Masterchef Junior (US) - General Discussion

[preeya]

1 hour ago, Dittohead said:

As for "unctuous," in Catholic tradition there was a sacrament called "Extreme Unction" which was an anointing of oil by a priest for someone whose death was imminent.  So it's a bad choice of words when trying to describe something tasty or pleasant.

1

When I was a kid being introduced to the Catholic religion, I always thought "Extreme Unction" was "Extre_Munction" (one word).

[blondiek237]

10 hours ago, preeya said:

When I was a kid being introduced to the Catholic religion, I always thought "Extreme Unction" was "Extre_Munction" (one word).

Thank you I was just having the same thought

[Samwise979]

On 6/4/2019 at 10:15 PM, zibnchy said:

Massive overuse of the "This isn't perfect... {commercial break}...This is BEYOND perfect!" trope tonight. I counted three.

This made me so exasperated that I didn't want to post anything after the finale and I don't want to watch this show ever again. 

[zillabreeze]

14 hours ago, Samwise979 said:

This made me so exasperated that I didn't want to post anything after the finale and I don't want to watch this show ever again. 

This show is a perfect example of the way TPTB get all twisted in their success and then just fuq up a good thing.

Why???  The first couple of seasons were cute kids, cooking real food, being all sweet little compadres.

I fell asleep and woke up to central casting wannabes "making" dishes they can't even pronounce.

[galaxychaser]

I thought Malia would win. I’m okay with dead dad Che winning. I think it was mentioned 2-3 times per episode that his Italian dad is dead.

i don’t believe that the kids cooked any of the food.

[El maestro]

Che is a great cook, but I still believe that Jaala was the best cook and she should have been competing in the final.

Edited June 9, 2019 by El maestro

[El maestro]

On 6/5/2019 at 4:48 AM, Emkat said:

Is Che's dad dead?! How did I miss that?

I didn’t know it either.

i am glad he or the producers didn’t try to use it during the show the same way other kids try to overuse their “family history” or “roots”.

[eelpout]

On 6/7/2019 at 7:55 AM, DEL901 said:

...but, boy, was it ever obvious that most of the dishes were planned by someone else.  None of the kids could really articulate, in a manner that didn't sound like they were repeating something they'd memorized, what their dishes were all about.

yeah, this bugs me too. I know there is manipulation going on here, the question is how much?

[hacman00]

I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and think that the kids come up with the recipes and cook the food.  Only the descriptions get jazzed up by the producers.  That's how Ivy's pork chops and pear sauce got turned into whatever the hell she served last week.

I'm fine with Che winning.  But I was hoping a kid would win and not a 28 year old trapped in a 12 year old body.

[DEL901]

https://people.com/tv/masterchef-junior-new-season-daphne-oz-judge/

No Tosi next year.

[jewel21]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with this new judge but hopefully she'll mesh well with the other judges. I'm a little sad Joe won't be back, he's surprisingly good with the kids.

[mlp]

Quote

https://people.com/tv/masterchef-junior-new-season-daphne-oz-judge/

Oh no!  I don't care for Aaron and I loathe Daphne Oz.  Maybe she'll be less of a superior know-it-all working with Gordon.  I'd actually rather have Tosi and that's saying a lot.

[biakbiak]

Well that explains why Daphne has been in LA for the last month, she said it was for work but couldn’t comment on it.

[jcbrown]

Maybe she'll at least be good with kids? She's not exactly brimming with cooking credentials.

[biakbiak]

34 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

Maybe she'll at least be good with kids? She's not exactly brimming with cooking credentials.

Since she’s on her fourth let’s hope she’s good with kids!

[illdoc]

Before someone asks: As of May 11, it will be returning in the Fall: https://tvline.com/2020/05/11/fox-fall-lineup-2020-schedule-masked-singer/

[Christina]

I don't watch this show and the posts are so old that I don't know if this is the current thread, but read something I thought people may be interested in:

From the link in that tweet:

Quote

MasterChef Junior's Ben Watkins Diagnosed With Tumor 3 Years After His Parents Died

13-year-old Ben Watkins, a contestant on season 6 of FOX's MasterChef Junior, is one of six people in the world with angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma

By MCKENNA AIELLO

MasterChef Junior fan-favorite Ben Watkins is facing yet another personal tragedy just three years after losing both of his parents. 

