Buddy vs. Duff - General Discussion

[luvthepros]

1 hour ago, lilly6 said:

I think Buddy is an ass.  He's a tradesman while Duff is an artist. 

I think this week's outcome was producer-driven to evoke a win for Buddy and a tie.  Duff and Geof are so funny but they know better than to present a wooden structure with a little bit of sheet cake.

How funny that the winning element of Buddy's cake was designed by the other guy.  It was kind of cool. 

I honestly do not think Duff would have caved to the producers. Duff wanted to pass the magic trick off as his cake. He said to Geoff there will be very little cake. The producers had nothing to do with that idea, IMHO.

Buddy gave full credit to Ralph for pulling off the disappearing cake "magic" in the design element of the cake. In fact, Buddy had Ralph present the cake to the judges and the audience. That takes class although I'm aware most of you don't think Buddy has any class.

Edited April 8, 2019 by luvthepros

[Kohola3]

If I hear the words "old world" one more time it will be too soon.  Just because it's the way dear old dad did it doesn't mean it's the only way something can be done.  There are a lot of new and improved techniques.

Seems to me that Ralph is the one that controlled the whole process on Buddy's cake.  The whole illusion idea was his and it took forever to explain it to Buddy while Buddy stood there looking blank.

The fact that Geoff kept saying he was concerned about more spectacle and less cake was a tipoff about how this was playing out. 

And the scoring was just so bizarre that it seemed designed (no pun intended) to even out the points for the final showdown.  Duff only got a 3 for the theme - what the heck?  It's not like that cake could have been created for a birthday party or wedding anniversary!  

[chessiegal]

I think the whole idea of this show is ill conceived - it's like comparing apples to oranges. Buddy and his family have bakeries with store fronts. Yes, they make made to order cakes, but they do so much more. Duff has Charm City Cakes that make specialty made to order cakes. You can't walk into their facility and buy something off the shelf. Not sure about Duff's west coast facility. It just seems to me they are too different to be doing this type of show.

[Yeah No]

22 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

If I hear the words "old world" one more time it will be too soon.  Just because it's the way dear old dad did it doesn't mean it's the only way something can be done.  There are a lot of new and improved techniques.

Seems to me that Ralph is the one that controlled the whole process on Buddy's cake.  The whole illusion idea was his and it took forever to explain it to Buddy while Buddy stood there looking blank.

I personally think Duff and Buddy couldn't be more different if they tried.  They're like opposite sides of the same coin.  Where one excels, the other lacks and vice versa.  It doesn't mean one is better than the other, just different.  Buddy's shtick is old world, and there's nothing wrong with that just as there's nothing wrong with Duff's constant attempts to be new and different.  I actually think the two of them would be better if they joined forces.  I don't fault Buddy for not being as into the creative stuff.  I could criticize Duff for not being as much of a baker as Buddy too, but I'm not going to fault him for that either.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, luvthepros said:

Buddy gave full credit to Ralph for pulling off the disappearing cake "magic" in the design element of the cake. In fact, Buddy had Ralph present the cake to the judges and the audience. That takes class although I'm aware most of you don't think Buddy has any class.

I agree with you.  I'm a native New Yorker and I'm used to people thinking we don't have any class.  Meanwhile I think we have plenty of class, it's just down a few layers.  Buddy's from nearby New Jersey so it's a similar culture.  Appearances can be deceiving.  My husband says that some people up here in New England can look like dignified college professors but when you scratch the surface some of them are as dumb as a box of rocks and morally bereft.  I admit that when I moved to New England it was difficult for me to get any respect just by virtue of my way of speaking and being.  People treated me like I was dumb and low class, meanwhile I have a Master's degree, etc.  I've been here for 25 years now so I sort-of have blended in by now and lost a lot of my accent, but I still feel different, and mostly misunderstood anyway.

