In the Mode closet, Christina is trying to help Betty decide on clothes for a cover shot, because once again, it's all Betty's concept. Seriously, plagiarize much? Christina is trying to get Betty to decide between what can only be called a Cookie-monster fur vest and the vest that Ferris Bueller wore when he ordered pancreas. Someone push her down a flight of stairs and get it right this time!
Hideous or more hideous? This is why I get
Cooking Light instead of fashion magazines.
Betty is freaking out because she can't "wrap her head around the editor's letter" she has to write. Maybe it's because you keep wearing fugly hats, Betty. Christina says, "How hard can it be, Daniel does it," which if memory serves me correctly, is not true. Doesn't he have someone write those for him? Unfortunately, Daniel overhears (luckily just his name) and Betty diverts his attention with something shiny, like one of her unfortunate accessories.
Seeing the mess around Betty (she is becoming more like PigPen), he says, "What's all this?" She tells him it's for her Y.E.T.I. project and Daniel's all like, "So, you're doing a fashion magazine?" We hear ya brother! "Carry on," he says, after giving Christina the WTF look and getting one back. Betty asks Christina if she's on the right track and I cannot concentrate on what Christina says back because she is wearing some kind of lizard-printed mu-mu that makes my eyes water. The positive side? Anna Wintour is sleeping soundly at night, even if she is upside down.
Back at school, Justin is coming out (ha!) of the auditorium where he and his new best friend heterosexual Randy are watching the students perform Little Shop of Horrors. He and Justin are all buddy-buddy until some jocks come up and start trashing on the show. Aw, dang. They tell him to ditch the rest of the show and come hang with them, but Justin says, "They haven't done 'Suddenly Seymour' yet." Smooth.
"Wait," Jock Itch #1 says, "You guys are watching the show together?" Uh, yes, just like you three jocks are, doyeee. He rolls his eyes and says, "Have fun." Douche. Randy is embarrassed but does return to the show.
Back at Mode, Christina has come up with the "winning look," and I'm pretty sure Betty is going to be blacklisted from Y.E.T.I. It's a leopard print dress with a polka dot belt and a white beret. Although that does scream "Betty" from here, it's hideous. Why does everyone secretly hate Betty? And where is the Cookie-monster vest? Betty realizes it took a long time to choose something and says, "I guess this doesn't come naturally to anybody." Don't be so sure.
Marc comes sashaying in telling Amanda all of the outfits he needs including accessories because yes, Virginia, it is that easy for some to put things together. He tells Christina he's signing all of that stuff out for his Y.E.T.I. presentation. "WHAT?!?!" Betty says, freaking out. She's all excited that they are applying to Y.E.T.I. together because clearly she's from Kansas and doesn't understand competition. Marc smiles.
"Really? You're my competition? What's your magazine? What's your vision?" he asks, waiting to hear this little gem.
"Betty's doing a fashion magazine," Christina blurts out. Marc and Amanda laugh.
"Really?" Marc asks. "Brilliant! I'm as good as in!" Amanda asks Betty if she knows fashion means clothing. Christina says that Betty's magazine is going to kick Marc's magazine's ass. "Really? What's it called? Clashing Patterns Digest?" Marc, you truly, truly are my fav.
Seriously? A fashion magazine? Have you seen a mirror lately?
Betty, trying to be all positive (blech!) says that maybe they'll both get in. Yes, and everyone gets a certificate for attendance, too! Marc tells her that Y.E.T.I. doesn't take more than one person from a magazine. And when it's him against her in fashion, well, we can all be the judge of who will win. If you don't know, it's him. Looks like it will be next year for you, Clashing Pattern Betty!
At Chez Suarez, Justin is telling his mother how much he liked the play, but that Randy had to run home right afterwards so he's not sure if he really liked it or not. Methinks Randy has to figure out which side of the bread his butter is on. It's okay to like musicals and be straight, Randy, it's just often you turn out to be Hugh Jackman. Hilda asks if Randy would be interested in seeing a Broadway show because she just picked up two tickets for In the Heights with her unemployment check. This is not going to end well for Justin or the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical.
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Comments (5)
Excellent recap.
I wasn't so upset about what Mark said to Betty - I thought she had a lot of nerve thinking she "deserved" it just because she wanted it. She was acting more like an entitled Paris Hilton type.
It was a pretty good episode overall... starting with Amanda in the tbu.
BTW - Vanessa Williams used to be married to handsome former Laker Rick Fox. Does anyone know if they are still together? (Just curious.) I couldn't find anything on the web.
1 of 5 | Posted by fire@will | Posted on November 28, 2008 1:41 PM
Here is an explanation to why all the costumes are so zany:
Episode 3.01
The Manhattan Project
Trivia:
• This episode marks the show's return to New York as well as the return of Patricia Field ("Sex and the City") as the show's Costume Designer. Betty's look will probably evolve, which is only normal for anyone who spends so much time surrounded by fashion-obsessed people. She won't be getting "beautiful," but she will be a little more fashion-forward, yet with the expected Betty-fied touches.
• Rebecca Romijn (Alexis) and Christopher Gorham (Henry) are now credited as Guest Cast.
2 of 5 | Posted by elmo | Posted on November 28, 2008 2:00 PM
Vanessa Williams and Rick Fox have been divorced for a while now, although I believe they are still friends. In fact he appeared on an episode of Ugly Betty (last season I believe)
3 of 5 | Posted by blazergirl | Posted on November 28, 2008 4:15 PM
Thanks for the great recap and writing so much. Love the captions under the pictures.
4 of 5 | Posted by User Name | Posted on November 30, 2008 1:23 AM
fire@will:
Blazergirl's right. Vanessa and Rick Fox are divorced and still friendly. Several months after their divorce, Vanessa even mentioned during an interview with Howard Stern that they are still VERY FRIENDLY with each other when the need arises. ;-) That was years ago, but I assume they are still cool since he played her love interest on Ugly Betty several years post-divorce.
Also, I totally agree with you about Betty acting like an entitled Paris Hilton type (or like America Ferrara's real-life She-ro, Hillary Clinton), when she assumed: a.) that she wanted the YETI award more than Marc and therefore, b.) she should get it just because she pulled an all-nighter.
With every episode, I am growing to dislike Betty more and more, but her assumptions (or as I like to call 'em, her Betty-isms) in this episode were so wrong, it surpassed her usual Bettyness. Marc has natural talent when it comes to fashion. Also, he actually cared enough to line up all his ducks THREE MONTHS EARLIER than Betty. How Betty came to the conclusion that SHE should present a fashion magazine is...beyond me. Her complete lack of self-awareness is annoying as hell.
This show's constant underlying moral message is that inner beauty is better than outer beauty. I'm all on board with that message, but I don't buy that Betty's beautiful on the inside, either. She always has these cracks where her "ugly" side shines through and someone (usually her dad) has to remind her to stop being overly judgmental, critical, etc. And those traits would all be less annoying in her if she weren't constantly pulling the self-righteous act and judging everyone else for their moral flaws.
Funny how "moral" Betty didn't mind at all that Daniel wrote that B.S. letter saying she was an employee from PLAYER in order for her to qualify for the YETI with Marc. How long did she work there? Like 3 days?
I don't have a problem with what Marc said to her about being a token because all signs point to Betty being a token choice for them. Her presentation wasn't better than Marc's. By the way, Betty stole that idea of "B" magazine. There's already a "BE" magazine on the shelves.
It's a credit to this show's writing and ensemble cast that I still watch this show despite disliking the main character so much.
5 of 5 | Posted by blahblah | Posted on December 6, 2008 8:47 AM