# Top Chef 8/26 (SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879 "2009-08-27T04:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/21 "2009-08-28T18:18:46Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I don’t mind Jesse’s lip piercings too much. I just THANK OG that I didn’t realize the throat tattoo lady had stretched out earlobes while I was watching - I guess my eye was drawn to the ink, and I just assumed she had big hoop earrings in. Looking at that would make me want to lose my lunch. _shudder_ Very glad she was eliminated. I didn’t notice this but my wife did and she was pretty grossed out, too, so was very glad to see Chile Relleno lady go. ---
**Author:** ![Words\_on\_the\_Interweb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@Words\_on\_the\_Interweb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Words_on_the_Interweb)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/22 "2009-08-28T18:33:17Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I thought it was interesting that Jen revealed more than she meant to talking about the guy/girl split. First she said it didn’t matter, the chefs are all just as good, but the fact that she was angry about it revealed that she thinks (probably rightly) that the women, as a group, are not as strong as the men. She’s the one really shining star among the women right now, and she knows it. Maybe that’s why she was angry, maybe not… the splitting into boys & girls teams annoyed me because I think it sets up a bad dynamic to do so, especially with a sexist ass like Mike Isabella\* around. No matter who wins, it isn’t just “our team out-cooked yours”, at its core, it turns into “boys/girls are better”. I understand the reasoning behind it as Tom explained in his blog, but I still think it’s out of place to have sex-based competitions. But hey, at least they weren’t jerkish about it, and didn’t give the girls “bonus points” just for being girls like a middle school sports competition, heh. \*In all fairness, it may not have bothered me as much (or at all) if that idiot wasn’t around. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/23 "2009-08-29T22:20:05Z")
I’m not loving the job that they’re doing in editing. I think they spent far too much time on Ashley’s anti-wedding sentiments. One clip of her comments on it would have been interesting and enlightening. Even adding on Preeti’s take on it would have been fine. But just going over and over to her bitching and moaning about it — not so good. Similarly, I have the feeling I’m going to get really sick of the sibling rivalry schtick between Bryan and Michael. I’m well on my way to being sick of it already. And, as others have noted, I have a hard time telling them apart. (Maybe they should take a cue from Dr. Seuss and have one of them wear a sweater with a big 1 and the other one with a big 2.) While I’m nitpicking, I think that starting out with a field of 16 was a bit too large, but that problem is being slowly corrected over the weeks. At this point, I think I like Kevin, Bryan/Michael, and Jenn for the final four. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/24 "2009-08-30T01:26:24Z")
Kevin is my early favorite, certainly. Jenn would be, but she keeps making ceviche and mispronouncing it, which is really annoying. So far, it seems that I’ve seen a lot more screw-ups than in previous seasons. Overcooked shrimp and scallops is such an amateur goof. But deep-fried steak? Huh? I’m glad I don’t have to taste this food, this season. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/25 "2009-08-30T01:52:27Z")
I sort of agree with you, but what is crazy about it is that the chefs this season are pretty accomplished–almost to the point that it takes away from the fun. I mean, if they already have Michelin stars and James Beard awards, what’s the point? But anyway, I agree with others–Kevin, the brothers, and Jenn have so far stood out ahead of the rest, but there’s still lots of time for someone else to emerge as a challenger to the early front runners. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/26 "2009-08-30T02:35:25Z")
Yeah, Jenn is a chef in a Ripert restaurant? What the heck’s she doing there? I don’t want to see this become just a circle-_ahem_ for the food industry. There needs to be a way to let professionals in, while keeping it about the “up-and-comers”. I am glad they said something about the wedding thing, and I’m glad the producers gave some air time to it. I would have thought less of them if they hadn’t at least tried to use the chance to publicize the issue. But I agree it was too much, and the emotional fit was unattractive. Testosterone Mike needs to go. He’s taking some of the fun out of it for me. Ditto on the piercings, I think they have no place in the kitchen. I don’t even wear earrings when I’m cooking for company. (Both my parents worked in kitchens growing up, so food prep rules were strict at our house.) The brothers are a trip. My sense is that the producers are trying to create a rivalry that doesn’t really exist. They are more estranged than competitive. Was anyone else amazed at how old Puck looked? ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/27 "2009-08-31T07:31:30Z")
I finally got to see it on a one a.m. rerun. Just to weigh in on a couple of things - I didn’t mind Ashley’s comments too much; it’s obvious with editing that something made as a venting or frustrated comment can be overplayed (or drawn out purposely) by the editors. Also, she seemed genuinely sad, like this was a more recent frustration for her than a general political nitpick. And of course, I’m not exactly impartial, as there’s just something about her that does it for me. I was also shocked that Preeti has had a partner for 13 years - how old is she? She looks like they would have had to get together in grade school for that to have happened, but more power to her. One of the things that seemed interesting to me about the boy/girl competition was how the stereotypes did and didn’t break down. For example, the girls were making fun of the boys for making food that was “too complicated”, or something similar, but I thought that it was exactly the type of food that would seem elegant and well-executed for women at a bachelorette party. Similarly, the women said that they were making “familiar” food for the bachelors, but maybe they were playing it a little too safe, and could have assumed a slightly more elegant palate for this (presumably fairly well-to-do) group? Of course, since I’m speaking as a woman, my calls here aren’t impartial either. Damn the biases of the armchair foodie! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/28 "2009-08-31T14:52:13Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > I was also shocked that Preeti has had a partner for 13 years - how old is she? She looks like they would have had to get together in grade school for that to have happened, but more power to her. She’s 33, so she and her girlfriend would have gotten together when she was 20. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/29 "2009-08-31T16:07:19Z")
Impressive - not a lot of relationships that start at 20 last that long. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/30 "2009-08-31T18:15:14Z")
She’s 33??? That’s the most impressive thing I’ve seen on _Top Chef_ so far this season. StG ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/31 "2009-08-31T20:54:41Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Was anyone else amazed at how old Puck looked? When I first read this, I thought “Puck? The disgusting guy from The Real World? Of course he’s gonna look old–he’s in his 40s! How did I miss his appearance on the show?” Then I realized you meant Wolfgang… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879/32 "2009-08-31T20:55:53Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > It was Androgenous White Girl. I lost any sympathy for her then, not because she’s gay but because it seemed contrived, like a bid for more camera time. As you said, it’s not like she’d never run into people getting married or celebrating anniversaries in the food service industry, let alone Top Chef which always has one wedding related challenge every season. What would she do in her restaurant, refuse to serve married/engaged hetero couples until she can marry her partner? This was my, and Mrs. Butler’s opinion on the matter. Shut up and cook. Yes, we know Bravo is gay friendly, but still, this was over the top. My 4yo was asking why “that man” was talking when we were watching the show. (she walked in from playing in the other room) I wasn’t quite sure how to tell her that the woman on screen wasn’t a man, but rather, a woman. Mrs. Butler and I got a good laugh about that interaction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-8-26-spoilers/507879.md?page=1)