I told myself that I wouldn't do it, but I'm getting sucked back into watching reality food TV. Last night, I watched the special Top Chef All-Star Challenge pitting selected chefs from Season 1 against competitors from Season 2. I know that I said that I wasn't sure if I would watch that series again after the stuff that went down at the end of last season, but I did. Was it just me or did that show appear to be rigged? What a marvelous coincidence that the antagonists from each season (Stephen from Season 1, Marcel from Season 2) were selected to lead each team and then were set up against one another in a head-to-head battle! Or how about each season's winner (Harold from Season 1, Ilan from Season 2) duking it out over "Battle Duck"? In my opinion, the best thing that came out of that show was that a deserving charity got a $20,000 donation.
Tonight, I caught a rerun of the premiere episode of this season's The Next Food Network Star. I found it oddly entertaining, though certainly not a demonstration of culinary excellence. After watching the episode, I had a feeling that I just watched a slow-motion train wreck. A two hour train wreck. Nevertheless, like a rubbernecker staring at the scene of an accident, I was sufficiently drawn in to continue watching for the time being. Not so sure about this season's Top Chef though, but then again, I might change my mind.
4 comments:
I too get sucked into reality TV, but at least its about food...not someone's 15 bedroom house with a personal room for their toy chiuaua. Anyways PARIS, haha...I like the idea of competitions and challanges. Contests also spark my attention. If you are interested I work with Bon Appetit and we’re running a sweepstakes where a lucky food fan will win a trip to NY, have lunch with the Bon Appetit editors in their culinary studio and tour the Food Network Studios. Check it out: http://condenast.eprize.net/bonappetit/index.tbapp?affiliate_id=1i. You’ll be able to give the editors your honest opinions about the network one on one! Best of luck!
Cool - thanks for the information! I just signed up for the sweepstakes. Hopefully, I'll be that lucky fan. The All-Clad Kitchen would be nice too :)
I'm embarassed to say that I even watch Hell's Kitchen. Your comment about rubbernecking is exactly the right description...
Having said that, I get the sense that the Top Chef season 3 cast will be stronger, culinarily speaking, than last year's. I mean, who wouldn't?
And you know what? I've actually grown to like Stephen from Season 1. His pretentiousness is clearly a self-conscious parody, if one rooted in some real-life basis.
I haven't gotten into Hell's Kitchen, but I might as well, right? I mean, I'm already watching the other two big reality food TV shows right now; adding one more show to the watching schedule couldn't hurt, eh?
I agree that the contestants in Top Chef 3 appears to be a stronger bunch than last season's crew. I guess that time will tell.
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