Masterchef (US) - General Discussion

[Yeah No]

Ms. Donut and Ms. Alaska are my favorites from this episode with Ms. California close behind.  I told my husband she has "the map of California on her face".  And obviously, so does her food!  I liked how colorful all of them were this time and how good their food looked.  Too bad I felt that the Northeast's selections lacked.  Surely they could have found better home cooks from my area and not have to resort to including Maryland in the Northeast to do it.

I had literally just watched an episode of "Supermarket Stakeout" with Susan Feniger as judge when I turned on this episode and saw her again.  I always enjoy her appearances.  If anyone remembers, she was one of the "Two Hot Tamales" of the FN show of that name way back in the '90s.

[mlp]

I'm very glad they nixed the woman with the salmon tattoo on her inner lip.  Gross.  I was hoping they'd also get rid of the woman who lives in a bus who came to apply for a spot wearing a knit cap and a nose ring.  I'm too old for that.  :)

I'll be happy when next week is over.  I can't take much more screaming and orchestrated chaos.  

[preeya]

9 hours ago, mlp said:

I'll be happy when next week is over.  I can't take much more screaming and orchestrated chaos. 

↑ This 1000 times. ↑

[eel2178]

14 hours ago, mertensia said:

Elk meat bus woman could be interesting.

I hope we don't have to keep hearing about her living in the MOW-ins.

If she is really from Denver itself, then she doesn't live in the MOW-ins. Denver is in a valley that separates the Great Plains from the MOW-ins.

[AZChristian]

6 hours ago, eel2178 said:

I hope we don't have to keep hearing about her living in the MOW-ins.

If she is really from Denver itself, then she doesn't live in the MOW-ins. Denver is in a valley that separates the Great Plains from the MOW-ins.

At first, I wasn't following what you were saying, then it hit me that you are referring to her life in the "moun'ins."  No "t" in that word, according to  her.  

LOL.

[kirklandia]

46 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

At first, I wasn't following what you were saying, then it hit me that you are referring to her life in the "moun'ins."  No "t" in that word, according to  her.

Is that a known type of speech pattern?   Does it have a name?

I have noticed it before - most memorably in various episodes of What Not to Wear, in the way some "participants" pronounced Clinton Kelly's first name. 

[Msample]

Was there a sale on halibut at the Whole Foods down the street ?

 

Why is it the guys dress normal but half the women dress ( or are dressed by producers ) like they are going out clubbing ?

[AZChristian]

52 minutes ago, kirklandia said:

Is that a known type of speech pattern?   Does it have a name? 

From the internet:  The phenomenon itself is known as “T-glottalization.” It occurs when a speaker swallows the T sound in a word rather than speaking it aloud. We hear it when words like “kitten” and “water” are pronounced like “KIH-en” and “WAH-er.”

IMO, it is becoming more prevalent as young people try to emulate youtube and TikTok stars and others who are famous for little visible reason.

[jcbrown]

54 minutes ago, kirklandia said:

Is that a known type of speech pattern?   Does it have a name?

I have noticed it before - most memorably in various episodes of What Not to Wear, in the way some "participants" pronounced Clinton Kelly's first name. 

There is a name for it but I am blanking on it. I think what is happening is the speaker is replacing a consonant with a glottal stop.

1 minute ago, AZChristian said:

From the internet:  The phenomenon itself is known as “T-glottalization.” It occurs when a speaker swallows the T sound in a word rather than speaking it aloud. We hear it when words like “kitten” and “water” are pronounced like “KIH-en” and “WAH-er.”

IMO, it is becoming more prevalent as young people try to emulate youtube and TikTok stars and others who are famous for little visible reason.

Jinx! We posted at the same time and we agree, fortunately.

[Daff]

I’d agree with the above posts, if the mountain girl had her mouth open (to see that the airflow was truly cut off at the level of the vocal folds/glottis). T, is a “stop-plosive” sound. As such, it can explode (pop) or it can be imploded (stopped) by the tongue tip. If she were truly using a glottal stop to replace the t- she would sound like she came from London’s east end (Cockney dialect). There’s even a marker in phonetic transcription to indicate when a plosive (p, t, k) is stopped. Point being, did anyone think she was saying anything other than mountain? Not every unpopped consonant is a glottal stop. 

