S10.E06: Product Commercial

[MortysCleaningLady]

Last summer there was a show about people marketing their assorted products.  It had people help them cheapen their products (use imitation vanilla instead of real vanilla beans) and created logos and packaging.  The only thing I vividly remember about the show was why certain packaging didn't work.  Very few of those packages would have worked in the real world.  The best product idea (Chris's butter medallions) were made with truffle oil ($$$$$) and in burlap sacks that would need to be individually hung in the dairy aisle.  Realistically, that's not going to happen.  (And the stopper bottle of hot sauce made Reuben made wasn't stackable, which would be a challenge on shelves.)

 

I agree with the poster who said that the candidates should have been given choices on back drop.  Nicole could have rocked the tomato garden. 

 

Speaking of that, why did Chris, Loreal, and Sarah get more props than others?  Lenny had a pile of rocks and Rueben had a tray table!  The backdrop had distinct advantages.  (Sarah had coconut in her baby food and backdrop =  advantage.  Nicole had tomatoes in her jelly, so Loreal got the tomato garden? )  I loved Lenny's handling of the ridiculous Great Wall of China.  Of course, at this point, I think he's the strongest candidate left -- he can cook and give Bob and Medusa shtick and isn't afraid to do anything asked (including tape candy bars to his chest).

 

I just don't care anymore.  Let Loreal win -- I'm not going to watch that.

[cooksdelight]

Would watch a show all about marketing and packaging. Is there something out there like that that I'm missing?

Yep, it's called Supermarket Superstar. The concept is a good one....three chefs or home cooks present their idea for a new product. The judges taste it and give them advice on whether anything needs to be changed. Then, they get an hour to cook and prepare their item for a focus group. Comments from the focus group help determine which chef to eliminate. The remaining two get to go to the packaging and design stage. They then present to the head buyer for A&P stores, and one will be picked as a winner.

The only thing I disliked about it was how the final three were chosen. There was one guy I really wanted to see at the end and he was not there. If all 9 finalists had been brought back for another focus group and let THEM pick their favorite, I think it would be better. I suggested this to chef Andrew Hunter, who is a mentor for the show.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/supermarket-superstar

[Day2Day]

In recognition of Butcher Girl's concoction, DANG!, I'd like to say that this program has turned into pure DUNG.

[Rambler]

I don’t get why Lenny had to taste all those peppers. Did he not know how they tasted beforehand? Are hot peppers not used in Cowboy cuisine? If he didn’t know what they tasted like, how was he making his hot sauce before Bobby got to him? It just made me think he was using a recipe that someone gave him, although come to think of it, that’s probably how it would work if he got his own show so I can’t ding him too much on that. But it didn’t help his credibility when he’s all like “wtf is this Habenero? Ohhh it’s hot!”

 

Loreal's persona bugs me a lot!  When she does a talking head she uses a normal tone of voice and sounds like a rational human being, but when she's in front of the judges or doing a presentation, her pitch goes higher, she puts on the accent and does that ditzo personality that is so fake.  I definitely wouldn't vote for her.

 

 

I can’t really blame Loreal for this because she is just doing what the judges asked her to do. She tried to tone it down for a couple of episodes and the judges jumped on her back. Now she’s back in hyper mode, except amped up x2, and the judges are back to loving her so I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes even more off the wall from here.

[Totale]

Is there anybody who looks at this in hindsight and thinks the assigned backgrounds ADDED something to the show?

Well, there's the producers, who cashed the product placement check for the named-out-loud-several-times production company, owners of the "only one in the world" 360 degree green screen studio. I didn't remember the name, but I'm not in the market to rent such a place.  If you often are, I bet you did.

[leighdear]

Emma and Sarah need to team up.  Sarah can make the baby food, and Emma can voice-record little stories.  The stories are burned onto those tiny buttons (like you find in recordable greeting cards), attached to the food jars, and played back while the baby is eating Sarah's food.  By the time the tot gets that Texas-inspired grub into their little tummy, Emma's voice has lulled them into LaLa Land......

[GaT]

He had a few interesting post-its during that run:

 

Q: Why is Sarah still on this show???

A: I'll tell you why: The producers liked her interviews.

 

Q: Why do the challenges suck so much this year?

A: Well, I'll be honest: No one asked the judges!

 

Q: Why is there such a small emphasis on cooking this season:

A: That is a VERY good question. #WeJudgesWerePissed

 

Q: And, yet, last week you sent home the contestant who made the best dish. Seems like you could have emphasized cooking then.

