Ugly Betty Season 1 Finale

One of the hottest tv shows this season, the finale was last Thursday. And boy, has a LOT happened since its premier- I don't even know where to start! But I shall try, so if you don't want to know what happens- don't scroll down!

Based at the head of the fashion industry, Mode Magazine, the main character is ironically the most unfashionable person one can imagine- Betty Saurez. At first, I thought it was a sort of spinoff of Devil Wears Prada and so have been waiting for a magical transformation since the premier. But no, despite temptations of the wardrobe sale and being best friends with the wadrobe manager, Christina, Betty has stuck to her true self, unfashionable self- and you know what? I think it actually grows on you, its quite endearing. And if you look carefully, her completely awful looking outfits are actually very coordinated!

Relationship-wise, she started off dating Walter who works at a place similar to Best Buys and at first dumped her for another girl and then came crawling back to her. He tried to fit into Betty's new "Mode" life, but alas, they didn't work out. Meanwhile, there was Henry the accountant, who is just SO sweet, I was totally vouching for him and gave a WHOOP when Betty dumped Walter. But then comes a Charlie and messes things up. ARGH. I'm so frustrated for Betty. They're MADE for each other.

Family-wise, Betty lives with her sister Hilda, her nephew Justin and her father Ignacio. Justin is AWESOME. I love him. I just love how he's even more excited and knowledgeable about Betty's job than she is, and he's not afraid to be himself and all even if it means not fitting in. Plus, his acting antics are just great. And unlike Betty, her sister Hilda (Justin's mother) is a beauty queen. Drama occurs between her and her son's father, Santos. And just when things were about to go right, it gets messed up with a blast. Part of me feels really bad for Hilda and Justin, but the other part realises that if things went happily ever after, what else would the writers write about next season?

And then there is her father, whose status as an illegal immigrant becomes known and the family goes through a spam lawyer and a crazy psychotic immigrant worker (Constance) who tried to marry him to get him legal residency. But alas, he ends up back in Mexico, where I predict his past is going to come back and haunt him next season. (And I think we are going to see that guy who Hilda sat with while everyone went to the little blue house, a LOT more).

Work wise, this is Betty's boss Daniel Meade. The heir to the Meade publications empire and playboy. But with Betty's help, we eventually see his serious side and see that his activities is just a result of all the pressure he faces. He just looks so cute and lost that I feel sorry for him!
First he falls in love with Sofia, an up and coming magazine editor, who was out to con him from the start for a story to launch her magazine, hiring a stripper to pretend to be the perfect boyfriend and all.

Then, just when he gets over that embarassment, the scary bunched up woman in the institution thingy turns out to be Daniel's brother, Alex, who they all thought was dead. Turned out, he just went to get a sex change. And indeed, Rebecca Romijn, is starting to look manly to me. She comes back with a vengeance because her father wouldn't accept his/her sexual preference and fights with Daniel and all. But towards the end, I think all conflict is resolved and the bonds of brotherhood holds. Although I wonder what happens.....

And then there was that whole thing about Fey Summers, Bradford Meade's ex mistress and ex Editor in Chief of Mode. All this time, they made us think that Fey Summers was not dead, with Bradford sneaking around and everything. Very clever. And then there was Claire Meade. At first she seemed like an unimportant victim in this whole story, but in the end, Who knew she had so much in her? And I don't understand? What is with men and feet fetish? Its just that I've been seeing this fetish a lot on TV shows lately. First in Sex and the City, then in Dirt and now in Ugly Betty. What is with feet that would make you cheat on your wife and blind your good judgment?

Then there is WIlhemina Slater, the creative director of Mode, and has been plotting all season to get her hands on the throne as Editor in Chief of mode. At first I thought she was just a pawn under another mastermind- the masked woman who turns out to be Alex, but turns out, she's a woman of her own. But you got to admire her determination to succeed and devotion to the industry.

