The XX Factor: What women really think.

We (Heart) Kenley?

I must admit that I struggled hard about whether to watch the Project Runway finale or the debate last night, and in the end toggled back and forth. For our more high minded readers who resisted,  I will here break the news to you that the winner was Leanne Marshall, a lovely and somewhat boring girl from Seattle. The loser was Kenley, the daughter of a tugboat captain with the haughtiness of a Park Avenue brat. I have no real problem with the outcome. All three finalists presented nice, cohesive collections, and any could have won.

But here is my issue. Michael Kors presented this as the "women's final," because this was the first time all three who made it to Bryant Park were women. So I will judge it on those terms. Throughout the season, and especially at the end, Kenley was treated as reality show fodder, the contestant you string along until the end because she is so entertaining, not because she is talented. She was bitchy, rude, disrespectful, even to the ever-gentle Tim Gunn. And then, although she presented the most spirited collection, she was pushed aside for the meek one.

In the last two seasons, the exact opposite happened. Christian, who won last season, was an arrogant snot, which only won him deference and respect from the judges. Jeffrey Sebelia, the ex-addict with the neck tattoos, was an asshole of Eminem caliber. In his case, too, arrogance was conflated with confidence was conflated with talent. But not so for Kenley. If she had been "sassy" or "vivacious" or full of "moxie," maybe. But no amount of talent can rescue a young woman who is an outright bitch.