The 13-year-old chef, who appeared on season 6 of the FOX culinary competition, was recently diagnosed with a rare tumor. According to a GoFundMe started by his grandmother and uncle, Ben is being treated for angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, a soft tissue tumor that typically occurs in children and young adults. Ben's loved ones say he is one of six people in the world to receive such a rare diagnosis. 

In 2017, Ben's mother and father, Leila Edwards and Mike Watkins, died in a murder-suicide. A Chicago Tribune story on their deaths said community members had rallied around Ben to establish a trust fund for his future. Nearly $30,000 has since been raised under the #Love4Ben campaign, and that number is only expected to increase as he receives support for his medical treatment. 

"Despite all of Ben's trials and tribulations," the GoFundMe stated, "he remains positive and looks forward to getting back in the kitchen and pursuing his dream to become an engineer. Members of the community have joined together to see that the life challenges that Ben has gone through [do] not derail him from reaching his full potential and fulfilling his dreams."

Prior to his parents' deaths, Ben often worked alongside his father in the barbecue restaurant he owned in Gary, Ind. It was this early introduction to the culinary world that inspired Ben's love for spending time in the kitchen. 

At just 11-years-old, Ben competed on MasterChef Junior, where he placed in the top 18.

He is currently undergoing treatment at the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

 

 The GoFundMe Direct link.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Per this, it's been filmed, but won't be shown until next year. 

https://parade.com/1107117/paulettecohn/masterchef-junior-season-8/

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm sad to say Ben Watkins has passed away at the age of 14. 

[sharifa70]

16 minutes ago, Superclam said:

I'm sad to say Ben Watkins has passed away at the age of 14. 

That poor child. I loved him during his season and wished for good things in his life.

[jewel21]

I saw this earlier on my fb feed and was so sad to learn the news. That poor child had such a hard life. I hope he can finally rest in peace. 

[biakbiak]

Here is an AV Club article about his death. So sad.

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 10/24/2020 at 6:12 PM, Superclam said:

Per this, it's been filmed, but won't be shown until next year. 

https://parade.com/1107117/paulettecohn/masterchef-junior-season-8/

This article asks, but doesn't have the answer for, the same question I have:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/masterchef/masterchef-junior-season-8-canceled-renewed-gordon-ramsay-daphne-oz/

[illdoc]

From TVLIne: Also of note on Fox’s schedule, MasterChef Junior will at long last serve up its eighth season, after more than two-and-a-half years off the air (#pandemic), on Thursday, March 17.

[Mr. Sparkle]

[MyMaui]

I just saw the commercials and Daphne OZ?  Really?  Are there no female chefs to have?  If the show needs something more what does she add to the show that will make it better? I see nothing from her that does.  There are a lot of female chefs he could bring aboard to help judge. That would have been a much better option. You go from Tosi - an accomplished chef to someone who judges competitions and guest on shows.  Sometimes I think Ramsey's ego is so big he doesn't want anyone showing him up on his shows.

Edited February 5, 2022 by MyMaui

[jewel21]

Quote

 S08.E01: Season Premiere

Sixteen pint-sized chefs from all around the country earn their white aprons and are tasked with their first challenge: a secret item they must use as the star of their dish. The cooks must impress judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Daphne Oz.

Airdate: 03/17/2022

[DanaK]

I think I watched the first season of this but didn’t continue because I wasn’t really into cooking at the time. I’ve since gotten more into cooking with the pandemic and decided to try this again. I like how sweet Ramsey is with the kids. These kids are amazing, especially the younger ones

[mertensia]

I got as far as Molly being as smug as all get-out about her own skills as changed the channel.

[Yeah No]

This must have been filmed in 2019 because Daphne Oz gave birth to her last child in August 2019.  I wonder why they kept it on the shelf for so long before airing it.

