The Good Guys of Reality TV

If you have ever watched a reality show competition, you know the people on those shows are usually less than friendly and quite a lot of them are only out for themselves. They will do whatever it takes to win, whether it is saying their grandmother died or throwing a teammate under the bus. These shows make people ruthless and it is incredibly rare that you will find one person who has convictions and a kind enough heart not to fall into that trap. So imagine finding two of them.

When the first episode of Project Runway season 8 aired, I immediately wanted A.J. Thouvenot to win. His designs were fun and whimsical, like a cross between Betsey Johnson and [the now defunct] Heatherette, only better. (His taste in music is impeccable as well, but that really isn't the point.) There was something about him then that really interested me and I wanted nothing more than to see him make it all the way to Bryant Park, just based on his work alone.

And then came the dreaded team challenge. That was honestly one of my least favorite challenges in Project Runway history. For whatever reason, the designers threw away their own aesthetics and decided to create a cohesive collection that had none of their signatures on it. Because of this, A.J.'s team landed in the bottom. Before appearing in front of the judges, they all decided not to put the blame on any of their teammates. When asked who the weakest member was, however, they caved and used Michael C. as their scapegoat. Only A.J. refused to do so, naming himself instead. That is when I wanted even more for him to go to Fashion Week. He was not like the others. The garment he made was not something he ever would have sent down the runway during an individual challenge. It was unfair that he went home because of something that just wasn't him and because he refused to give someone else's name to the judges. I had so much respect for him in that moment, and I still do now.

Face Off is another talent-based show, featuring makeup artists from around the country. On the first episode of season 3, Rod Maxwell rushed over to help two of his fellow competitors who were having trouble with one of their molds. Actually helping the people you are competing against? Unheard of! Not only that, but when he appeared with his teammate before the judges during the first challenge, Rod talked him up so much that I was sure he would be the one to win. Instead, Rod won. And I was really happy for him because it is so rare to find someone who thinks of other people while competing on a show where they are supposed to try to win.

Unfortunately, Rod was eliminated tonight. It broke my heart because he seems like such an amazingly nice person, with such a good heart, and only good things should happen to him. This is what he said on Twitter after the show aired:



Even after his elimination, he was still so gracious. It's very admirable and it only makes me wish he would have won even more. He is immensely talented, so even though he is no longer competing on Face Off, I know he will do well elsewhere.

There should be more people like A.J. and Rod on these shows. I would rather see friendly competitors than all of the drama between contestants.