Although we're reminded of her good side, through her failed relationship with that Texas guy, her daughter and her assistant- she DID swap her wedding date to have him back. Its hard to decide whether I hate or love her. And for a woman her age, how chic are those outfits she wears?

And into all this, there is Mark the assistant and Amanda the receptionist. I just LOVE the two of them, their antics and the things they say are hilarious.
I especially love Amanda because out of this whole "fashion" industry show, her outfits are the cutest and chic-est that is close to our age. Plus, the two of them do have their own little side story, and it seems that Amanda will play an even larger role next season.

Overall, as much as I love this show, I think the quality has gone down since the first few episodes. WAY too much have gone on that its starting to get slightly ridiculous. I miss those episodes where something goes wrong, and Betty comes in and saves the day. Perhaps it will get better again next season?

Wow, I just wrote a whole essay on Ugly Betty....if only school papers were so easily written!

Ugly Betty Season 1 Finale

One of the hottest tv shows this season, the finale was last Thursday. And boy, has a LOT happened since its premier- I don't even know where to start! But I shall try, so if you don't want to know what happens- don't scroll down!

Based at the head of the fashion industry, Mode Magazine, the main character is ironically the most unfashionable person one can imagine- Betty Saurez. At first, I thought it was a sort of spinoff of Devil Wears Prada and so have been waiting for a magical transformation since the premier. But no, despite temptations of the wardrobe sale and being best friends with the wadrobe manager, Christina, Betty has stuck to her true self, unfashionable self- and you know what? I think it actually grows on you, its quite endearing. And if you look carefully, her completely awful looking outfits are actually very coordinated!

Relationship-wise, she started off dating Walter who works at a place similar to Best Buys and at first dumped her for another girl and then came crawling back to her. He tried to fit into Betty's new "Mode" life, but alas, they didn't work out. Meanwhile, there was Henry the accountant, who is just SO sweet, I was totally vouching for him and gave a WHOOP when Betty dumped Walter. But then comes a Charlie and messes things up. ARGH. I'm so frustrated for Betty. They're MADE for each other.

Family-wise, Betty lives with her sister Hilda, her nephew Justin and her father Ignacio. Justin is AWESOME. I love him. I just love how he's even more excited and knowledgeable about Betty's job than she is, and he's not afraid to be himself and all even if it means not fitting in. Plus, his acting antics are just great. And unlike Betty, her sister Hilda (Justin's mother) is a beauty queen. Drama occurs between her and her son's father, Santos. And just when things were about to go right, it gets messed up with a blast. Part of me feels really bad for Hilda and Justin, but the other part realises that if things went happily ever after, what else would the writers write about next season?

And then there is her father, whose status as an illegal immigrant becomes known and the family goes through a spam lawyer and a crazy psychotic immigrant worker (Constance) who tried to marry him to get him legal residency. But alas, he ends up back in Mexico, where I predict his past is going to come back and haunt him next season. (And I think we are going to see that guy who Hilda sat with while everyone went to the little blue house, a LOT more).

Work wise, this is Betty's boss Daniel Meade. The heir to the Meade publications empire and playboy. But with Betty's help, we eventually see his serious side and see that his activities is just a result of all the pressure he faces. He just looks so cute and lost that I feel sorry for him!
First he falls in love with Sofia, an up and coming magazine editor, who was out to con him from the start for a story to launch her magazine, hiring a stripper to pretend to be the perfect boyfriend and all.

Then, just when he gets over that embarassment, the scary bunched up woman in the institution thingy turns out to be Daniel's brother, Alex, who they all thought was dead. Turned out, he just went to get a sex change. And indeed, Rebecca Romijn, is starting to look manly to me. She comes back with a vengeance because her father wouldn't accept his/her sexual preference and fights with Daniel and all. But towards the end, I think all conflict is resolved and the bonds of brotherhood holds. Although I wonder what happens.....

