Anyone else watch this, on The Style Network? I’ve only caught a few episodes (The Style Network’s not listed in my—ha ha!—“TV” pages).
Brini is the creation of drag performer Ben Sander: sort of a combination of Martha Stewart and Holly Golightly. I’m not sure the show really clicks, as it’s too close to the actual “how-to” shows to be a parody. It’s not quite over-the-top camp enough to work as humor; also, Sander chose the 1965–75 period for fashion and decor, my least favorite period.
I don’t hate the show, I just don’t think it’s as slick or clever as it might be.
I’ve caught only bits of Brini too, and share similar reservations. As an interior-decor program (BTW, her retro style references the late-'50’s through the early '70’s), the BMS isn’t worse than most of the other design shows on cable, and it’s better than some. But that isn’t what we’re really watching Brini for, is it?
I think there’s two distinct strains of humor in the show: the Space Age kitschfest, and the sexual tensions related to Ben’s drag humor when Brini interacts with unknowing outsiders – be they guests invited to the studio, or people (and esp. blue-collar he-men) she meets in her field trips. The quizzical, confused expressions of these people are frequently priceless.
As a femme personality, Brini’s got an intriguing ambiguous thing going on (aside from the obvious) – a sort of Madonna/whore subtext. The proprieties and niceties (and knees carefully kept pressed together) aside, there’s a suggestion of some alcoholic wild, swinging times in Brini’s past, present, and/or future. Anyone else pick up on that vibe? It kind of reminds me of the bawdy, sexually suggestive floozy comediennes of the Rat Pack/Space Age era.
Ben Sander should really watch for that 5 o’clock shadow, though. It really wrecks the illusion.
I assume 1965–75 were Ben Sander’s formative years . . . I’m a bit older, more the Jackie Kennedy/early Donna Reed look. The two or three shows I’ve seen have all been post-1965 in clothes, decor, music, which I detest: Shirley Partridge/Carol Brady. Ick.
But my main complaint (my only complaint, really) is that he’s a bit light on the high-ass camp humor. Which might also be a generational thing: I’m used to The Lady Bunny, Divine, Lypsinka.
That’s why it’s brilliant. A parody would be played out after a couple of SNL sketches and could certainly not carry ½ hour a week. But Brini works because the parody is at the same time sincere and gives entertaining ideas for those interested in the zenith of twentieth century, upscale cool.
Brini balances parody and sincerity so well that the act of balancing per se is executed an act of art worthy of admiration. That tension, like the Blue Note or the kiss withheld, is an instrument that Brini deploys incredibly well. If only Mike Myers could grasp that!
Wha? You missed my comment in this thread (search for ‘brini’)?
Like I posted earlier. Very dry camp. I love it.
You’re not supposed to like the 60’s style, you’re suppose to laugh at its ridiculousness. That she presents this style as a serious choice today is the joke.
And, please, you may not like the style, but you’ve got to appreciate the wardrobe changes and the fidelity to the period.
Holy crap! I just surfed into this show (a friend of mine mentioned it to me in passing sometime back, so I had some idea of what I was in for), and I gotta say, I feel like I’ve just taken a big old hit of acid.
Utterly cool, gotta wonder how many folks out there haven’t figured it out yet.