Consider: “backpack”-

Use a backpack to carry the water. Put your backpack on. In the first example, both k sounds are imploded because both are followed by another consonant sound (airflow stopped by the back of the tongue against the soft palate-not a glottal stop). The second example sees the final k exploded (popped) because it’s followed by the o in the word on.

Try to pop all the t sounds as you say the following sentence using a normal speaking rate: Patton ran up the mountain to get his kitten a bottle of water. You’ll end up sounding like a toddler! Better yet, say the sentence substituting a glottal stop for all the t sounds (hint: only put your tongue tip up for n and l sounds). 

Not preaching, this is fun-32 years worth. I chuckle out loud when the advertisement announcer rattles off the phone number that ends in 4-4-0. “Foi foi zewo.”

 

[eel2178]

15 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Is that a known type of speech pattern?   Does it have a name?

14 hours ago, AZChristian said:

From the internet:  The phenomenon itself is known as “T-glottalization.” It occurs when a speaker swallows the T sound in a word rather than speaking it aloud. We hear it when words like “kitten” and “water” are pronounced like “KIH-en” and “WAH-er.”

 

I just call it "lazy."

16 hours ago, AZChristian said:

At first, I wasn't following what you were saying, then it hit me that you are referring to her life in the "moun'ins."  No "t" in that word, according to  her.

She left out the first "n" too. 

[Daff]

2 hours ago, eel2178 said:

She left out the first "n" too. 

Enlarged adenoids would prevent any microphone from detecting/transmitting a nasal sound (n, m, ng) as there just wouldn’t be enough acoustic pressure; plus, she was excited and speaking quickly.
 

As for “lazy”, there’s a very broad spectrum for the fine motor abilities which are necessary for precise articulation of our intended meaning. It’s only a problem if the intended message cannot be understood. (I do have many funny stories from various regions of the US when it did hamper the meaning.) It’s not a regional dialect or colloquialism, it’s just her voice and rapid speech. Why would we want to pick apart a different speech pattern from what we’re accustomed to hearing, if we actually understand the meaning? None of this has anything to do with her cooking skills, so I’ll get off the soap box with this:

 In PA, there’s a road named after William Penn. If you’re using a free map app installed on your phone, the mechanical voice will tell you it’s “wil. ee um. pen. sill. vane. ee. yuh. turn. pike.” God, please, we won’t ALL ever end up sounding like this, (and poor Will, protesting from his grave), but…does that invalidate the content of what someone like Stephen Hawking has to say (not ever having articulated a speech sound of his own)? Does it diminish the messages conveyed by the Trisomy child? Does it take away from a young mother’s joy hearing her baby saying “mo” (more) when being fed? It’s like saying, “There’s something wrong with you-you’re wearing an outdated pattern-unacceptable!”

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

On 6/6/2023 at 9:23 AM, seacliffsal said:

I don't know his name, but he was the last one in who made pork and said that if they didn't give him an apron he doesn't know what they're looking for.  Anyway, in a shot, he used both hands to push back his hair over his ears and then showed him grating cheese with those same hands.  THAT'S why chefs wear hair nets or pull their hair back so they don't have to keep handling their hair!  I want him out right after giggly woman.  I really wanted the guy who made the chicken to be given the apron over him.  Oh well.

This is my biggest pet peeve. Or right before they start to cook the women pull their hair back and I never see them "wash up", they just start grabbing food and chop away. I also had a problem with the guy a couple of seasons ago who always wore a sleeveless shirt in the kitchen 

[Leeds]

On 6/7/2023 at 8:47 PM, mlp said:

I'm very glad they nixed the woman with the salmon tattoo on her inner lip.  Gross.  I was hoping they'd also get rid of the woman who lives in a bus who came to apply for a spot wearing a knit cap and a nose ring.  I'm too old for that.  :)

I'll be happy when next week is over.  I can't take much more screaming and orchestrated chaos.  

I didn't mind the bus woman, possibly because I've come to terms with my two (Pac NW born and bred) kids both having tattoos, nose rings, and multiple ear piercings, though thankfully no gauges.  The inner lip prison tattoo was hideous and stupid though - thankfully it's not on public display.