[rab01]

Has anyone else noticed that Buddy and Duff are friendlier talking to each other during the first round challenges than they are in the talking heads? But they are each pretending to be surprised by something the other does?  I think the producers' first take on the dynamic was going to be fine dining trained pastry chef vs. Baker and they switched gears after finding out how much Buddy hates to lose.  I think a lot of the insulting each other commentary was added afterwards to hype the "drama." 

Also, I like Duff but Buddy's cake was far better than Duff's.  Buddy's partner actually baked magic tricks into the cake while Duff didn't even make much of a cake; he just held an amateurish magic show.  

[HighHopes]

Considering the past challenges haven't even bothered to taste the cakes, I can't fault Duff too much for not having his be 100% cake. If it didn't matter before what was edible, why would it matter now? Buddy's cakes seem to be a different theme of the same cake, multiple round layers/tiers and a person made out of fondant/whatever. The first cake was the only cake that was different, and he lost on it. 

Both are smug and arrogant though, and I wish this show was more like the "Great "x" Bakeoffs" instead of this. It's not fun to see people be smug, I want to see professionals make some amazing cakes. And I would really like to see some one tiered cakes that are all buttercream for icing and less of these extravagant things that are all fondant with hands all over them. I would way rather pay tons of money for something that was pretty too look at and tasted delicious with insane flavour combinations than a six foot tall cake that was neat to look at but not edible. You can see the cakes they use to make them and they look like your basic plain cake/pound cake, which will probably be dry and well, plain, by the time comes to eat them. 

[luvthepros]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

 Duff only got a 3 for the theme - what the heck?  It's not like that cake could have been created for a birthday party or wedding anniversary!  

I honestly wouldn't call what Duff and Geoff created a cake. What cake? Buddy had this one hands down.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, HighHopes said:

Considering the past challenges haven't even bothered to taste the cakes, I can't fault Duff too much for not having his be 100% cake.

I'm not sure they can call this a cake contest at all.  To me that means something edible and so far they haven't tasted a since one of them.

[HighHopes]

1 hour ago, luvthepros said:

I honestly wouldn't call what Duff and Geoff created a cake. What cake? Buddy had this one hands down.

True that Duff didn't create a cake this round and Buddy did. But Buddy's cakes have all been (but the first) a multi-tiered round cake, just with different decorations. I want to see if he can think outside of this box and create something else. 

So far it seems like all of the things that Buddy is getting praised for, his partner did... 

[TaraS1]

I read through all the posts and didn't see anything, so forgive me if I missed it, but is Geof doing the narration on this show?  It definitely sounds like him to me.

And count me in on Team Duff.  His cakes, IMO, have not been up to the level of elaborate awesomeness that I'm used to seeing from him, but I suspect some of that may be due to producer manipulation.  I hope he wins, and that we never have to see him with Buddy on a FN show ever again.

[ShortyMac]

I just checked the last episode, and Duff won the donut challenge with 20/25, and Buddy's was 18.

[TexasTiffany]

On 4/7/2019 at 9:24 PM, Earmuffs Mom said:

Is anyone else grossed out whenever Buddy’s elbow-deep in batter/dough etc and just slopping it everywhere? 

That grossed me out. The batter was up his forearm, with all that hair, sweat, and whatever. 

I'm one of those people who uses a spoon or something to mix things. I'm a big NO even when the cooks and chefs mix meatloaf with their hands. Meat mixture gets in their rings, under their fingernails, etc. It's not sanitary.

Both Duff and Buddy are excellent at what they do. Duff does some things better. Buddy does some things better. Duff is the one I would want as a friend so I want him to win. I agree with others here that it will probably end in a tie for the sake of D's and B's future shows and appearances on Food Network. I don't want a re-match of this. 

Regarding the magic show cakes - knowing how detailed and creative Duff is, I'm surprised how lacking his magic cake was. It's unlike Duff, but that's what he put out. I don't like seeing him fail. 

