Season 10 Final Four - Lenny, Luca, Sarah & Nicole

[cooksdelight]

Here's your spot to discuss the final four candidates (I'm hard pressed to call them chefs) for the next Food Network Star. Any anecdotes, stories, media buzz you want to post about the four of them should go in here. We'll still have episode threads for discussing the remaining episodes.

[Day2Day]

Thanks for establishing this site.  Ohhhhhhh, sooooooo much to discuss.

[Intuition]

 

I am STUNNED at Lenny's video!  Absolutely floored.  The Food Network deserves him.   I so hope he wins, and then can take his demented, fake-cowboy act and call his food disgusting names, and run wild like the lunatic he is.   Has anyone at the Food Network SEEN this atrocity??

 

Sleuth that I am, I have found even more dirt on this guy.  I won't post the sources here but suffice it to say he is a long time poster at the Ronfez.com chat board (going under the moniker "Chuckwagon", although he is also known by his real first name, Lenny).  Ron & Fez are two radio show hosts originally out of Florida (and we know Lenny was in Florida for a time).  In a current thread on the Ronfez chat board, I saw some of Lenny's friends rooting for him (AKA "Chuckwagon") to win Food Network Star.  The infamous YouTube video I posted was also mentioned.  It turns out that "Hottub" (who Lenny refers to in that video along with his profanity) is the screen name of someone who also posts on the Ronfez chat board, and that guy even mentioned in the thread how the video mentions him, so we know this is the same guy we're talking about, and they they are all online friends.  Interesting that these friends don't seem to see anything wrong with what others see as Lenny's profanity and creepiness (which in my opinion probably says something about them).

 

I also found another YouTube video of a broadcast of the Ron and Fez show from back in 2009, where it is mentioned (I think by Ron) that Lenny "Chuckwagon" was getting Fez down in the dumps because he kept "stalking him" and probably creeping him out big time.  I don't know what specific behavior this was referring to, but whatever it was was enough for Fez to get really depressed about.  It turns out that some time before this Lenny insisted on meeting Fez at some public appearance somewhere, which happened at least as long ago as 2009 or before, and the so called stalking behavior happened after that.  The recording of the radio show was posted in April of 2014 despite it having aired in 2009, so it was before Food Network Star started airing and it included a recent photo of our Lenny in his cowboy attire, so it's definitely him they're referring to.  Later on in the show it was mentioned that Lenny explained his behavior with Fez was just a "routine", meaning that the supposed stalking behavior was just a joke, although it didn't seem that Fez was was aware that it was one when it was happening nor was he taking it as one.  They also mention Lenny's good looking girlfriend or wife (I don't remember which).  It gets even stranger when someone calls into the show claiming to be Chuckwagon only to be reprimanded for making Fez depressed, but later on in a subsequent show they mentioned that the real Chuckwagon said it wasn't him that called in but an impostor!   I don't know, it sure sounded like Lenny to me!  I won't post the link here but if you do find it and play it, keep in mind that it has some STRONG LANGUAGE, so don't play it in a public area or somewhere where you don't want such language to be overheard!

 

Anyway, I am even more creeped out about this guy than I already was after finding out this new stuff.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Intuition

[Janimo]

I'm really hoping for a Nicole win, but I could deal with Luca or Sarah, the latter of whom I can't stand.......I just don't want Lenny to win after the vids I watched......He's a nasty, creepy dude, imo. ICK!!!!

[LazyToaster]

This sounds like a potential PR nightmare for FN.

[Day2Day]

  How would/could the FN deal with the Lenny situation IF he is up for the public's vote for the win? "Unfavorable publicity".... I'd have to say those 2 videos qualify!!

