I am completely and utterly ADDICTED! I thought this post would be about my obsession with "How I Met Your Mother" but instead I've decided to show my love for "Hell's Kitchen" Season 5.
I have never watched the show before but had seen snippets of the show on Oprah and various other talk shows and had always wondered what on earth these people are thinking, to willingly put up with the abuse Gordon Ramsay spews at them. However, not intrigued enough to catch an episode of the show. It subsequently slipped from my stream of consciousness and got lost in the shuffle of tv series land.
*Cue dramatic music* Only to resurface now. Out of sheer boredom during this second hiatus, I have been evaluating potential series to follow, what with the death of "Lipstick Jungle" and an up-in-the-air fate for "Dirty Sexy Money". Through my research, I found 2 investigative-type tv shows that have piqued my interest greatly and the one reality show that has me compelled to write about it.
Who knew that working in a kitchen could be sooooo eventful, sexy and dramatic? Now, I have always been a great fan of Jamie Oliver and have on occasion followed his shows on the foodie channel. One of my sisters even refers to him as my tv hubby. Which is besides the point. Anyway, I was talking about being bored with nothing to watch and my sis said to try an epi of "Hell's Kitchen". She had the first one of season 5 tivo'd and cos there was nothing else to do, I thought why not. Now, I dunno if it's just that I'm wired funny but is it not sexy when Gordon Ramsay gets all angry and aggressive in the kitchen? Throwing plates of food on the floor or pieces of filet mignon at you, kicking garbage cans and getting so in-yer-face with contestants that I, watching on my tv at home, feel as if I have just had my personal space violated. That's a remarkable turnaround from my previous impression of Gordon Ramsay; pompous, arrogant jackass. Oh, he's still all those 'cept with a dash of high-strung sexy in there :D
Watching the show, a thought did cross my mind. If this batch of apprentices were the best in the country, the cream of the crop, why are some of them so incompetent. Makes you worry about the person handling your food in the kitchen. Also, what is the selection process like? Shouldn't the show organizers ensure that the people applying for spots on the show really know what they're doing and not base it simply on written qualifications. Like I said, this is my first season following the show so I don't really know how it all works but it sure looks like that's how they narrow down the contestants. I have no idea if any skill appraisal is done. For example, Colleen, the cooking instructor who has her own culinary school. She charges between 300 to 400 dollars an hour per person for lessons, yet, she seems to not be very good at it, if at all. I feel sorry for all the shouting she's had to endure. But at the same time, when Chef Gordon called her a thief, I could understand where he was coming from. Robbing people blind. How can you have a culinary institute if you yourself are not a trained chef?
And that Seth....the private catering business guy. If there ever was a stereotype of a bumbling idiot (sorry!) he would definitely be it. C'mon, most of the time he looks like he's lost. And his delusions of kinship with Gordon Ramsay is simply disturbing. I don't mind so much that he seems to have googled the master chef's entire background but to spout on national television that you and him have/will have a special kind of bond AFTER he has quite thoroughly chewed your head off is a sign you have gone off your rocker. And he also seems to can't cook for peanuts. What a waste of space. Who the hell are the poor schmucks who retained this guy's catering services? Competition to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in NYC my arse!
A person I was rooting for was Ji. She was great and if not for that slip in the kitchen and her subsequent injury, I am pretty sure she would have been one of the faves to make it all the way to the coveted head chef position at the Borgata Hotel. She knew what she was doing, her cooking skills always agreed with Chef Ramsay's tastebuds, was a complete team player and had tons of perseverence. Unlike Lacey, the corporate buffet cook, who simply wants to up and leave most of the time. I was starting to feel sorry fo her cos everyone was giving her a hard time despite the fact she seemed to be turning her attitude around but after watching the previews of episode 5 where she is now on the blue team, there she goes again with her irritating talk of quitting and going home. Why did you apply if you can't mentally hack it? If you have seen the show before, wouldn't you know that Gordon Ramsay is a monster to work for?
Anyways, it's all great. I haven't watched such nail biting reality tv in ages. Literally nail biting, ok, more like knuckle worrying but I think the point gets across. It is simply reality tv at its best!