[DEL901]

10 hours ago, Leeds said:

I didn't mind the bus woman, possibly because I've come to terms with my two (Pac NW born and bred) kids both having tattoos, nose rings, and multiple ear piercings, though thankfully no gauges.  The inner lip prison tattoo was hideous and stupid though - thankfully it's not on public display.

…and will fade.   I can’t remember which reality show I learned this from…Botched maybe!
 

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, DEL901 said:

…and will fade.   I can’t remember which reality show I learned this from…Botched maybe!
 

I thought her "tattoo" looked like it had been written on with a sparkly marker pen.

[oliviabenson]

The motel owner can appear on the next season of hotel hell lol.

[potatoradio]

On 6/7/2023 at 7:58 PM, susannot said:

Joe is wrong in saying that people don't think about Hawaii in terms of food. 

That was an embarrassing level of ignorance on display, Joe. I still think about the fish I had at Roy's in Waikiki ten years ago. Mind blowing. Joe, I guess, isn't the type to spend ANY time outside, whether it's at a beach, camping or anything other than a walk from his restaurant to his limo. 

I think salmon mouth is a poster child for mercury poisoning. Something isn't right there. I like salmon, too, and really wanted her to shut up about it.

 

[mertensia]

Yeah, people always talk about food and Hawaii. Even if it's just shave ice, poi and a luau. I had a truly delicious macadamia nut pie on Kauai and discovered Kalua pork on Oahu.

Edited June 10, 2023 by mertensia

[Ciarrai]

Ms Donut is going to get real old real fast.

[preeya]

Once again, totally underwhelming.

Highlights: Joe B. being humble, Aron dancing, Gordan being a klutz with the BBQ guy's trophy ring.

No predictions as I can't recall any of the previous apron winners.  On to the real show.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I have to say, as a fellow Indian, I thought Purvi's "rendition" of bundt cakes was so, so, stupid. Better that she actually made an Indian dish--which can and is possible within 45 minutes. Where did she get that gulab jamun that she put on top of one of them? From a local Indian store in the frozen department? Because it takes much, much, much longer to make those!

Forget about the fusion nonsense and just try and make Indian dishes that you can..."elevate" to these judges' standards. It CAN be done and is possible.

[Tango64]

I'm always surprised when these wannabe chefs audition with something super simple. Even if they truly are good cooks, they go to  three renowned chefs and say, "Here's a steak and I made some mashed potatoes." That's supposed to impress? But apparently it does sometimes. If you can get Joe to confirm it's medium rare, that's all it takes to get on Masterchef.

And can we please be done with all the fake out reveals? The judges doing the no/but really yes thing, and the contestants walking out looking all saddy mcsad sad face and then whipping out the apron. Enough already. Not cute anymore.

[Daff]

I had tears when Gordon escorted “pawpaw” into the restaurant. The guest judge was charming and her critiques seemed more constructive than the others. I hope she makes another appearance during the season.

[oliviabenson]

Jessica the flamenco dancer is so cringe! Wow. 

[eel2178]

1 hour ago, Tango64 said:

I'm always surprised when these wannabe chefs audition with something super simple. Even if they truly are good cooks, they go to  three renowned chefs and say, "Here's a steak and I made some mashed potatoes." That's supposed to impress? But apparently it does sometimes. If you can get Joe to confirm it's medium rare, that's all it takes to get on Masterchef.

I'm under the impression that the producers have already decided who will be the yeses and nos based on their audition tapes, background checks, etc. before they even show up to cook anything. Prior to each presentation, the judges are told whether or not the person gets to stay, then have to come up with reasons to either like or not like the dish.

That's how some get away with something simple and some get to stay even if they screw things up (that's when they pull out the comments of "I think you have potential" or "I'd like to see what else you're capable of.")

[preeya]

On 6/15/2023 at 10:39 AM, eel2178 said:

 

deleted

Edited June 16, 2023 by preeya

[Lurk]

On 6/9/2023 at 2:58 PM, Daff said:

Enlarged adenoids would prevent any microphone from detecting/transmitting a nasal sound (n, m, ng) as there just wouldn’t be enough acoustic pressure; plus, she was excited and speaking quickly.
 