[jcbrown]

On 4/8/2019 at 10:46 AM, chessiegal said:

I think the whole idea of this show is ill conceived - it's like comparing apples to oranges. Buddy and his family have bakeries with store fronts. Yes, they make made to order cakes, but they do so much more. Duff has Charm City Cakes that make specialty made to order cakes. You can't walk into their facility and buy something off the shelf. Not sure about Duff's west coast facility. It just seems to me they are too different to be doing this type of show.

I could not agree with you more. These are two people who practice two wildly different techniques and that makes the show especially pointless. It's just a commercial for each of their individual upcoming shows, of course.

7 hours ago, TexasTiffany said:

I'm one of those people who uses a spoon or something to mix things. I'm a big NO even when the cooks and chefs mix meatloaf with their hands. Meat mixture gets in their rings, under their fingernails, etc. It's not sanitary.

Both Duff and Buddy are excellent at what they do. Duff does some things better. Buddy does some things better. Duff is the one I would want as a friend so I want him to win. I agree with others here that it will probably end in a tie for the sake of D's and B's future shows and appearances on Food Network. I don't want a re-match of this. 

I agree that Duff is the one who I would not mind hanging out with, whereas Buddy comes off as a caricature of a person to me, so I want Duff to win.
And when I mix meatloaf, I take off my rings and still put latex gloves on my hands so I hear you.

[Kohola3]

10 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

7 hours ago, TexasTiffany said:

I'm one of those people who uses a spoon or something to mix things. I'm a big NO even when the cooks and chefs mix meatloaf with their hands. Meat mixture gets in their rings, under their fingernails, etc. It's not sanitary.

But, but, but....it's "old school"!

Ugh.

[lilly6]

On 4/8/2019 at 1:46 PM, chessiegal said:

I think the whole idea of this show is ill conceived - it's like comparing apples to oranges. Buddy and his family have bakeries with store fronts. Yes, they make made to order cakes, but they do so much more. Duff has Charm City Cakes that make specialty made to order cakes. You can't walk into their facility and buy something off the shelf. Not sure about Duff's west coast facility. It just seems to me they are too different to be doing this type of show.

Thank you.  That is exactly what I think.  I never said there is anything wrong with being a tradesman.  My brother is a tradesman, a welder by profession, and he owns three boats and just bought a 67K truck.  I do think Buddy is an ass all around, but also that he and Duff do very different things so it's kind of ridiculous to compare them.  Duff can make an unconventional cake and elevate it to art and Buddy can probably blow him out of the water with bakery staples.  

[charmed726]

I had been a fan of cake boss but can honestly say I was mortified by Buddy's behavior. Mama Valastro I'm sure would be totally embarrassed by Buddy's sophomoric behavior.  When Duff made a mistake he owned it and moved on. I'm very disappointed in the "Cake Boss".  I had planned to stop in their bakery next time I was in the vicinity. Not happening. 

[ParadoxLost]

On 4/8/2019 at 5:31 PM, HighHopes said:

So far it seems like all of the things that Buddy is getting praised for, his partner did... 

Maybe, but in all fairness.  Most of Duff's cakes are really mostly Geof's.  That has been true even back to Ace of Cakes.  Duff has always been mostly an idea guy and TV personality.  Geof is the execution guy that puts the cakes together and makes them what they are.  Duff just sometimes paints the canvas after. 

On 4/8/2019 at 11:27 AM, lilly6 said:

I think this week's outcome was producer-driven to evoke a win for Buddy and a tie.  Duff and Geof are so funny but they know better than to present a wooden structure with a little bit of sheet cake.

Agree.  I think Buddy's cake would have been tough to beat this week; but it felt like Duff was told to be entertaining but to give them something that believably would be scored to close an eight point margin.  As soon as Duff said they were putting a sheet cake on part of a giant box it seemed too preposterous to not be producer hi-jinks.  

