Shear Narcissism

antin3-25-06By The Qwertz

Just when I was left in a mild depression after the finale of Bravo's Project Runway, along comes the third season of the spectacular, gossipy bitch-fest that is Blowout. I know, what would be so great about a show that highlights a hair dresser and his day-to-day musings and activities? Now, I may not know the difference between a layer cut or a razor cut, but I know a bitchy, self-obsessed, ego-driven queen when I see one, and it is the latter that makes this show a guilty pleasure.

What does Jonathan have in store for us this season? More thrown phones? More hair product being hurled across the room in disgust? Unlimited amounts of Dirt™? More beauty school zings after the jump.

This season opener opens up with Mr. Jonathan Antin himself in what is surely one of the longest voiceovers EVER. In these four minutes, we are reminded of how grating his voice is. Second, we are quickly reminded what the point of this series is: to showcase Jonathan. A series of clips from previous seasons quickly remind us what makes this show so good -- his ego and how it drives him to find other people to build him up. The other stylists Jonathan employs and relies on to further his name are a quirky lot and their individual behaviors add an extension of drama -- nay, a HAIR EXTENSION of drama to this show.

Unfortunately for us, Jonathan borrows a few pages from the Donald Trump Manual on Self-Aggrandizement for Total and Unabashed Dummies. Admittedly this is a man who started out cutting hair and now has his own show on Bravo -- the American Dream for the 21st century. Enough of the niceties though. Jonathan reminds us that after he built his shop and hired his stylists, it was time for the next big step -- JONATHAN ANTIN WATER. OK, luckily for us he skipped that chapter of Trump's book and only developed a showerhead to filter water for your hair -- but more on that later. Next though was the world's greatest hair care product called -- you guessed it -- Jonathan Product. Admittedly the packaging is pretty, but I'm loathe to use anything in my hair that is called Dirt. Moreover, Jonathan reminds us that Jonathan Product is the fastest selling hair care product in the world and that hair care products are a THIRTY BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY. The producers indulge our taste for heated arguments by showing what is one of the greatest reality moments ever when the marketing guy for Jonathan product, who was fed to the teeth with Mr. Antin's antics, finally says "Oh, so your beauty school education is going to allow you to tell me how to do my job?" HA, beauty school zing!

Lest you think Jonathan Product was enough of an ego boost, we are reminded that working under the employ of celebrities is what really makes a person in this world. Jonathan services the biggest celebrities like the made-up celebrity group, The Pussycat Dolls. What's that? His sister OWNS the Pussycat Dolls? Anyhow, it is his product and celebrity exposure that keeps his two shops busy. Funny, I would have relied more on my talent to feed my business.

Lastly, the most unholy of all things unholy -- we learn the man has spawned. Yes, at the end of season two, he proposed to his girlfriend and in the season interim has had a little boy that Jonathan describes as his "newest and greatest venture." Aww, now if that's not love, then I don't know what is.

FINALLY, after the opening credits we ride with Jonathan to his office while he talks about family. His salon and his stylists are his family. His product is like his family. Oddly he has a new family that is coincidentally his ONLY REAL FAMILY-- the Antins. Jonathan explains his salon is expanding to Hawaii after spending $200k on his second salon and another $2.5 million on Jonathan product, but somehow this all adds up to his businesses valuation of "up to $100 million dollars." Hey, no one said you have to be a MENSA member to cut hair. You do, however, need to be able to cry at the drop of a hat, and we are treated to Jonathan's first tear shed. Aww, his child is a venture, and he cries over money. Seriously, this man cries more than the kids in The OC say "hey."

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Comments (31)

MindyLou Author Profile Page:

I just wanted to be the first to comment. Why does everyone that does hair have to be such a diva?

midwestmom Author Profile Page:

Where's the Big Love recaps? That show is great!

milk_and_honey Author Profile Page:

everytime he talks, i think to myself, "wow, buffalo bill finally opened a salon, eh? didn't he die at the end of the movie?"

k37744 Author Profile Page:

oh guest columnist, you made my day!

we missed you jonathan.

welcome back, you knob.

