Reality Cooking shows. . what the hell?

[bert]

I've been so busy at work, I've spent the day catching up on my shows I DVRd last week.

I love reality cooking shows, my favorites being Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen.

I really did enjoy the first episode of Top Chef: Just Deserts, and I'm looking forward to "All Stars". . but come ON. . I just watched the 2nd episode, and some of these people are nuts.

Bravo should be embarrassed for keeping psychotics like this on television

"the red-hots are for my Mommy"

From a 28 year old man? Really?

and then to KEEP the guy on the show (because he makes good television) instead of sending him for a mental stability checkup? the Producers should be ashamed!

and Hell's Kitchen is even worse -- to the point that I don't know that I'll keep watching the newest season. There's a mix of crazy/insane with just plain bitch/assholery that's astounding.

Sal needs help. As does that self centered blonde from teh Girl's team. I have no idea how either of them passed the psych exam to make it onto the show. . .but I really have no interest in watching horrible and insane people trying to win money every week.



(damn, even Survivor is going for the crazy this season, but at least on THAT show, the crazy are getting voted out first, and the crazy assholes are getting voted out 2nd).

sheesh.

[Thequeerjock]

I was under the impression that cooking shows in general relied on big personalities amongst the contestants and chefs.

I'm not sure how many people would watch any of Gordon Ramsay's bajillion shows if it weren't for him screaming his lungs out every three seconds.

[bert]

I was under the impression that cooking shows in general relied on big personalities amongst the contestants and chefs.

I'm not sure how many people would watch any of Gordon Ramsay's bajillion shows if it weren't for him screaming his lungs out every three seconds.

big personalities, yes.

but not crazy, as in "needs psychological help"

and there are contestents this season on both shows I mentioned that should be seeing counsellors.

[MayorMitch100]

I was surprised how fast hell's kitchen got another season. It just ended last month.

[bert]

I was surprised how fast hell's kitchen got another season. It just ended last month.

yeah, me too.

they must have had this in the can (or quickly threw it together). Factors on the show seem to imply the 2nd option (no JP, and the prize happens to be in LA)?

but who knows.

I really don't know if I'll watch -- the contestents are all either thouroughly unlikeable (typical), but really crazy. . . I dont' think I can stand to watch Raj unravel more and more each week.

[Kevin T Brown]

I've been so busy at work, I've spent the day catching up on my shows I DVRd last week.

I love reality cooking shows, my favorites being Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen.

I really did enjoy the first episode of Top Chef: Just Deserts, and I'm looking forward to "All Stars". . but come ON. . I just watched the 2nd episode, and some of these people are nuts.

Bravo should be embarrassed for keeping psychotics like this on television

"the red-hots are for my Mommy"

From a 28 year old man? Really?

and then to KEEP the guy on the show (because he makes good television) instead of sending him for a mental stability checkup? the Producers should be ashamed!

and Hell's Kitchen is even worse -- to the point that I don't know that I'll keep watching the newest season. There's a mix of crazy/insane with just plain bitch/assholery that's astounding.

Sal needs help. As does that self centered blonde from teh Girl's team. I have no idea how either of them passed the psych exam to make it onto the show. . .but I really have no interest in watching horrible and insane people trying to win money every week.



(damn, even Survivor is going for the crazy this season, but at least on THAT show, the crazy are getting voted out first, and the crazy assholes are getting voted out 2nd).

sheesh.

I agree with you about Seth, he should have been tossed from the show. The dessert he made fell way short of all others, especially based on all the comments they edited in. THE only reason he's on right now is for "good TV". However, as much as I and my wife love Top Chef in all its variations, we are very close to not watching Just Desserts because of Seth. I'm hoping he gets kicked off this week.

And what sucks is I absolutely LOVE to make desserts, and this show is right in MY demographic in that respect. I just wish Padma liked sweets.... Gail Simmons is not a good choice as hostess.

[Gaelforce]

Yeah, I'm a Gordon Ramsay fan, but Samantha and Raj on Hell's Kitchen are just wacked the fuck out. They are both in serious need of assistance, yet Raj was kept around just because he's 'entertaining.'