[HappyDancex2]

I just saw the front part of the episode that I missed....the one where Duff does the plated dessert and Buddy does his father's cream puff and sponge cake?   What stood out to me was the gross factor of Buddy scraping out the batter all of the time and it being up to his hairy sweaty arm.  

I know it's a scraper, I know it's small, I know it must be done like this in thousands of bakeries in the world and this alone would make me not eat any more bakery items LOL.    Those people are sweaty, hairy, dirty, smoking, been to the bathroom, who knows when they showered.....I just can't get behind how unsanitary it is to be elbow deep in batter that people are going to eat.   I wouldn't want to do it that way myself either.....if the bowl is large enough that I have to be up to my armpits in dough/batter/frosting or whatever then they need a better way to get the stuff out of the massive bowl.   Ugh.

[ShortyMac]

Duff won! Yay! 258 to 254 overall. 

Buddy is just too one-note. Stacked round cakes with stuff stuck on them. Boring.

[Kohola3]

Wow, I did not see that coming. I am a huge Duff and so I am thrilled that he won. And Buddy's cakes are pretty much the same with different decorations. Duff is truly an artist.

At least Buddy did not stomp off in a snit. I will give him that.

[LennieBriscoe]

Tonight,  a cake Lunar Rover that didn't.

Last week,  a magic trick cake whose trick was "no cake."

A "wedding" cake Calder mobile fit for an aquarium.

Buddy baked. Large.

Duff painted. Tiny. 

Buddy's fondant was cancelled out by Duff's wood and wires. 

So of course the Duff was named the winner. 

GMAB.

[Gramto6]

Well, I for one am glad Duff won and I won't be watching Buddy's new show.

[HighHopes]

For the chocolate round Buddy made... A chocolate wedding cake. I did notice that when the judges went to taste them the fondant wasn't on Buddy's. Not really fair since the customer would have to eat around the fondant if they ordered that cake. For someone who boasts about being "old school" he sure does use shortcuts like that modelling chocolate for the decorations instead of using real chocolate. 

Did I watch correctly in that he broke a stand mixer? And those weren't the lower-end ones either. You aren't making a large amount of cake here Buddy, scale it down! The higher-end mixer (hell even the standard ones!!!) should have been more than efficient. 

One thing that really grossed me out was the garbage can of icing that Buddy was using. Covering poundcake in rice crispy treats and then covering that with icing sounds like a nightmare. I know that these cakes won't actually be eaten, but what happens when you go to cut into part of it and it's all rice crispy treats? 

Buddy's final cake was pretty amazing though, I'm impressed he was able to put it all together like he did! 

(Did they not reveal the final bake-off scores?) 

[HappyDancex2]

This show was detrimental for me to watching Buddy or Duff in the future.  Buddy was dismissive and abrasive and came across as a blowhard.  Anything can be softened during editing and they chose to go the more “duels” route and it didn’t work for me.

On Duffs side I didn’t mind his AOC edit for his shops or his big teddy bear persona on the kids baking championships.  But his edit here was also less than flattering.  To each his own on his really young bride and his necessity to make cutting comments towards Buddy. Yes they are probably producer driven but you can choose to say things but still take the higher road.

So it seemed like 2 petty guys in a thrown together competition to get exposer on TV.  meh.  I’m reality show jaded now.  Take your rolling pin, pack your sheeter and get off my lawn!

[Gramto6]

Please tv powers, no rematch in the future ever!!

[mlp]

Quote

Duff won! Yay! 258 to 254 overall. 

I didn't see the final scores and I was watching for them.  When were they shown?

Duff definitely deserved to win the first round.  His creation was lovely and Buddy's was just a brown stacked cake with a clumsy box on top.  I thought the whole bit with the couples was phony and manipulated.  Neither of the women looked a bit surprised to see Buddy/Duff walk in with an elaborate piece for a supposed Tasting.  Neither looked a bit surprised by the proposals either.

