# Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef Summer 2012 \*open spoiler\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212 "2012-06-05T22:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/81 "2012-06-21T18:31:33Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Everyone in the food service industry smokes (yes, I know, not _everyone_, but it’s very common). When you only get breaks of a few minutes at a time, there’s nothing else to do. And it makes Ramsay’s blind taste-test so entertaining when they get tuna and say it’s mango. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/82 "2012-06-21T18:34:45Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#): > > I’m not so sure. During the challenges they seem to prepare good dishes. Ramsay and the mexican food ‘celebrity judges’ seemed to like their flavor profiles. I don’t think anyone had a real failure on that one. The real problem comes from dinner service, and I’m still convinced that the producers have some ability to adjust the heating on all the equipment in that kitchen just to screw with them. Yeah, I was going to say that they seem to be create decent looking and decent tasting dishes. It’s when they cook for dinner service that the wheels fall off. Last nights challenge was lame. The three designers they chose seem to know as much about food as I do about fashion. What a vapid waste of space those three were. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/83 "2012-06-21T18:57:00Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Ryan on Masterchef is a dick. I hope he is booted soon. Yeah, it’s hard to believe someone can be so lacking in self-awareness when it comes to how a big a douchebag they come across as. He may have some cooking chops, but nowhere enough to justify his inflated sense of importance. And his hostility toward some of the others is pretty bewildering, because the rest seem pretty innocuous (except for his one sidekick with the hat; Tally?) He won’t end well, but probably won’t end soon, alas. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/84 "2012-06-21T22:05:32Z")
Yeah, Ryan is shockingly arrogant and an asshole to others. A contestant got an angry lecture last season for disrespecting his competitors. At least Ryan had the decency to compliment the dish he was directed to taste (Christine’s crab, which he was visibly impressed by), the last season jerk only dissed a dish the judges had just finished praising. It doesn’t make strategic sense to be an active, loud jerk. If you’re nice to everybody else, they won’t be so keen to give you that awful ingredient. Sure, take the opportunity when you win the chance, but be subtle with it. There are more of them than there are of you, and the only way to truly “take someone out” is to outcook them. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/85 "2012-06-22T23:35:34Z")
Does anyone think Monti is hot? It can’t be just me right? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/86 "2012-06-23T11:01:43Z")
I can see it. She’s quirky, which can be attractive. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/87 "2012-06-24T21:56:12Z")
Ryan should stay for a while, he’s this year’s villain. He’s more of a tactless doof than last year’s full blown asshole, but he’ll be around to keep people rooting against him. I think people are overreacting a bit to his nipple comment. It was clearly a joke. Bad taste, sure, but not any more so than Monti saying the offal balls were her ex’s. One of these episodes had a challenge where the choice was wellington, clam chowder, or rissotto. I was really hoping they’d pick clam chowder, as I’ve actually made that before, unlike most of the stuff on these shows, but no, had to go with the rissotto. It would’ve been very interesting to see what they could’ve done with the chowder. Over on HK, damn, that red team is the cattiest bunch of hens this show’s ever had. They’re absolute proof that they need to rethink the whole boys vs girls mentality and just have mixed teams to start. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/88 "2012-06-24T21:58:50Z")
Why? So they can work together as a mature collection of adults? On Fox? I think not! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/89 "2012-06-25T01:59:14Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Why? So they can work together as a mature collection of adults? On Fox? I think not! Oh heaven to betty no, they just need to come up with other ways for them to constantly get into conflict than the same old same old. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/90 "2012-06-26T01:23:13Z")
MasterChef is really good tonight. The team being run by _the blind woman_ had some problems at the beginning but has pulled it together and the other team is falling apart. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/91 "2012-06-26T01:39:06Z")
Gordon Ramsay: “The person I’m saving is: Josh …it’s not you. Monti, get upstairs!” Gordon is such a dick, but I still love him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/92 "2012-06-26T07:16:55Z")