And then there was that whole thing about Fey Summers, Bradford Meade's ex mistress and ex Editor in Chief of Mode. All this time, they made us think that Fey Summers was not dead, with Bradford sneaking around and everything. Very clever. And then there was Claire Meade. At first she seemed like an unimportant victim in this whole story, but in the end, Who knew she had so much in her? And I don't understand? What is with men and feet fetish? Its just that I've been seeing this fetish a lot on TV shows lately. First in Sex and the City, then in Dirt and now in Ugly Betty. What is with feet that would make you cheat on your wife and blind your good judgment?

Then there is WIlhemina Slater, the creative director of Mode, and has been plotting all season to get her hands on the throne as Editor in Chief of mode. At first I thought she was just a pawn under another mastermind- the masked woman who turns out to be Alex, but turns out, she's a woman of her own. But you got to admire her determination to succeed and devotion to the industry.

Although we're reminded of her good side, through her failed relationship with that Texas guy, her daughter and her assistant- she DID swap her wedding date to have him back. Its hard to decide whether I hate or love her. And for a woman her age, how chic are those outfits she wears?

And into all this, there is Mark the assistant and Amanda the receptionist. I just LOVE the two of them, their antics and the things they say are hilarious.
I especially love Amanda because out of this whole "fashion" industry show, her outfits are the cutest and chic-est that is close to our age. Plus, the two of them do have their own little side story, and it seems that Amanda will play an even larger role next season.

Overall, as much as I love this show, I think the quality has gone down since the first few episodes. WAY too much have gone on that its starting to get slightly ridiculous. I miss those episodes where something goes wrong, and Betty comes in and saves the day. Perhaps it will get better again next season?

Wow, I just wrote a whole essay on Ugly Betty....if only school papers were so easily written!

SS07: Neon Bright Colors on the Runway

In case you've been in the dark this season, neon bright colors are back. My first reaction to this trend? Eww. . . Having been raised in the 90's, I was taught that neon colors were a fashion faux pas and I've always wondered what my mom was thinking when she bought that electric blue top now sitting in the back of her wardrobe.

Turns out, she just had incredible fashion foresight. Neon colors appeared everywhere on the runway this season in sync with the futuristic look also making a come back. It most prominently dominated Christopher Kane's collection. Electric blue, bright yellow...

...lime green, bright red, you name it!

Slightly less futuristic in design, Jil Sander has an equally vibrant collection in eletric blue, green..

and hot pink. It really adds a punch to the typically simple Jil Sander designs. And something a bit flirtier, we have this hot pink dress from Costume National.
Another funky yellow dress, this one is from Preen. And although not my favourite shade of green, I like how D Squared2 matched this bright green cropped blazer (?) with a sporty bottom.

Personally I am still having trouble adjusting to such glaring shades. Hence I prefer the tamer side of this color palette, such as this electric/royal blue shade on the Belstaff and Julien MacDonald runway.
And of course, there is my favourite color of all time, purple. Even electric purple. The color is just so rich, striking and flattering to most skin tones! I'm loving these two shades on the Gucci and Prada runway.

Photo Credit: Elle.com

SS07: Neon Bright Colors on the Runway

In case you've been in the dark this season, neon bright colors are back. My first reaction to this trend? Eww. . . Having been raised in the 90's, I was taught that neon colors were a fashion faux pas and I've always wondered what my mom was thinking when she bought that electric blue top now sitting in the back of her wardrobe.

Turns out, she just had incredible fashion foresight. Neon colors appeared everywhere on the runway this season in sync with the futuristic look also making a come back. It most prominently dominated Christopher Kane's collection. Electric blue, bright yellow...

...lime green, bright red, you name it!

Slightly less futuristic in design, Jil Sander has an equally vibrant collection in eletric blue, green..

and hot pink. It really adds a punch to the typically simple Jil Sander designs. And something a bit flirtier, we have this hot pink dress from Costume National.
Another funky yellow dress, this one is from Preen. And although not my favourite shade of green, I like how D Squared2 matched this bright green cropped blazer (?) with a sporty bottom.

