Professional chefs are about the most finicky,gossipy,picayune,snobby,back-biting and self-obsessed groups as one could imagine. Just like any group of creative,ambitious,competitive individuals.

The real deal could not be broadcast so they settle for a scripted,watered down version. It is what it is. The competitive aspect hyper-inflates the

egotist in each chef. Personalities clash,but to throw down the race card is just wrong.

most of the food as been disappointing ... obvious to anyone watching the judging sessions -- the technique, sophistication, inventiveness just isn't there ... nor is there much in the way of humor or even discussion of food preparation.

It's seemed obvious that the way to maximize "face time" is to diss Marcel ... which is how Betty was transformed into an imho manufactured fan favorite ... the big-mouth blond bitch -- she got disproportionate screen time by dissing Marcel, the lingering camera VALIDATED her complaints.

As for the beat-down, I felt like I had watched an aborted gay-bashing ... I suddenly wondered exactly what each contestant's sexual orientation was. I had no idea (this has either not been exploited by the producers or I wasn't paying attention) however, the sight of tiny, rather fussy, precious/effeminate Marcel (who may be straight for all I know) getting beat up by gang of bigger kids (mostly male) certainly brought back the persecution my gay friends experienced in junior high and high school, back when the code was "being different."

Rightly or wrongly, homophobia somehow made "sense" of the previously confusing Marcel bashing ... IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK OR FEEL LIKE A PRANK ... finding out that it apparently occured BEFORE the voluntary "aren't I a daring drunk?" head shaving makes it seem even less like a "we got carried away in the moment and just wanted to sorta scare him" prank and more like a "lynching."

In my opinion, they should have given Marcel the prize and shut down production ... the show has little redeeming social or entertainment value -- in contrast, Project Runway is usually funny and we get a lot of back-story about the designers and the designs' genuine good and bad qualities are discussed by the judges -- sometimes dismissively, but it's more than "over cooked", "under cooked", "over seasoned", "underseasoned" etc. This season's chefs have been underwhelming and unworthy of the exposure being given them.

Ramping up "conflict" to make the show "more entertaining" and hopefully garner bigger audience just makes the shows ridiculous. Tim Gunn adds a LOT of warmth and depth to PR. There's no time for such caring counsel/discussion of plans in the kitchen and Top Chef this season has seemed a fairly pointless copycat. Both shows suffer BADLY when contestants chose "trying not to get eliminated" over trying to actually win.

If this incident has killed off Top Chef it's okay by me....

When Colicchio gave Cliff the boot, I couldn't help but think of the "Project Runway" episode where Tim Gunn tells Keith Michael that he's out. However, Keith was clearly and consciously in the wrong, even if he deluded himself into thinking there was some conspiracy (and I think I would trust the PR producers more than Mr. Michael who lied more than nearly anyone else on the show). Cliff was not only under the influence but clearly did not intend to cause Marcel harm (this and his apology to Marcel redeems him in the end). That said, I don't defend his actions and the prank seriously went on longer than it had to - no thanks to the inaction of everyone else. If I had that camera on, I would have turned it off and told Cliff, "Hey this isn't funny anymore. Let him go."

But it was almost like they wanted to milk this particular out-of-the-kitchen incident for all its worth...and this is why I enjoy PR far more than TC. This season has sometimes been unwatchable with the lack of camaraderie and maturity displayed by the contestants. I think that this incident could have been handled with a little more class.

I do have to admit some bias in that I was rooting for Cliff to win...at least it wasn't officially his cooking talent that took him out of the competition. Here's hoping that we get a female Top Chef this year...go Elia!

I agree that racism played a part in getting Cliff kicked off--Ilan, and probably the others, should have gone too, but Cliff was a convenient scapegoat. But acknowledging that the producers played right into the "angry black man" stereotype is a far cry from suggesting that Marcel somehow "deserved" it or was "asking" for it. It's been Marcel's ambiguous sexuality that's gotten him in trouble all season, especially with Ilan, who has been creepily obsessed with Marcel's virginity, Marcel's masturbatory fantasies, and Marcel's foams. If this is supposed to pass for brotherly banter, Marcel's clearly not in on the joke.

...perked up, moistened and puckered Heather's post-partum pussy. Poor thing, she couldn't help but write a paean to what amounts to a thug. When every tap of the keyboard induces orgasm, how is one supposed to think clearly??

...and I have seen my share of final fives. And even how "impactful" it was to see Bauer shoot Curtis in the neck and then realizing what he's done, grab his head and stumble-crawl vomiting across the front lawn of some random suburban Valencia, CA home, the real kicker for me was being up close on Sutherland's face as he watches in horror as the mushroom cloud drifts up skyward. That was incredible. If you would like to see a nice quality shot of that moment, I have only found it posted on this website:

http://www.theweeklydonut.org/index.php/2007/01/20/two-dozen/

First of all, I don't find Marcel terribly annoying. Elan's and Betty's comments were much more immature. Second of all, Cliff's behavior was assault, and if I were Marcel, I would have called the police and insisted on a separate hotel room for the remainder of the show. But what really burns me is the veiled suggestion that Cliff being thrown off the show was rascism. Now, we all know that Cliff's behavior was out of line and assault, but HH seems to be saying that black men shouldn't be expected to act any differently than this, that even though the rules are clear about "touching with aggression," Cliff being thrown off was wrong. There are all kinds of rascism. This one is a rascism of diminished expectations: the idea that a black man can't be expected to understand rules and if he is expected to, the rules are somehow "white" and unworthy of following. I think this attitude, obviously, is wrong, not him being thrown off the show.