So Gordon has another show coming out on Fox later this year, about hotels this time. Is there a reason he’s got all these shows but nothing on Food Network? Is there some kind of grudge between the two or something? Just seems weird that he’s one of the bigger names in food but I can’t remember him being on that network. I’m actually curious if he can teach people in a normal setting rather than cuss them out for burning scallops > [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I can see it. She’s quirky, which can be attractive. I like that deep red lipstick contrasted against her fair skin. And the way she does her hair, it looks like she has cat ears, which is cute Good on Christine for pulling the team together. And I was really interested in the pressure challenge. I can tell from firsthand experience that it is so hard to get the timing down on that molten chocolate cake. To pull that off with a different oven and unfamiliar kitchen is pretty good ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/93 "2012-06-26T07:20:24Z")
I think Christine got extraordinarily lucky she was the team captain for this particular challenge. How would she do in an unfamiliar kitchen with half a dozen other people running around her and under a time constraint? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/94 "2012-06-26T12:26:18Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > So Gordon has another show coming out on Fox later this year, about hotels this time. Is there a reason he’s got all these shows but nothing on Food Network? Is there some kind of grudge between the two or something? Just seems weird that he’s one of the bigger names in food but I can’t remember him being on that network. I’m actually curious if he can teach people in a normal setting rather than cuss them out for burning scallops My guess is that it’s just that Fox pays more than Food Network can. As for whether he can teach in a normal setting, this only happens on the Fox shows. He’s done several shows in the UK (including Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares) and there is no yelling or cursing there. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/95 "2012-06-26T12:37:36Z")
[QUOTE=YogSosoth] So Gordon has another show coming out on Fox later this year, about hotels this time. Is there a reason he’s got all these shows but nothing on Food Network? Is there some kind of grudge between the two or something? [/QUOTE] I can’t find specifics, but GR does not like the Food Network. For all I know, he doesn’t like Bob Tuschman as a person, or maybe it’s because Mario Batali is a FN favorite - there’s some alleged bad blood between them where Mario supposedly said GR’s food was boring or whatever and has banned GR from visiting any of his restaurants. [Mr Batali denies this,](http://www.slashfood.com/2010/04/07/mario-batali-goes-back-to-basics) saying he hardly knows GR, and that the “feud” was cooked up by some journalists. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/96 "2012-06-26T21:02:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My guess is that it’s just that Fox pays more than Food Network can. As for whether he can teach in a normal setting, this only happens on the Fox shows. He’s done several shows in the UK (including Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares) and there is no yelling or cursing there. He curses and yells plenty on the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares (never seen UK Hell’s Kitchen). It’s just the UK show’s edited like a documentary instead of a reality show so it’s not one of the key focuses. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/97 "2012-06-26T22:59:34Z")
There’s also _The F Word_ which, despite its name, doesn’t contain the frenzied, shrieking behavior you’re used to seeing on _Hell’s Kitchen_. Yes, there’s swearing, but it’s rare to actually see Gordon lose it with one of the competitors on that show. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/98 "2012-06-26T23:25:01Z")
And as Gordon Ramsay says in the intro to The F Word, the “F” stands for “food.” It’s an interesting show. Almost every episode involves him going on some macho adventure involving something like hunting and killing a bear armed only with a paring knife. And in each of the series, he raised some sort of animal (turkeys, pigs, sheep, calves) to be killed and butchered at the end of the series. The idea was to show his children where food comes from. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/99 "2012-06-27T00:02:26Z")
Oh, the pig series. ☹ He was visibly shaken up by that. The turkey slaughter was just bizarre…I wonder if that’s the technique used in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212/100 "2012-06-27T08:06:57Z")
This is the first year I’ve ever watched any of MasterChef at all, I haven’t caught every episode or even every minute of the episodes I have seen parts of. What’s with the one judge who doesn’t know how to say “espresso”? Is he an actually known chef or is he just a reality show judge? Repeatedly screwing up that severely damaged his credibility for me. Everything else he said about authentic Italian tiramisu didn’t really matter as much coming from someone who can’t correctly pronounce the ingredients. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-and-masterchef-summer-2012-open-spoiler/624212.md?page=6)