Gordon Ramsay And MasterChef
I just knew that Gordon Ramsay could not contain his ego for an entire season of MasterChef. I did not watch the show last season so I don't know if he had an episode last season like last night, but I knew it was coming. One of the reasons I prefer MasterChef to Hell's Kitchen is that I get tired of listening to Gordon yell for an hour. That is all he does for an entire hour is yell. You don't even need to have the contestants do or say anything, just have Gordon yell for an hour and at the end he can send someone home for whatever reason is in his head.
Anyway, on MasterChef, he tones it way down and is not actually the "mean" one which is nice. Someone else gets to be the prick and Gordon is the Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest role combined and the other person gets to play the Paula Abdul role but with crazier clothes and an extra 200 pounds.
Last night though, there was Gordon yelling at the contestants like it was a bonus hour of Hell's Kitchen. The only thing that shocked me was they didn't do it in Gordon's restaurant here. That way he could have really fed his ego. To me, when I watch MasterChef they seem like much better cooks than the ones on Hell's Kitchen. I also think that if you are ugly or have any kind of weight issue or are not a possible television personality you have no chance of winning MasterChef. I saw the winner from last season and it is going to be the same thing this year. It is either going to be Christian or Jennifer. Period. They want someone who can go out and sell books and teach classes and make them money. Oh, and if you are not white I don't think you have a chance either. Sorry Suzy and Adrian. Did you notice they got rid of all the African Americans early and the one tall guy that was left they never showed him at all or tasted his food until the show they eliminated him?
Oh, one other thing I hate. Whoever is editing the show might want to think about not showing the pressure test for next week because then you know what team is going to lose and there is no point in even watching the first half of the Monday episode. Just sayin'.
Having spent far too many years in the restaurant industry, I can't stomach (har har) Hell's Kitchen anymore, because those contestants are PATHETIC. They SUCK. They remind me of all the know-it-all assholes I've ever had the misfortune of working with behind the line or on the floor -- cocky douches who can't work and talk at the same time, and who are incapable of learning other techniques because they already know EVERYTHING there is to know about culinary arts. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteAnd, seriously, folks: if you can't cook a flawless risotto or beef wellington, then WHY EVEN TRY OUT FOR THAT SHOW?
But Master Chef I loooooooove. Here are REAL people -- not peacocking industry assholes -- who've developed a genuine love and appreciation for food. And they're creative, too -- I love those timed challenges. My only complaint about the whole season is how a contestant (I think it was Adrian) claimed to use morels in a sauce. I saw the ingredients he chose, and they were NOT morels. He needs to bone up on his mycology. *humph*
But anyway...
I HATE HATE HATE that hair-flipping "Neural Engineer" Suzy and absolutely do NOT want her to win. Ditto that wretched Christian and his gigantor ego, obviously.
In fact, I want the nerd who wears the ridiculous hats to take it. Unless he was eliminated last night, that is -- I fell asleep during the last half hour. Oops. Can't wait to catch up after work!
Ida, Ben is still in it, but I think he's on the hit list. I hope I didn't spoil it for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't really pay attention to what they cook. I spend my energy rooting against Suzy and Christian.
"Where's my Beef Welllllington?!!"
ReplyDelete"It's WRAW!!!!!!!!"
Sorry, couldn't help it.
Hell's Kitchen got too repetitive for me. The contestants are horrible. There are more bleeps than actual conversations; it's just annoying.
ReplyDeleteITA, Ida, the cooks on Master Chef really impress me. I love it when a contestant is something random like either a truck driver or an attorney, but their true passion is cooking and they are putting their skills to the test. I like the two other judges too, they balance out Gordon well. I haven't kept up with this season, but I know the guy in the goofy hats with big eyes. Top Chef is my fave cooking show though, I love Tom.
I'm not so much into Hell's Kitchen this season, either. I've watched a few seasons, but the show has become so contrived that it's easy to figure out who's going home by who gets the majority of screen time.
ReplyDeleteGordon never seems to yell as much on his BBC shows as he does on the American ones. Do the producers think that Americans just want to hear bleeping?
As for MasterChef,I so want Ben to win, but I'm worried about his chances.
