# Is Masterchef US getting even worse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882 "2014-06-03T00:34:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/1 "2014-06-03T00:34:25Z")
So we’re now two episodes in to the 2014 season of Masterchef here in the US and I’m just about ready to give up. I just spent the last two months watching a delightful series of Masterchef UK with no stupid competitive games, sniping between contestants, or douchey judges. Okay, maybe John can be a bit annoying, but not like these three. Why do producers of shows in America think that this is a more entertaining format than the UK version? I’m not expecting 2.5 hours a week but they could at least have pleasant people to watch and none of this stupid, predictable editing. Well, hopefully The Great British Bake-Off will be starting soon. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/2 "2014-06-03T01:50:35Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > So we’re now two episodes in to the 2014 season of Masterchef here in the US and I’m just about ready to give up. I just spent the last two months watching a delightful series of Masterchef UK with no stupid competitive games, sniping between contestants, or douchey judges. Okay, maybe John can be a bit annoying, but not like these three. Why do producers of shows in America think that this is a more entertaining format than the UK version? Because Joe Lunchpail and Sally Soapopera think it’s more entertaining - especially with the editing to make it look like the “chosen one” needs to win as she has invested everything into this. Of course, they never do mention when a past winner doesn’t get the promised book deal, any more than when Hell’s Kitchen doesn’t mention the two times the winner didn’t get the promised job as “head chef” at a major restaurant (not including the one where Gordon offered the winner an alternative on the air). ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/3 "2014-06-03T04:19:48Z")
Moving over to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/4 "2014-06-03T06:39:35Z")
No, it isn’t getting worse, it’s always been horrible. But Gordon Ramsay has actually apologized twice for being nasty, and Joe hasn’t even attacked anybody’s integrity yet. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/5 "2014-06-03T15:08:14Z")
To me the US version has this weird, joyless vibe - I find Masterchef Australia pretty watchable. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/6 "2014-06-03T17:12:01Z")
The UK and Australia are much better. IMO. New Zealand was a snooze fest. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/7 "2014-06-03T17:26:20Z")
I used to watch Masterchef because there were occasional moments when Ramsay would actually act as a mentor to the cooks instead of browbeating them. I remember in season three when he showed them how to filet a salmon, and there was that great moment last year when he taught them all how to prepare a sea urchin, even taking Christine Ha’s hand to show her how to make the cut. But those occasions are few and far between next to all the bluster and cattiness from the chefs, as well as Ramsay’s dumb abuse (does this man not realize how unfunny he is?) and Joe’s tedious steely-eyed death stare. And Ramsay’s lame fake-outs drive me fucking bonkers. (“Bobby, take off your apron … and then put it back on and join the other chefs upstairs, because you’re staying!”) I don’t think it’s getting worse; I think I finally just had my fill of it. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/8 "2014-06-03T17:35:32Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Of course, they never do mention when a past winner doesn’t get the promised book deal, any more than when Hell’s Kitchen doesn’t mention the two times the winner didn’t get the promised job as “head chef” at a major restaurant (not including the one where Gordon offered the winner an alternative on the air). Any citation or articles about this? Hadn’t heard this one before. I’m not watching Masterchef this season (I watched S4 and the last Junior one), just because I don’t find it all that terribly interesting … too much fluff, for one thing. But I think people _like_ snarky judges, at least to a certain extent. I don’t think American Idol would’ve had nearly the same lasting powers had Simon Cowell not been involved as the “bad guy.” ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/9 "2014-06-03T17:56:53Z")
> **[Hell’s Kitchen 3 winner will be a “head chef,” but the show has never given...](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2007/05/hells-kitchen-3-new_prize/)** > > In a press release announcing the 12 cast members for Hell's Kitchen 3, FOX revealed the third season's prize: "the coveted title of Head Chef at a new fine Italian restaurant at the luxurious Green… ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-masterchef-us-getting-even-worse/689882/10 "2014-06-03T21:22:06Z")
> [@magnusblitz](#): > > Any citation or articles about this? Hadn’t heard this one before. Which one - the “no book deal”, or one of the two “didn’t get the ‘head chef’ prize”? The Season 2 winner of MasterChef [did not get a book deal](http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/April-2013/MasterChef-Jennifer-Behm-Finds-Success-with-Launch-of-Pink-Martini-Catering-in-Wilmington/). The [Hell’s Kitchen Season 7 winner](http://nypost.com/2010/11/23/hell-winner-loses-prize-gig-because-of-visa/) was promised a job at the Savoy Grill in London, but was told after the season ended that they couldn’t get her a work visa. She blames Ramsay, but I think it was a change mandated by the British Parliament where work visas would not be granted to foreigners if the job could be done by someone from within the UK, with exceptions made for “celebrities” (e.g. if a movie production wants to include, say, Harrison Ford, they’re not going to force the producers to replace him with a British actor). The [Hell’s Kitchen Season 11 winner](http://vegas.eater.com/archives/2013/08/23/hells-kitchen-winner-janel-witt-will-not-be-cooking-at-gordon-ramsay-pub.php) was promised a job at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, but did not get the job. “Officially,” it was because of “personal reasons,” but [TMZ claims that the winner tested positive for cocaine](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2013%2F08%2F23%2Fhells-kitchen-winner-janel-witt-failed-drug-test-cocaine-caesars-palace%2F&ei=3TqOU8iDC8yJogS1_oKYBQ&usg=AFQjCNF1-CCTwRuZosxirnOUZicDAX6FZQ&bvm=bv.68235269,d.cGU) in a drug test required of all Caesar’s employees.