Buddy deserved to win the second round.  Duff clearly put a lot of work into his presentation but, like his magic show last week, it was more construction than cake.  Buddy's huge display was a lot more impressive.  Ralph has major talent for sculpting.

I wanted Duff to win because I like him but I was sort of surprised when he did.

[trudysmom]

I was glad to see Duff win, even with his Lunar Rover not wanting to come out and play.  The Lunar Module part was so realistic, and I noticed they emphasized how much CAKE was packed in there!  I really hated Buddy's underwater cake display.  I thought the colors were gaudy, the holes all over the 'coral' gave me the creeps.  The fish were meh, compared to Ben Franklin, who I have to say was spot on.  In between, he had an opportunity to do some really cool (steampunk, maybe?) stuff with the gears but just went big, again.  Props for not doing a tiered wedding cake style cake.   But at the end of his presentation I thought, this is a space challenge, not a Ben Franklin challenge.  

Mostly I'm glad it's over and there won't be a season two to draw me back in.  Yes, I'm weak.

[Kohola3]

I guess my problem with Buddy (in addition to his blowhard nature) is that his answer to everything is just to make it bigger.  Bigger is not always better, it's just bigger.  I can't even imagine what that thing would have looked like if he'd gotten the dinosaurs done.

6 hours ago, mlp said:

I thought the whole bit with the couples was phony and manipulated. 

Yeah, that was ridiculous.  None of them could act their way out of a paper bag so it was clearly not a surprise in the least.  And neither of the women seemed particularly happy.  

[Jessa]

Now we know why Buddy doesn’t usually try to be innovative. His idea for the final cake with the fish and dinosaurs was just weird. It would have made more sense to have cavemen (especially stargazing cavemen) instead of the fish, then the invention section, then the space section. 

ETA: I posted the first part while watching. Ralph kind of saved it with his presentation... but I still think it’s weird. 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Jessa

[luvthepros]

13 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

At least Buddy did not stomp off in a snit. I will give him that.

As they were waiting for the announcement of the winner, Buddy turned to Duff and said, "Good Luck". Now THAT takes class, something this forum does not think Buddy has.

[luvthepros]

11 hours ago, HighHopes said:

(Did they not reveal the final bake-off scores?) 

No. Was that an over-site when the editing was done?

[goldenpuppy]

I am Italian from NY, and I am sick of people saying poor Buddy is misunderstood!  He really is arrogant, spoiled, and he isn’t too bright !

My family cake from Italy, I am first generation on my mom’s side , and No One in my family talks or acts line Buddy! They all know how to speak English with correct  grammar , even the immigrants who never got past fourth grade in their own country ! 

I just think that Buddy has never had to go outside of his comfort zone .  He worked for his family, so he never had to modify some of his “dis and dat” language and not sound like a bad Italian stereotype.

And I think Buddy bake in his comfort zone all the time.

Hie behavior walking off the set and his obnoxious comments make me also think he gets off on being the tough guy , or wanna be tough guy.  In reality he’s lived a very protected and sheltered work life , where he doesn’t have to answer to anyone , and can keep talking like he has no grammar skills and also can’t handle being challenged . 

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, goldenpuppy said:

I just think that Buddy has never had to go outside of his comfort zone .  He worked for his family, so he never had to modify some of his “dis and dat” language and not sound like a bad Italian stereotype.

And that whole "sign of the cross, kiss my patron saint medal" just made me cringe.  Talk about stereotypes.  Like God was in on the competition?

[Jessa]

For those who missed the scores in the final episode: 

[luvthepros]

Jessa......

Were these final results broadcast on TV? I never saw them. Thank you.

[goldenpuppy]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

And that whole "sign of the cross, kiss my patron saint medal" just made me cringe.  Talk about stereotypes.  Like God was in on the competition?

OMG it makes me cringe !  My grandma who was born in Italy in 1927 doesn’t do that ! 

