Investment, yes. Prize, no. They bill it as a prize. And even if it was an investment, 10% of the business forever is a bit much.

Depends. If they said as much in the contestant agreement, he can't claim to have been misled as to the nature of the prize. And I don't think a 10% ownership stake is really that much. Now that he's given it up, what does he expect as the alternative to finance his line? People to just shower him with money with no return on investment? A right to share in the profits is how you get financing. Forever isn't forever either-- you can just buy them out, or the business may fold. Jesus Jay.

Fascinating article.

I thought during the show that Harold had the best chance at making something happen. Tiffani's plan for the money was to travel around and eat. Harold's plan was to realize his dream. I love that he faked egomaniacal to get on the show.

Jay, I don't think even a management group would have helped. He was so far out there, which made him successful on the show, but not really able to visualize such a thing as business for himself. Even if he'd taken the money, I don't know that he'd have seen much success with it.

It's interesting, though. Because it occurs to me that the record label is a unique breed of exploitative bank. There isn't any such bank you can go to for any other career, and convince them to gamble on your unbelievable talents, giving you money upfront, spending tons of it on your production and promotion, and then hoping you'll earn out and they'll get it all back plus their profit from the rest of your (highly regulated) career. There's no A&R guy for chefs, or designers, or businessmen.

Because it occurs to me that the record label is a unique breed of exploitative bank. There isn't any such bank you can go to for any other career, and convince them to gamble on your unbelievable talents, giving you money upfront, spending tons of it on your production and promotion, and then hoping you'll earn out and they'll get it all back plus their profit from the rest of your (highly regulated) career. There's no A&R guy for chefs, or designers, or businessmen.

Maybe I'm missing something. Because it seems like record labels are pretty much like any other investment vehicle, whether a movie studio, a hedge fund or VC firm. There's someone out there that gave Harold Dieterle the money to open Perrilla with the assumption that their investment would be returned with profit.

Design Star: The Team Kitchen Challenge is, once again, a train wreck.

I think that Team Clueless made a huge mistake in not buying laminate countertops. It would have saved them a lot of time and money. But, if you had to go with tile, why in the world would you pick black tile that relates to nothing? You can get lovely ceramic tile these days that looks like stone. I thought the backsplash tile was beautiful but, were I the homeowner, I would have preferred to go a little cheaper on the backsplash and make it relate to the counters. Also, how does a professional designer not know how much glass mosaic tile is? Hint: Not cheap.

Team Faux Tuscany. I was aghast when I realized that they were shopping for plants at a craft store. Fake plants? Are you kidding me? I suppose it went with their fake statuary. But no clue on what any of that had to do with the rattan bar stools and their black-and-white polka dot seats. They should've done deeper paint colors, taken the doors off some of the upper cabinets, 86ed the fountain and faux brick, got a different sink, put in a backsplash and bought non-black appliances.

Neeraja's elimination was pretty abrupt. It was like, you suck, buh bye. But Sparkle Josh wins! I love him. (And that they call him Sparkle Josh.)

I didn't realize they were doing two eliminations on this one. I'm not sure I would have sent Josh home over Robb. I liked Josh's original schtick about designing green environments. It's a pity we never saw any of that from him. Robb is just irritating and I wanted him gone already.

So I guess what you want to do is come close to winning one of these things, wow the audience, then lose? That leaves you as a free agent?

Well, I don't think that Harold or Ilan have the same sort of constraints on the prize money but Bravo expects them to come back for events on the show for a period of time after they win. (I think Harold's contract was up in May.)

Clearly, they aren't expected to do anything in particular with the prize money because Ilan seems to have no plans.

That tile thing was idiotic. They had plenty of time to do it - what I can't fathom is how it took them the entire first day to figure out that they couldn't afford glass tile, then another full half day (7 hours!) to get the ceramic. And then on top of that, they didn't even measure?! Neeraja deserved to go for that, seriously.

Why they weren't able to find anything other than black is another issue. I am glad Sparkle Josh and (memfault) who did the woodwork on that room were recognized.

I think I've eaten in that fauxtalian restaurant that the other team did.

Adriana did the woodwork. I think she was the partner of the passive-aggressive southern girl last week.

Maybe I'm missing something. Because it seems like record labels are pretty much like any other investment vehicle, whether a movie studio, a hedge fund or VC firm. There's someone out there that gave Harold Dieterle the money to open Perrilla with the assumption that their investment would be returned with profit.

Regular investors generally rely on the business-starter to have the business expertise to make it work as well as the talent, where record labels provide that expertise to the talent. I'd guess that's why there are people like Drew Nieporent -- he's just a restaurant owner, right? So he goes into business with chefs who bring the talent but not the rest. Then Step 2, then profit.

what I can't fathom is how it took them the entire first day to figure out that they couldn't afford glass tile, then another full half day (7 hours!) to get the ceramic.

I was just discussing this point elsewhere. Someone wondered if she was planning to tile the counters with glass tile. Which, if true, is a whole 'nother level of crazy.