[Totale]

It's not like they bring in Price-Waterhouse to count the votes and deliver them in a sealed envelope on Graduation Night - TPTB control who "wins" no matter how the public "votes".  They're not going to let the public decide how they spend their money.  I think a more interesting question is whether as someone said above they knew about all this and it never mattered because Lenny was just here to be a FNS character, or if they really were so sloppy as to miss these publicly available embarrassments.  The "winner" is going to have to come to NYC for a month to shoot their prize show and possibly for more.  People do have life commitments and it's not that easy to rearrange things, and the FN production staff needs time to write the recipes and scripts, all of which would argue for the "winner's" contracts being all signed and settled before FNS shooting even starts.  If they really were so cluefree as to miss Lenny's past and he was the intended winner, they probably wrote in a morals or marketability clause or something good enough to get them out of it, but now they'll have to scramble to get Plan B up and running. 

[GaT]

It's not like they bring in Price-Waterhouse to count the votes and deliver them in a sealed envelope on Graduation Night - TPTB control who "wins" no matter how the public "votes".  They're not going to let the public decide how they spend their money.  I think a more interesting question is whether as someone said above they knew about all this and it never mattered because Lenny was just here to be a FNS character, or if they really were so sloppy as to miss these publicly available embarrassments.  The "winner" is going to have to come to NYC for a month to shoot their prize show and possibly for more.  People do have life commitments and it's not that easy to rearrange things, and the FN production staff needs time to write the recipes and scripts, all of which would argue for the "winner's" contracts being all signed and settled before FNS shooting even starts.  If they really were so cluefree as to miss Lenny's past and he was the intended winner, they probably wrote in a morals or marketability clause or something good enough to get them out of it, but now they'll have to scramble to get Plan B up and running. 

You have to remember, this is the same network that hired Robert Irvine without checking to see if what he had on his resume had anything to do with the truth. He did Dinner Impossible for I think 3 seasons before they even knew there was a problem, & it was a newspaper, not them, that figured it out. 

 

Besides, one of the challenges was to make a viral video. Kermit & Medusa should be thrilled.

[cooksdelight]

Naked Lenny with PayDay bars strapped to his body should have been a clue for people to start looking a little closer at the guy, right?

[mlp]

 

Anyway, I am even more creeped out about this guy than I already was after finding out this new stuff.

 

All I can say is that your intuition was right all along.  Geeesh.

 

 

Besides, one of the challenges was to make a viral video. Kermit & Medusa should be thrilled.

 

LOL!

[Day2Day]

  cooksdelight,  you're absolutely right.

[Totale]

You have to remember, this is the same network that hired Robert Irvine without checking to see if what he had on his resume had anything to do with the truth. He did Dinner Impossible for I think 3 seasons before they even knew there was a problem, & it was a newspaper, not them, that figured it out. 

 

And i didn't see that season, but wasn't somebody kicked out halfway through an earlier season of this show, too?  The Hell with being the Next Food Network Star, there'a an open spot in the Chelsea Market building for the Next Researcher With Minimal Google-Fu just waiting for somebody to grab it.

[GaT]

And i didn't see that season, but wasn't somebody kicked out halfway through an earlier season of this show, too?  The Hell with being the Next Food Network Star, there'a an open spot in the Chelsea Market building for the Next Researcher With Minimal Google-Fu just waiting for somebody to grab it.

Yes & no. It was season 3, & Jag Garcia was the contestant. He didn't get kicked off though, he "withdrew" when a military newspaper ran a story about him lying about his background & he realized he was caught. FN didn't know a thing about it until the story came out, so once again, they didn't do their research. That was the season that Amy Finley came back (because of Jag leaving) & went on to win. I didn't think she should have won, & after one season, "she decided" (her husband didn't want her to work) she didn't want to be on TV, so she walked away.

[Aquarius]

Naked Lenny with PayDay bars strapped to his body should have been a clue for people to start looking a little closer at the guy, right?

 

I looked AWAY!  As I think most of us did, LOL.

 

At the rate the Food Network is going that brisket video may well have been Lenny's submission video for FNS.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Aquarius

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

Does it really matter? The "show" they get is fairly pointless. Justin only got one ep and other than Guy and Sandwich Boy, the other "stars" have fizzled out. 

