Letters to the Editor
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Hell's Kitchen
Jason Underwood from Hell's Kitchen is a chubby, odd duck. He's clearly got issues with women. I almost expect Broadsheet to keep an eye on him -- several times in the first episode, it came out in his comments, rendered with his stunned chicken goggle-eyed way: "I'm not going to be beat by a bunch of WOMEN." A couple other lines came out in the show -- he had like three of them. We'll see how that develops.
I like Rosann Fama, the New Yorker. I don't know if she can make it all the way, but I liked her personality. Compared to the rogues' gallery they had in there this time, she shines.
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Micro/macro
I've only seen one episode of the "Hell's Kitchen" (the first one of this season) and about four of "Top Chef," and one very important distinction I've noticed from the challenges so far is this one.
Top Chef -- "Make six servings of this dish, of your own design, all at once, working alone or in a small team."
Hell's Kitchen -- "Make dozens of copies of this dish, from the recipe book, timed to customer's order, in a restaurant kitchen, working just your station."
These seem like tests of very different skillsets at distinctly different scales. One might be tremendously talented at creating unique, nuanced combinations of flavors, and yet be totally incapable of, say, working the line at a hotel kitchen during the breakfast rush.
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This is why I like SHEAR GENIUS, as well...
>Top Chef,like Project Runway, is actually (at least partially) about craft: how to make something well.<
As well, you have to have real skills to survive these shows--it's not about forming alliances or being a creep or any of that mess.
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Kill you television
I want a bumper sticker that reads "don't go Hi-Def, Kill your television", Where do I go to get this made? (My last idea was "Rudy, he's no altar boy" but he taknked anyway).
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The best of the worst is pretty good
While I hate most of reality-tvworld, Project Runway is especially close to my heart. As JulieBird said, it is about craft. The behind-the-scenes is what's fascinating, and as little spatting as possible, please. I don't even remember any of the clothes in Season 1, because I was so focused on hating Wendy Pepper.
...even though the challenges are ridiculous ("Carve a free-range turkey with one hand tied behind your back!" "Make an evening gown out of dental floss!") and don't accurately represent real-world situations.
I can attest that the un-real challenges are actually time-honored approaches to shake up students in art schools to really think about materials and function. The showpiece episode, that Chris and Christian won, with BOTH the over-the-top and off-the-shelf versions, shows how that leads to creativity in everything that you do.
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Intervention
I loved your take on all this. We've gotten hooked on Intervention (no models or dancers or cooks, just middle Americans with addiction problems). I'm curious as to your thoughts on that.
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heather rocks
she is my hero!
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and i don't even watch tv!
i just like reading this for her writing. you go girl!
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I love Oompa Loompas
Even when they tell me I ought to read a book instead of watching television.
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Make me a supermodel?
No way is it better than ANTM! Every person on the show is unlikeable. Yuck.
Also, Heather, if you have any inside scoop on what's going on with Friday Night Lights, can you share it?
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Top Chef Disappointment
I agree that Top Chef is a real disappointment this season. They clearly tried to put together the most obnoxious bunch of a-holes this year, which would be fine if they were anywhere near as good as they think they are. That block party episode was just terrible--the most arrogant of the group all on one team and in complete denial that there offering was just not good. And yeah, the lesbian couple?! Enough with the forced drama, already.
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Mowhawk Asian Helper dude
Yeah I'll remind myself to take this seriously.
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wrong name
it's gail *simmons* not williams. easy enough to check out, not to mention that they mention her name in full on every episode she judges.
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Hell's Kitchen
April 07, 2008
Dear Editor,
Please find out for me, "How in the Hell can I get a application form to be a contestant on the show "Hell's Kitchen". No one seems to answer any of my e-mails. Can you do that for me?
Sincerely,
Peter Pan
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Models and chef's oh my!
Well in no way is MMAS better than ANTM. It's freaking dull, dull, dull. The most exciting part was when the guy thought his girlfriend was cheating on him with that Britney paparazzi guy. Bronnie is a snore fest, oh wow a gay guy has a crush on his super cute roomie, no way! Plus I hate that America votes!
The runway challenge is always lame, at least when ANTM does runway there is an audience. Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford are sooooo boring! Who cares if Tyra is full of herself, that's what makes it fun! She's nuts, she's interesting, half the fun of ANTM is seeing what zany shit she's gonna do next. I don't really care if MMAS shoots are more realistic, hey, if you can't wear meat, then no model for you! Plus MMAS totally copied the wear an animal even though you're terrified bit! Also, the move in mid air in a harness, so let's not pretend MMAS is more realistic when more than half their shoots were done on ANTM already.
Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef, I prefer Top Chef for many reasons the first one being that everyone can actually cook, even if the Chicago-San Francisco-New York friends and lovers schtick is lame this season. When a contestant on Hell's Kitchen can't cook scallops and another can't cook chicken, um, seriously how'd you get on? If you can't cook basic proteins well, why on earth would I even be slightly tempted to come visit that restaurant? Plus all the screaming and puking and spitting out food and the poor customers made to wait 2 or 3 hours for service, because the kitchen staff can't cook basic appetizers, puleeze.
Top Chef doesn't need to focus on the "customer side" as it were because if the food is cooked well by people who know what they are doing it's not going to take 2 hours to get your food. Plus, they are always cooking for outsiders, block parties, catering, special guests, and there is always the restaurant challenge and even then people aren't waiting hours and hours to be served.
Top Chef winners get money to open their own restaurant, Hell's Kitchen winners get a chance to cook all of Ramsey's recipes, oh goody.
Step it up and Dance, sucks! Crappy music, the Spice Girls, really? Direction is awful, you barely get to see the entire ensemble dancing. You don't get to see the dancers dance for one or 2 minutes, you get 30 seconds if you're lucky. Plus all the dancers are old, already part of companys or shows. No great costumes and apparently all the routines are going to be geared towards Broadway routines? No thanks, give me Nigel and So You Think You Can Dance anyday. Where dance takes center stage, non professionals have a shot, the music is modern and the costumes flashy.