A: The point was the DEMO & he demo'd diddly.

 

There were a whole bunch of other things, but I've extracted the ones I thought were interesting to things we've talked about recently.

 

 

 

Hmm, interesting, it sounds that the problem with the show may be Medusa & Kermit's fault, because Alton seems to see the same problems we are & I would guess if he does, the Bobby & Giada do to. I wonder if they have said something, & if they have the juice to get things changed if they present a united front.

 

 

The problem for me and probably for the producers is figuring where the line is for each challenge. I personally didn't have a problem with assigning specific American dishes to the contestants last week and telling them to figure out a way to make a version that goes with their POV. I thought that a good POV leaves plenty of room for interpretation. But other people have made convincing arguments that it wasn't a fair challenge. 

 

So I understand there is a big game the producers are playing while they try to make this show be as interesting as possible. I am usually willing to give them some slack, but I think they screwed up with this one.

The problem I have with making them do things like assigning dishes or giving them a scenario to do a commercial in is that all the judges talk about is the contestants POV. If someone cooks something outside of their POV, they get slammed for it (See Sarah & her baby food), so what sense does it make to give them something outside of their POV to cook or work with? If your POV is Mexican food, you're never going to have wiener schnitzel on your show, if Lenny wins, the Great Wall of China is never going to be part of his show. WTH is the point? It's annoying.

[xaxat]

I don’t get why Lenny had to taste all those peppers. Did he not know how they tasted beforehand? Are hot peppers not used in Cowboy cuisine? If he didn’t know what they tasted like, how was he making his hot sauce before Bobby got to him? It just made me think he was using a recipe that someone gave him, although come to think of it, that’s probably how it would work if he got his own show so I can’t ding him too much on that. But it didn’t help his credibility when he’s all like “wtf is this Habenero? Ohhh it’s hot!”

 

This is what bothers me about Lenny, it's not just a schtick for him. I find his "aww shucks" attitude towards his cooking skills to be totally disingenuous. Based on the judges comments this and other weeks, he is a legitimately good cook. And I find it hard to believe he just randomly started throwing peppers into a blender. He didn't just luck into that sauce. I believe he knew exactly what he was making, and used "Oh, it's hot!" to get more screen time. 

[SusannahTaylor3]

Hmm, interesting, it sounds that the problem with the show may be Medusa & Kermit's fault, because Alton seems to see the same problems we are & I would guess if he does, the Bobby & Giada do to. I wonder if they have said something, & if they have the juice to get things changed if they present a united front.

The problem I have with making them do things like assigning dishes or giving them a scenario to do a commercial in is that all the judges talk about is the contestants POV. If someone cooks something outside of their POV, they get slammed for it (See Sarah & her baby food), so what sense does it make to give them something outside of their POV to cook or work with? If your POV is Mexican food, you're never going to have wiener schnitzel on your show, if Lenny wins, the Great Wall of China is never going to be part of his show. WTH is the point? It's annoying.

It certainly does look like they are setting Lenny up for the win but to me he reminds me of a snake salesman he will do anything you want him to do to make the sale. He knew how each of those peppers tasted he was showing off that he's this good sport who will taste them to prove to the judges that he will do whatever it takes to win.

I agreed with last weeks decision to let him go. He wasn't able to loosen up for the camera during the you tube skits and on the next week he never cooked and it was a cooking demo. It made complete sense to me. In fact, I told my husband that he would be the one eliminated due to both factors. There are other great chefs on the show who can bring it personality wise and cooking wise,

My daughter was following Alton's live tweets during the show.  When asked which of the three should go, he tweeted, "ALL OF THEM."

 

What was behind the judges telling the contestants who would have which background.  It would have been fairer if the contestants chose envelopes containing the locations.

I take Alton with a grain of salt. He is very sarcastic and he seemed to like Emma and Nicole. This was Emma and Nicole's first misstep. The problem I have with these set up scenarios is that if the do win they will have directors and producers tell them what to do and what to say. I just don't buy the thinking off the cuff thinking. These shows are so heavily scripted and directed and produced that it would be hard to foul it up. To my thinking all they need to be able to do is cook and have good chemistry with the camera. Just my opinion.

