Reality television is just like real life—or so it seemed during a recent signing of Nina Garcia's Little Black Book of Style. The Elle magazine fashion director and Project Runway judge was nearly overtaken at the Chelsea Barnes & Noble in Manhattan on Monday night, when she was confronted with enough crazies and wannabe industry pros to cast a dozen seasons of Runway contestants.

Garcia tried in earnest to talk about her book—which includes such invaluable gems about every woman's need for a handful of basic items, being your own designer and muse, and her hatred for "it" bags—but the crowd remained eerily and unnervingly quiet in the cramped quarters.

Until the angry masses demanded to be heard.

The first was a well-versed Runway tween who angrily demanded to know why Garcia didn't call out Ricky for designing a one-piece ensemble last week when the challenge called for a two-piece design. Garcia fumbled before offering a PC answer about Ricky's belt counting as his second item. Of course, the true answer would be that this season is sorely lacking anyone truly engaging, and the producers prefer to keep Hello Kitty-knapsack-loving crybaby Ricky around a bit longer. When Garcia suggested that "every show brings a different set of characters," it was clear that she too believes this season's set is boring as fuck.

Garcia then mentioned briefly that designers all buy from the same manufacturers, who often dictate color and fabric. A sporty fella from Jersey disagreed. His evidence? He heard it from a "friend" who works for a "big major retailer similar to Ralph Lauren." A flustered Garcia agreed in hopes of moving on, but the vicious audience already smelled blood.

Next, an array of unrelated questions: Something on Lauren Conrad's fashion know-how, another about internships at Elle, you get the point. But Garcia had finally had enough. The estimable author snapped into Runway mode and delivered some harsh advice, chiding one young Dutch student who used her time to discuss her own lousy internship. The girl explained, "I'm feeling like I'm not very included" to which Garcia answered, "Maybe you need to change." Garcia offered brief advice from her own days as an intern, before adding: "They're probably busy." Next question!

Throughout the night Garcia made several comments about how Runway is like a smaller example of what the real fashion world is like. Apparently, the Runway judging room is a smaller example of what a Barnes & Noble book signing is like.