[SusannahTaylor3]

Does it really matter? The "show" they get is fairly pointless. Justin only got one ep and other than Guy and Sandwich Boy, the other "stars" have fizzled out.

Agreed. None of them really are star quality. Whoever gets the win will fulfill their contract and fade into the sunset so to speak. I doubt Damaris will last past her contract. Guy and Sammich King are their success stories. Justin got one show because he thought he could tell the powers that be what he should do for a show. Now he does guest appearances as a judge on a competition show and some blog articles and features. I think this show is past it's prime.

[cooksdelight]

Damaris has had two seasons of her show already. She's sailing along so far, so good.

I don't think these outfits did any of them any favors. 

 

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/galvestondailynews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/88/d8892cb6-1763-11e4-9faa-001a4bcf6878/53d82a49db307.image.jpg

[Day2Day]

   OMG!!!

[Bella]

 

I don't think these outfits did any of them any favors. 

 

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/galvestondailynews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/88/d8892cb6-1763-11e4-9faa-001a4bcf6878/53d82a49db307.image.jpg

 

Who is dressing them? I refuse to believe that they all three have such horrid taste!

[SusannahTaylor3]

Damaris has had two seasons of her show already. She's sailing along so far, so good.

I don't think these outfits did any of them any favors. 

 

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/galvestondailynews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/88/d8892cb6-1763-11e4-9faa-001a4bcf6878/53d82a49db307.image.jpg

I have watched her show once and it was so boring to me that I changed the channel. Aaron McCargo had a couple of seasons under his belt and I haven't seen him on any shows in a long time so who's to say Damaris will last either. Every time I turn FN on its usually a competition show or Triple D or one of those types of shows.

I agree about the clothes the three girls wore. None of them were flattering to any of them.

Cute kitten by the way.

[LazyToaster]

I'm sorry, I just hate grown women wearing bows in their hair.

[mlp]

 

I don't think these outfits did any of them any favors.

 

Egad.  Even Nicole looks frumpy in that outfit and she's actually quite pretty unlike the other two.  Do we know if contestants bring their own clothes or if they're dressed by wardrobe?

[Surrealist]

Sleuth that I am, I have found even more dirt on this guy.  I won't post the sources here but suffice it to say he is a long time poster at the Ronfez.com chat board (going under the moniker "Chuckwagon", although he is also known by his real first name, Lenny).  Ron & Fez are two radio show hosts originally out of Florida (and we know Lenny was in Florida for a time).  In a current thread on the Ronfez chat board, I saw some of Lenny's friends rooting for him (AKA "Chuckwagon") to win Food Network Star.  The infamous YouTube video I posted was also mentioned.  It turns out that "Hottub" (who Lenny refers to in that video along with his profanity) is the screen name of someone who also posts on the Ronfez chat board, and that guy even mentioned in the thread how the video mentions him, so we know this is the same guy we're talking about, and they they are all online friends.  Interesting that these friends don't seem to see anything wrong with what others see as Lenny's profanity and creepiness (which in my opinion probably says something about them).

 

I also found another YouTube video of a broadcast of the Ron and Fez show from back in 2009, where it is mentioned (I think by Ron) that Lenny "Chuckwagon" was getting Fez down in the dumps because he kept "stalking him" and probably creeping him out big time.  I don't know what specific behavior this was referring to, but whatever it was was enough for Fez to get really depressed about.  It turns out that some time before this Lenny insisted on meeting Fez at some public appearance somewhere, which happened at least as long ago as 2009 or before, and the so called stalking behavior happened after that.  The recording of the radio show was posted in April of 2014 despite it having aired in 2009, so it was before Food Network Star started airing and it included a recent photo of our Lenny in his cowboy attire, so it's definitely him they're referring to.  Later on in the show it was mentioned that Lenny explained his behavior with Fez was just a "routine", meaning that the supposed stalking behavior was just a joke, although it didn't seem that Fez was was aware that it was one when it was happening nor was he taking it as one.  They also mention Lenny's good looking girlfriend or wife (I don't remember which).  It gets even stranger when someone calls into the show claiming to be Chuckwagon only to be reprimanded for making Fez depressed, but later on in a subsequent show they mentioned that the real Chuckwagon said it wasn't him that called in but an impostor!   I don't know, it sure sounded like Lenny to me!  I won't post the link here but if you do find it and play it, keep in mind that it has some STRONG LANGUAGE, so don't play it in a public area or somewhere where you don't want such language to be overheard!