Edited July 7, 2014 by SusannahTaylor3

[Gregg247]

Random thoughts about last night's show:

 

Who in the world was that woman who was creating the labels for all the contestants' products -- Bob Tushman's sister?  She did a terrible job!  I'll bet they could have gotten a group of middle school students to do a better job than she did.  They didn't even stick to the jars very well--very wrinkly and crooked.

 

I like Lenny.  I think he's sincere, can cook well, and has an interesting POV.  Sure, he goes overboard occassionally, but I'm pretty sure he's getting encouraged to "go big" by the producers.

 

The Butcher Babe has a great PoV, but I really don't like her at all.  "Wut Wut", "boyzzzz", etc. wears thin really fast.

 

I liked this challenge, except for the part where the judges assigned the backdrops to everyone.  Why not let the contestants sink or swim on their own?  They're all totally capable of making some horrendous decisions all by themselves.

 

Giving Rueben "the moon" as his backdrop told me he was a goner for sure.  Even Butcher Babe would have had  hard time making that one work.  Plus, Rueben was already too stiff on camera anyway, so they give him the one backdrop that requires a bulky, hard to maneuver space suit.

 

I'm glad we're getting back to the focus groups next week; I like seeing how these contestants relate to actual audiences.  Remember when they did that challenge, years ago, where the contestants had to go onboard a Coast Guard ship and cook for the crew using the mess hall kitchen?  I like those kinds of challenges the best.

[SusannahTaylor3]

"Who in the world was that woman who was creating the labels for all the contestants' products -- Bob Tushman's sister? She did a terrible job! I'll bet they could have gotten a group of middle school students to do a better job than she did. They didn't even stick to the jars very well--very wrinkly and crooked."

I don't think the packaging really mattered. No one commented on it much except for Susie on one food because she needed something nice to say. The main point of the challenge was whether they could sell their product in any surrounding. None of those items were going to be sold.

[Aquarius]

I don’t get why Lenny had to taste all those peppers. Did he not know how they tasted beforehand? Are hot peppers not used in Cowboy cuisine? If he didn’t know what they tasted like, how was he making his hot sauce before Bobby got to him? It just made me think he was using a recipe that someone gave him, although come to think of it, that’s probably how it would work if he got his own show so I can’t ding him too much on that. But it didn’t help his credibility when he’s all like “wtf is this Habenero? Ohhh it’s hot!”

 

This is why I will never like Lenny.  Either he a) knew exactly what each of those peppers was like and was just playing to the camera or b) has zero culinary credibility.  I'm thinking a) which makes him a reality show whore.  Who the hell doesn't know a habanero is hot?  I guess a person who can't manage to drink milk.  I really don't need to see a disgusting man pouring milk down the front of his beard, thankyouverymuch.

[SusannahTaylor3]

Random thoughts about last night's show:

 

Who in the world was that woman who was creating the labels for all the contestants' products -- Bob Tushman's sister?  She did a terrible job!  I'll bet they could have gotten a group of middle school students to do a better job than she did.  They didn't even stick to the jars very well--very wrinkly and crooked.

 

I like Lenny.  I think he's sincere, can cook well, and has an interesting POV.  Sure, he goes overboard occassionally, but I'm pretty sure he's getting encouraged to "go big" by the producers.

 

The Butcher Babe has a great PoV, but I really don't like her at all.  "Wut Wut", "boyzzzz", etc. wears thin really fast.

 

I liked this challenge, except for the part where the judges assigned the backdrops to everyone.  Why not let the contestants sink or swim on their own?  They're all totally capable of making some horrendous decisions all by themselves.

 

Giving Rueben "the moon" as his backdrop told me he was a goner for sure.  Even Butcher Babe would have had  hard time making that one work.  Plus, Rueben was already too stiff on camera anyway, so they give him the one backdrop that requires a bulky, hard to maneuver space suit.

 

I'm glad we're getting back to the focus groups next week; I like seeing how these contestants relate to actual audiences.  Remember when they did that challenge, years ago, where the contestants had to go onboard a Coast Guard ship and cook for the crew using the mess hall kitchen?  I like those kinds of challenges the best.

I think you're right about setting Reuben up for failure. He's been on the bottom consistently so he's had his chances to improve but hasn't.

[RealityGal]

This is why I will never like Lenny.  Either he a) knew exactly what each of those peppers was like and was just playing to the camera or b) has zero culinary credibility.  I'm thinking a) which makes him a reality show whore.  Who the hell doesn't know a habanero is hot?  I guess a person who can't manage to drink milk.  I really don't need to see a disgusting man pouring milk down the front of his beard, thankyouverymuch.