He is every stereotype of Italians that makes it hard for those of us who do not want to her seen as one step away from a bad Godfather parody ! 

[Jessa]

25 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Jessa......

Were these final results broadcast on TV? I never saw them. Thank you.

They were on Food network Canada, anyway. Those are pictures of my tv. 🙂

[Kohola3]

27 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Were these final results broadcast on TV? I never saw them. Thank you.

Nope.  I double-checked the DVR to make sure.  Just the grand finale numbers were shown.

[Jessa]

6 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Nope.  I double-checked the DVR to make sure.  Just the grand finale numbers were shown.

Weird because they were shown on the version I saw. Maybe it’s a regional thing since I’m in Canada? But why would it be different? And what else is different? 🤔

[Kohola3]

11 minutes ago, Jessa said:

But why would it be different?

The only thing I can think of is the number of commercials.  Maybe you have less than we do.

[mlp]

Quote

 I double-checked the DVR to make sure.  Just the grand finale numbers were shown.

It's odd that not everyone saw the same things.  I saw no scores for the Cake Off or the final tally and I was watching for them so I know I didn't zone out and just miss them.

I'm glad they aren't going to do this again.  A baking show shouldn't make viewers uncomfortable but this one did.

[Jessa]

55 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

The only thing I can think of is the number of commercials.  Maybe you have less than we do.

That would make sense. 

[goldenpuppy]

On 4/8/2019 at 2:33 PM, Yeah No said:

I agree with you.  I'm a native New Yorker and I'm used to people thinking we don't have any class.  Meanwhile I think we have plenty of class, it's just down a few layers.  Buddy's from nearby New Jersey so it's a similar culture.  Appearances can be deceiving.  My husband says that some people up here in New England can look like dignified college professors but when you scratch the surface some of them are as dumb as a box of rocks and morally bereft.  I admit that when I moved to New England it was difficult for me to get any respect just by virtue of my way of speaking and being.  People treated me like I was dumb and low class, meanwhile I have a Master's degree, etc.  I've been here for 25 years now so I sort-of have blended in by now and lost a lot of my accent, but I still feel different, and mostly misunderstood anyway.

I am an Italian from NY, and I understand what you are saying .  But , sorry , if a person says  “dem and dose and dis and dat”, and has atrocious grammar like Buddy’s,  he or she deserves it if someone thinks they are dumb and crude !

I understand older people who didn’t have an education or who were immigrants just learning the language talking like that, but Buddy is not old.  

And I don’t feel sorry for or anyone who has PHDs or Masters degrees and speaks with horrible grammar. There is no excuse for that! 

If people think they are not smart !  I am not saying that about you at all.  I realize some people just pick on anyone with a NY or New Jersey accent , but speaking like Buddy is going to make people assume someone is bright or is crude , and it’s justified. 

Beyond his speech,  he’s gross with his arms in the food , and he’s arrogant and a big baby .

Edited April 15, 2019 by goldenpuppy

[Mollysmom]

I can't believe all the people saying they didn't see the scores last night. I saw them - I'm in Iowa and have Dish Network. Don't know why they wouldn't show the same edit everywhere. 

I am so glad Duff won. I promptly turned the channel so I didn't have to watch the premiere of Buddy's show. 

[Marci]

I am an Italian from Jersey City, which borders Hoboken.  I understand Buddy.  I don’t consider him arrogant or a blowhard...he just talks the way so many people I grew up with speak. His bravado is more meant to be funny, but I can see how people can misinterpret it.

Buddy’s father never finished high school. Buddy never finished high school; his father died when he was 17 and he left school to work at the bakery full time. So his world was very limited and his speech patterns still reflect the dialect of his upbringing. That does not make him dumb.

I really wanted Buddy to win.

All that said, I thought Duff deserved the win, because his baking is more modern and creative. Buddy’s baking reflects the limited world view he grew up in. 