Personally I am still having trouble adjusting to such glaring shades. Hence I prefer the tamer side of this color palette, such as this electric/royal blue shade on the Belstaff and Julien MacDonald runway.
And of course, there is my favourite color of all time, purple. Even electric purple. The color is just so rich, striking and flattering to most skin tones! I'm loving these two shades on the Gucci and Prada runway.

Photo Credit: Elle.com

ANTM Cycle 8- Spoiler!

So I know how annoying it is when you inadverdantly find out who the winner is before you watch the finale- this has happened to me in the past 2 seasons. Last time, my friend casually dropped the bomb in conversation. And this time, I caught a glimpse of it on yahoo.com! ARGH. Anyways- don't say I didn't warn you not to scroll down!

Admittedly, this show is getting old. One can only take so much overdramatic girl cat fights before starting to wonder if they're delibrately making up something out of nothing. And after all these seasons, the girls all start to seem similar to those from past seasons. And they must've ran out of countries, because really Tyra, Sydney Australia? AGAIN? I was expecting something more exotic and new. The only thing that keeps me watching are the makeovers (its crazy what a huge difference hair, make-up and styling tips can do), the ever innovative shoots (although there weren't too many really exciting ones this season) and the glimpses into the fashion industry.

Granted I didn't like any of the girls in particular at the beginning and wasn't really vouching for anyone, I was disappointed with the two finalists- Natasha and Jaslene. They not only looked awful when they're not doing a job (this is AFTER they've had their make overs and well into the season- they just look like two badly dressed girls on the streets. And someone should just tell Natasha that she looks bad in skinny jeans)..

..but they also looked awful in the final judging in these Sass & Bide creations, with that make-up and hair. On a side note, I thought that it was kind of cool that they got to do a Sass & Bide runway- I didn't even know that they were Australians! And that runway show they were doing with the view of the Opera house- I was just there 5 months ago!
Ultimately though, between the two, I was glad that Jaslene won even though she didn't even make it into the house the last season- although this kind of makes me wonder whether she really made a huge transformation or whether the quality of the girls this season is just really bad. I'm leaning towards the latter.

But anyway, I thought she rocked the runway and she took consistently good pictures. Also, I liked her character better. She was a bit more genuine and all.

Especially compared to Natasha. The other models are right, she did appear really fake and annoying. And yet the judges just seem to be blinded by her exuberant personality. Can't they see that the things she says are not cute but obnoxious? She always had to twist any criticism she got into a good thing- can't the girl just take the criticism as it is? Although one does have to give her points for improvement. I thought her cross dressing shoot as a guy was pretty well done.
The girl I most wanted to win though, was Renee. I thought she did really well in everything. She had a great personality, her photos were consistently good and most importantly, she totally rocked the Cover Girl commercial while the other two finalists completely flunked it- honestly, I just wanted to wince watching! The only reason I can see why she got eliminated was because she looked "old," which is unfair since she can't help it and she's only 20. And really, if make-up, hair and photoshop can make Jaslene and Natasha look so good in photos as opposed to real life, they can make Renee look younger. Perhaps ANTM can't have another winner who looked so much like the last winner? One criticism for Renee- what kind of name is "Nee Nee"?? It sounds so ridiculous and stupid.

The rest of the season...was mediocre. There weren't too many photoshoots that I remembered that made too much of an impression on me. Other models- I couldn't believe that Jael made it so far. She should've been eliminated way before, like when she made a fool of herself in that celeb party annoying 50 cent. And her image, I get that she's trying to be different, but to me, it was just as if that girl couldn't decide whether to be girl and nice or rock, punk and cool. Britney, I was sympathizing with her short term memory thing, but Dionne made a good point when she said she remembered all the lines in the acting challenge. Also, I thought she was getting too cocky about her photos in the end and was just a huge melodramtic whiner. Oh and I liked Whitney the Dartmouth student. I thought she was very eloquent and smart- too bad she never got her act together with the photos.