 

Yeah, that milk in the beard shot was unfortunate.

 

The integrity of this season can be summed up in four words Pancake in a Cup.  In fact, I almost feel like that should be a Top Chef challenge, because I think those chefs would be so creative and use such interesting techniques to make it look beautiful and taste delicious.

 

BTW, I could understand Emma just fine.  I thought it was sorta cute that she put on a French accent because she was in France.  Nicole should have delivered that first joke better, it was a good joke, but geez.  Lenny maybe could have said that you could take his sauce anywhere, even to the great wall to add a kick of spice to your food (I don't know if it would have been racist to make a chinese food comment at that point)

[rhofmovalley]

I could have sworn I saw a misspelled word on one of the product labels.  Of course, I can't remember which product or what the misspelled word was...

[cooksdelight]

I couldn't even read Reuben's label, there was so much on it. I just remember it being pink.

 

I've spent 30+ years as a graphic designer/art director and whoever that chick was had templates and she just slapped some type in the middle. No design skills whatsoever. She picked some really ugly typefaces, too.

[GaT]

 

I don’t get why Lenny had to taste all those peppers. Did he not know how they tasted beforehand? Are hot peppers not used in Cowboy cuisine? If he didn’t know what they tasted like, how was he making his hot sauce before Bobby got to him? It just made me think he was using a recipe that someone gave him, although come to think of it, that’s probably how it would work if he got his own show so I can’t ding him too much on that. But it didn’t help his credibility when he’s all like “wtf is this Habenero? Ohhh it’s hot!”

 

This is why I will never like Lenny.  Either he a) knew exactly what each of those peppers was like and was just playing to the camera or b) has zero culinary credibility.  I'm thinking a) which makes him a reality show whore.  Who the hell doesn't know a habanero is hot?  I guess a person who can't manage to drink milk.  I really don't need to see a disgusting man pouring milk down the front of his beard, thankyouverymuch.

 

When Giada leaned close to Lenny to whisper helpful secrets to him. she told him to taste all the peppers so that he know the differences. Pretty good advice if you're filming an entire show, pretty useless for a 30 second commercial at the Great Wall of China. Even if he already knew what each one tasted like, tasting them all because Giada said he should is smart on his part, if he didn't she would have remembered during judging.

[Shibori]

I gotta think Christopher was sitting at home watching this thinking, Damn, thank goodness I got out before I had to sell baby food on the moon surrounded by giant tomatoes.

I remember the graphics work being pretty awful in past seasons too. I can't imagine any legit graphic designer going near this job. It looked like what I made with Print Shop Deluxe on an Apple IIC.

[RealityGal]

I could have sworn I saw a misspelled word on one of the product labels.  Of course, I can't remember which product or what the misspelled word was...

Dang?

[ari333]

"Wut wut boy-eeeee"

 

Pass the Pepto.

[Alapaki]

I think irony died at about the :45 minute mark when Giada told Nicole to "not try to be who other people are telling you to be".

 

Because . . . oh never mind.

[cattykit]

When Lenny started rattling off all those peppers I immediately was put in mind of Forrest Gump's Bubba describing shrimp.

 

Loreal is as phony as a three-dollar bill.  I can't believe they keep falling for her act.

[theatremouse]

I don’t get why Lenny had to taste all those peppers. Did he not know how they tasted beforehand?

I think he made it pretty clear he absolutely did not when he was describing one to Bobby and Bobby was all, um, no, that's not  what that pepper tastes like at all, know what you're talking about, idiot. I'd buy he was playing it up tasting them all and spilling the milk everywhere for show/to get screentime except...I don't think he could've planned that moment with Bobby. He had to actually not know what the hell he was talking about to make the offhand wrong description of the pepper, because I don't think he could've thought far enough ahead to manufacture what came next. By which I guess I mean, even if he was playing it up a bit, his initial lack of knowledge, I think probably has to be genuine. Which to me means, yeah, he was using an existing recipe that was not his own and used a specific combo of peppers without his knowing why each was in there, what it contributed, etc. Or he was literally just throwing as many kind of peppers in as he could think of. With habaneros in there, of course the damn sauce would be hot, regardless of the rest of it.

 

I didn't have super strong thoughts on him as a contestant before last night, but now I'm convinced he's a poser.

