S12.E07: Tiki Takeover

[RHJunkie]

I really don't understand how Ana keeps getting saved each week. Her food may be good but as Giada pointed out, if you're as dull as a brick, no one is going to tune in and therefore will never actually eat that food. My problem with Bobby's justification for keeping Ana is that the setting of the show is not a recreation of how they would handle their own show. They wouldn't be forced to work with ingredients they don't want to work with or themes they don't want to work with and they wouldn't be limited to conceptualize last minute dishes and have to prepare them in 60 minutes. I get that this is part of the challenge of the show but when one contestant can hit out of the park with in presentation and cooking but is inconsistent, that to me suggests they they are further ahead than someone who can't present to save their lives. There is very minimal improvement on Ana's part and she's getting the nod to move forward. Makes zero sense. 

Can I have Yaku back? 

[Mabinogia]

This just makes Bobby look bad. Really, I question his judgement, and his taste in women because he's clearly got a hard on for Ana, there is no other explanation I can think of. His BS about her being the best cook. She may be the best cook, but the only reason we know that is because Bobby keeps saying it over and over. Not because Ana has done anything to sell me on her cooking. If I were just watching her cooking show, I would never know how good her food tastes because I wouldn't make it to the end. I'd probably get bored and either change channels or start doing something else. And I can't imagine her giving these live demos which they claim are sooo very important to the network now. Again, I see more people either just getting up and walking away or playing on their cell phones until it's over.

Bobby should just payroll her cookbook and get her off TV. It is not the place for her.

[LittleIggy]

When I saw Lorraine and Giada together on the screen, I thought I had turned on Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

[MerBearHou]

Hahahaha good one, LittleIggy!

You could tell the others were just disgusted when Joy came in and said she was going home instead of Ana.  Tregaye seemed to be angry and in disbelief (I felt the same, Tregaye).  

Edited July 4, 2016 by MerBearHou

[cattykit]

Quote

For the love of god, I don't even think I've seen that many teeth in my OWN mouth, let alone on someone on TV. 

I counted 26 teeth in that picture.  I've had my wisdom teeth and a couple of molars removed, so I have 26 teeth in my entire mouth.  At my biggest smile I can only peel back to a biscuspid.

So how did they break the tie?  LBH made a comment about needing a tiebreaker but since there were only two judges, how did they decide?  And oddly enough, I agreed with her this time.  The best food in the world doesn't matter if no one will watch you make it. 

[Snarklepuss]

1 hour ago, cattykit said:

I counted 26 teeth in that picture.  I've had my wisdom teeth and a couple of molars removed, so I have 26 teeth in my entire mouth.  At my biggest smile I can only peel back to a biscuspid.

I know, me too!  How freaking big does a person's mouth have to be to see almost all of their teeth at once?  And Giada's not a big person, either nor are her teeth exceptionally tiny!

1 hour ago, cattykit said:

So how did they break the tie?  LBH made a comment about needing a tiebreaker but since there were only two judges, how did they decide?  And oddly enough, I agreed with her this time.  The best food in the world doesn't matter if no one will watch you make it. 

Don't they have a clause somewhere that says that the producers settle any voting ties?  That's what I thought I heard.  It looks like Bobby is not the only one with a hard on for Ana.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Snarklepuss]

You know I was just thinking - What was the purpose of having an audience there for the Tiki Bar presentation at all if their reaction isn't being factored into the final decision?  What happened to the "dials of doom"?  Why bother having a presentation to a live audience at all then?  I think this episode probably had to be re-written to make Bobby's position and the final decision to keep Ana look more plausible because you just know those dials would have been way down for her.

[Kerri Okie]

I didn't care too much which one went home because neither of them was going to win, anyway.  Joy this week and Ana next week or vice versa, makes no difference in the end.  Regardless, I'd watch Ana's or Joy's show over Tregaye's any day of the week.  That woman has been on my last nerve since week 1, but I fear she'll win because she's got "Personality!!!!"  What I don't like is how mean they were to Ana, as if it were her fault the judges keep saving her.  Perhaps Ana's not likable, but it says a lot about the other contestants' character the way they were acting--and on camera, no less.  Also I've never understood why the food needs to taste so great.  Obviously you don't want it to be horrible, but they're on TV; all it needs is to look good and for the host(s) to be able to sell it, since nobody's going to be able to taste it anyway.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

26 minutes ago, Kerri Okie said:

 Also I've never understood why the food needs to taste so great.  Obviously you don't want it to be horrible, but they're on TV; all it needs is to look good and for the host(s) to be able to sell it, since nobody's going to be able to taste it anyway.

