Culture Box
There is something strangely compelling about reality television here, we follow people as they pursue dreams and watch as they crumble in front of the cameras, and or break out as new stars.
It is as if we can relate on some level as their reality unfolds in real time before us, and we suddenly find ourselves attached to some bespectacled kid in a uniform that has a keen eye for fashion.
Randy Madray is the story of FACTS 3, the undiscovered talent that has stunned many of us into silence. He has been so inspiring to watch, and is the actual appeal of the show by any measure.
Just watch Madray and you will understand. The young man looks like he is two inches away from a promising career in the sciences yet he designs wonderfully. And he takes criticism so well.
No matter what happens when FACTS 3 wraps up Madray would have already set himself apart and it would be a shame if his talent lies dormant after this. He is so full of promise that he could easily be the best young designer we have seen since Andrew Harris erupted during Sonia Noel’s Designer Portfolio competition.
But, and there is a but, FACTS 3 has taken us on a disappointing ride since its highly anticipated launch a few weeks, offering up doses of promising talent but repeatedly coming up short on substance.
Outside of Madray and about two others there is just not enough to sustain a show, which brings us to an important question. How do you sustain an annual show scouting for designing talent among young people in a country this under-populated?
Perhaps the folks over at FACTS 3 know something we are not yet aware of, but it would be more than miraculous if they manage to find three students every year who can be tagged as promising. Note there is a difference between a student with an idea and one who can execute.
The concept of the show is excellent and there can be no denying the impact on students desirous of pursuing that passion. The story of designer Michelle Cole-Rose is inspiring enough to warrant such a show when we remember her and that first sewing machine she was gifted. Therefore, it is on this account that the show must be celebrated for opening that door for young designers.
The real trouble with FACTS 3 is not the concept or the students in the line-up; it’s the planning and execution, basically it comes down to those in charge–who is making what decisions and why. Like for instance, who decided to use the Umana Yana for the semi-final and overlooked the need for additional lighting, and or who decided on airing the semi-final as it was recorded without any efforts to brighten the footage.
There are so many questions that can be asked, it is actually painful to list just a few. But this must be said. Who decided on the judges for the competition this time around? More specifically, who green lighted the former Miss World?
For a supposed judge to observe a model on a catwalk wearing black against her lovely dark complexion and criticize her for being too dark to wear it is regrettable. Since when did black, a colour that stands out and one that is so defining regardless of who is wearing it, become a no for people of a certain skin colour? Sudanese catwalk model Alek Wek, who is among the most sought after models at present, has and does model black clothing for top international designers and with panache.
There is certainly a more appropriate way to offer criticism, particularly on so sensitive an issue. And this just happens to be the same judge who sees nervousness in models and labels it as frightening.
To sum things up, the judges with the exception of one (who was also on the panel last year) have been a spoiler for the show and instead of offering constructive criticism they have for the most part been tearing those children down. The inclusion of Lorraine Barker-King for the semi-final was a refreshing moment.
The essence of the show is the unexpected talent that can easily awake in any one of those students, which is also the only reason we have been tuning in every episode this season. (thescene@stabroeknews.com)
