After Top Model and Project Runway the new US fashion reality show, Stylista, started on Swedish TV last week. Now ten fashion journalists compete for a one-year contract at ELLE magazine in New York. Or in other words, “The Devil wears Prada” as reality show.
Fashion? Journalism? New York? Sounds great, I thought. Unfortunately, I was totally disappointed. In particular the judge and fashion news director of ELLE magazine, Anne Slowey, is so ridiculous that I’m getting angry when I write this text. Apart from her desperate imitation of Meryl Streep’s role in “The Devil wears Prada” (she even flops her coat onto the assistant’s desk just like in the movie) she perfectly performs the cliché of a real fashion bitch.
After two episodes I’m already annoyed about her standard assessment “You have a low taste level”. What the hell is that? Is she from the fashion police? I think especially fashion is an area that really needs people who think differently. Even Coco Chanel was sharply criticised for her miniskirts in the 1950s.
Of course, this person makes me so angry that I will continue watching the show (that’s probably her concept). It’s entertaining and if you have watched all the similar forgone fashion reality shows you will also stick to Stylista.
Particularly from my perspective as a German, I find Stylista and many other US shows really fascinating and funny. US reality and talk shows are quite rare and unknown in Germany (I didn’t even know Oprah Winfrey when I moved to Sweden…yes, you are allowed to laugh now!!!) and I find they are very different. I think Germans in such TV competitions are for instance much shier and more boring compared to Americans.
People in such US reality are always so extremely self-confident. Often they claim that they are best and definitely will win the competition. If somebody said something like that on German TV (and I think on Swedish, too) people would think that he or she was arrogant. Is it a part of American culture to show this extreme self-confidence or are just these extremely self-confident people in US TV shows?
However, it’s really entertaining and funny!
The participants of Stylista with wanna-be fashion devil, Anne Slowey, in the front.
Hi,
I’m from the states and I think the producers just choose the contestants who are more confident. Like you said, it makes the shows more interesting to watch.
From my experiences, I don’t think Americans are significantly more or less arrogant than others. An example: when I was preparing for my college entrance essays the counselors said in their experience, the biggest problem for students is selling themselves. Students found it hard to boast and write self-confident statements. But they needed to when they want to appear attractive to universities.
I hope that I answered your question. I really enjoy your column. I’m sorry I couldn’t make a better comparison as I haven’t experienced Swedish life yet.
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Cool that you like the blog and thank you for your comment! It definitely answered my question! I’ve never been in the US so I probably have a wrong idea about people and life there because of TV and films…
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People need to remember that reality TV is not necessarily portraying reality. A lot of what you see is staged, and edited. The culture of self-confidence in the US is completely different than what is in Europe. I’ve noticed there’s a certain taboo in Europe associated with being over confident and displaying the alpha male behavior. On the other hand – it’s also a double standard – the difference is the way in which people display their confidence in the US and in Europe (and that in itself varies).
I definitely like the idea of the prize. I wonder if they got the idea from the YETI program featured on Ugly Betty.
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And thank you David for all your wonderful and professional comments!
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