Also on most shows they seem to claim everything they eat is the single most fantastic food every cooked.

 

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

Don't they have a clause somewhere that says that the producers settle any voting ties?  That's what I thought I heard.  It looks like Bobby is not the only one with a hard on for Ana.

I think the disclaimer usually says the producers have input...so they can keep around crazy or drama.  I think like Tom on Top Chef, Bobby gets his way....I honestlly don't think Bobby has a thing for Ana, I think he's sick of personality winning over the food...and he loves Ana's food.  I remember on Bobby's first show thinking he was a total D!@#....

 

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I know, me too!  How freaking big does a person's mouth have to be to see almost all of their teeth at once?  And Giada's not a big person, either nor are her teeth exceptionally tiny!

I think Giada suffers from resting b!%@# face and must have been told to smile in her early days....or she doesn't know the difference between smiling and checking your teeth after eating spinach.

[bluepiano]

10 hours ago, Marmiarmo said:

 Jernard mentions his nine kids like they're proof of something great...what, that he can produce sperm?  Not relevant to the competition.  

Yeah, his bragging about his nine kids doesn't seem to be how much he loves them or enjoys being a family man. It's all about what a stud he is. Like his story about the biscuits his wife made for him, and how he knew he wanted to make babies with her and then couldn't stop. It's not what I want to hear on a food show, and his whole attitude seems very pre-women's lib sexist. Real men "make babies." And presumably real women are there to crank out the babies.

Maybe they're pushing Tregaye as a back-up if needed for Sunny Anderson. But while Sunny isn't my cup of tea, I think that's her real personality, whereas there seems something phony about Tregaye. Plus, Sunny Anderson has a positive, upbeat personality, while Tregaye is all about snarking on her fellow contestants. But the producers see that as part of her "sassy black woman" personality. As opposed to someone like Penny Davidi, who was generally perceived as a bitch.

Reality show producers sure love that sassy, in-your-face black woman stereotype. There's a woman on the current season of Master Chef who's also in that vein. She looks like she's going to be a producer favorite. And last week they cut a quiet, reserved, dignified black woman. I'm sure it's because the producers saw her as dull.

[Crucial]

3 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I watched Joy and Ana's demo. again this morning and it was clear to me that Ana was the problem there.  She was the one "arguing" - Joy was just trying to get things back on the track of describing the dessert, which would not have been approached if not for her trying to interject it, but Ana wouldn't have it.  I agree with Giada - I can't believe that Bobby thinks Joy has been inconsistent with regard to presentation.  She has always NAILED it if you ask me.  Meanwhile Ana was unbelievably bad.  Her lack of ability in front of a camera more than cancels out her cooking ability.  It looks like some of the others agree, like Damiano that Joy should not have been the one to go home.  Bobby must be seriously into Ana and unable to be objective if you ask me.  When he's not thinking with his "little head" even Bobby knows it's not all about the food on this show.  Sure, he approved of Dom on his food, but I'm sure he knew that even Dom had a better personality than Ana.  Just about anyone from this season and last has a better personality than Ana.

I totally agree with you Snarklepuss.   Ana took time away stumbling in the intro and threw the whole thing off.  Joy took the time to bring things in but somehow Ana (yeah Bobby you) wasn't to blame. I think this is the reason why Anne wasn't at judging.  She would have sent Ana home.  Robert was at judging last time and you don't use Anne?  I will say it all day long.  Bobby is hot for Ana and wanted to say her. He defended her with Lorraine over her lack of personality that was so far off and odd it wasn't funny.  Sure defend the food but you are going to say that lump of nothing on camera is like other personalities on tv is just stupid.