[LittleVoice]

Reuben is probably a terrific chef and a nice guy, but terrible on camera and no imagination whatsoever. I mean, something as simple as saying his salsa has a kick that will take you right to the moon would have at least acknowledged that part of the challenge. I'm not exactly happy he was sent home - no schadenfreude here - but very glad Emma was spared as there's something I like about her.

Or he could have done a Moon over Miami thing, which I know is a phrase but I don't know why.

I'm not a huge fan of Lenny, but might watch his show because a) he's the only one who might do something different than any other FN show, and b) my guess is he'd tone down the schtick a bit once he doesn't need it to stand out from the FNS pack.

[phoenix780]

I said a couple weeks ago I think the cowboy would be perfect on a cooking show for children.  In this episode, that belief was reinforced.  The whole frickin' show is building your brand, not just the challenge portions.  Maybe don't pour milk down your beard while comically eating hot peppers (which- can you even distinguish flavors if you just eat one after another? wouldn't that destroy your palate for a while?) unless your brand is "clown."  

 

With this episode I also realized why I love L'Oreal- she's Pam from Archer, and I love Pam.  Maybe Loreal is a little less crass (for now), but, um, dang she reminds me of that cartoon.

 

I sort of felt bad for Emma and the butter guy.  Two challenges ago the idea was being over-the-top ridiculous to prove personality.  This challenge was essentially the same, or I can at least see why the contestants would think that, so why wouldn't you make it a bit absurd with an accent or a treasure hunt?  

 

I hope this is the last make-your-own-commercial challenge.  They make me think of Bobby Flay's Fage commercial, or Alton shilling grape jelly, which reminds me that I can't remember an FN star actually marketing their own product...and I certainly don't remember one doing it without a serious team behind them telling them what to say, where to stand, and so on.  

 

I'd actually like to see that- build some boxes around these people and see what they're like.  'Cause I doubt they'll get this kind of independence if they actually win, and I'm curious to see if they could handle the limitations.

[Intuition]

I think Chris summed Lenny up well when he said he was coming off like a "used car salesman".  I find absolutely nothing about him to be genuine, and frankly I am sick and tired of FN trying to push over the top caricatures on the audience.  I think they will let him make it to the end just to get people to watch THIS show, not because they want him to win.  Last year we had "Pie Style" up against Damaris and Damaris won.   I always felt they let him stay till the end on purpose because they knew Rodney was too much of a caricature to win.  This year we'll probably have Lenny up against either Butcher Babe or (hopefully) Emma.  Butcher Babe reminds me of a contestant a couple of years back - Remember "Retro-Rad"?  Her.  Only I liked Retro-Rad a lot more.  I actually felt she was more genuine, schticky attire notwithstanding.  I really wanted to like Loreal but her schtick is getting irritating.  She is another caricature but at least not over the top like Lenny.  Lenny should host a comedy show, not a cooking show.

 

 

I don't agree with Bob and Susie about Emma. I think she just had a bad week. I don't think she has as much work to do as some of the others. I think they all have work to do to become camera ready. Yes, even Lenny.

 

ITA and I thought they were being hard on her just for show like they were on Aarti a few years ago.  They kept telling Aarti she needed to show more confidence, meanwhile she ended up winning.  I don't get why Emma's voice is an issue.  She has a very nice, soothing voice, IMO.  There are a lot of women on this network (and this show) with much more annoying voices, IMO.

 

Giada may have been less of a bitch this week but she still wore a surly expression most of the time.  Perhaps Alton's tweets half explain why.  If it's true that the judges weren't in love with the lame non-food related challenges, that may account for her sour puss.  Not that I want to find reasons to excuse her, mind you.

 

I agree with whoever said Reuben missed an opportunity to say his hot sauce would "send you to the moon" - I had the exact same thought!

Edited July 8, 2014 by Intuition

[mlp]

 

I don't get why Emma's voice is an issue.  She has a very nice, soothing voice, IMO.  There are a lot of women on this network (and this show) with much more annoying voices, IMO.

 

Totally agree.  I like her voice plus I think she's the most attractive of the whole bunch and she behaves like a lady.  I also like Damaris from last year but I find her voice annoying so I can't listen to her for long.  The worst though IMO is Ree Drummond.  I mute her commercials because her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.  I couldn't possibly watch her for a half hour show.  Loreal isn't far behind.