Yay! A reality show I actually watch!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the minority thing, Enty. I actually think Adrian has a pretty good shot. Jennifer's food is pretty hit and miss, and Christian has been the only consistently good cook. Neither my bf nor I can STAND Suzy. Seriously. Her facial expressions?? I'm not a violent person but someone needs to tell her to take it down a notch and shut her damn mouth.
This year's season of Masterchef is WAY tougher than last year. Last night's episode was insane. Last year a pressure test was identifying ingredients in a chili and the winner wrote a cookbook. This year they have to work in a Michelin starred restaurant and perform to those standards???
I too am getting tired of Hell's Kitchen. I like the bickering among the contestants, but each season is exactly the same.
Also, I'm SO SO glad that arrogant little shit Max was eliminated fairly early on. I COULD NOT STAND HIM and his 18 year old silver-spoon ego.
ReplyDelete*and sorry, I meant to say I DISAGREE about the minority thing.
ReplyDeleteI saw it (by accident) for the first time last night. I couldn't stand Ramsey on HK, but the two other guys do balance him nicely and he was fairly bearable. One judge's assessment of a contestant's knife skills was a nice technical moment, but it means this yutz got past the producers and audition people with poor skills; they knew he'd blow it on this test. For that reason I'm with Enty on the minorities issue; they select contestants on how they'll fail, and when. Plus NYC restaurants "cast" (hire) based on 8x10 glossies and an audition, for front-of-house and kitchen, these days. Unless you're Latino, illegal, and willing to scrub dishes and do the dirty work.
ReplyDeleteI love Ben. I want him to win, but methinks he is on the chopping block tonight. Christian needs a smackdown. Until last night, I though Tracy had a shot. Now I think it is going to be Jennifer. She would look great on a cookbook. Boo.
ReplyDeleteChristian probably deserves the win, but oh, is it going to suck if he does. An attitude like that should not be rewarded. Sadly, Ben just isn't quite up to snuff.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I hated Max, that was a bullshit Pressure Test that sent him home. The Pressure Tests in general lead to really arbitrary people leaving.
Speaking of "attitude," I want to punch Elise (HK) in the nose through my tv screen. Too bad she is an adequate cook, because she has one of the most annoying personalities I've ever seen.
Mooshki - I agree. I actually think he performed better than the annoying Christine in that pressure test. That being said, I wasn't sorry to see him leave. His attitude makes Christian's look like a sweet lil bunny rabbit.
ReplyDeleteAnd I TOTALLY agree about Elise. She's lucky Carrie is such a doormat for her abuse, because I'd have punched her lights out by now for speaking to me that way.
I also thought last night's Master Chef was too much like watching another episode of Hell's Kitchen. I didn't like it - stick to the individual cooking challenges.
ReplyDeleteCount me among those wanting to smack the smug out of Christian. If it comes down to him and Jennifer, I'd rather she won.
As far as Elyse on HK, every week I pray that it'll be her last. I can't take another week of listening to her, regardless of her cooking ability.
Does this version have the same contestants? I remembered the British version(Master Chef goes large?)didn't have the same people to the last four, which made it about the food, not the drama.
ReplyDeleteI confess, I'm a Ramsey fan. Period.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the man cannot do anything wrong in the kitchen, and he knows how to play to his reputation on camera. That being said, HK has evolved, with the first season being amateurs who had never been behind the line, working to own a restaurant, to using professional cooks with a guaranteed year long high dollar high profile contract as a reward. But with that evolution has come the standard reality show affliction...forget the talent, it's a cult of personality. That being said, Top Chef is the better show, for cooking alone.
(Yeah, I watch 'em all...of all reality shows, the cooking shows are my personal crack and heroin)
Master Chef, however well intentioned in their first season has degraded itself to the level of an infomercial. I understand wanting to use the show to establish a market post show, but c'mon...making sure you say "see how well the Master Chef knives cut? See how the Master Chef pans made with Cephalon conduct the heat?" in most of the episodes is just pushing product placement too far.
And now "Master Chef Enthusiast" cooking classes? Give me a damn break. This just shows this is a reality show based on who's going to be able to sell the product line, not who's the best home chef.