I get a person who can cook but if someone is bad - really bad at time management, can't get along with others how can they stay on?  Ana has shown 3 times ( you really can't blame everyone else but her now it's 3...THREE times) she doesn't work well with others.  She cannot do live tv.  Haven't they said this is such an important part of the job?  There isn't a hint of likability for Ana at all.  She stumbles on her takes.  This is an honest question but wouldn't it take a lot of time with her having to do retakes (I believe she is that bad where it would be a lot) and money?  I can't believe her food is that good to warrant her staying over lack of personality, and over all bad job on screen.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Crucial

[cooksdelight]

Word to Bobby..... go ahead and fuck Ana, get it over and done with so she can leave and put us all out of our misery. Geez......

[LittleIggy]

I remember Giada absolutely drooling over Dom last season. If Bobby has a thing for Ana, he is much more reserved.

[cattykit]

38 minutes ago, SingleMaltBlonde said:

Also on most shows they seem to claim everything they eat is the single most fantastic food every cooked.

See, now I think that would be a great idea for a show--What Went Wrong?--where they start with someone making a terrible taste-face because they fucked up a recipe, and then showing how to fix it.

It's pretty sad when a show that is supposed to produce a "star" can only generate degrees of relative dislike for its participants.  Whom do we hate the least?  You'd think that after BF and LBH picked asshole Lenny that TPTB would have realized they don't know shit about choosing stars.

[Mabinogia]

Just now, cattykit said:

See, now I think that would be a great idea for a show--What Went Wrong?--where they start with someone making a terrible taste-face because they fucked up a recipe, and then showing how to fix it.

That, I would watch. It sounds kind of fun, and useful.

[Sew Sumi]

Apparently, FN watched footage they had of Erin, Daminano and whoever else on this cast that appeared on other shows. Ana had footage from her time on RHOM. She was sour, trying to delay divorcing her husband, who (IIRC) was a serial cheater. Cooking was her therapy, but on those types of shows, you don't show people cooking much when there's drama to be had. Did she even make it to the second season? It's been so long that I can't even remember. 

If she's a recent divorcee, she married again, since I think I recall her signing off on divorce papers on the show, and her being pretty incolsolable; even her two daughters couldn't help her. She's frikkin' Eeyore. Who wants that hosting ANY kind of cooking show, or ANY show for that matter? 

Agree that Tregaye is a Sunny wannabe. One is bad enough, but at this point, this thing is hers to lose. Ugh. 

[lh25]

I sooo disagree with Bobby on the food being more important.  I've seen lots of Food Network shows, I have never once eaten anything anyone on them has cooked.  Don't think I ever will have a chance to.  I would not watch a show hosted by Ana.  Like someone else said, she has 2 speeds, almost sullen and then too risque.  

Tregaye needs to rethink her wardrobe.  Those jeans she was wearing while "queen of the hill" did her no favors.  Well, neither did her actions.  She needs to get that she's not 12 anymore.

Daminano needs to get over himself.  Does he realize everyone else has the same challenge, and he wasn't the only one who had to use frozen foods?  It didn't sound like it.  

Did you all know that Jernard has 9 kids?  Not sure he's mentioned it...

(Sorry, I know some of this is repeating what other posters said, but I had to get it off my chest!)

[HappyDancex2]

I don't Bobby actually wants to do Ana...I think on this show he is just more lenient of her type while judging.  Bobby seems to have a pretty narrow type of women that he dates and they are all very all American very very very blonde actress types.  Given his modest celebrity he has access to a much bigger pool of ladies to choose from rather than even blink towards Ana...not to mention...younger.

When Ana went kinda The Shining on us there at the end with her daggery soliloquy I couldn't help but think she would have been better served by going with humility.  I feel sorry for her but then when she speaks like that I don't feel the least bit sorry for her.  Just because they want you to play a role, doesn't mean you have to.

[Amarsir]

11 hours ago, TDT said:

..or her own show on Cooking Channel..probably may also give Tregaye a "runner-up" show on CC if she doesnt win

Ooh! What if FN just wants to set the winner up with their own YouTube channel? That's why they acted like Good Mythical Morning and Drunk Kitchen are a big deal. And they brought Rosanna Pansino onto the Cooking Channel so they can legitimately claim it's part of their promotional path...

[Irlandesa]

Ugh. I could see them trying to keep Damiano.  But would they really want to work with someone who clearly has shown he has zero fucks to give?  "Do something with camping? I'm going to make gnocchi...etc. " And he was the one last night who said that "showing cooking is boring" and that led them to that disasterous Tiki Party nonsense. One thing that connects the Next Food Network Stars that have continued on the channel is a willingness to fill whatever job opening the network has available.  Early on, it was cooking shows.  Then it became more travel focused.  Then we moved into competition territory. 