I have never watched the show before but had seen snippets of the show on Oprah and various other talk shows and had always wondered what on earth these people are thinking, to willingly put up with the abuse Gordon Ramsay spews at them. However, not intrigued enough to catch an episode of the show. It subsequently slipped from my stream of consciousness and got lost in the shuffle of tv series land.
*Cue dramatic music* Only to resurface now. Out of sheer boredom during this second hiatus, I have been evaluating potential series to follow, what with the death of "Lipstick Jungle" and an up-in-the-air fate for "Dirty Sexy Money". Through my research, I found 2 investigative-type tv shows that have piqued my interest greatly and the one reality show that has me compelled to write about it.
Who knew that working in a kitchen could be sooooo eventful, sexy and dramatic? Now, I have always been a great fan of Jamie Oliver and have on occasion followed his shows on the foodie channel. One of my sisters even refers to him as my tv hubby. Which is besides the point. Anyway, I was talking about being bored with nothing to watch and my sis said to try an epi of "Hell's Kitchen". She had the first one of season 5 tivo'd and cos there was nothing else to do, I thought why not. Now, I dunno if it's just that I'm wired funny but is it not sexy when Gordon Ramsay gets all angry and aggressive in the kitchen? Throwing plates of food on the floor or pieces of filet mignon at you, kicking garbage cans and getting so in-yer-face with contestants that I, watching on my tv at home, feel as if I have just had my personal space violated. That's a remarkable turnaround from my previous impression of Gordon Ramsay; pompous, arrogant jackass. Oh, he's still all those 'cept with a dash of high-strung sexy in there :D
Watching the show, a thought did cross my mind. If this batch of apprentices were the best in the country, the cream of the crop, why are some of them so incompetent. Makes you worry about the person handling your food in the kitchen. Also, what is the selection process like? Shouldn't the show organizers ensure that the people applying for spots on the show really know what they're doing and not base it simply on written qualifications. Like I said, this is my first season following the show so I don't really know how it all works but it sure looks like that's how they narrow down the contestants. I have no idea if any skill appraisal is done. For example, Colleen, the cooking instructor who has her own culinary school. She charges between 300 to 400 dollars an hour per person for lessons, yet, she seems to not be very good at it, if at all. I feel sorry for all the shouting she's had to endure. But at the same time, when Chef Gordon called her a thief, I could understand where he was coming from. Robbing people blind. How can you have a culinary institute if you yourself are not a trained chef?
And that Seth....the private catering business guy. If there ever was a stereotype of a bumbling idiot (sorry!) he would definitely be it. C'mon, most of the time he looks like he's lost. And his delusions of kinship with Gordon Ramsay is simply disturbing. I don't mind so much that he seems to have googled the master chef's entire background but to spout on national television that you and him have/will have a special kind of bond AFTER he has quite thoroughly chewed your head off is a sign you have gone off your rocker. And he also seems to can't cook for peanuts. What a waste of space. Who the hell are the poor schmucks who retained this guy's catering services? Competition to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in NYC my arse!
A person I was rooting for was Ji. She was great and if not for that slip in the kitchen and her subsequent injury, I am pretty sure she would have been one of the faves to make it all the way to the coveted head chef position at the Borgata Hotel. She knew what she was doing, her cooking skills always agreed with Chef Ramsay's tastebuds, was a complete team player and had tons of perseverence. Unlike Lacey, the corporate buffet cook, who simply wants to up and leave most of the time. I was starting to feel sorry fo her cos everyone was giving her a hard time despite the fact she seemed to be turning her attitude around but after watching the previews of episode 5 where she is now on the blue team, there she goes again with her irritating talk of quitting and going home. Why did you apply if you can't mentally hack it? If you have seen the show before, wouldn't you know that Gordon Ramsay is a monster to work for?
Anyways, it's all great. I haven't watched such nail biting reality tv in ages. Literally nail biting, ok, more like knuckle worrying but I think the point gets across. It is simply reality tv at its best!