And lastly, I just wanted to make a comment about Tyra. I know she's retired and everything, but what is with the outfits she's been wearing on the show? They look awful. If I knew how to take screenshots from videos, I can go on and on for a whole post on her fashion mistakes.

ANTM Cycle 8- Spoiler!

So I know how annoying it is when you inadverdantly find out who the winner is before you watch the finale- this has happened to me in the past 2 seasons. Last time, my friend casually dropped the bomb in conversation. And this time, I caught a glimpse of it on yahoo.com! ARGH. Anyways- don't say I didn't warn you not to scroll down!

Admittedly, this show is getting old. One can only take so much overdramatic girl cat fights before starting to wonder if they're delibrately making up something out of nothing. And after all these seasons, the girls all start to seem similar to those from past seasons. And they must've ran out of countries, because really Tyra, Sydney Australia? AGAIN? I was expecting something more exotic and new. The only thing that keeps me watching are the makeovers (its crazy what a huge difference hair, make-up and styling tips can do), the ever innovative shoots (although there weren't too many really exciting ones this season) and the glimpses into the fashion industry.

Granted I didn't like any of the girls in particular at the beginning and wasn't really vouching for anyone, I was disappointed with the two finalists- Natasha and Jaslene. They not only looked awful when they're not doing a job (this is AFTER they've had their make overs and well into the season- they just look like two badly dressed girls on the streets. And someone should just tell Natasha that she looks bad in skinny jeans)..

..but they also looked awful in the final judging in these Sass & Bide creations, with that make-up and hair. On a side note, I thought that it was kind of cool that they got to do a Sass & Bide runway- I didn't even know that they were Australians! And that runway show they were doing with the view of the Opera house- I was just there 5 months ago!
Ultimately though, between the two, I was glad that Jaslene won even though she didn't even make it into the house the last season- although this kind of makes me wonder whether she really made a huge transformation or whether the quality of the girls this season is just really bad. I'm leaning towards the latter.

But anyway, I thought she rocked the runway and she took consistently good pictures. Also, I liked her character better. She was a bit more genuine and all.

Especially compared to Natasha. The other models are right, she did appear really fake and annoying. And yet the judges just seem to be blinded by her exuberant personality. Can't they see that the things she says are not cute but obnoxious? She always had to twist any criticism she got into a good thing- can't the girl just take the criticism as it is? Although one does have to give her points for improvement. I thought her cross dressing shoot as a guy was pretty well done.
The girl I most wanted to win though, was Renee. I thought she did really well in everything. She had a great personality, her photos were consistently good and most importantly, she totally rocked the Cover Girl commercial while the other two finalists completely flunked it- honestly, I just wanted to wince watching! The only reason I can see why she got eliminated was because she looked "old," which is unfair since she can't help it and she's only 20. And really, if make-up, hair and photoshop can make Jaslene and Natasha look so good in photos as opposed to real life, they can make Renee look younger. Perhaps ANTM can't have another winner who looked so much like the last winner? One criticism for Renee- what kind of name is "Nee Nee"?? It sounds so ridiculous and stupid.

The rest of the season...was mediocre. There weren't too many photoshoots that I remembered that made too much of an impression on me. Other models- I couldn't believe that Jael made it so far. She should've been eliminated way before, like when she made a fool of herself in that celeb party annoying 50 cent. And her image, I get that she's trying to be different, but to me, it was just as if that girl couldn't decide whether to be girl and nice or rock, punk and cool. Britney, I was sympathizing with her short term memory thing, but Dionne made a good point when she said she remembered all the lines in the acting challenge. Also, I thought she was getting too cocky about her photos in the end and was just a huge melodramtic whiner. Oh and I liked Whitney the Dartmouth student. I thought she was very eloquent and smart- too bad she never got her act together with the photos.

And lastly, I just wanted to make a comment about Tyra. I know she's retired and everything, but what is with the outfits she's been wearing on the show? They look awful. If I knew how to take screenshots from videos, I can go on and on for a whole post on her fashion mistakes.