If they want more Italian, they can just send Giada back to Italy...unless she wants to travel as a duo and thinks Damiano is the perfect person to do that.

6 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

I really don't understand how Ana keeps getting saved each week. Her food may be good but as Giada pointed out, if you're as dull as a brick, no one is going to tune in and therefore will never actually eat that food. My problem with Bobby's justification for keeping Ana is that the setting of the show is not a recreation of how they would handle their own show. They wouldn't be forced to work with ingredients they don't want to work with or themes they don't want to work with and they wouldn't be limited to conceptualize last minute dishes and have to prepare them in 60 minutes.

I agree with lh25 on how important/unimportant food is.  I will occasionally make a meal I see on a TV show but it's pretty rare.  The host has to make me want to try it.  And only if I like all the ingredients and it looks easy do I even think of trying.  But it's unlikely they'll even do a cooking show.

All that is to say that yeah, I don't agree with Bobby's food over presentation skills mantra.  If it was all about the food, what is the point of even doing these group challenges?  What is the point of randomly throwing people together?  I would have to think it's to see how people handle some unpredictability. I think the only one who was "successful" at that part of the challenge was Erin.  She wanted to prepare.  Jenard did not.  So they went in blind.  Erin, faced with the challenge of not having control of how she wanted that segment to go was nervous at first but figured it out.

Ana didn't want to prepare and then she sabotaged Joy's efforts to regain control.  They've cut better chefs than her for being boring.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Apparently, FN watched footage they had of Erin, Daminano and whoever else on this cast that appeared on other shows. Ana had footage from her time on RHOM. She was sour, trying to delay divorcing her husband, who (IIRC) was a serial cheater. Cooking was her therapy, but on those types of shows, you don't show people cooking much when there's drama to be had. Did she even make it to the second season? It's been so long that I can't even remember. 

She was a friend the first season, a housewife the second, and demoted to a friend on the third.

She hasn't remarried so she was lying/stretching the meaning of the word recent.

[Sew Sumi]

Thanks. That's how much attention I paid to that iteration of the Ho's. I just remember her drama over the divorce. This 45 year old woman was literally leaning on her teenage daughters (albeit late teens, I think one was in college at the time) to get her through. I still have no idea why they cast her in the first place. At least Yolanda had a spectacular life, mansion, and connections her first season or two. 

Ana still brings nothing to the table (see what I did there?). If they're doing more competition shows, they have to cast based on personality. If they can rein in Sassy Black Girl's vocabulary a bit, she is, unfortunately, what they are probably looking for. Just enough food authority. They're not going to cast another African American male, so the Love Chef is out. You can't understand Damiano half of the time. What's left? Erin? She also has a big personality. But does she have enough authority on the savory side to be considered a legit contender? If so, I guess this thing is between her and Tregaye. 

Bleh. 

[Rhondinella]

19 hours ago, GaT said:

What is Bobby saving Ana for? He must have a reason, does he have the hots for her? She's in the bottom every week, even if she isn't the worst any given week, she's been in the bottom every week, enough already.

I'm gonna say it.  It's more than "the hots" at this point.  They've gotta be boning, right?  It's just inconceivable otherwise.  He'd never put up with such horrible presentation skills from any other person for this long. And Joy has been on the top before for her presentations.  Food alone isn't going to do it, as this show constantly preaches.

I will say it's an interesting change from the usual storyline of Giada lusting after/bedding the hot Italian/foreign guy of the season. I somehow don't think that's happening with Damiano or he wouldn't be so darn mad all the time.

There's not a single one of these people I'd watch. It was terrible casting this year.  From the beginning no one has stood out to me in a good way.  The closest has been Jenard I guess, but even his schtick is wearing thin.  I like Erin's personality, but I don't know if I'd watch a whole show of just her. I maybe could have watched Joy's show, although does FN need another Southern chef?  And the others are either terrible or annoying or both.

At this point it's probably Jenard's to lose, unless they don't want to have two AA male winners in a row and Bobby somehow manages to ram Anna all the way through to the end. 

