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• Monday, January 22, 2007 12:58 AM

  Were we watching the same show?

  Heather, I love your columns, but were we watching the same show? Or even the same season of Top Chef??

  This isn't a black-white issue. Sheesh. It's an issue of who's big and who's small. Cliff is big and muscular. Marcel is a smaller, weaker guy who has been mercilessly bullied (and physically threatened) all season. I have no doubt that if the races had been reversed, the outcome would have been the same.

  This is the first episode that sent me directly to Tom C. and Bravo to voice my horror and disgust at this episode. Bravo's mildness then and now honestly implies at least some tacit approval of Cliff's action. Only Padma's blog has treated the event with anything nearing seriousness. Silly Cliff! Cliff assaulted a fellow contestant he has threatened with physical violence all season. He has participated in bullying the poor guy simply for not fitting in -- along with such other stellar jerks as Betty, Ilan, Frank, Sam, and now Elia (who until this very strange episode had seemed supportive of Marcel). The snowballing hatred and bullying against Marcel has been building all season, and for no real reason -- the guy can be seen onscreen in every single episode, helping others plate and serve, downplaying others' rudeness, answering honestly, trying to keep it "about the food." Sure he's a geek, kind of smug, a little lofty, but the more of this I've seen, the more it just looks like the defense mechanism of someone who's used to being picked on.

  Marcel was dragged out of bed by a big strong guy, moved and then restrained against his will, put into chokeholds with his face shoved painfully into the carpet -- for several minutes -- while the guy calls out to his friends, to hurry and "do it," etc. The entire situation involves humiliation, violence, subjugation, groupthink... it's really creepy and upsetting.

  Cliff needed to go. I'm just angry and disappointed they didn't boot Sam (the original instigator), Ilan (laughingly inciting -- and filming -- the whole thing), and slimy two-faced Elia, to boot.

  And keep in mind -- the producers manipulated the footage, but eagle-eyed viewers can still clearly see Elia (with a full head of hair!) laughing hysterically while Marcel attempts to run away to recover by himself. She's off to the right, laughing. And yes, with a full head of hair. It's creepy -- they obviously shave their own heads only after going after Marcel (not first, and "more acceptably" as Bravo might imply it). So Elia is actually humiliating Marcel, the guy they just physically assaulted, minutes before, in the bathroom after the fact. It's genuinely creepy.

  I'm a longtime viewer but am done with the show. This season just plain tastes bad. Frankly, I think they should have shut down production on this season and given Marcel the money. Hopefully he'll still get it though -- in legal fees.

  —Paramitch Read Paramitch's other letters
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