[seacliffsal]

I thought Lenny was spilling the milk over his mouth due to having his lips burn from the peppers.  I do agree with so many others (including Bobby) why use the peppers if he didn't know what they tasted like???  I wonder if recipes were given to most/all of the contestants as the positive responses about the products were much more numerous than in previous challenges.  Maybe the producers realized that not many of the contestants are good cooks so they better help them out.

 

I'm surprised that Loreal is still there as her sauce was...whole vegetables thrown into a pot?  Plus, she is annoying.  I so prefer Lenny over her.  In fact, I would probably watch a few episodes of Lenny's show.  

[needschocolate]

I don't like encouraging the stereotype of the dumb blonde, but Sarah doesn't seem too bright. Not only does she make baby food when her POV is Texas, but her POV is Texas when she is on the show with a cowboy (who is wearing a belt buckle almost the size of Texas).

 

I hate it that it seems that Sarah is the one who is criticizing everyone after their ad aired.

I hate it that is seems Sarah does about 75% of the talking heads.

 

Reuben is probably a terrific chef and a nice guy, but terrible on camera and no imagination whatsoever. I mean, something as simple as saying his salsa has a kick that will take you right to the moon would have at least acknowledged that part of the challenge

 

I agree with whoever said Reuben missed an opportunity to say his hot sauce would "send you to the moon" - I had the exact same thought!

 

I was thinking he should say, "My hot sauce is out of this world!"  A bit too corny, but better than whatever he said.  And Lenny, standing in front of the Great Wall, could have said "My hot sauce is the 8th wonder of the wonder of the world." - or - "There are 2 things that can be seen from outer space - the Great Wall of China, and your tongue after you try my hot sauce.   

[Accidental Martyr]

 I was thinking he should say, "My hot sauce is out of this world!"  A bit too corny, but better than whatever he said.  And Lenny, standing in front of the Great Wall, could have said "My hot sauce is the 8th wonder of the wonder of the world." - or - "There are 2 things that can be seen from outer space - the Great Wall of China, and your tongue after you try my hot sauce.

http://www.snopes.com/science/greatwall.asp

;)

[needschocolate]

Accidental Martyr, you know that, and I know that, but I doubt Lenny knows that.

[Lillybee]

I really don't want Sarah to win. The last thing that FN needs is another show with a southern point of view. We are stuck with the Pioneer Woman, Trisha and Demaris. I really want a different concept that is anything besides Southern food.

[Bella]

I really don't want Sarah to win. The last thing that FN needs is another show with a southern point of view. We are stuck with the Pioneer Woman, Trisha and Demaris. I really want a different concept that is anything besides Southern food.

 

I have three thoughts on this: I don't want Sarah to win because I find her tiresome, I wonder if the FN demographics skew southern, and I completely agree that they've got that angle covered already.

[JTMacc99]

I really don't want Sarah to win. The last thing that FN needs is another show with a southern point of view. We are stuck with the Pioneer Woman, Trisha and Demaris. I really want a different concept that is anything besides Southern food.

I think there is 0.01% Sarah will win. Others have been eliminated before her because she is more interesting to keep around for THIS show. That doesn't mean to me that she still has a chance to win, but I guess anything could happen.  I just think it is a very, very small chance it will.

 

Also, by the way, I think Emma is also far too similar to the Pioneer Woman, Trisha, Farmhouse Rules Saturday morning block.

Edited July 9, 2014 by JTMacc99

[Aquarius]

Yeah, I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before Sarah is sent back to her time machine so she can return home to the Republic of Texas.  They're keeping her around because they think we'll find her mean girl talking heads amusing.  I'm guessing she makes fourth.

 

I like Emma but I don't think she'll win.  She's way too sedate and unassuming for this network.  I agree that her POV is too similar to Farmhouse Rules, and I don't think that show is going anywhere soon.

[Alapaki]

On the one hand, I agree that from TPTB's perspective the point of this show is to be this show.  And the fact that they think any particular contestant enhances this show doesn't necessarily mean they see them as "the next Food Network Star".

 

HOWEVER, over the past few years I think the definition of "the next Food Network Star" has changed.  I don't think it's necessary any longer for someone to be able to credibly and authoritatively convey cooking know-how and/or original recipes.  At this point, if someone is telegenic and can read a teleprompter without moving their eyes, FN can find a show for them.  It might be "let's find the best chimichangas in Chicago."  But, nowadays, I think those type of shows outnumber the actual cooking shows.

 

None of which is to say that I think Sarah will win.  But I would not at be surprised if it happened. 