Edited July 5, 2016 by Rhondinella

[GaT]

9 minutes ago, Rhondinella said:

Bobby somehow manages to ram Anna all the way through to the end. 

[Snarklepuss]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I remember Giada absolutely drooling over Dom last season. If Bobby has a thing for Ana, he is much more reserved.

Bobby doesn't show it because he, like Ana has pretty much zero personality.  If he had ever been a contestant on this show he would have been sent home right away.  I think he particularly likes Ana because she reminds him of himself - Stiff, sullen, no affect, shows no zest for life, no real personal connection with the audience.  He's not even especially likable.  So I think his defending her is all about justifying his own existence on FN.  What he doesn't consider is that he got on FN in a totally different way, but to expect that to fly on this show is just plain stupid.  Plus as unlikable as he may be he's still light years more likable than Ana.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Rhondinella]

GaT--You're welcome!  I actually thought about the implication when I was typing it but just thought . . .eh, it works either way :-)

Snarklepuss--I agree with everything you just said above.  I've always thought Bobby was dull as dishwater. He'd definitely not survive more than a couple weeks if he competed on this show. And I like your analysis of the the psychology behind his actions.  Makes a lot of sense.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Rhondinella

[J-Man]

As everyone has noted over and over, Damiano has a very thick accent-- but he seems to speak and understand English very well. His vocabulary is impressive-- which makes me wonder if any of this is actually scripted. The mismatch between his accent and his command of the language seems quite striking to me.

[Rick Kitchen]

Damiano and his family have lived in the US for about eight years.

[Snarklepuss]

I'd say that a contestant's food is just as important as their personality, but personality is something a person is born with, not taught.  Some of these people have likable personalities but need some finesse in front of the camera.  Finesse can actually be taught, but if a person is as unlikable as Ana, she can learn all the finesse she wants but it's still not going to make people want to watch her.

Also, they say we eat with our eyes.  If someone is not a great cook the food will likely not look great either, so just not being able to taste the food isn't going to prevent a crappy dish from looking unappetizing.  A lot of people who watch these shows are home cooks and can spot a bad recipe, too.  I can usually tell if something is "off" about a recipe without tasting it.  So yes, I think the food is important.  It's just not so important that the show should keep saving someone who has an unlikable personality and is really, really BAD on TV.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[spiderpig]

I would like to thank all of you for providing the only quality exercise I get these days - running back to my computer to discover the latest can of whoopass you're opening on this season.

It's been the culinary equivalent of The Gong Show.

[bluepiano]

14 hours ago, stormy said:

Very uncomfortable in this episode with Erin baring her soul.

Why is this important?

"Bullying" is the new go-to story on reality TV when a contestant is looking for sympathy. I think it cheapens it as a real issue when it gets thrown in gratuitously like that. Plus, it's a term that can mean a whole range of different things. Was she systematically and brutally bullied to the point where it was psychologically debilitating? Or did the mean kids in school say some mean things to her? Which is something probably a majority of people have to deal with at some time.

Regarding the cooking chops vs. on-air personality debate, there has to be a balance. Because if you say that presentation and personality matter more than the food, then why not take that argument to its logical conclusion and just hire some professional actor/actress who's good on camera and have behind-the-scenes chef write their script? The way many TV newscasters are hired for their looks and personality and have no real journalism background.

The modern concept of food TV goes back to Julia Child and Graham Kerr and a few other notable chefs and/or cook book authors. To give it any legitimacy you have to at least preserve the illusion that food show hosts really know their stuff.

Edited July 5, 2016 by bluepiano

[RCharter]

On 7/3/2016 at 7:16 PM, txvoodoo said:

I'd be upset, but we know Ana won't win either. Right? Please say it ain't so.

Joy didn't do it for me personality-wise, because I think we're saturated with over the top southerness. But I'd totally eat her food, and I can't say that about Ana's. I lived in Miami for a while and hers just never looked as good as anything I ate down there. 

And Ana always looks depressed.

I wonder if there's something else going on with Erin and Jenard because he was uber passive-aggressive with her. I'd be more upset about it if I liked Erin. :) But smidgens and fluffy and enough! It's not like being a chubby chef is anything new.

Giada and Bobby are like a dish that's lacking salt. They're all saccharine and doughy. They actually need Alton.