T. Author Profile Page:

Thank you for that genius recap. Respek!

hardly@work Author Profile Page:

oh yay! i too was hoping the photog would put Jonathan in his place and make him redo for the photoshoot, but sadly no

poor jason

great recap!

stacyrocks Author Profile Page:

A Blow Out recap? Niiice. This was much needed. That was some funny stuff. Thanks The Qwertz!

MindyLou Author Profile Page:

If someone came beating on my door at 4 am, and I stayed in New York, I would have greeted them at the door with a gun.

What is up with him freaking out about everything? Can you say 'making a mountain out of a mole hill?' or maybe in his case "making a loss of hair out of a cowlick?"

I think his wife is not all that pretty. I figured he would be married to a real babe. He must have a small penis. I bet he is great at cutting his pubes and styling them to create an illusion of a bigger package though.

hog island Author Profile Page:

Please don't refer to this douche bag as a queen. That term is reserved for the gays of reality telivision. This man is straight and he sucks and you hetero's can have him on your side, you just can't call him a queen.

lynturn Author Profile Page:

Uhhh...hog island, I think you got some issues. Do they call you the green queen? Cuz you sound jealous as hell.

pamn Author Profile Page:

"I bet he is great at cutting his pubes and styling them to create an illusion of a bigger package though."

Oh,MindyLou, thanks for that laugh.

tigereye Author Profile Page:

guest columnist, you're hilarious! i love it! i've watched the last 2 seasons of this show but didn't even know there was a 3rd coming. i'm not sure there should be, but what the hey, why not? there can't possibly be anything better to put on tv. my boyfriend was asking me why on earth i was watching blowout and, as i watched, couldn't come up with a whole lot of reasons. of course, as previously stated, i have watched the last 2 seasons, go figure, though we ARE all addicts here, so maybe you understand. i think the title to this recap is a sufficient answer. how often do you really get to see someone so self-centered get to continue to be that way and NO ONE slapping him and saying 'no, shut up'? the kid's cute, but i don't think he has a chance.

grits Author Profile Page:

Thanks for the great recap. I, too, love Jason and often wonder what he really thinks of "his boss". It's almost like a role reversal thing where Jason is like the parent and Jonathan the child, when it seems like it should be the other way around -- Jonathan as a mentor, etc. I think Jonathan is a Jason wannabe, but with an enormous ego and a fragile psyche.

Belinda Author Profile Page:

Yippee - the Bitch is back!! This show is like a baaaaad accident - all the guts and gore spread out across the tv and all I can do is stare and enjoy! Oh Jonathan - you are such a tool!

jfn Author Profile Page:

When I saw the commercial for this third season entre episode, I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Jonathan say, after looking adoringly at his new son "That's worth all the hair product in the world." Huuhhhh???? Your baby is worth all the hair product in the world? That much, huh? Oh, Jonathan, you're such a sweetheart.

I don't know why I should have been surprised by this most ultimately shallow statement -- I mean, this is Jonathan Antin we're talking about here. Jonathan Antin, the most wooden, shallow, ridiculous human being to ever have a camera turned on him. If he wasn't so f***ing stupid and so embarassing I'd hate him a lot more, but I kind of feel bad for him because he has no idea what an ineffectual bone head he is.

On another note, I'm furious that he named his kid Asher. I was planning to name my son Asher -- it was my baby name, gaddammit -- but not now. I'll have to cut that dream loose because there's no way my kid and Antin's kid are sharing a name. Bad. Disappointing.

I don't want to watch Blowout -- I always feel like I have wash my ears and eyeballs after every episode -- but I'm sure I'll get sucked in for the sheer "What the f***???" goodness supplied in abundance in every episode.

I for one love this show, but Jonathan is so so so in love with himself. What was with him starring at the shop's sign with his name on it? I'm like we know it's your shop Jonathan! Anyway, I love him, I hope he doesn't change because he's a riot.

tvaholic Author Profile Page:

Jonathon really is a bitch. It's like Jack McFarland got his own show.

#3-Buffalo Bill! Yes, that's why his voice drives me nuts!