As for “lazy”, there’s a very broad spectrum for the fine motor abilities which are necessary for precise articulation of our intended meaning. It’s only a problem if the intended message cannot be understood. (I do have many funny stories from various regions of the US when it did hamper the meaning.) It’s not a regional dialect or colloquialism, it’s just her voice and rapid speech. Why would we want to pick apart a different speech pattern from what we’re accustomed to hearing, if we actually understand the meaning? None of this has anything to do with her cooking skills, so I’ll get off the soap box with this:

 In PA, there’s a road named after William Penn. If you’re using a free map app installed on your phone, the mechanical voice will tell you it’s “wil. ee um. pen. sill. vane. ee. yuh. turn. pike.” God, please, we won’t ALL ever end up sounding like this, (and poor Will, protesting from his grave), but…does that invalidate the content of what someone like Stephen Hawking has to say (not ever having articulated a speech sound of his own)? Does it diminish the messages conveyed by the Trisomy child? Does it take away from a young mother’s joy hearing her baby saying “mo” (more) when being fed? It’s like saying, “There’s something wrong with you-you’re wearing an outdated pattern-unacceptable!”

I didn't quote everyone who provided this oh so impornant* information.

 

*another pronunciation peeve of mine

[seacliffsal]

We all know this is Gordon's show, the contestants all know this is Gordon's show, and the judges all know this is Gordon's show.  However, I was surprised that it was so blatant when Gordon went and got PawPaw, asked him whether his grandson deserved an apron and when he responded 'yes' Gordon said 'and we all agree.'  Yet, none of the other judges said anything...

[El maestro]

11 hours ago, Tango64 said:

I'm always surprised when these wannabe chefs audition with something super simple. Even if they truly are good cooks, they go to  three renowned chefs and say, "Here's a steak and I made some mashed potatoes." That's supposed to impress? But apparently it does sometimes. If you can get Joe to confirm it's medium rare, that's all it takes to get on Masterchef.

And can we please be done with all the fake out reveals? The judges doing the no/but really yes thing, and the contestants walking out looking all saddy mcsad sad face and then whipping out the apron. Enough already. Not cute anymore.

I doubt the judges decide anything.

 

I was watching Masterchef in Spain and producers decide everything. This year they even had a Tik Tok guy who couldn’t even cook anything simple.

 

 

I am not impressed by most of the contestants, I hope they improve later.

Edited June 16, 2023 by El maestro

[Madding crowd]

I thought Gordon was a little rude telling the one woman “we don’t need a bedtime story “ when everyone else has some type of story to share. I agree that they pre-decide who will go through.

[jcbrown]

Are we done with auditions finally? The audition episodes are automatically delete-without-watching for me.

[chicagofan]

Yes - last audition for the South region was yesterday.

[jabRI]

I always like Tiffany, she was my favorite from her season on Top Chef.  Glad to see she is doing well personally and professionally.

[chicagofan]

Tiffany is also a judge on The Great American Recipe on PBS along with Graham Elliot.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I just wanna see Gordon do a cooking demo. That is all.

Whaaat? I LOVE seeing him show the contestants how to slice a fish (yuck, because I'm allergic and can't eat it), because he makes it look so easy, and I always laugh my ass off when they butcher it; or how to cut and cook steak, or any damn food items.

Edited June 16, 2023 by GHScorpiosRule

[lambertman]

FOX is insane. Why in blazes would we have the first episode of the actual competition tonight, then follow it up with two weeks of reruns of the auditions we all just suffered through  (assuming thefutoncritic's info is right, which it usually is)?!

[KLovestoShop]

Gordon was miffed when Amanda tried to talk over him.  Why would anyone on a cooking competition do something they’ve never tried before.  And you should know that risotto takes a long time to cook. 

[mlp]

I was happy to see Amanda leave.  I didn't like her attitude - or her eyelashes.  And she was wearing heels in the kitchen.

[DEL901]

Do Reagan’s glasses have lenses?

