Top This Party

Currently airing in the USA on the 'Lifetime Network' as "Top This Party" (which now features several event planners over the United States who plan expensive parties for high end clients), I caught Brian doing a few "Orange County" parties and showing the trials and tribulations of "clients who are clueless with money who want planners to constantly pull rabbits out hats".

The positive thing about this program is for anyone who wants "in" on the careers of party planners, event planners, event promoters, party public relations professionals, et al., to see how 80% of their time is spent on psychology/catering to egos; and 20% on the actual event itself. This is a way to see how clients have "visions" of events, and how the service business of planners tries to make it happen - all within budget, of course. Orange County Residents are the best in pretentiousness to showcase for they love to throw money around, to claim all the attention they'd never get on a daily basis elsewhere, and wish to impress the OC 'joneses' for just a few hours - while the event planner is going nuts trying to make it happen.

Brian and his staff (and/or his Rolodex) are very capable...and at times very kind and patient...event planners/party planners that seem to go the extra mile for their clients. But do their clients notice -- or are these clients one banana peel slip away from the loony bin to care since all they care about is..."all the attention on me"?

Brian and staff has to envision their miracles, and actually make them happen - and in the cases shown so far, he manges to do so and stay out of the loony bin himself. One particular Orange County party (which is actually true to the Orange County, California culture itself!) had the stereotypical OC over indulgent, female, blonde, over middle aged client down his throat - and her stereotypical OC female Asian bleached blonde....assistant (to whom you would mistake was throwing the party herself) - nit-picking every item and thing Brian and staff did and then going back to her employer stirring up the pot of negativity against Brian, his staff, and his work; as much as she could.

While scenes like this make great television, (and to me, an actual thinly veiled tip-of-the-hat to the late Steve Rubell's way of creating the over the top, 'it's MY party' Studio 54 events but now for individuals!) the best thing I found about this program, is the honesty of Brian....such as in the case with this particular client. Anyone could tell they were stressing he and his crew out, but instead of having a 'happy commentary' at the end - such as Brian telling the audience how 'great' these folks were - he told the truth...he would never work with these folks EVER again.

Now that is refreshing. This is part of the production that would make one realize that no matter how much money there is in the world, how much these folks with money think they can push who they hire around, not everyone can be totally bought, but everyone in the service business can be polite, do their job and then choose to never take you on again - and let others know just how awful and pretentious you really were. Bravo.

You may not look at this program at every episode, but there will be a few episodes that capture your eye/keeps your attention for the half an hour, and give you an appreciation for those "behind the scenes" ---such as Brian and his staff, who go above and beyond to make it work -- and get minimal, if any, thanks for actually pulling rabbits out of their hats. Event/Party Planning is a great career, but a hard job these days - regardless of the budgets spent, for everyone wants a "wow". Brain and his staff and associates show you how they come together to do it, and if nothing else, this program will show everyone how and hopefully grant these folks the recognition, RESPECT for their talents (since the clients cannot do this themselves, mind you!), and accolades these professionals DO deserve.