Will You Marry Me, Elisa?

I try to avoid swooning on The American Scene because, well, it’s embarrassing for me, for you, and for all Salams.

But I do want to note that I think Elisa Jimenez, until this last episode a contestant on Bravo’s Project Runway, is a lovely and extraordinarily talented lady. Even Gawker is forced to acknowledge her profound goodness. She was surrounded by snarky boob, no-talent hacks, and philistines who failed to understand her bizarro vision, yet she was unfailingly kind and generous, going so far as to volunteer herself for the chopping block on more than one occasion. I can’t say I relate to Elisa, exactly, because Elisa’s kindness and confidence are qualities I aspire to rather qualities I always possess. The following exchange from her EW interview really resonated with me.

Were you offended when Chris said you were from another planet?
He actually turned to me and asked if I was offended. I said, “You know, Chris, if you had been the only person who’d ever said, maybe. But I had people who loved me for years, and that’s what they love about me.”

If only we all lived on Elisa’s planet! My strong suspicion is that it is in many respects a far better place than our own, and that carbon emissions are negligible.