style, I thought I’d post a few pictures from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. There are literally hundreds of designs, but these are my favorites!

This design is edgy but still wearable. By Christian Audigier, I love the sassy look.

Gorgeous. I mean…gorgeous. That’s the only word that can describe this collection by Dina Bar-El.

I really like Coco Johnsen’s collection because it pushes the limits without being too out there. I can see people wearing this stuff, but it’s not like everything else out there.

Heatherette’s collection was effing weird, and I’m not exaggerating. I have to admit, though, I looked at all of the pictures. It was just so strange and intriguing. As Tim Gunn would say, however, it’s not a good thing to be a joke. I do like this piece, but the rest of the collection was just craaaazy. Not for me…not for anyone.

If there’s one thing I have to say, it’s that style is all about what YOU like. What do you think about the above pictures? Did you see anything else from fashion week that you liked?

And more importantly, HOW READY ARE YOU PROJECT RUNWAY?!?!

Check out more about style here!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

The recent news hitting the Internet is that Kathy Griffin may be engaged to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, her date for the Emmy Awards. The smiling couple hit the red carpet with class after Kathy’s “outrageous” Jesus remarks a bit earlier at the Creative Arts Emmys.

Why the speculation? Well it seems as the Ms. Griffin has been wearing a specious-looking ring her left-hand ring finger, which leaves Us Magazine asking if Woz popped the question.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Giffin says of the ring. read more here…

Of course, as a true admiring fan of Kathy’s, I have to say that it’s more likely that she’s wearing the ring simply because it will cause speculation. Maybe he even bought her the ring, but I’d say that the recently-divorced couple (Kathy once, Woz twice), probably wouldn’t take the big leap quite so soon. Especially because of the whole Emmy controversy thing. I mean, Kathy’s media smart. She’d at least wait until this press died down before making the next big wave. She knows how to get people talking about her as often as possible - you have to spread the big news stories out a little bit.

So what do you think? Any guesses? Do you think Kathy’s engaged?

I’ve always thought that Josie Smith-Malave, a Top Chef contestant from Season One, was eliminated too soon. She was a breath of fresh air on that show, and seemed to be very talented. Unfortunately, since leaving the show, she hasn’t really been in the news much.

Until today.

Lawyer Yetta Kurland is reporting that Josie, along with a group of friends, was attacked over the Labor Day weekend. The party was asked to leave the bar in Sea Cliff and once outside, about 10 other “young people” began yelling anti-gay slurs. What started as verbal harassment, which is already pretty ugly, not even uglier when the group began spitting on the girls and, eventually, beating them.

This story makes my heart sad. You don’t have to agree with another person’s lifestyle, but if that’s the case, then simply stay away. It is never…NEVER…acceptable to attack someone for their beliefs.

Josie is originally from Miami, but currently works from Marlow and Sons in Brooklyn as a sous chef. She’s openly gay, and didn’t hide this part of her lifestyle on Top Chef.

There’s no word if Josie and the other ladies with her are OK or if they will be pressing charges (I hope they do). Nassau Couty police are investigating, and I’ll give you more information as I hear it.

UPDATE: The ladies are bruised and one (not Josie) received head injuries. They also had some items stolen during the attack.

For some recent posts by our resident gay bloggers, check out Lez Keep it Real and Darkside Rainbow.

Top Chef, Josie Smith-Malave, homosexuality, gay, lesbian

Ok, Ok, everyone’s talking about it, so I can’t let it slip by without mentioning it. Apparently Kathy Griffin is the devil incarnate…or at least spreading “messages of hate.” Why the backlash? It has to do with her Emmy award and acceptance speech.

Last year she lost out to Extreme Home Makeover and while they took the stage, she flicked them off, told them to “suck her dick”, and stormed out of the auditorium, high-fiving ushers along the way.

I bet her publicist wishes it were last year.

This year, Kathy won! She totally deserves it, as “My Life on the D-List” is an amazing show, and this season was by far the best. Her speech?

“Can you believe this shit? I guess hell froze over. … a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. So, all I can say is, ’suck it, Jesus.’ This award is my god now.”

Oh come on, people. It’s funny. That’s not anti-religious hate messages. It’s her brand of shock-value humor. If you’d watch the show, you’d know that. Kathy isn’t about hating Christianity or spreading an atheistic message all over the world. She’s about doing whatever she can to get the media’s attention…which she seems to have done quite brilliantly.

The real question here is how many of you journalists out there would have mentioned Kathy Griffin today had she thanked Jesus and walked offstage?

Kathy Griffin, Jesus, Emmys

I’d just like to take a moment today to say that my heart goes out to all the victims - and survivors - of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the resulting world conflicts. I’ve posted about the day on my site Find Religion, and hope you’ll head there to read my story and leave a comment of support for all those also reading it, some of whom may have strong, painful memories of losing loved ones that day. God Bless.

Yesterday, I reported that Bravo has announced a September premiere for the long-awaited Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, but after doing a bit of web searching, I’ve found that they’ve recently had a lot more to announce as well. Here’s the skinny on your favorite Bravo shows:

Top Chef: Of course, the web has been abuzz with reports that Top Chef will be returning for a fourth season (yay!) Head judge Tom Colicchio will undoubtedly be back for this new season, although the judges and host have not been announced formally yet. What has been announced is that the new season will take place in Chicago.