There is a time and place to take chances, but they have to be calculated risks, not…I’m so amazing I can try some for the first time and be better than everyone else. 

[Wildcard]

That was one of the most obvious eliminations in recent memory. Did they even say anything good about her tacos?

 

Also, not sure if I like the twist of saving the whole team. Seems like an easy to keep bigger personalities, but worse cooks on the show.

[preeya]

8 hours ago, mlp said:

I was happy to see Amanda leave.  I didn't like her attitude - or her eyelashes.  And she was wearing heels in the kitchen.

With her attitude, it was obvious that she'd be the first one out. She probably shouldn't have been given an apron.

1 hour ago, Wildcard said:

That was one of the most obvious eliminations in recent memory. Did they even say anything good about her tacos?

 

Also, not sure if I like the twist of saving the whole team. Seems like an easy to keep bigger personalities, but worse cooks on the show.

Yes, as Mr. Obnoxious Risotto is the first one to be rewarded by the twist.

[seacliffsal]

As soon as they showed us Amanda interrupting Gordon I knew she was out.

I think the whole team is safe twist will only last until the numbers are down and more manageable.  

Loved it when Mr. Risotto said "my strategy is to win immunity.."  Really, Sherlock?  Like nobody else has the same strategy?  Great strategy...

[AZChristian]

I had a suspicion when all the chefs ragged on the idea of fried lobster that it was going to be the winning dish.

[Daff]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

As soon as they showed us Amanda interrupting Gordon I knew she was out.

I think the whole team is safe twist will only last until the numbers are down and more manageable.  

Loved it when Mr. Risotto said "my strategy is to win immunity.."  Really, Sherlock?  Like nobody else has the same strategy?  Great strategy...

Or, “Joe’s up there staring at me.”

Dam right, he’s staring in disbelief that anyone would first, make pumpkin risotto, second, to garnish it with shellfish (gag me).

[Daff]

There are two whom I feel terribly sorry for. The youngster who didn’t actually present a dish. Aaron was right, it was nothing more than garnish. Intriguing idea, dessert with a savory twist, and any rich cake or custard would have been a good treat that someone might actually pay to eat. He didn’t seem to get it, either (poor deer in the headlights).

The other one is the BBQ champion. Of course, he’s going to nail the protein every time, but those contests are all meat and only meat (not even a sandwich).  He better up his game on sides and plating (perfect smoke ring gets you no points here, bud). What will he do when he has to bake a cake or, (gasp) present a perfect box of macrons?

[fishcakes]

I'm just happy that Risotto guy got called out for having one of the worst dishes and told that if he didn't have immunity, he'd definitely be in the bottom 3. Was it Joe who did that? Brownie point for Joe.

I was pretty sure Fish Taco was going home only because whoever makes fish tacos usually goes home. It seems like there was a recent season where fish tacos went home three times in a row and I couldn't figure out why people kept making them.

[Colorado David]

1 hour ago, fishcakes said:

I'm just happy that Risotto guy got called out for having one of the worst dishes and told that if he didn't have immunity, he'd definitely be in the bottom 3. Was it Joe who did that? Brownie point for Joe.

I was pretty sure Fish Taco was going home only because whoever makes fish tacos usually goes home. It seems like there was a recent season where fish tacos went home three times in a row and I couldn't figure out why people kept making them.

agreed, fish tacos while very nice never seem to win. maybe becuase they are such a cali staple it is hard to elevate them?

and yes poor aaron, dude that stuff on a plate while nice is NOT a meal, those are all garnishes. you needed some central protein maybe to tie it all together? if not a protein, something substantial to place there for those to be around. it was like calling fritos a meal.

 

[Daff]

1 hour ago, Colorado David said:

fish tacos while very nice never seem to win

Are they? Are they really? Or, are they a “thing” made popular by clickbait? Aaron might have a favorite combo, presented lovingly enveloped within a perfect tortilla, but a taco is the last place I’d want to find fish. Don’t get me wrong, I like fish, but always grilled, herbed, and lightly seasoned, with complimentary sides.

[kirklandia]

Nothing says Midwest cuisine like lobster.  And at a state fair, no less?
Not sure what the point is of making this a "regional" competition.