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i'm not saying anything new here--just adding to the chorus of dismay and disbelief at Havrilesky's surreally inane summation of the last episode of Top Chef.
sure, Marcel is a mealy-mouthed little pest, but the escalating abuse against him has been completely beyond the pale. Marcel is clearly the kid that no one ever much liked, from the playground on up; he lacks some pretty basic social skills. but he doesn't seem to be vicious. he hasn't verbally and physically attacked fellow cast-mates.
please, Heather, what else were the producers supposed to do with Cliff, except ask him to leave? he woke Marcel up out of a sound sleep and wrestled him all over the floor, with the intent of forcing the guy to have his head shaved. to imply that an act so aggressive should have been forgiven as spirited hijinks is asinine. moreover, implying a racial component to the producers' decision (and really, there was no decision here; legally, they had to make Cliff leave; he had violated the terms of his contract with the show, clearly) is grotesque.