Hog island(#9)-I'm sorry, but Jonathon is the most in-denial homosexual I've seen on tv. I half expect him to be like that short dude on Will & Grace.."Oh, this is a gay bar??"

Oh, and I was crackin up at his tryin to move like Usher! Who woulda thought he had that in him?!

jonathan antin's forehead Author Profile Page:

Yay a Blowout recap!! I can die happy now - thanks!

I have been watching Jonathan since his first crying jag on Bravo. I find myself compelled to watch him and on many occasions yell at the TV. What a self-centered jackass!

Like a moth to a flame, I went to see Jonathan last year at a women's show. He is so full of himself all I could do is laugh and pity the poor girl whose hair he was cutting in betwen talking about himself.

I can not believe he has procreated..let's hope the horrific Neanderthal facial features that afflict him and and his mannish sister don't get passed on to his spawn. Poor young Asher...that's awfully close to Asser.

Belinda Author Profile Page:

OMG - yes! Asser Antin. Boy, will that kid be screwed up or what???

Aries Author Profile Page:

I don't even watch this show but I loved this recap. It gave me several much needed laughs as I'm stuck home with a cold. And a double amen to the slam against Jonathan for only focusing on Diane Sawyer. Robin makes GMA worth watching IMO.

ATCmurph Author Profile Page:

I'd never watched this show until Bravo showed several of last season's episodes back-to-back. Well, there was nothing else on, so I watched. And I was sucked in, as if into a black hole. So now I'm hooked. He is such a piece of work, it's hard to look away. Even when he seems to be doing something nice, like helping the woman who lost her hair, you just get the feeling he's saying, "look at me!!! I'm a humanitarian!!!" I don't think he does anything that doesn't ultimately benefit himself. Now THAT'S good TV.

m_ruv Author Profile Page:

I've never seen this show, but is it just me or does this Jonathan guy have a really bad eyelift. That closeup of him crying looks like Greta Van Susteren.

KatiesHole Author Profile Page:

Jonathan sounds like one of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. His head is so huge, he even looks like one of them, but I can't recall which, I cannot remember their names.

I don't watch this show, because I find him so irritating. I'd rather watch that girlie man, Ashley Park Asshole, try to figure out how a supermarket automatic door works.

KH

hardly@work Author Profile Page:

I caught the part with Jonathan and this therapist yesterday, I see what you mean now about it being like a daily show interview, it seemed that his therapist was trying not to burst out in laughter with a lot of uncomfortable pauses.

auntieboo Author Profile Page:

Just read this recap and the Surreal Life recap and got a great idea - how about Jonathan on Surreal Life next season!! I would watch it then!!

I feel like the designer/photographer was just some sort of bad actor and that was just some scenerio put together for drama. Nobody would let the hair dresser get away with that crap even if it is ....Jonothan Antin

PeggyKate Author Profile Page:

That photoshoot was so phony and such a setup. There is no way a designer would allow a hair stylist to decide what the hair will be for a shoot.
That said, I love this show and the recap was hilarious!

Leah3t Author Profile Page:

awesome recap- i think i'm going to have to check this show out. good to know mixed metaphors and unecessary tears are not only found on MTV.

KatiesHole Author Profile Page:

Do you really think Michael Kors would allow Jonathan to do hair and be a wardrobe stylist also? I think not. That sequence was a total set up, orchestrated by Jonathan.

Would love to see those egomaniac bitches (Kors and Jonathan) fight that one out. Throw in Santino and its reality gold.

KH

Trixie Author Profile Page:

I think that although Jonathon has a bit of an ego, he seems like a perfectly nice guy. He treats his help well, and he loves his family. You can't fault the guy for working hard and trying to get rich. However, I don't really think his hairstyles are that fabulous. They look like any other hairstyles to come out of any metropolitan salon. Big whoop..he makes people bend over while he blow drys...I've been doing that technique myself for years.....for free.....
Finally, I am worried about his sister. She has had WAY too much plastic surgery. If she keeps it up, she may end up being uglier than the lead singer of the pussycat dolls.....ICK...

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