 

Anyway, I am even more creeped out about this guy than I already was after finding out this new stuff.

 

Now everything makes more sense to me.

 

Initially I found Lenny amusing, even though I got the vibe he was probably pervy underneath the facade.

[RealityGal]

Naked Lenny with PayDay bars strapped to his body should have been a clue for people to start looking a little closer at the guy, right?

The crazy eyes!

[Intuition]

I'm thinking Lenny has to be going home this week.  I can't believe FN would not have known about those things beforehand and only hired him to be this year's clown.  But you never know with them....

[cooksdelight]

This is going to sound weird, but I had a dream last night about a place I used to work, and Alton came in. I reminded him of when we'd met earlier and then we started talking about the final four. I asked him if he'd seen Lenny on YouTube and he nodded and started laughing, thinking the videos were funny.

It probably means nothing at all, but then again they say dreams are sometimes a foreshadowing.

[Uncle Benzene]

See, I think after having seen Lenny's video(s) I've decided that I hope he actually wins this thing. If only because the ensuing meta soap opera would be orders of magnitude more entertaining than whatever show would come from the winner.

 

I'm hoping that FN really didn't know, that they didn't properly vet the contestant (again) and a "scandal" (in a manner of speaking) erupts.

 

Do they try to sweep it under the rug and hope nobody really cares all that much, and give him a show anyway? Or do they try to get out of it and not give him a show? Does the existence of the videos constitute some sort of breach of contract on Lenny's part via some sort of "public image clause" or something along those lines? Does Lenny sue them for not coming through with the promised winnings? Do they buy him off? Etc. etc. etc.

 

I guess I must be a horrible person, but that would be the far more interesting outcome for me. Hell, the Pauler Situation was the most interesting thing to have happened at FN in a long, long time. A Lenny Situation wouldn't be anywhere near as big, of course, but it would make for some goooooood internet reading until it's resolved. I suspect it would generate far more, and far more interesting, media than six half-hour episodes of a crappy tee vee show (regardless of who wins.)

 

Hell, I'll go ahead and get greedy. I want both. I want him to win and for FN to end up having to give him the show despite their efforts to get out of it, and for there to be a scandal behind it. It's about the only thing that would compel me to actually DVR the show, that's for sure. Watching it through that lens, with the knowledge that all that behind-the-scenes craziness was present while the show was being produced, could be fun. Awkward!

[cooksdelight]

I'm on the bus with you, Uncle Benzene, because I can't see anything come from any of these four being something I'd want to watch. But if Lenny got a show, and the video stuff was public knowledge on a large scale, everyone would be tuning in to see what he'd say to his food. LOL, maybe that's why Alton was gleefully laughing in my dream.

[Day2Day]

Are the FN execs scratching their collective heads and wondering... "Bad Publicity Better Than No Publicity"???? 

[Bella]

Do they even know about this?

 

Seriously, we figured it out, but they seem so clueless, I'll bet they don't even have a summer intern monitoring web forums.

[Day2Day]

Good question, Bella.   Heads buried in the sand... er, I mean oven !!!!

[Totale]

I guess I must be a horrible person, but that would be the far more interesting outcome for me. Hell, the Pauler Situation was the most interesting thing to have happened at FN in a long, long time. A Lenny Situation wouldn't be anywhere near as big, of course, but it would make for some goooooood internet reading until it's resolved. I suspect it would generate far more, and far more interesting, media than six half-hour episodes of a crappy tee vee show (regardless of who wins.)

