SERIOUSLY!

What is the deal w/ American Idol and Top Chef? These are shows based on TALENT - not simple-minded drama. Yet both shows, last night, were rife w/ all that crap!

First: Top Chef
The basic premise of the show is that contestants come onto the show to win $100,000.00 to open their own restaurant. Not everyone is professional; occasionally there are Line Cooks or Chefs that have worked their way up from dishwasher. And not everyone is classically trained or went to culinary school. This is great b/c there's no other reason to go on a show about cooking other than to cook. You can't even audition for the show if you don't know how to cook.

Of course, it's understandable when you get personalities that clash. Everyone on the show is there to win it and sometimes you get actual Chefs that run their own kitchen - these are strong personalities that want to give the orders. So I'm never surprised when there is a little drama or a few confrontations. But last night (and the past few nights) have been pretty silly.

The biggest drama is between the contestants Leah and Hosea. Both have significant others back home and both are attracted to each other. They end up consummating this love affair w/ a romantic kiss. OK, OK - not the most scandal-worthy thing that could happen, but it's pretty bad. I'd drop kick my boyfriend if he did that. The producers were right to address the situation since it effected their performance during the Elimination Challenge, but they lingered too long on it. And it eventually turned into a showcase for Leah who is one of the weakest competitors left on the show.

Leah's lackluster performance during the Quickfire Challenge (boning and filleting fish) should have been foreshadowing as to her fate on the show. Instead, guest-judge, Eric Ripier commended her performance - even after she said she "just gave up." How ridiculous is that?!? To top it off, the producers pushed favorite Jamie over to the dark side, trying to tarnish what was a shinning example of why the show's premise rocks. During a meal at Chef Ripier's restaurant Jamie complained that she didn't really like "this kind of food" because it's "boring" to her. Le Bernidan (Ripier's restaurant) is critically acclaimed, so by having Jamie piss on her meal it makes her look like an asshole. And makes it easier for the audience to see her go home. Unless you are me!

And Jamie did go home. Why? I still don't know. Both her and Leah fucked up their dishes; the difference is that Jamie UNDERSTOOD how the dish went wrong, while Leah was clearly clueless and didn't pay any attention to what was going on. Clearly the producers felt that Leah was a greater commodity to the show as a foil to Hosea, who has begun to play catch-up with the big boy chefs.

I appreciate the underdog that is Carla. As bat-shit crazy as she seems, she also looks to have some genuine talent. But the rest is totally disappointing.

Then there's American Idol...
For the most part, this show stays on track. When America is allowed to vote things tend to get a little annoying but that's fair - it's out of the producers hands (for the most part). But last night was beyond all that. I rarely watch the auditions and Hollywood Week because I am more interested in seeing the talent finalized. But this season I was interested, and it has paid off.

But I forgot about the SNAFU that is Night 2 of Hollywood Week - Group Night. This is, by far, the stupidest fucking thing ever to be thought up by producers of a reality-talent competition. American Idol is simple: one person wins the title of American Idol and is given a recording contract and (most likely) the career Kiss of Death. So why is it that contestants must come together in groups of 3 or 4 to sing a song?

For sure, some groups worked very well with each other and sounded great but for the most part groups fell apart - badly. If you have ever watched the audition process for AI you will know that all the nut-bags come out to "perform." There are some genuinely talented people but about half of them have seriously shitty attitudes. A lot of big heads floating around.

So it's clear that Group Night is purely for "entertainment's" sake; we get to watch a couple of bitches and some flaming emo boys freak out, cry and argue like they were on ANTM. And that is frustrating to me. Not only do they let people like "Bikini Girl" through, they encourage bad behaviour by letting though mildly talented people who are clearly in over their heads. This is annoying.

People tune into these shows to live vicariously through people that are actually talented. When I want drama I flip over to ANTM or some other retarded people on tv.

WTF?

i was checking out oxygen.com to see what they have on ANTM (now that they have joined the band-wagon) and was pleasantly surprised when they had this Cycle's tag line. are you ready for it? here it is: "get into the fold." huh? oxygen thinks that it has something to do w/ ballet. i don't know much else about ballet than it's kind of cool to watch and the dancers are skinny. so, maybe these things do have something in common w/ ANTM...