Cheaters Never Prosper – They Get the Boot: Project Runway 3’s Keith Michaels

In the play Beau Jest, there is the line, “There are rules and there are exceptions to the rule.”

In the case of Project Runway’s Keith Michael, there were no exceptions. To quote Tim Gunn, “Rules are rules,” and Keith definitely broke them leading to his expulsion from the show and his induction into the Reality TV Hall of Shame.

From the outset, Keith showed he was going to take on the show on his own terms. Knowing that the show was geared towards women’s wear designers, Keith brought in men’s clothing and sketches to his audition. His demeanor during his audition stood out against his competitors as he was more verbally combative defending his designs, the clothing he brought, and his sketches. Keith obviously studied clothing design in the past and could have put together three women’s outfits for his audition. Last season’s Emmett McCarthy was a menswear designer by profession but he knew how to design women’s clothing. But Keith wanted to do things his way.

Sometimes that’s okay. Sometimes it’s not. The designers on Project Runway are not allowed any outside assistance in the planning or design of their creations. As we learned in the fourth episode, the producers outline what materials cannot be brought into the world (or “bubble” as Tim Gunn called it) of Project Runway. There is a call for this material at the start of filming and, in fact, a second call was made a couple of weeks into the show. Designers could have turned over these materials at either opportunity with no penalty. The punishment for possession of such materials after the second call was clearly outlined as instant dismissal from the show.

Keith, on both occasions, failed to turn over the contraband materials. He clearly knew he was in possession of the pattern-making and fashion history books. In fact, they were concealed under his bed and discovered there by the production crew. Considering he put up no defense when confronted by Tim Gunn, one can assume that they were not planted there by a disgruntled competitor.

Keith claimed never to have used the materials in his possession to further his chances on the show. This claim was somewhat disputed by Tim Gunn, who was asked to compare a pattern design found on Keith’s workstation to that of a design in one of the books. In his expert opinion, the disputed pattern was very similar to that found within the book down to the placement. In Keith’s defense, Tim did say that the pattern was a very simple design for a women’s pant. However, the similarities between the created pattern and the one found in the book could not be dismissed.

The real question is – if he truly wasn’t using the material – why he would not turn it in when asked for them twice and given, for lack of a better phrase, “immunity” from prosecution. Did he doubt his ability to design and create women’s wear? Or maybe it was just in his design and sewing ability in general. The bottom line is this: He knew the consequences of not doing so and yet he still chose to keep his mouth shut. For that we cannot forgive him.

His enshrinement in the Reality TV Hall of Shame will not be his greatest punishment. In his own words, Keith has said that his name will forever be tarnished by this incident and he will be a laughingstock amongst his friends. However, that may not be the full extent. Not only will he be remembered as the first person to ever be kicked off of Project Runway, but his winning and highly-praised designs will come into question. Could he have done the same blue dress without the materials? We may never know. The “tricks up [his] sleeve” he proclaimed to have during his dismissal segment will never be seen by the viewing audience and, even now, would be tainted by this fiasco.

You can e-mail C. Brian Devinney at TheRealityFactor@aol.com.

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