My husband walked by as I was watching this moment (below), and said "How many teeth does that woman have? Is she some kind of alien?" :)

 

OMG, I don't think I've ever seen a still picture of her mid smile....that is frightening.  I seriously cannot look at it for too long. I wonder if she has extra teeth....it kinda looks like she does.

[RCharter]

6 hours ago, Rhondinella said:

I'm gonna say it.  It's more than "the hots" at this point.  They've gotta be boning, right?  It's just inconceivable otherwise.  He'd never put up with such horrible presentation skills from any other person for this long. And Joy has been on the top before for her presentations.  Food alone isn't going to do it, as this show constantly preaches.

I don't know, I've seen Bobby's ex-wife, and Ana looks a little too.....dried up to be his type.  Its not even an age thing, she just looks leathery.

She is....sort of a big deal for FNS, so I'm guessing part of her negotiation is that she gets to stay at least "x" many weeks before elimination.

She brings the drama and the villain, FNS keeps her on.

[Mabinogia]

6 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Some of these people have likable personalities but need some finesse in front of the camera.  Finesse can actually be taught, but if a person is as unlikable as Ana, she can learn all the finesse she wants but it's still not going to make people want to watch her.

This is so true, and it is easier to teach someone, like Tregaye, to take it down a few (hundred) notches than teach someone like Ana to become a living breathing person. She's just so...there. I think Tregaye is pushing harder than she would IRL so teaching her she doesn't need to go so overboard could be done. But I think Ana is what we see, so teaching her to be a totally different person probably won't work but if it did, she'd likely be even more miserable pretending to be what she is not all the time.

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, RCharter said:

I don't know, I've seen Bobby's ex-wife, and Ana looks a little too.....dried up to be his type.  Its not even an age thing, she just looks leathery.

She is....sort of a big deal for FNS, so I'm guessing part of her negotiation is that she gets to stay at least "x" many weeks before elimination.

She brings the drama and the villain, FNS keeps her on.

I agree with you about Ana, RCharter.  I shouldn't be so preoccupied with looks - but these people all want to be TV stars, so they're fair game.  I'm trying to think of a term to describe the non-appeal of Ana (other than her personality).  She just looks - busted.  Too much peroxide, too many hours on the tanning bed, combined with that pale lipstick which looks good on nobody over the age of 12..

Tregaye just bugs the hell out of me, but if she takes this thing FN is going to have to hire a stylist stat.

Erin - we don't care that you're not a runway model, but that cutesie hairbow has got to go.  I hate it, just like I hate that Rosie the Riviter retro bandanna look that pops up all the time on food shows.

Sigh.  We know the producers encourage this sort of crap just to call attention to their increasingly silly shows.  And it works.

[Snarklepuss]

2 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

I agree with you about Ana, RCharter.  I shouldn't be so preoccupied with looks - but these people all want to be TV stars, so they're fair game.  I'm trying to think of a term to describe the non-appeal of Ana (other than her personality).  She just looks - busted.  Too much peroxide, too many hours on the tanning bed, combined with that pale lipstick which looks good on nobody over the age of 12..

Ummm......Rode hard and put away wet?

[spiderpig]

Just now, Snarklepuss said:

Ummm......Rode hard and put away wet?

Funny you said that, Snark, because that was the first phrase that came to mind! I was just too chicken to use it.

[RHJunkie]

13 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Ugh. I could see them trying to keep Damiano.  But would they really want to work with someone who clearly has shown he has zero fucks to give?  "Do something with camping? I'm going to make gnocchi...etc. " And he was the one last night who said that "showing cooking is boring" and that led them to that disasterous Tiki Party nonsense. One thing that connects the Next Food Network Stars that have continued on the channel is a willingness to fill whatever job opening the network has available.  Early on, it was cooking shows.  Then it became more travel focused.  Then we moved into competition territory. 

If they want more Italian, they can just send Giada back to Italy...unless she wants to travel as a duo and thinks Damiano is the perfect person to do that.

I agree with lh25 on how important/unimportant food is.  I will occasionally make a meal I see on a TV show but it's pretty rare.  The host has to make me want to try it.  And only if I like all the ingredients and it looks easy do I even think of trying.  But it's unlikely they'll even do a cooking show.

