The City Recap: Talk to the Park Bench!

We realize that as a show about women in fashion, MTV's The City is bound to cross-promote certain magazines, designers and brands ... but this is getting ridic.

It's basically the Elle reality show at this point ... this week's title even had Elle in it. Bad as it is for Elle that Olivia Palermo works there, the PR volume makes up for it.

For us, too, it's win-win. Olivia is painful, yet provides classic quotes (see headline).

Fortunately, MTV was a non-discriminatory cross-promoting media whore of a network last night, as The N.Y. Post's Page Six and Glamour got some love, too. But why?

Here's THG's plus-minus recap of last night's The City, "The Belle of Elle" ...

THE FACE OF ELLE: Only not really ... or at all.

Joe stops by to ask Olivia if she wants to go to a party for Gossip Girl - more shills! - stylist Eric Daman. Plus 2, because we love us some GG and its trendy fashions.

Kelly informs Whitney Port that Glamour - cha-ching! - wants to do a full page on her line. Whitney wants to bring Roxy. Kelly advises no. Whit does anyway. Wash.

For a society girl, Olivia likes the attention she gets at the party way too much. Aren't they supposed to not be impressed by anything, Blair Waldorf style? Minus 17.

Roxy's LOL skirt look - "ballerina gone punk rock gone a little hooker, but in a good way" - is predictably not embraced by Glamour fashion director Sasha. Plus 10.

Kelly to Roxy Olin: "This business is made up of freaks and followers. I’m totally a freak. So you want to be a freak? That’s great but you pay the price." Plus 14.

ROXY AND A HARD PLACE: Whitney is often caught in the middle.

Olivia, regarding Seth talking to Blake Lively and Leighton Meester: “I can talk to a park bench.” LOL. What does that even mean? Blake is a park bench? Minus 25.

Joe says that an Elle item made it in Page Six. Olivia perks up, only to learn that the so-called “Belle of Elle” is new fashion director Alexis. Served! Plus 17!

Erin gives Olivia a look, delighted by Olivia’s reaction as she learns it’s not her in the press. Wash, because that was sort of cold, but we don't blame her ... at all.

At a Bergdorf Goodman party, Whit is, like, so nervous, but meets with an exec at the women’s division and makes a pitch for her line like a seasoned vet. Plus 11.

Through it all, Roxy was left in the cold, and more or less useless, with no discernible purpose on the show. But at least she's true to herself ... we guess. Minus 2.

TOTAL: +10. SEASON: -73.