Not JUST about Fashion Design

Everything you ever wanted to know about plotting can be learned from Project Runway.

Real life happens, but editing manipulates it into an audience-seducing story. Time after time an episode focuses on one particular designer, and we get the feeling SOMETHING is going to give--but will he/she go up or down? Remember when Ben Chmura was given several minutes coverage weeping to his lover on the phone about how much he missed him? "Hmmm", said Fio, and, sure enough, that was Ben's last show.

Our sympathies are cleverly engaged. Ping was edited as cute at first, then rapidly turned into crazy, which, judging by her weeping and blame-laying on the wind-up episode, she was all along. When she and Jesse were teamed up together, Jesse was portrayed as the grounded one, although afterwards we learned he'd been letting fly with a lot of ungrounded foul language never even hinted at on screen.

Mila was villainized by the camera at first, later redeemed; redemption is always a good story. Emilio, on the other hand, was our hero until we saw his arrogance cut loose in the last two episodes. What a sore loser!

And then there was beautiful, mysterious Maya, a story unto herself.

And you wonder why a fashion design show has been able to stay on the air so many years.