en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/615890 Comments by FritzieC http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/14/challenge-9-meet-your-new-design-star-part-2/#IDComment34504481 Part 2: What disturbs me is the number of people who look to the behavior of someone like Antonio and declare that he is 'real' and 'passionate' and 'refreshing'. Sorry folks, but this is not an example of a 'real' man. A 'real' man is kind, considerate, courteous to women and men alike. A 'real' man is honest. A 'real' man does not need to bully others to get what he wants. It is unsettling to realize that HGTV is caving in to a demographic that thrives on mean spirited television. HGTV has been one of the last channels that we could enjoy as a family because of the wholesome and creative shows. We still have a couple shows on this channel that we will enjoy. Antonio's show will not be one of them. DBCoop, Kimando, GracieP and many others: Thank you for all your insightful and fun comments. I have never done this before, but you made it so much fun that I looked forward to each show even more knowing that you were out there. God bless. Farewell for now. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:22:18 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/14/challenge-9-meet-your-new-design-star-part-2/#IDComment34504481 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/14/challenge-9-meet-your-new-design-star-part-2/#IDComment34504449 Part 1: Hi everyone. Well it's all over now. As I said a few days ago, I would have liked to have seen Dan win. He consistently demonstrated a clear committment to the client, an innate sense of style, and a knack for hosting with a just hint of quirky nervousness right now. Antonio spent this season displaying little natural talent for design and bullying anyone who got in his way. His winning does not affect me at all. I am not the least bit interested in watching a show with an arrogant and boorish host. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:21:59 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/14/challenge-9-meet-your-new-design-star-part-2/#IDComment34504449 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/11/preview-of-challenge-9-the-finale/#IDComment34344905 Hi Everyone. It's been a very interesting season so far. I've enjoyed reading many of the great comments. My personal favorite all along has been Dan, of course. But I've tried to as objective as I can about actual talent as it has been presented. Personality and hosting are huge factors that can not be ignored though. I was surprised that I felt a bit let down at one point this season. People much smarter than me mentioned 'gaming', stacking the deck, etc. I guess I naively forgot for awhile that this is about money and ratings. Still though, I have enjoyed the season. DBCoop, Kimando, and GracieP-You made the season much more enjoyable for me. Thanks. FritzieC Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:40:25 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/11/preview-of-challenge-9-the-finale/#IDComment34344905 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/11/preview-of-challenge-9-the-finale/#IDComment34186960 Hi DB I'm with you all the way. In my humble opinion, Dan has shown creativity and style. He seems to have the ability to see the whole room and the needs of the client. His lime green/hot pink marguerita room was a little tough to take but overall he's done a great job. He also has the ability to work and play well with others. Antonion, on the other hand, is a set designer. Have a great day. I can't wait to see Sunday's show. Design Star is still my favorite show. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:11:48 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/09/11/preview-of-challenge-9-the-finale/#IDComment34186960 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33264056 Hiya DBCoop I'm with you on this. I'm still going to vote for Dan! I'm hoping he really shines on this next challenge. Have a great day> Sun, 6 Sep 2009 00:02:32 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33264056 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190162 Hi DBCoop!! You are spot on with your comments. Very insightful. I've enjoyed you and Kimando and GracieP more than the shows sometimes. Have a great night. Sat, 5 Sep 2009 03:59:22 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190162 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190090 Part 3 If Antonio wins it will mean nothing to me. He is not a person I am interested in watching on a regular basis. There are much better assistants with clear talent on other shows in the HGTV corral. Bag Antonio and give one of them a shot at a show. Lonnie may have a modicum of talent but she has no real personality. If she wins, I'm not interested in watching her either. Dan has shown some talent. But I really think he has gone downhill since his white room challenge. I'd be inclined to watch his show because he is still the best of a pretty poor lot. Good luck to the remaining contestants but I now feel that neither luck nor real talent has anything to do with how the winner is actually chosen. Very disappointing. Sat, 5 Sep 2009 03:58:17 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190090 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190068 Part 2 At least I know which