[whinewithwine]

13 hours ago, mertensia said:

I got as far as Molly being as smug as all get-out about her own skills as changed the channel.

She and Grayson are definitely the most smug.  Maclain gets the award for silliest designated outfit.  And how long before Ramsey refers to Freddy as "big boy"?

At least on this show they refer to these kids as home cooks as opposed to another kids cooking show that calls them chefs.  And that show has insufferable parents as well as smug kids.

 

 

 

 

[hookedontv]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

This must have been filmed in 2019 because Daphne Oz gave birth to her last child in August 2019.  I wonder why they kept it on the shelf for so long before airing it.

I wondered this too. I don't know anything about Daphne Oz but Ivy lives in the next town over from me and there was a news article saying that this was filmed 3 years ago. I'm sure all the kids look so different by now!

I would have thought that they would have aired this earlier, especially when shows weren't filming due to covid. 

One comment about last night's show: I find it hard to believe that no kids were crying because they were either expected to kill a lobster/crawfish/whatever or watch it happen. If I was in that situation, even as a child, I would  have walked out. 

As an adult, I became vegetarian (and was vegan for many years). As a kid, I ate meat, but could have never handled killing something or watching something be killed in front of me.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Like others, Molly irritated me with her smug. I'm trying to imagine a three year-old, who is still pretty much a baby, being able to cook.

I really thought Abir was going to be the one to leave. 

I actually like the top three who won last night.

But GOOD GOD, spare me the "ooohhhhs" and "aaahhhhs" and sqeals that is so obviously scripted/behind the camera producers egging the kids to act that way. Just let them be children.

[hookedontv]

3 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But GOOD GOD, spare me the "ooohhhhs" and "aaahhhhs" and sqeals that is so obviously scripted/behind the camera producers egging the kids to act that way. Just let them be children.

^^^ This! And, the squeeling when Oz came out. Maybe I live under a rock, but I didn't know who she was. And I've been watching these shows for decades.

Anyway, another thing I was curious about with the delayed airing is.... the $100K prize. Was it paid out 3 years ago, with some sort of confidentiality agreement not to spill who won? I know the kids win the money, but the parents will manage it (unless there's some legal stuff about putting it into a trust till 18 years old). I mean, what if Ivy's parents show up in a new Range Rover after the show is over lol? 

[illdoc]

3 hours ago, hookedontv said:

the $100K prize. Was it paid out 3 years ago, with some sort of confidentiality agreement not to spill who won? I

I know on "The Amazing Race" they don't get the money until it actually airs. Don't know if it's true for this show.

[tinkerbell]

I was just reading about how Daphne Oz had a show with poor ratings, and no networks want her because her dad is so controversial. 

Cracking up at Ramsey saying " the gloves are off" and the kids not knowing that expression.  "We can't use gloves?"

Its kind of ridiculous that these kids, who might have SOME skills in the kitchen, are expected to be able to cook with any random weird ingredient that they may have never encountered.  Oh, and then tie that to their home state or ethnic background 

I felt bad for the kid who got kiwi. What was he supposed to cook? I've only eaten kiwi raw in a fruit salad.  And how unfair to send a kid home who was tasked to cook a food, crawfish, he was completely unfamiliar with. I've never cooked it, never eaten it, and I've never seen it on a menu.

Edited March 19, 2022 by tinkerbell

[tinkerbell]

https://images.app.goo.gl/h593cEGZadV7kprr8

Sofia, from a previous season, is quite an actress now. She plays the daughter of Jason Bateman's character on Ozark.

https://images.app.goo.gl/qM6ukRKg6MGRHhEx9

Edited March 19, 2022 by tinkerbell

[mlp]

On 3/17/2022 at 10:04 PM, mertensia said:

I got as far as Molly being as smug as all get-out about her own skills as changed the channel.

I didn't change the channel but I did take an instant dislike to Molly - so I suppose she'll be around until the bitter end.

