Top Design: Jonathan Adler*

*Also titled: How Being on a Reality TV Show Can Kill Your Career (and Credibility)

When Bravo's Top Chef finished it's season with a big, fat fizzle, I was truly excited to fill it's place in my heart schedule with Top Design. After watching the first few episodes, I'm struck that it's not the mediocre designs that I find distasteful, but the stiff judges who seem to lack both personality and design chops (not in their resumes, to be fair, just in their on-screen time). Not only do they make the show tedious to watch - but they lack the only talents actually necessary for a reality TV judge to possess: a strong point of view and the ability to clearly (or at least wittingly) articulate that view.

Although Todd Oldham needs some serious lessons at using a teleprompter (does he really have so little personality that the producers won't even let him talk on his own??), at least he comes across as nice and as having some sort of investment in the designers. Jonathan Adler, however, is another story.


As someone in the design field, I'd like to think he'd be able to come across as a little less 'stiff' on camera. I'm sure sitting up there on those stools doesn't help much, but it's not like that much personality is attached to the ass. I often wonder, while watching the judging, if Adler talks to all people like they're four years old or just this group of designers. He's always saying that he can't stand depressing designs, but all life gets sucked off screen whenever he speaks. Perhaps it's because he never says anything interesting. At least Margaret Russell tries ("You can't design a room around a cat" is sadly the only memorable line to come out of this show). It's almost scary to watch Adler tour the designed rooms. Have you ever seen anyone look that uncomfortable? Watch the faces of the designers as well as the other judges. Whenever he walks away, the look on their faces bears a striking resemblance to that of someone who has just survived an awkward cocktail party encounter.

Now, normally, I'd say, "OK, so what, he's just not made for TV", but sadly, the show has actually changed my opinion of him. Having previously been really into his stuff, I now feel like I can't take him seriously. Can I actually trust designs from a man who cannot articulate any clear and consistent view on design? Shouldn't a design guru like the great Jonathan Adler be shining a spotlight on the designs, recognizing where the designers were trying to take it, and then articulating how they could have gotten to that point more successfully? A useless judge (and teacher for that matter) is one who just relies on his/her gut reaction without being able to explain what's causing the reaction. At some level, personal tastes is irrelevant. With design ... and especially with designs for clients ... the real question should be, 'were the objectives satisfied and is this a successful design.' Does he actually think that nitpicking and calling designs 'kookoo' or 'grody' flies in this day and age? With the growing interest in design, I think the Bravo viewers deserve a bit more than that. And I think that Adler's customers deserve at least some personality from their designer ... or has he already proved himself irrelevant by appearing on this travesty of a 'design' show? Please Mr. Adler, take your Prozac from your cookie jar and bring some insight to your job ... otherwise, "see ya later, decorator" - get off the stage.