Also, it’s been announced that for the first time ever, the season finale will be LIVE, which means we’ll get to see a live judge’s table and wait with the remaining contestants for the results. Thats exciting!!

The Real Housewives of Orange County: It’s also been officially announced that The Real Housewives of Orange County will not only be back for a third season, but that many of the same housewives will be returning. You can catch Vicki, Tammy, Jeanna, and Lauri again this season, but missing from the announcement was Jo, which makes sense, since she moved out of the OC at the end of last season. Don’t worry though, there’s someone to take her place…Tamra Barney, the newest housewife! No reports yet as to when the new season will air, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do!

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: Finally! The Fab Five is back for their final season, in 10 all-newepisodes. Rumor has it that the amazing Susan Lucci will be hosting the premier of the new season, which will include make-overs of bikers, monster truck drivers, and more! The new season starts this fall, along with Project Runway.

Inside the Actor’s Studio: Fabulous himself, James Lipton will be back again with some new episodes soon. Lipton has been the recipient of the Emmy Lifetime Achievement award, and the show has been nominated 12 times now! Four new stars will appear on the show between August and October: Michele Pfeiffer, Charlie Sheen, Billy Crystal, and (the one that excites me most) Anthony Hopkins!

As if that’s not enough, this summer and fall will see the start of FOUR new series! I’m sure that you’ve already been seeing commercials for two of them. On Welcome to the Parker, which premiers Thursday, July 26, after Hey Paula wraps up, Bravo will follow the lives of the employees of the five-star Parker Palm Springs Hotel. We’ll also see the show Flipping Out rise from the ashes of My Life on the D-List on Tuesday, July 31. This show will follow obsessive-compulsive real estate businessman Jeff Lewis, his colorful staff, and (of course) his cat Monkey.

And that’s not all. In October, Better Half will also premier. The show will be hosted by Susie Essman, who you may remember from Curb Your Enthusiasm, and will feature two teams of contestants every week. In each episode, two professionals (comedians, planners, chefs, etc) will go head to head…as teachers! They’ll have two days to teach their profession to their spouses, who will then compete. The show deviates a bit from the traditional Bravo reality formula, but combines too intriguing aspects–people learning new skills, and spouses acting as teachers.

Last but not least, Make Me a Supermodel is the latest show Bravo has announced. This is actually based off of the popular UK series and will take 14 people and have them compete for a modeling contract. It will be a bit like America’s Next Top Model, but with both male and female contestants and…get this…fans will call in to vote, American Idol Style! That’s definitely a first for Bravo, and it will be interesting to see how that works for them.

On a special note, in March, Bravo will honor their finest in an awards ceremony, which is another reason I love this network–they appreciate their hosts and judges! More on that as they approach.

Project Runway, Top Chef, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Hey Paula, Flipping Out, Inside the Actor’s Studio, Better Half, Welcome to the Parker, James Lipton, Make Me a Supermodel, My Life on the D-List, Bravo, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

Are you pining for Work Out? Do you feel empty inside without Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? Are you counting the days until The Real Housewives of Orange County, Season 3?

If you miss these old Bravo shows as much as me, never fear–I had some pictures of your favorite stars out and about in Hollywood, New York City, and so on. Bravo is introducing a bunch of new shows this summer (Hey Paula was just the first), so it may be some time before we get to see these smiling faces on our tv screen again!

Work Out’s Andre Riley at Fashion LA Magazine’s Premier Issue Launch Party in June.

Slade Smiley (Real Housewives) and Adrianne Curry (his hot date?) at the Light Nightclub Party at Bellagio Hotel and Casino Resort, hosted by Giantto and Von Dutch Watches

Queer Eye’s Jai Rodriguez shown with Keith Collins at “Styleyes Miami” (which they hosted), held at the Boulevard Lounge on July 2

Jonathan Adler, a judge on Top Design, at the “Poiret: King of Fashion” Costume Institute Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Heidi Klum, the host of Project Runway (with a new season premiering in November!), with her husband, Seal, at the Lorraine Schwartz launch of the Diamond Monkey Collection at Monkey Bar

Heidi Klum, Seal, Project Runway, Jonathan Adler, Top Design, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer Eye, Jai Rodriguez, Keith Collins, Slade Smiley, Real Housewives, Real Housewives Slade, Real Housewives of Orange County, Work Out, Bravo, reality television

Padma Lakshmi host of Top Chef has recently filed for divorce from her husband, award winning British author Salman Rushdie. The couple just celebrated 3 years of marriage in April. Oddly enough the divorce news comes right after Salman received a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. Padma was the one to file for divorce and both sides seem to be keeping quiet about the reasons leading to the split. For the 60 year old Salman his love life continues to look sour. Once the divorce is finalized it will be Salman’s 4th!

British, divorce, knighthood, Padma Lakshmi, Queen Elizabeth, Salman Rushdie, Top Chef

Thanks for reading this guest post from Dorothy of Watching Ugly Betty