Tim Gunn "shines" to some and "too tasteful to star in reality television" to other reviewers

Taking a little inspiration from the way Andy Dehnart had some fun with varying reviews of Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I thought it might be interesting to collect just the comments about host Tim Gunn and see how they vary. Think of it this way, it's time to judge TV reviewers by the way they judge Tim Gunn.

The critics largely find Gunn the best part of the show. Generally, if they liked Tim Gunn's Guide to Style it was because of Gunn's charming manner. If they didn't like the show, it was because it failed to make good use of its host. For instance, New York Newsday's Anne Brakskeir says that, "in the wasteland of reality and makeover shows, Gunn shines." Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog concludes that, "it's ultimately his dry wit, big heart, and plus-sized vocabulary that might just draw me back for a second or third helping." And the San Diego Tribune's Karla Peterson similarly says that, "whatever Tim Gunn's Guide to Style may lack in originality, it makes up for with the warm heart and expert eye of its host."

The Wasington Post's Robin Givhan, however, attributes the show's failure to Gunn, essentially saying that he's too classy to make for good reality TV. Givhan says that, "Some people are simply too tasteful to star in reality television. This is the problem with the erudite Tim Gunn... Gunn is authentic, which is precisely what reality television is not." Oh, let's not limit the genre to its worst stereotypes, shall we? The popularity of Jenny Jones didn't force Oprah to wallow in trash, because they both had daytime talk shows.

Most reviewers assess Gunn as a wise professor. The Philadelphia Daily News' Ellen Gray is one of many reviewers charmed by Gunn's vocabulary, calling Gunn "an educator who uses words like 'iteration' - and even 'semiology' (the study of symbols) - as elegantly as he wears his suits." (He also referred to "semiology" in his recent appearance on The View.) Gray adds that his eloquence drives her to be forgiving when Guide to Style turns to reality TV cliches.

Similarly, the LA Times' Robert Lloyd plays upon Gunn's verbosity by referring to Gunn's "charmingly pedagogical manner." I could even imaging Gunn picking up his dictionary (I imagine him having an unabridged dictionary) to look up "pedagogical" -- at least, I could until I learned that it means "of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education". Gunn probably knows most words that relate to education.

Some critics worry that Gunn loses the charm initially displayed on Project Runway. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Erin White says that Gunn "veers dangerously close to unkind" in his interaction with makeover recipients. The Boston Globe's Joanna Weiss similarly notes that "Gunn seems especially harsh." On the other hand, the Baltimore Sun's Tanika White disagrees, saying that "Gunn's approach is more mentor than mean."

It's my favorite TV writer, however, who has the best take on Gunn -- or, at least, the one that expresses my sentiments perfectly. The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan notes that, "There may be people who don’t respond immediately — or ever — to Gunn’s friendly charm, his unpretentious sophistication and his perceptive, strongly worded honesty, but I haven’t met them. And I don’t care to."

On a semi-related note, Gunn comes across the episode I would like to see most in an interview with the Houston Chronicle, where he names my all-time favorite Project Runway designer, Diana Eng. I can imagine it now, Tim gives her advice on the kind of silhouette she should aim for and then she'll incorporate color-changing fabrics, magnets or maybe something with a motor into her new wardrobe. (Now, why couldn't he have said such a thing in our interview with him?)