room is Lonnie's. I guess feel very let down by the entire season. The mindless and mediocre designs have been disappointing at best. The bickering and backstabbing is boring. The editing for drama is annoying. The contestants have been sub par in their 'talents'. And now, Jany is suddenly receiving a mysterious rush of votes giving her a huge leap in the fan fave. My kids have tired of the show. My husband is back out working in the garage. I wanted quality from this season of Design Star. I feel like a got the store brand. Too bad. Design Star has always been my favorite show. Sat, 5 Sep 2009 03:58:01 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190068 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190038 Part 1 Hi everyone! Hmmm. Let me see. Antonio and his star will butt heads all the way through the design process. She'll say what she wants. He'll do what he wants. They'll fight and cry and stomp around. Such drama. Lonnie will fawn over her star with insipid little compliments and "Oh I just love babies." When it comes time to get the work done, she'll sigh and pout and make frustrated noises like all the other shows so far. Dan will laugh and try to be ever so friendly and accommodating to his star. Hard to tell what he'll actually do with his room. The clips were so short. Sat, 5 Sep 2009 03:57:23 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/HGTVersus/2009/09/04/preview-of-challenge-8-celebrity-homes/#IDComment33190038 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32729923 Part 5: Sorry. I was wondering where the fence went that originally surrounded the pool. I thought these folks had a two year old? I'm not sure but I guess I thought anyone with a pool and children had to have a safety fence. It seemed like the little one could grow into his play area I suppose. Seems like most public play areas seem to have converted to wood chips instead of sand. I'm not sure of this but I have noticed it where I live at least. Anyway, have a great night everyone. Your comments are always interesting and give us different points of perspective to think about. Tue, 1 Sep 2009 01:13:56 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32729923 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32728108 Part 4: I don't know who actually won the spot of the newest Design Star but I do know that we would not be interested in watching a show that stars Antonio. I know that the challenges have changed to add some freshness to the show, but personally, I would like to see more individual opportunities for the contestants. Yes, working with others is a key element to success. Sometimes, unfortunately, back stabbing is as well. It's sad to watch a group of nice people turning on each other for the sake of a television show. Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:53:16 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32728108 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727886 Part 3: As much as I liked Dan in the beginning, I'm starting to think that his white room was about all he had. I can't help but think that he did well on the white room because he knew it would be in the contest and he'd prepared ahead with his color choices and plan. The only variable for the white room really is where the designers will get the supplies. Dan's lime green/hot pink room was a disaster. The back yard, while nice-except for the white elephant in the yard-lacked a coherent plan. The concrete around the pool was practical but very plain. The main thing lacking in the plan was the Zen. Once again, these are just the opinions of a small family sitting around watching their favorite show while munching on fresh popcorn and hot chocolate. There's no Zen in my joint either. Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:49:31 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727886 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727830 Part 2: After watching the episode again, it was clear that Dan was somewhat confused on the amount he could spend. Antonio kept interjecting $10,000 despite Dan stating he had $5,000. That does not justify such a huge waste of money on a medicore gazebo/pergola. Good grief-buy 4 4x4's, 4 2x4's, about 20 1x4's, some bolts, post mix, and stain and put up something that can pretend to have a Zen theme. A white plastic pergola for a Zen effect? Sorry, not happening. And Antonio has remained at the bottome of pile for us as a potential Design Star. He is not a breath of fresh air. He is not a Soprano. He is an arrogant bully who bullies his way through life. Tori was team leader. Instead of respecting that, Antonio immediately dismisses her and moves into the position. His behavior, once again, was just plain rude. But, Tori and the other let him get away with it. Lonnie's consistently petulant attitude has become sooo boring. She smiles for the judges but whines and pouts and dramatizes every little and large issue. Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:48:52 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727830 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727784 Part 1; Hi everyone...Lots of interesting comments. You know, I feel quite disappointed in this Design Star season. We watch as a family and do our personal critiques knowing that we have our favorite designer. It's usually a fun night. But as this season progresses, I have begun to feel very uncomfortable with the ugly undertones of the show. This year the contestants seem much less talented. It seems that in order to make up for their collective lack of skills, they have turned to conniving and manipulating the weaker of the pack. Human nature I suppose. But I would rather my children were not exposed to it. Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:48:02 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/30/challenge-7-the-longest-yard/#IDComment32727784 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791830 Last point: I thought Antonio and Dan did good jobs presenting. If Dan laughed a bit too much, I did not notice it. David Bromstad was nervous during his presentation as well. That will pass. Can't wait for next week. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:35:34 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791830 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791642 Part 5: I can not comprehend what Dan was thinking as he worked on that room. Going eco friendly doesn't mean you have to use lime green and hot pink. Wow. The pink wall graphic with a wrought iron headboard above it? Not cool. Yes...kids love color...but why not create a rain forest effect complete with endangered species peeking out? Carry the bamboo theme a little further by making a bamboo headboard. The bedding just looked tired. Turning the gumball machine into a lamp was a great idea but Dan should have replaced it with a working machine painted the same color. The little girl said that the gumball machine was her life or something to that effect. Was the blue on the mirrors supposed to be clouds? I don't know, did Dan panic for this challenge? Is all the advice being directed at the designers only serving to confuse them or make them question their own decisions? I enjoyed Dan's presentation. He has a great laugh and a warm smile. And at least the whole room wasn't blue. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:31:19 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791642 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791144 Part 4: Jason's room just missed the mark. It was all there but not in a good way. The pink pillow on the bed would have been a better color choice for the walls. The gray bedding added a nice tone down. The rug was fine but not great. The shelving was confused. And seriously, placemats stuck on with multi colored pins? What was that? And if you're going to paint a design on the wall, make it look great. Yikes. The chandelier was very pretty. But the room came across as unfinished and cold with so much black in it. Where were the lush touches a princess deserves. At least it wasn't blue. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:20:58 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31791144 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790828 Part 3: There are just so many things wrong with the Carina room. What was the fabric all about? The room did not have enough style the way it was let alone add that unecessary row of fabric remnants. The bed was awful. The poor girl could not get to the desk below without bending over. And over in the corner, like an afterthought stood a pitiful little easel and some canvases. This was such a great opportunity to really be creative and give the little girl a comfortable, artistic retreat. Instead, she got a garish and off the mark area. And again, enough with the blue already. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:14:39 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790828 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790429 Part 2: Lonnie's room just had no real flair again. Once again, she repeated an item. Why not vary the size of the bases? How about utilizing them? Some of them could have been shelved to hold baseballs, trophies, hats, and photos. What about a simple winerack effect that would hold all the bats? Too bad she didn't think about blowing up a photo of the young man in his uniform hitting a ball. The room was fine, I suppose, but again nothing memorable. Again, enough with the blue already. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:07:26 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790429 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790140 Part 1: Hi everyone! Wow. What one earth happened tonight? All I saw this week were visual representations to define the word 'mediocre'. I suppose I have to give Antonio due credit. He was the 'best' of the five rooms. But that's not really saying much. I did like the bed/cave, the blown up dinosaurs, and the photo of Connor. However, so much more could have happened with the props. Antonio could have made a powerful mural using the photo of Connor and dinosaurs. How fun would it be to create a scene with Connor wrestling, roping, riding a dinosaur? Perhaps a panaramic view that began at the floor and moved to a sunrise or sunset sky? And enough with the blue already. The bed and the window surround were great but I would have gone with shades of gray for the cave rocks. I guess, to me, the room started with a really clever and fun idea and then just like his white room he simply got lost. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:02:15 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/design-star/2009/08/23/challenge-6-kids-rooms/#IDComment31790140