Those kids must get both lessons and practice sessions prior to filming.  There's no way every one of them was able to deal with an unusual ingredient.  I'm not sure what the one boy was supposed to do with kiwi.  I've never heard of anyone actually cooking it.  

I was hoping they'd eliminate the very small girl who was in tears during judging.  She's not ready for this kind of competition. 

I have never liked Daphne Oz and I'm not crazy about Aaron either so listening to their comments each week is going to be a challenge for me.

[whinewithwine]

20 hours ago, mlp said:

I'm not crazy about Aaron either so listening to their comments each week is going to be a challenge for me.

You have to make listening to Aaron a drinking game....like whenever he says unctuous  with no context to what he's judging.....DRINK

[Yeah No]

21 hours ago, mlp said:

Those kids must get both lessons and practice sessions prior to filming.  There's no way every one of them was able to deal with an unusual ingredient.  I'm not sure what the one boy was supposed to do with kiwi.  I've never heard of anyone actually cooking it.  

I was thinking the same things myself.  Cutting up and cooking an octopus?  Cleaning an eel?  Come on, I'm a home cook for over 40 years and I would find those things a challenge.

Although I did feel like the judges were exaggerating the praise and omitting some negative feedback at certain points.  My BS meter was going off.  I'm wondering just how honest the judging is on this show.  

The only thing I've seen done with kiwi is putting it on top of a lemon tarte or in a trifle, either of which actually may have been a better idea for a dish.

[jabRI]

I've been watching top chef, next food network star, all the cooking competitions. no way ramsey couldn't find an actual female chef if he put in any effort.  or maybe they have too much dignity to stoop to this charade.

[CapeCodLuv]

On 3/19/2022 at 9:42 PM, Yeah No said:

I was thinking the same things myself.  Cutting up and cooking an octopus?  Cleaning an eel?  Come on, I'm a home cook for over 40 years and I would find those things a challenge.

Although I did feel like the judges were exaggerating the praise and omitting some negative feedback at certain points.  My BS meter was going off.  I'm wondering just how honest the judging is on this show.  

The only thing I've seen done with kiwi is putting it on top of a lemon tarte or in a trifle, either of which actually may have been a better idea for a dish.

I believe the boy who got the octopus said he had made it 3 or 4 times before and the girl who got the eel has parents who own an Asian restaurant where she helps out.  I thought it might be a set up that those two got the hardest although the boy who got lobster was totally unfamiliar it. I was glad he did well. The kid who got the craw fish was also lost, I too would have had no idea how long to cook although he way over estimated. My husband and I had once as an appetizer at a Cape Cod restaurant, I did not get the fuss. Hard to eat for a tiny sliver of meat.

The boy who got kiwi should have done a dessert like a tart as you said or cheesecake. I have only ever seen kiwi on top of a pie or other dessert, or just had sliced. It's yummy but doesn't belong anywhere else but dessert.  And now I want kiwi...

I definitely believe they get lessons and a heads up for each episode. Even the adult shows like this, they announce the challenge and no one pauses to think. They run to the pantry immediately searching for the exact ingredients they want. The shows want us to believe they have no time to prepare, I would rather they were honest like GBBO.

[Chyromaniac]

Kids on the line, sloppy half raw/half burnt pizzas- is this Masterchef Jr, or dinner rush at Blaze?

 I’m also wondering why they held on to this for so long.  It would be one thing if it were like the Vegas seasons of Hell’s Kitchen, where they were recorded back to back for logistical reasons- but just holding a show in limbo just doesn’t make sense.  Realistically they should want to get these things out asap- the longer you wait, the more likely someone is going to generate some kind of negative publicity. Which, I guess that’s true for Daphne- but afaik her biggest albatross is her quack dad, and he hasn’t really gone away yet.  Maybe they’ve been waiting for mask restrictions to end, so it’s not immediately obvious that the remote location team challenges were held pre-Covid?  Whatever the reason, I do kind of feel bad for the kids- it must have been rough at that age to go through something like this, and then not have anything come of it for so long.