They're billing this as 'the most combative season' of HK. I'm not sure I like that idea very much :/

[Hybrid2]

I liked MasterChef that just ended.I saw the start of Hellkitchen and it was all screaming and name calling.
Compleately uninteresting.

[Teal_Lantern]

I can never keep track of when Hell's Kitchen ends or starts up again.

Also, my favourite one would be Kitchen Nightmares, the British version, the American's is cool, too, but the British version is better.

[Tobias M]

I'm really liking Junior MasterChef. You've got kids ranging from 9 to 11 years old kicking arse in the kitchen and receiving nothing but warm encouragement from the hosts.

It's just a really sweet show. No hysterionics (yet) no grandstanding for the cameras. And the parents are included in the proceedings, which is a nice touch.

[J. Wilson]

I watch the Food Network cooking shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Down Home with the Neelys, Big Daddy's House and Guy's Big Bite.

But I don't watch any of the shows where people try to compete to win a prize.

Why?

After watching how big an asshole the people become to win, why on earth would I want to eat something prepared by said asshole.

[BnL]

I found the last season of Hell's Kitchen exhausting to watch. And then when I saw that it was going to be immediately followed by ANOTHER Gordon Ramsay show, I didn't have it in me to tune in. And now there's already a new season of Hell's Kitchen! Way too much, way too soon. I watched the premiere, but I can't stomach watching the rest of the season. The crazy people and the fighting and the shouting is one thing, but combine it with the fact that most of the contestants are completely talentless, and you wind up with an embarrassing trainwreck. The show really has zero redeeming qualities. I can't imagine how much harm it does to Gordon Ramsay's reputation.

I'm always on board for Top Chef, though. Just Desserts is an interesting spin-off. I don't mind laughing at Seth's insane antics. And the Top Chef brand always produces a pretty high caliber of talent, so it's exciting to see what the chefs create.

[Cam63]

I'm really liking Junior MasterChef. You've got kids ranging from 9 to 11 years old kicking arse in the kitchen and receiving nothing but warm encouragement from the hosts.

It's just a really sweet show. No hysterionics (yet) no grandstanding for the cameras. And the parents are included in the proceedings, which is a nice touch.

Agreed...and I hope the producers don't start pulling stupid stunts to make drama.

[Kevin T Brown]

Ok, bert, tell me what ya thought of this week's TC: JD. I'm sure you're quite happy with what occurred. :) I know I am.

[Corrina]

I can never keep track of when Hell's Kitchen ends or starts up again.

Also, my favourite one would be Kitchen Nightmares, the British version, the American's is cool, too, but the British version is better.

I just read on CNN this morning that a business owner who'd been on Kitchen Nightmares in 2007 committed suicide. It said he was the second person who appeared on the show to commit suicide.

[Spiffy]

I've been so busy at work, I've spent the day catching up on my shows I DVRd last week.

I love reality cooking shows, my favorites being Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen.

I really did enjoy the first episode of Top Chef: Just Deserts, and I'm looking forward to "All Stars". . but come ON. . I just watched the 2nd episode, and some of these people are nuts.

Bravo should be embarrassed for keeping psychotics like this on television

"the red-hots are for my Mommy"

From a 28 year old man? Really?

and then to KEEP the guy on the show (because he makes good television) instead of sending him for a mental stability checkup? the Producers should be ashamed!

and Hell's Kitchen is even worse -- to the point that I don't know that I'll keep watching the newest season. There's a mix of crazy/insane with just plain bitch/assholery that's astounding.

Sal needs help. As does that self centered blonde from teh Girl's team. I have no idea how either of them passed the psych exam to make it onto the show. . .but I really have no interest in watching horrible and insane people trying to win money every week.



