xcerpt from:
Blayne Walsh: Our guy on 'Project Runway' is b-licious
September 4, 2008
By ATHIMA CHANSANCHAI
P-I REPORTER
Is this very tan, eccentric young man really the way he comes across onscreen?
"Blayne is a genuine and honest person with a huge personality to match," said Lora Lewis, his boss at West Seattle's Hotwire Online Coffeehouse and one of his biggest fans -- even before he appeared in front of millions. "The show has captured the core part of who he is, but Bravo is going to edit the tape to show off the more outrageous side of him."
By many accounts (in blogs and online reviews), he's not going to be this season's Christian Siriano, try as he might. He's not the guy everyone loves to hate, but that may be because this season's cast is kind of universally annoying.
In this current cycle of the show -- its last on Bravo before it moves to Lifetime -- it's hard to find anyone who really moves the audience enough to love them, the way Chris March endeared himself and Kit Pistol captured our hearts in Season 4.
This year? Bleh.
He's back at work, and although he has to remain mum about how far he goes in the "Project Runway" competition, it doesn't stop his friends and others from coming by to give him words of encouragement.
The blogosphere, on the other hand, has not been kind to our boy.
His haters are everywhere.
In one headline, Gawker proclaimed, "Project Runway Lets Its Red White and Blayne Freak Flag Fly."
Here's what it said under that headline: "Last night marked the beginning of the end of 'Project Runway' as we know it. ... Season 5 is made up entirely of cute girls and crazy people."
Stein wrote: "Blayne Walsh, 23: Tweaked-out Norfin Blayne says he's been a designer for six years. He's from Seattle, WA. He's tiny and will be played by Mary-Kate Olsen in the movie adaptation to (sic) the sequel to his life. He's also -- I hate to say it -- godawfully annoying. No 23 year old Seattle elf should bandy about the phrase, 'Holla at your boy.' That is a bad thing to do. On the other hand, he is obsessed -- OBSESSED -- with tanning, which explains a little bit why he looks like an orange alien. Blayne also says 'Girlicious' a lot and even went so far as writing Girlicious on the poor girl who became his model. She's like chattel but dressed in a goofy diaper."
When it comes down to it, "Runway" is about skill, talent and being able to rise above the cast's quibbles to make something special and show off potential.
Does he have what it takes to stay in?
"Blayne has really held his own this season," Lewis said. "He's an urban designer, so the challenges have been outside of his usual line. The 'leatha' episode is my favorite for his lines, and I like the fact Tim says 'Holla at ya boy' now. My favorite outfit was the one he designed for the 'Lipstick Jungle' episode, as it was wearable and pretty darn cute."
P-I reporter Athima Chansanchai can be reached at 206-448-8041 or athimachansanchai@seattlepi.com.