[luvthepros]

Something tells me Duff's bakery creations are beautiful to look at but do not taste as delicious as Buddy's. Buddy said he has a special "cream" (not sure exactly what he called it) that makes his cakes so moist.

I would much rather eat Buddy's creations than look at Duff's creations.

[Catfi9ht]

7 hours ago, goldenpuppy said:

I am Italian from NY, and I am sick of people saying poor Buddy is misunderstood!  He really is arrogant, spoiled, and he isn’t too bright !

My family cake from Italy, I am first generation on my mom’s side , and No One in my family talks or acts line Buddy! They all know how to speak English with correct  grammar , even the immigrants who never got past fourth grade in their own country !

To me, Buddy is every American born with Italian ancestry that romanticizes the mafioso culture. It's all ego and self-centeredness and has nothing to do with actually being Italian. 

I think large egos are the symptom of a small mind. Deep down, people like that know they're not smart so they overcompensate.

Anyway back to the show, I realize most reality shows are fixed with creative editing but this one seemed more egregious than most. Did they ever explain why they brought Keegan in as a second judge? I also hated how he basically took over the judging from Sherry; it seemed like he was mansplaining to her every time he opened his mouth.

Finally, I hadn't watched any of Buddy's or Duff's actual cake shows so this was my first introduction to Buddy and I only knew Duff as a judge from the baking competitions. I can safely say I will never watch another minute of Buddy and will be happier for it. Shame on the network for putting a person like that on television. I thought Duff came across as a jerk on the baking shows but thought he was funny, smart, and clever here which is very refreshing. Duff also made a few clever references for movies and other things I like, such as an Idiocracy reference in the first episode. This humanized him alot and made me think we'd have alot in common which is rare for me.

[hookedontv]

52 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Buddy said he has a special "cream" (not sure exactly what he called it) that makes his cakes so moist.

I just threw up a little in my mouth. Excuse me while I try to get my mind out of the gutter...

[goldenpuppy]

29 minutes ago, Catfi9ht said:

To me, Buddy is every American born with Italian ancestry that romanticizes the mafioso culture. It's all ego and self-centeredness and has nothing to do with actually being Italian. 

I think large egos are the symptom of a small mind. Deep down, people like that know they're not smart so they overcompensate.

Anyway back to the show, I realize most reality shows are fixed with creative editing but this one seemed more egregious than most. Did they ever explain why they brought Keegan in as a second judge? I also hated how he basically took over the judging from Sherry; it seemed like he was mansplaining to her every time he opened his mouth.

I agree! As I said there is no excuse for dumb  dialect from someone who is Buddy’s age . I don’t care if he finished high school , but it’s not like it was 1930 and the depression and his father died !  I’m more apt to think that Buddy was not a good student and and found a way to get out of school .  

I do not think it’s about being Italian at all, as I said , none of my relatives and their friends from Italy talk or act like Buddy, and even my grandparents who couldn’t get past elementary school in Italy because they were living in a town bombed in Italy during WW 11, never spoke or acted like Buddy.

I think it is all over compensating, just like buddy needing to build “big” cakes, to make him look smarter when he knows he’s not smart!

And the bravado is not  him being funny nor was he joking when  he walked off the set like a baby when he lost!  The bravado is overcompensating for a thin skin and a spoiled man baby who can’t handle not getting his way.  

Keegan was obviously brought on because baby Buddy walked off the set when he lost and probably threatened to quit if a “man” wasn’t judging.  Because along with being a baby , arrogant and  it to smart, he is very macho and his frail ego couldn’t handle a woman being a judge without a man.

As an Italian, I cringe when people see someone like Buddy and think he is acting like that because of his Italian heritage. When Italian heritage is more than a mob movie persona . Italy is the center of art and DaVinci and cooking is an art in that country . And men in Italy walk arm in arm ,  whether they are gay or straight .  Yes, there are jerks like Buddy in every culture, but ethnicity or lack of forms schooling is not the cause .