 

I'm pretty sure that no matter what happens you won't be reading about any of it.  Between NDAs and Lenny undoubtedly having signed away all rights to his existence as a prerequisite to being on this show, if he breathes a word they'll whip him like a dogie, take away his belt buckle and napkin ring, and send him back to the corral with his tail between his legs.

[Uncle Benzene]

I'm pretty sure that no matter what happens you won't be reading about any of it.

 

You're familiar with the internet, right? Heh. ;)

 

If they don't give him a show, we'll definitely be reading all about it. Hell, if there's the slightest delay or any other hint of wonkiness in the air, even before the show would ordinarily be expected to be broadcast, volumes will be written about it. Justin Warner is living proof of that. If Lenny were to sue, that's public record, and it'd be sniffed out for sure. And don't even get me started on various leaks, rumors, anonymous tips from friends of friends, and on and on like that. It's no longer possible to keep a lid on stuff like this in 2014.

[cooksdelight]

I don't think Lenny can sue FN if he wins. Or if he loses. They all sign a huge contract just to appear on the show. All "reality" show people have to sign their life away, guarantee not to sue, not to slander, etc. That girl, Stacey, from Survivor put the kibash on anyone getting to sue when she accused Mark Burnett of trying to fix the outcome. They settled out of court. Contracts for these shows are scary. People must really want to be on TV pretty bad to sign one.

[SusannahTaylor3]

My thoughts are that FN probably knows about the YouTube videos and it's either not a big deal to them or it is something that Lenny was able to explain to their satisfaction. If I'm not mistaken, didn't the videos happen a while ago? If so maybe FN just figured its something from his past and are moving forward from it. Just my opinion. Don't bash me too hard.  ;)

 

Also, just thinking..... hopefully FN has learned from past experiences (Robert Irvine, Jag) and most recently the Paula Deen situation and won't let it happen again.

Edited August 3, 2014 by SusannahTaylor3

[Rick Kitchen]

I'm thinking Lenny has to be going home this week.  I can't believe FN would not have known about those things beforehand and only hired him to be this year's clown.  But you never know with them....

 

All of these episodes were taped months ago, so all of this reveal may not have happened yet.  Of course, the final show is "live", so they may jigger the results so if Lenny is still there, he won't get a show.

[xaxat]

They did Jag's dismissal on the show. Was he exposed during taping, before the show aired?

 

Could FN possibly be so Machiavellian as to know about Lenny's videos, tape his dismissal, sit on the news and then covertly bring attention to the videos going into the episode airing his booting?

[Totale]

They did Jag's dismissal on the show. Was he exposed during taping, before the show aired?

 

Could FN possibly be so Machiavellian as to know about Lenny's videos, tape his dismissal, sit on the news and then covertly bring attention to the videos going into the episode airing his booting?

 

That's more credit than I would give them.

[Day2Day]

Anything for R A T I N G S !!

[backformore]

I've seen references to a former contestant name Jag.   I either missed that season or my memory is failing. Could someone give me the story? It might be more appropriate for the Alum thread.

[GaT]

I've seen references to a former contestant name Jag.   I either missed that season or my memory is failing. Could someone give me the story? It might be more appropriate for the Alum thread.

Scroll up to my post on 8/1. Click on his name to be taken to a link about him.

[SusannahTaylor3]

Why can't I warm up to Nicole ? There is something about her I just don't like. She's just not natural. I thought her demo was the worst out of the three. She actually had to have a hit of beer to loosen up. I think it's between Luca or Lenny and based on how Susie and Giada feel about Luca I'm thinking that he might win this. The only thing I'm confused about is why they would want a second Italian cook on the network.

[Brooklynista]

I saw Lenny's videos and I wasn't offended by them, but then I have a filthy mouth too so...

I mean he has a potty mouth, ok, and? He wasn't sniffing coke off a little boys ass or anything like that so I can forgive a little shit talking.

What I cannot get past is his gosh- gee willikers attitude. It bugs. That and the crazy eyes is what earns my dislike.