(damn, even Survivor is going for the crazy this season, but at least on THAT show, the crazy are getting voted out first, and the crazy assholes are getting voted out 2nd).

sheesh.
Hell's Kitchen (U.S., of course) is the absolute sewer of TV Culinary Reality shows, and near the bottom of the barrel for Competitive Reality shows overall. Its a travesty, and Gordon Ramsay should be afraid to show his face in public after it airs. I watch occasionally just to LAUGH my ass off, but not to take it seriously. It kind of offends me deeply, yet has trainwreck appeal, pretty much on the level of other sewage like Jersey Shore. Its that bad IMO.

Top Chef overall is the Rolls Royce. It has crazy antics, but the actual cooking challenges and the skill level of the people are real. These are actual skilled people you can Google search and who have a vested interest in not being fools on TV.

Just Deserts seems to have skewed into the dirt a bit. Maybe its something about the personalities of Pastry Chefs, but I'm having a lot of trouble taking the show seriously.

Some of the Food Network stuff is okay, although its a mixed bag. Iron Chef America? Great. The spin-off to pick "new" Iron Chefs? Not sure I get it. And I think they have a few other competitive cooking shows which are at least... okay. I'm kind of bored by that one with Ted Allen though. He used to seem like an interesting guy on the Queer Eye show, but he's frickin' boring on this thing.

Survivor (getting off the food shows)? I guess you are talking about that crazy lady who wants to rip the other girl's fake leg off and hit her over the head with it. Yeah. That woman is nuts. Some people, you wonder how they passed the battery of psych tests they're supposed to give these folks. Also, if you haven't seen The Apprentice, they've got one guy on their now (David) who looks like he's going to grab a knife and start cutting heads off any minute.

[Spiffy]

I watch the Food Network cooking shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Down Home with the Neelys, Big Daddy's House and Guy's Big Bite.

But I don't watch any of the shows where people try to compete to win a prize.

Why?

After watching how big an asshole the people become to win, why on earth would I want to eat something prepared by said asshole.
Guy got his job at the Food Network through one of those shows though ("The Next Food Network Star"). So he IS one of those er... "assholes" (at least in theory, if you subscribe to the theory that they have to be such to win one of those shows).

He's considered the "great success" of that model, I suppose.

[Spiffy]

You know, now that I think of it, this crop of actual mentally unstable competitive reality show contestants didn't just start. I remember over the summer seeing an episode of that crappy Bravo show about artists (google searching... ah... "Work of Art") and being pretty disgusted (and never watching it again) because they had a crazy guy who OCDed over everything.

So maybe it is actually a trend now. Ditching the psychological tests they've always claimed in the past they do for these shows and just giving in and casting actual crazy people.

[sheilastahl]

I don't get the purpose for reality shows. At the end of my day, I am sick of reality. But I realize that I am in the extreme minority. :(

[XXXenophile]

I just read on CNN this morning that a business owner who'd been on Kitchen Nightmares in 2007 committed suicide. It said he was the second person who appeared on the show to commit suicide.

In both cases there was quite a time span between their appearances on the shows and when they committed suicide. For the Kitchen Nightmare guy it had obviously been 3 years.

And his restaurant was continuing to succeed.

[bert]

Ok, bert, tell me what ya thought of this week's TC: JD. I'm sure you're quite happy with what occurred. :) I know I am.

yeah. .just caught it on On Demand.

Glad the Producers stepped in and wouldn't allow him to continue.

Cheers to them for doing the right thing -- even if it was a few episodes later than it SHOULD have been.

I missed Heather being eliminated. . but she came back in and immediately went crazy?. . what the hell?

[Kevin T Brown]

yeah. .just caught it on On Demand.

Glad the Producers stepped in and wouldn't allow him to continue.

Cheers to them for doing the right thing -- even if it was a few episodes later than it SHOULD have been.

I missed Heather being eliminated. . but she came back in and immediately went crazy?. . what the hell?

Lost her confidence is all. Hopefullh she can find it and compete well.

The asian Heather is just a fucking bitch though. Begged to do the center piece alone, even though she knew she had to do her own dessert. Then gets all pissy in the stew room because she had to do the center piece and her own dessert. :-?