All that is to say that yeah, I don't agree with Bobby's food over presentation skills mantra.  If it was all about the food, what is the point of even doing these group challenges?  What is the point of randomly throwing people together?  I would have to think it's to see how people handle some unpredictability. I think the only one who was "successful" at that part of the challenge was Erin.  She wanted to prepare.  Jenard did not.  So they went in blind.  Erin, faced with the challenge of not having control of how she wanted that segment to go was nervous at first but figured it out.

Ana didn't want to prepare and then she sabotaged Joy's efforts to regain control.  They've cut better chefs than her for being boring.

Ana conveniently took the intro so that she could piggy back off of Joy's presentation after she had done the work to get the crowd interested in their presentation. I mean, after all, it's not that hard to introduce yourself and your cooking partner and even then she couldn't get that right. Then she got offended when Joy was trying to reign her in. Ana sucks the joy out of any room the moment she opens her mouth. She doesn't work well with others, she constantly makes catty remarks and her presentation skills are so far behind everyone else that it's ridiculous. Yet she's so offended that others are surprised that she's still lasting in this competition...well because unlike Bobby Flay, the rest of the contestants realize how important it is to have personality when delivering a show and personality is the important half of the equation that Ana simply has shown none of.

[Totale]

7 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Regarding the cooking chops vs. on-air personality debate, there has to be a balance. Because if you say that presentation and personality matter more than the food, then why not take that argument to its logical conclusion and just hire some professional actor/actress who's good on camera and have behind-the-scenes chef write their script?

I think that's what they're trying for.  They have test kitchens full of non-telegenic food professionals to do the heavy lifting. Katie Lee aside, they just aren't very good at it.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Totale

[lh25]

Quote

Regarding the cooking chops vs. on-air personality debate, there has to be a balance. Because if you say that presentation and personality matter more than the food

I agree there needs to be some balance, and I'm not saying the food doesn't matter, but I would rate personality higher, where Bobby made it clear the food matters more.

If I don't get interested at the start of the show by the "Star's" personality, I'm not going to hang around long enough to find out if the food sounds/looks good.

[cooksdelight]

12 minutes ago, lh25 said:

I agree there needs to be some balance, and I'm not saying the food doesn't matter, but I would rate personality higher, where Bobby made it clear the food matters more.

If I don't get interested at the start of the show by the "Star's" personality, I'm not going to hang around long enough to find out if the food sounds/looks good.

Exactly. If the show or the host is boring, I'll change the channel. It's why I watched Martha Stewart years ago, I got interested in her various projects and food. Same with Caprial's Cafe (I REALLY miss that show). I became an Ina Garten fan due to her quiet way of cooking, and her recipes are great. I don't see any of these people catching my interest.  If FN has to pull in people who have already been on TV in order to cast the show, the show is done.

[Colagirl]

On 7/4/2016 at 0:04 AM, Albino said:

Must be budget cuts, because the Tiki party should have been at the beach.  And the NASCAR one should have been at a track.  It's pathetic to see all these people crowded into a soundstage.  

I have been thinking this all season - in past seasons the contestants had a lot of challenges away from the soundstage - food trucks, festivals, markets, etc.

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Regarding the cooking chops vs. on-air personality debate, there has to be a balance. Because if you say that presentation and personality matter more than the food, then why not take that argument to its logical conclusion and just hire some professional actor/actress who's good on camera and have behind-the-scenes chef write their script? The way many TV newscasters are hired for their looks and personality and have no real journalism background.

Trisha Yearwood, Valerie Bertinelli and Patricia Heaton are three of the most recent hosts of cooking shows on FN. While I'm sure they like to cook and have some recipes, I very much doubt that they've brought every recipe they use on the show to the table.  I think this is where the FN kitchens come in hand.

There absolutely does need a balance but so far Ana hasn't shown enough cooking skills to make up for her unease in front of the camera and somewhat offputting personality. (And  I'm not talking about being super hyper.  I love the calmer personalities on the network like Ina.  Heck, Dan and Steve are still my favorite winners of this show. )

Edited July 5, 2016 by Irlandesa

[backformore]

Bobby describes Ana as calm and relaxed, but I see something different.   There's no joy, no spark there.  And when she tries to fake being happy, it comes across very nervous, and then her attempts at humor are on the raunchy side.  She might be  nice person, I have no idea, I've never watched a Housewives show.  But she seems like a fragile woman who puts up this stony façade to cover up that she's depressed.

