It is interesting... you have Tommy, the ferociously gay "women's couture designer," who recently failed his "social skills" test while deconstructing his celebrity interviewer role last week at the People's Choice Awards. Somehow this edgy, flamboyant fashionista couldn't figure out who Sheryl Crow was; or was unable to stop fawning and groveling at approaching stars he knew nothing about; and tried to bamboozle Tommy Hilfiger into a Style Forum head-spin: distracting him from the almost comical faux pas that he couldn't come up with a single celebrity name — when asked to name one by Mr. Hilfiger — from the "60 or 70" he claimed to have faced during his rattled performance.

By David W. Taylor (Email Me)
Reality Reel Media
06.25.05

Interesting, on the other hand... you have Julie, a mid-Western mom from St. Louis. She describes her Missouri community as "really conservative," and says she was married at twenty and then did "the whole mom thing." And she freely admits that in her St. Louis neighborhood: "You don't meet a lot of gay people when you're married with children." She lists her talent as that of a "handbag designer." During the Times Square billboard Challenge (shown on the premier episode), Julie was one of the lead instigators in trying to get Jeff and Felix to pack up their paint brushes and give a heave-ho to Lady Liberty. She was, thus, proved an intestinal lightweight.

On episode three, these two people are on the Studio Team and meet up at a New York wig shop to help stylize models for their team's Studio 54 revamp. They have a messy blowup inside the store and inside a limousine taking them away from the store. Tommy's enraged that Julie's not entirely gay sensitive. Julie's miffed at gayness in general. Julie ends up at the Style Forum's Pit, along with Chris S. (another strange move), and Tommy Hilfiger lashes out at her with Solomon-like wisdom: "In this business you have to learn how to deal with, and respect, all different types of people, from all different backgrounds. This is very important." Julie was sent into The Pit for Tommy Hilfiger's version of a Hate Crime.

This is all very interesting indeed because it was Tommy who started this little politically-charged wig shop melee which spilled over to the limousine squabble; it is additionally curious that Tommy escaped entering the Pit — unlike poor schlepp, Chris S. — when he made such a huge deal about how "indisposable" (now, Tommy, making up words?) he was to the Studio Team effort. Gosh, you'd think... failing last week's "Social Skills" test and this week disrespecting a puzzled middle-aged mom from St. Louis, to being a major cog in the ensuing Studio 54 Challenge disaster, you'd think Tommy would, at least, get a stern rebuke from Hilfiger before being sidelined as an untouchable political albatross. But I guess not.

At the infamous wig shop... Tommy and Julie are buying wigs. After Tommy cinches-up a deal on a "Liza Minelli" wig, Julie latches onto a wild, primped-up blonde hair piece. It reminds her of Brigette Bardot (famous '60s French actress). Somehow the conversation juts into whether the wig is for a "transvestite." The wig clerk informs the pair that the wig's retail name is "Drag Queen." Julie places the mop on her head and says to Tommy, "Who would walk around like this?" This rather innocent comment sets Tommy off. Unknowingly, Julie grabbed onto an open nerve. Utterly perturbed, he responds, "Apparently you didn't look at magazines at all." The clerk interjects humorously, "Apparently you haven't been to synagogue on (inaudible)." There was no humor from Tommy.

Tommy then gives one of his eye-rolling, smirking, side glances to the wig salesman and says, "She's from St. Louis..." — the phrase rolled heavily in tart sarcasm. This was Tommy's initial attempt to personally attack Julie and to dehumanize her. Julie tries to pass-off this affront with a self-deprecating giggle: "That's like being from Iowa or something." Tommy, still rigid with anger, snarls, "That's like being from MARS."