[SusannahTaylor3]

They're not going to dismiss Lenny. They would have done it by now if they were. I'm not saying he will win, but it's obvious that those YouTube videos were not a big deal.

[backformore]

Thanks, GaT, i don't know how I missed your explanation the first time (about Jag)

[Snarklepuss]

In my experience, men who use that word so casually aren't anywhere near the swell guys Lenny is making himself out to be in FNS.  I thought there was something a little slimy about him all along, but that video totally confirmed it for me.  I have to wonder if most of the rest of his fans and voters would also think the video is not a big deal.  I doubt he would win if that video were put side by side with his pilot video.  I think the voters would be more likely to see the real Lenny and call him a jerk.  This may not be on the level of the Paula Deen situation, but if I think she was dismissed by Food Network purely for her use of the "n" word, not that plus all the other accusations against her (although they were bad enough).

[Day2Day]

As much as Lenny plays the role of gracious *snort* cowboy, with all his "ma'ams" and hat tipping, I can't get over that he appeared to so casually use the "c" word on that video. Its not like he was in some bar, loaded, and sitting with his chuckwagon chums. He did it on a freakin' video where he knew he was being filmed!!  I couldn't stand Sarah, but I thought she was being steered toward the 3rd spot when they gave so much camera time to Lenny struggling to do his 30 second promo.  Nicole vs. Luca.... who cares?

[JTMacc99]

I think non-cowboy Lenny is a big fan of professional wrestling. His stupid youtube video sounds a lot like a couple guys doing their own cooking version of WWE trash talk.

 

I've been thinking this for a while, but then when he got all excited about Robert Irvine's over-sized arms I started to feel even more sure about it.  

 

Of all the things that make me interested in a person talking about food on TV, the most important one is an obvious enthusiasm for great food. My entire issue with Lenny right now is that it appears that he does love to cook, but he is clearly play acting the cowboy role. I don't know which words coming out his mouth are because he's really into the food, and which words coming out of his mouth are because he's really into acting out his chef version of the pro-wrestling style gourmet cowboy persona.

Edited August 4, 2014 by JTMacc99

[xaxat]

I think non-cowboy Lenny is a big fan of professional wrestling. His stupid youtube video sounds a lot like a couple guys doing their own cooking version of WWE trash talk.

 

That's exactly what I thought. Even down to the crazy eyes.

 

I would not be surprised at all if that was filmed during an afternoon "pre-game" before a PPV event.

[RealityGal]

I'm pretty sure that no matter what happens you won't be reading about any of it.  Between NDAs and Lenny undoubtedly having signed away all rights to his existence as a prerequisite to being on this show, if he breathes a word they'll whip him like a dogie, take away his belt buckle and napkin ring, and send him back to the corral with his tail between his legs.

 

Thats not a very rootin' tootin' way to treat a trusty cowpoke!

That's exactly what I thought. Even down to the crazy eyes.

 

I would not be surprised at all if that was filmed during an afternoon "pre-game" before a PPV event.

Yes, the crazy eyes.  But I think what tipped it for me was the sexy talk he was giving to that corn in the pot.  He sexed up that corn for sure, I know I felt uncomfortable watching him trying to seduce that corn.

Why can't I warm up to Nicole ? There is something about her I just don't like. She's just not natural. I thought her demo was the worst out of the three. She actually had to have a hit of beer to loosen up. I think it's between Luca or Lenny and based on how Susie and Giada feel about Luca I'm thinking that he might win this. The only thing I'm confused about is why they would want a second Italian cook on the network.

You know, there has been much talk of the beer, and if she only took a few sips or if she was drinking a lot.  I think it could have definately been editing, but it seemed like she had a beer in her hand taking a swig in a lot of the shots.  She wasn't even really tasting her food with her "friends" came over, she was still with the beer.  It was like anytime she could take a swig, she was a swigging.  

 

But sadly I feel the same way about Nicole, I don't even know what it is about her.  But I know I'm not FN's target demographic, so the people who are may feel all the warmth she is trying to put out there.