But, what struck me as the show came to a close, was that it had topped off a truly remarkable night of TV.  While waiting for MARC to air, we decided to watch Carson Kressley’s How to Look Good Naked on Lifetime.  We weren’t sure if it was going to be stupid, or just plain silly like many reality TV shows.

We were suprised that the show was actually unbelievably compelling.

This was not a show about how to lose 25 lbs “to be the person you are supposed to be”.  It is, instead, a show where real, live women learn that they are beautiful.  They don’t have to DO anything – they just have to see it.  It was surprisingly touching.

Then came MARC, and the theme of the evening continued.  Besides the fact that Urie seems very comfortable as reality show host (is that a good thing or a bad thing?), what was striking was the tenor of the show.  The producers have basically told these girls: you must unlearn everything about beauty you’ve learned through a lifetime of pageants.  We will work you, embarrass you, even shame you into presenting yourself as a real, live woman.  The plastic facade must come off.

The show had its flaws (perhaps they needed a two-hour premeire; we only met a fraction of the girls last night).  They also seem to be setting up Miss Vermont as the one they want America to vote for.  That’s fine, reality shows often edit to make some contestants look better than others.  But anyway, as the show ended, thinking back on Naked and MARC, a thought came to my head:

Ugly Betty did this.

It looks like America is ready to embrace the real, live woman.  Betty has become a hero of sorts.  I didn’t realise this until the Glamour Magazine dustup earlier last year.  It as if the people of America told the style setters in LA and NY, “No”.

Do what you want with other, plastic celebrities, but you can’t have her.  Get your Photoshopping paws away from her.

I really believe that How To Look Good Naked, and maybe even MARC, could not have been possible without the success of Ugly Betty.  Across the country, women who are not size zero, but maybe 10, or 14, or 18 or above – see themselves in Betty, and they are amazed that the world has fallen in love with her.

Hopefully, my prediction will come true: this year will be the Year of the Real, Live Woman.

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Entertainment Weekly has a great interview with Urie.  He talks about “being” Marc, being ON MARC, and his adoration for Betty White.  We have some excerpts here.

EW: Do you find it hard for people to separate you from Marc?
It’s actually a really nice compliment. It means that I’m doing something right. People often assume that I’m mean and they want me to be mean, like him. Usually women want me to be their friend. They want to be my Amanda. That’s fun. But generally, I’m not like him in those ways. I’m not mean, and I’m not at all fashionable. Everything I’ve learned about fashion, I’ve learned from Marc.

I’ve also heard America Ferrera say these sort of things (about people not being able to separate her from her character).   As far as his duties on MARC:

So the reality show leads up to the live Miss America pageant. What will you actually be doing in your role as host?
I’m kinda like Seacrest: I present the challenges and I announce who’s doing well and who’s not doing well. I hang out with them. I don’t stay with them. I don’t sleep in the house with them! I offered, but there’s some kind of rule. [Laughs] Fifty-two girls and one guy…

He offered to stay in the house? 

 He also talks more about how the show is going to remake what it means to be Miss America:

What kind of challenges will the girls face? Does this prep them for the big night?
I can’t tell you what the challenges are, but every challenge has something to do with what’s going to be expected of them at the live Miss America pageant. They learn about the new style of Miss America. This year, instead of just parading across the stage, it’s all runway. When they come out in evening gowns, they’re runway models. And in their bathing suits, they’re runway models. There’s a big less-is-more feeling this year. We kept saying ”make-under” instead of ”makeover.” The advisory board stresses bringing down the hair and doing less.

I LOVE this exchange about Betty White!

Betty White was a guest star on the last episode of Betty that aired. Did you get to spend much time with her?
I did, and I, in fact, crashed a scene with her!  … I wasn’t originally scripted to be in that scene, but I crashed it because I wanted to work with her! It’s such a fun-loving group that the hair and makeup people will be like, ”Sure, yeah, we’ll get you done up. Whatever.” They pulled something for me to wear, and I just sort of waltzed on, and I said, ”What if I stand here?” The fashion TV correspondent is talking to Betty. ”Betty, you’re an animal activist, TV legend, friend to gays everywhere, I love you.” And I just said, ”I love you too!” or something like that. The writers were like, why don’t you just throw this in?

…She said at one point, ”Can you believe how lucky I am to still be working?” And we were like, ”You mean, how lucky we are that you’re working with us?” I mean, we’ve had some cool guest stars. But for me, that one sort of takes the cake. Betty White is a national treasure and a comic genius! To watch her rehearse a bit with a mirror, how fascinating! She’s such a pro. It was an absolute treat to get to work with her. Never before in a read-through has an actor gotten applause after a scene in the middle of the read-through.

There is so much more in the original interview.  Check it out!

Post from: Ugly Betty News