# Do contestants on "Top Chef" look down on "Next Food Network Star" contestants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536 "2010-10-18T05:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/1 "2010-10-18T05:56:56Z")
is there a snobbish rivalry between the two groups? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/2 "2010-10-18T06:00:58Z")
Not that I know of, though I admittedly get those shows confused sometimes. Has anything led you to believe that there is? IMHO, the chefs from “Top Chef” seem to be from a different echelon than the T.N.F.N.S. Guy Fieri and Aaron McCargo seem a lot more comfortable doing, say, finger food and BBQ than the chefs from the few episodes of Top Chef that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/3 "2010-10-18T06:02:06Z")
Well, I think one honor is more prestigious than the next… I think there is a certain current of universal respect amongst chefs regardless of their differences. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/4 "2010-10-18T06:11:35Z")
I thought the “pedigree” of Top Chefs would lead them to look down on Food Network Star contestants. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/5 "2010-10-18T06:20:53Z")
How are we supposed to know the answer of that question? My guess is that they “look down” on them insofar as they don’t think about them because they have their own lives/careers. I doubt Michael Voltaggio ever things wistfully to himself “I wish I could be like Guy Fieri” but that’s just a hunch. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/6 "2010-10-18T06:23:03Z")
That Voltaggio could learn something from Fieri, if he wasn’t such a self-sure conceited prick… but then what chef isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/7 "2010-10-18T06:26:26Z")
I would think the competion would be more between “Masterchef-America” and the" Next Food Network Star." ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/8 "2010-10-18T06:27:21Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Well, I think one honor is more prestigious than the next… I think there is a certain current of universal respect amongst chefs regardless of their differences. The majority of TNFNS constestants are not trained chefs, so I’d imagine there is some lack of respect with regards to their lack of formal training and probably their cooking ability. I’d imaging that many chefs have that same attitude towards other ‘cooks’ regardless of their appearance on a reality show. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/9 "2010-10-18T06:32:14Z")
I’d say that there are more sous chefs, and prep chefs, and guys running the grill self made in Food Network Star, Hundreds of years more experience than any of these exec primadonna Top Chefs. It seems like the only ones to win in Top Chef have some stacked prestigious credential. One show scouts seriously with nobodies, the other scouts names and nobodies and promotes names. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/10 "2010-10-18T07:33:42Z")
Some of the people on _The Next Iron Chef_ could go toe to toe with Top Chef alums. On TNFNS, they are specifically looking for a TV cooking show host. More than half of the equation is charisma when presenting direct-to-camera. The times I’ve seen Top Chef do something similar, the contestants fumbled and stuttered something awful. They’re also looking for people who want a show, not people who want to start a high-end restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/11 "2010-10-18T07:36:42Z")
Also, as a practical question, what is the age cut-off for a Top Chef applicant and a next food network star contestant? I think one, is a young man’s game. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/12 "2010-10-18T08:45:13Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Well, I think one honor is more prestigious than the next… I think there is a certain current of universal respect amongst chefs regardless of their differences. I think that is largely true. On _Masterchef_ in Australia each week one contestant got to cook off against a famous chef to win immunity. I thought the chefs would be mortified at the prospect of being beaten but most were generous in their assistance to the contestants and some even lost. They managed that with good grace. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/13 "2010-10-18T10:07:17Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Some of the people on _The Next Iron Chef_ could go toe to toe with Top Chef alums. Top Chef **Masters** alums, yes. Top Chef alums, no. The Next Iron Chef competitors are all people with at least a decade, if not two or three, in the business, owning their own restaurants, with solid culinary education behind them. Jose Garces, who was the last winner and is the newest Iron Chef, owns seven restaurants. Michael Symon, the first TNIC winner owns three restaurants. Both are Beard Foundation award winners. Other Beard Foundation winners include Tom Colicchio, the head judge on Top Chef, and people like Daniel Bouloud, Michelle Bernstein, Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto and Thomas Keller who have all been Top Chef guest judges. Top Chef contestants on the other hand, tend to be fairly young, and sous chefs for the sort of people who would compete on Iron Chef or to become Iron Chefs, or executive chefs for long established restaurants or clubs. The ones who have owned restaurants have owned very small, niche establishments, nothing of extraordinary merit. Simply put, they’re not at a point in their careers where they’re in line to become Iron Chefs at all. In fact, Richard Blaise, who was runner up in Top Chef season four, is now one of Iron Chef Cat Cora’s sous chefs. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/14 "2010-10-18T10:28:38Z")
I’ve seen several Top Chef contestants as Iron Chef sous chefs. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/15 "2010-10-18T12:30:54Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > On TNFNS, they are specifically looking for a TV cooking show host. More than half of the equation is charisma when presenting direct-to-camera. The times I’ve seen Top Chef do something similar, the contestants fumbled and stuttered something awful. > > They’re also looking for people who want a show, not people who want to start a high-end restaurant. That’s exactly the difference, IMO. For TNFNS, (IMO), you also should know the basics, though, and be comfortable with them. You don’t need to be Top Chef caliber. I cannot see and TNFNS winner or contestant thus far competing on Top Chef and vice versa. It’s comparing apples and oranges. FN doesn’t care if you graduated from culinary school – as long as you’re “viewer friendly” and appeal to their demographic and have solid cooking skills, you’ve got a shot. Top Chef cares more about your culinary background, skills, and overall talent. It’s a bonus if you come across as likeable on camera. ---
**Author:** ![AutumnLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@AutumnLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AutumnLeaves)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/16 "2010-10-18T12:52:22Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > That’s exactly the difference, IMO. For TNFNS, (IMO), you also should know the basics, though, and be comfortable with them. You don’t need to be Top Chef caliber. > > I cannot see and TNFNS winner or contestant thus far competing on Top Chef and vice versa. > > It’s comparing apples and oranges. FN doesn’t care if you graduated from culinary school – as long as you’re “viewer friendly” and appeal to their demographic and have solid cooking skills, you’ve got a shot. Top Chef cares more about your culinary background, skills, and overall talent. It’s a bonus if you come across as likeable on camera. This is pretty much what I would say, adding that it’s also a bonus to Top Chef is you’re very, very unlikeable on camera. I would say one of its weaknesses is pandering to the sullen chef thing. Basically, Food Network wants mommy-bloggers and NASCAR dads as hosts. People like Rachel Ray grilling chicken breasts. Whereas Top Chef will have challenges involving butchery, or cutting five apples into perfect brunoise in the fastest time possible. There’s no way Rachel Ray even knows what brunoise is. I would say Top Chef contestants, in general, would certainly look down on the housewife cookery of Food Network hosts, if they thought of them at all. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/17 "2010-10-18T13:56:24Z")
Quite a few of the chefs on Top Chef have been on Food Network. Richard Blais has been on Iron Chef. Seems like every season I recognize someone on TC from Iron Chef. ---
**Author:** ![AutumnLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@AutumnLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AutumnLeaves)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-contestants-on-top-chef-look-down-on-next-food-network-star-contestants/557536/18 "2010-10-18T14:46:29Z")
But on Food Network shows other than Iron Chef America?