  I think that she is on the show in order to get the Real Housewives audience to watch.  And I think that's why she stays on. She's not being judged by the same criteria as other contestants, she's being treated with kid gloves because she's a "celebrity"  of sorts. (or at least some people have heard of her).  If she were anyone else, she would have been cut for lack or personality.   Maybe Food Network Star wants to be like Dancing With the Stars, in having cross-over contestants from other reality shows compete.  So that's why she'll last another 2 or 3 weeks, with Bobby praising her and laughing at her jokes. 

[backformore]

deleted

Edited July 5, 2016 by backformore
delete double post

[Madding crowd]

I think cooking decent food has to matter. Even if people are not copying actual recipes for the FN site, the host of cooking shows are often on talk shows demonstrating recipes are and at some point usually write a cookbook. If their food is awful, it would get around pretty quickly. Of course, they also need presentation skills-no one wants to watch a really boring chef.

I actually wondered if the presentations were scripted tonight. Damiano and Tregave looked ridiculous and I found it hard to believe neither one thought to talk about their actual food. Damiano does his own thing and Tregave is caught up in her fleekness, but I have have never seen her not mention her food. I also found it hard to believe Joy and Ana would argue like that while on live tv. I am surprised each week by who is going home. Joy seemed a bit forced to me, but I figured her for a finalist. I liked Jenard until tonight-he seemed really annoyed at having to work with Erin. i have had to work with people I dislike for years, he can't manage a few hours?

I hope Chef Yaku comes back, otherwise I have to root for Tregave. I can't stand sad sack Ana, and her makeup and eyelashes age her about 10 years. Damiano is a mystery to me. There are times I honestly think he is having difficulty understanding what the judges are saying or understanding the concepts of the challenges. Other times I think he is just being a jerk. I can't tell.

I agree that both Bobby and Giada are mostly devoid of personality. Neither of them project a joy of cooking like a Gordon Ramsey or even a Rachel Ray. 

[Snarklepuss]

21 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Yeah, his bragging about his nine kids doesn't seem to be how much he loves them or enjoys being a family man. It's all about what a stud he is. Like his story about the biscuits his wife made for him, and how he knew he wanted to make babies with her and then couldn't stop. It's not what I want to hear on a food show, and his whole attitude seems very pre-women's lib sexist. Real men "make babies." And presumably real women are there to crank out the babies.

Yeah, I keep half expecting Jernaud to break out into a resounding rendition of "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls", LOL.  RIP Isaac Hayes.

Note: may be NSFW.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Mabinogia]

The biggest problem, for me, with Ana's lack of personality is it doesn't come off as shy but more as her just not really wanting to be there. I feel like she was forced to be on this show somehow and is being held there against her will. She just looks so miserable and uncomfortable. I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch a miserable and uncomfortable host. Then again, maybe she's already been promised the win based on her reality "fame" and is just pissed that they are making her go through this 3 ring circus in order to get her show. I'm sure she sees all these other celebrities with shows (seems to be the new direction the network is going on) who didn't have to jump through these hoops and is pissed that she has to. That's how she comes across to me.

I think a lot of the over the top obnoxious behavior from others is because they are fighting for their chance, they want it, they are hungry for it. Ana is not. She's just there for...maybe she had no other offers to be on TV, maybe she was bored, but it sure doesn't seem like it was because she wants to fight to get her own show.

[Commando Cody]

Doing reality TV for a living is a thing. Reality TV people are cast. Ana was probably hired to do this show. I think Penny was cast for this show in her season. I don't think they expect these people to win, but if the viewing audience can get all whipped up about a character on a show maybe they won't get bored watching. Unfortunately, the producers keep some of these "plants" around for too many episodes. Maybe it's written into their contracts. 

[Wings]

I have warmed to Ana so I am glad she stayed. She is my favorite of those left.  I like her laid back style.  I prefer that to someone in my face with fake gaiety.  Joy going was good for me!  

Erin should have stood her ground with Gerard  on the glaze.  I don't like icing (too sweet) so that cake with a double glaze must have been terrible. 

Edited July 5, 2016 by wings707