[cooksdelight]

I don't think it's necessary any longer for someone to be able to credibly and authoritatively convey cooking know-how and/or original recipes.

But that's exactly what Damaris does. She's a culinary instructor, who better to share her recipes with us and show us how to do things in a way we didn't previously know? I learn a new tip with each of her shows.

Justin flopped, no "winner" in that season. Jeff's shows have been good. Aarti didn't fulfill the promise people thought she had because as someone else said, she probably succumbed to the network's instructions on how her show should be.

This season, I think we'll get someone who will either be Guy-like (Lenny) or have some good food ideas to share (Nicole). Each time they run the promo commercial for next week's show when they go to Vegas, Loreal makes me cringe. But, as you say, they'll keep her around until the end for the entertainment factor, I think.

[needschocolate]

I think Lenny will win.  They seem to like his food (when they don't, it is usually a small complaint) and he is the closest replacement to Paula Deen (over the top character department)

[jumper sage]

Emma and Sarah need to team up.  Sarah can make the baby food, and Emma can voice-record little stories.  The stories are burned onto those tiny buttons (like you find in recordable greeting cards),

Awesome idea!

 

Giada you bitch!  A person without kids can't make baby food?  I would take an organic shopper with a good blender over some harried mom shopping at Walmart any day.

 

If it's true that the judges weren't in love with the lame non-food related challenges, that may account for her sour puss.  Not that I want to find reasons to excuse her, mind you.

That should make them even more empathetic towards the contestants.  If the judges can't stand the challenges, just think how tough it must be to not just watch but endure another stupid challenge.

[TudorQueen]

I don't think it's necessary any longer for someone to be able to credibly and authoritatively convey cooking know-how and/or original recipes.

 

 

While I agree with you wholeheartedly that this is how "the Network" feels (And Tush and Medusa really do control the show to a large extent), I think this is one of the things that makes the judges so irritable, especially Alton and Bobby. Bobby is always standing up for the ones who can actually cook and bring something interesting about food to the table, and in the preview for next week, Alton is visibly furious about one contestant's mislabeling of an ingredient as 'Serrano Ham" and later says to either that contestant or another, "I don't trust you anymore." The judges do emphasize the winner's status as a food authority. It's just that the shows that are taking over FN don't need a food authority, they need  either a game show host or someone who likes to travel around eating a lot.

[LazyToaster]

The judges are SO unreasonable - if Sarah had taken time to talk about her kids they would have found something bad about that.  I'm not a Sarah fan either.  I liked Reuben much more than her, but it was just so unfair.  She is required to tell us about her kids?  Really?  What about cowboy-gone-wrong Lenny - wonder if he has any family? 

 

Maybe it is just me making something better (from memory) than it really was, but it seems like the early seasons of this show were at least halfway serious.  They did way more cooking then.  This time it is just over the top ridiculous.  Bobby acts like he's bored, Alton is - what the hell? - so sarcastic and critical, and Giada - geesh, I think she needs some medication.  What a nasty and mean person she seems to be. 

 

And I'm disappointed that they gave them this challenge then deliberately set out to trip them up by assigning stupid settings that they wanted to be hard to deal with, not giving them enough time for anything, then picking every single thing apart.  What a stupid waste of time. 

[Bella]

I think the reason they wanted Sarah to talk about her kids had more to do with her product being baby food than with her gender. In fact, had one of the men made and pitched baby food, they might have been even worse about it. And I do expect someone pitching baby food to at least mention his or her experience with feeding babies, whether it's their own or someone else's. (Me: "My niece is an adult now, but when she was a baby, she couldn't stand strawberries until I fed her my special strawberries-and-rhubarb pureed-into-oblivion baby food. Here's more about the product....")

[cooksdelight]

I'd love it if during one of these really stupid and bizarre challenges that someone made homemade dog treats and went into a big spiel about healthy eating for your pet. It might blow Giada's teeth out of her head.

[Alapaki]

The judges are SO unreasonable - if Sarah had taken time to talk about her kids they would have found something bad about that.  I'm not a Sarah fan either.  I liked Reuben much more than her, but it was just so unfair.  She is required to tell us about her kids?  Really?  What about cowboy-gone-wrong Lenny - wonder if he has any family?

 

 

I think the reason they wanted Sarah to talk about her kids had more to do with her product being baby food than with her gender.

