Project Runway

Even since the inception of the show, particularly due to its affiliation with Parsons, I get asked what I think of the show, or worse, why I don't try out for it.

Well, I stumbled across a fabulously vitriolic summary of all the things wrong with the show written by a whipsmart patternmaker that hit every single point with finesse so I advise you to look there.
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/vivisection_project_runway.html

My personal short list, however, goes something like this:
1. Nobody on that show (or any other competitive design show) has gone onto a successful career because of the show. Admittedly, there are several contestants who have respectably small business, but these people ALREADY had those businesses. I have NEVER seen mainstream coverage of any of the former contestants after the show by any reputable fashion publication (and I read almost all of them). Every editor on the planet thinks these people are a joke.
2. The show makes life difficult for people who actually ATTEND Parsons. For example, I couldn't pick up my final project the first week of summer because they were filming. Ex-fucking-scuse me? I PAY MONEY to use that building. Secondly, fashion design is already the most popular major at Parsons with over 50% of freshmen choosing to enter the fashion program their sophomore year. As a result, the classes are overcrowded, there is a shortage of machines and mannequins, and there are few if any sewing rooms or computer rooms available for independent work. Due to the publicity from the show, Parsons now must employ an even more rigorous "weeding out" policy. My senior class ended up being a handful over 100 students, we stated out with 235. Over half the class failed or dropped out. In addition to the unfortunate kids who had unrealistic expectations of the nature of the program and their own abilities, this policy is also detrimental to qualified students who are forced to endure three years of scare tactics rather than real instruction.
3. The challenges on the show are totally unrealistic and the contestants were cast for their television appeal. If you are surprised to learn that the finalists are chosen because of their entertainment value, I don't know what to do with you.
There are many legitimate scholarships and contests in the US that do, in fact, acknowledge independent designers based largely on merit ( and only a little politics).
4. Any kind of show purporting to "make" someone in such a limited amount of time insults the commitment made by real people in the industry. There are very few Cinderella stories in any industry and fashion is included. Even the superstars that rose to fame seemingly quickly worked their asses of for years, even decades, before becoming household names. Furthermore, most of the people who are on top of successful businesses are people of whom you've never heard.