[Yeah No]

On 3/22/2022 at 9:57 AM, jabRI said:

I've been watching top chef, next food network star, all the cooking competitions. no way ramsey couldn't find an actual female chef if he put in any effort.  or maybe they have too much dignity to stoop to this charade.

I tend to agree with you, but Joe Bastianich isn't a chef either.  I think they chose Daphne because she's supposed to be this "super mommy" so they think she's good with kids.  Whatever....🙄

At least she's written some actual cookbooks, though.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Yeah No

[mlp]

5 hours ago, Chyromaniac said:

Kids on the line, sloppy half raw/half burnt pizzas

Yeah.  I thought most of those pizzas looked dreadful, even the ones Gordon held up as good examples.  The set up was curious too.  The boxes were at the opposite ends of the tables from the ovens so the kids had to run balancing hot pizzas on paddles.  That made no practical sense so I suspect it was done on purpose in hopes of "drama."

I was hoping for a double elimination - the girl who was eliminated and the heavy-set boy whose name I can't remember right now.  His dish wasn't good and I don't care for his attitude.  Donny?  Bobby?  Something ending in Y.

Edited March 27, 2022 by mlp
correct something

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, mlp said:

I was hoping for a double elimination - the girl who was eliminated and the heavy-set boy whose name I can't remember right now.  His dish wasn't good and I don't care for his attitude.  Donny?  Bobby?  Something ending in Y.

Freddy. And I agree. He kept dropping the pizzas on the floor and he just stood there for the last five minutes during the elimination challenge.

All those pizzas looked gross. All I could see were the sauce and toppings! Where was the CHEESE???

And Grayson just made me 🙄🙄🙄 and 🤢🤢 with his favorite toppings of fig, prosciutto and whatever else.

But seriously? A blind taste test? They’re children! Even if some act like they’ve seen the world and know everything about food.

And I’ve never been to any pizza places where the cooks are yelling at each other!

And Arrrron can miss me with the “aesthetic” comments. It’s PIZZA!!

Edited March 28, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Freddy. And I agree. He kept dropping the pizzas on the floor and he just stood there for the last five minutes during the elimination challenge.

All those pizzas looked gross. All I could see were the sauce and toppings! Where was the CHEESE???

And Grayson just made me 🙄🙄🙄 and 🤢🤢 with his favorite toppings of fig, prosciutto and whatever else.

But seriously? A blind taste test? They’re children! Even if some act like they’ve seen the world and know everything about food.

And I’ve never been to any pizza places where the cooks are yelling at each other!

And Arrrron can miss me with the “aesthetic” comments. It’s PIZZA!!

Though Arrrron can likewise miss me with most all of his comments, pizzas still can have aesthetics. That's why many of the pizzas that were deemed "good" by the judges still looked gross, at least to me. Like I would have sent back almost all the pizzas there and made them put more cheese on them. Someone needed to call Child Protective Services for making the kids eat those things.

I happened to have just the other day had a fig/proscuitto pizza. The particular one I had was messy but decent. I suppose it's possible that the kid is a fancy-pants foodie who does particularly enjoy that combo, or it could have been fed to him by production.

I was hoping for some karmic justice for Freddy. He threw out enough pizzas that one has to think some could have been salvaged and thus gotten his team to safety. 

[Darian]

Ramsey is better with kids than adults, but he was so rude. A'Dan was making a face and said he ate something he didn't like, I think after Ramsey called him out. But it looked to me like A'Dan was still trying to figure out what it was when Ivy, meaning well I think, said there was a napkin if he wanted it, and Ramsey and his ego (how dare anyone not like something that came off his plate) snapped "That's it. Teach him some manners." Asshat. A'Dan's manners are fine. Ramsey's not so much.

[Colorado David]

You know Ramsey is a super type A control freak.  While that person is incredibly hard to deal with at times, I'm sure it makes a fantastic chef - so I assume most great chefs are type A superfreaks. Except Ripert, for some reason he always comes off as nice and personable.

[KLovestoShop]

I can’t stand Ivy.  She’s just too much everything and what’s with the triple strand of pearls?