 

 

I agree that the reason for the criticism of Sarah not mentioning that she's a mom is because she was pitching baby food.  Frankly, I doubt she ever gave her kids anything like what she was pitching (which was an idea she seemed to pull out her ass).  So saying "my kids love it" would've been disingenuous.  Not that that's ever been a disqualifying factor.

 

But I also agree that the criticism seems a bit unnecessary in this case.  I think the concept of picky kids = tomorrow's "foodies" was novel, and was enough of a hook. I don't know what I think about it, but the panel didn't seem to have any complaints about it.  And they thought the food tasted good on its own merits.

 

I think criticism over something that a contestants doesn't say can be a bit more gratuitous than criticism over what they do say.  And, in this case, while the fact that Sarah is a mom might have arguably enhanced her pitch, I don't think her failing to mention that destroyed her pitch in the way Giada bitched about it.

[Aethera]

Bleh, where to start.  This episode was terrible and frustrating.

 

I thought the background scenes were completely unfair.  I also can't believe Emma screwed up the gift of Paris - though I understood every word she said.  I will say, with everyone coming out in costume of their location I was holding my breath when it was Lenny's turn.  They obviously gave him that one because of course he would want to say in the cowboy getup and we wouldn't have any misguided semi-racist nonsense.  The Great Wall and the Moon were both way mean for locations - this whole episode just highlighted the foolish producer nonsense.

 

I really don't know who to root for anymore.  Lenny shows flashes of a personality I like, but then reverts back to the Cowboy nonsense.  He was really good at the live demo last week, I thought.  But this week, yeesh.  It was like the Beetlejuice commercial.  Emma I think is my favorite, though if L'Oreal wasn't listening to the 'bigger! bigger!' notes I think I'd like her fine.  Sarah is the worst.  I also feel like she's doing 80% of the commentary, and I've wanted her gone since the first episode.

 

I wonder if Christopher might just come in under the radar.  I don't think he has quite enough personality, but he's the least polarizing, for certain.  Then again, that doesn't make for good TV.

 

I will say this about Rodney Pie Guy - I hated, hated, hated him on his season, but damned if he doesn't make delicious pie.  I went to his food truck without knowing it was his, and enjoyed it.  I was sort of horrified that it was his when I found out.  But their website barely mentions him.  No picture, even.  Been back a bunch of times, and a lot of the pies are really good.  So I think sometimes the personality gets in the way of someone who can actually cook.  That's Lenny to me.

 

I freely admit I don't watch cooking shows at all - I watch a few of the Food Network night-time shows, though increasingly I'm tired of them. But I've always enjoyed this show. This year though, I think might be my last.

[leighdear]

Sara could have easily started out her pitch with 4 simple words....."Busy Moms Like Me....." then slide into the pitch.  2 seconds out of the 30 allotted would have given her that "authority" she needed.  

 

Of course it's so simple for me to see that, sitting on my couch at home.  But I cannot believe nobody instructs these people on basic camera pitch techniques, or none of them appeared to do ANY research about it beforehand.  

[phoenix780]

I really don't want Sarah to win. The last thing that FN needs is another show with a southern point of view. We are stuck with the Pioneer Woman, Trisha and Demaris. I really want a different concept that is anything besides Southern food.

 

Southern food...it's almost like there's no other type of cooking, though I guess you sometimes get Southwestern. 

 

I can't imagine Lenny winning, mostly because I see him as this year's Pie Guy in that...I feel for some reason (hope, maybe), that this type of character only exists to keep Guy Fieri's salary demands in check.  This show is run by The Network, right?  Might as well use it to show your current crop that you're replaceable...

[CaptainCranky]

I'm new to this forum and the Food Network Star show as well of forgive my naive assessment of the show.

 

Whomever picked these candidate to start off with didn't know in my humble opinion what I think people would watch on a consistent basis.

 

I might watch Emma and Nicole depending on the show but wouldn't waste the time finding the remote to turn the TV on to watch any of the rest.

 

Again just a newbie opinion.

[leighdear]

Welcome, Captain!  My dad is a retired USN Captain, so we call him Captain Cranky all the time....*LOL*

[GaT]

But I also agree that the criticism seems a bit unnecessary in this case.  I think the concept of picky kids = tomorrow's "foodies" was novel, and was enough of a hook. I don't know what I think about it, but the panel didn't seem to have any complaints about it.  And they thought the food tasted good on its own merits.

 

 

 

I would also think that was a good hook if not for the fact that what she said was "persnickety" instead of "picky", when I heard that, she completely lost me.