S10.E05: Live Demo at Knott's Berry Farm

[cooksdelight]

And this show is Clown College. So far, several of them are excelling in their clown skills.

[orchidgal]

 

And this show is Clown College. So far, several of them are excelling in their clown skills.

That happened as soon as FN seemed to resort to Central Casting to get their contestants for this and every other contestant show on FN lately.  TPTB actually seem to have a formula that they subscribe to when casting these contestants; the hipster, the stay-at-home mom/dad, the restauranteur, the over-the-top character, the down-home persona, the vapid beauty queen-type, the ethnic cook, the person who has recently lost a ton of weight, etc, etc, etc.  To the point that the contestants themselves begin to seem like re-runs of past seasons.

 

This show stopped being about the cooking several seasons ago.  Now the show is all about the show.

[Kromm]

That happened as soon as FN seemed to resort to Central Casting to get their contestants for this and every other contestant show on FN lately.  TPTB actually seem to have a formula that they subscribe to when casting these contestants; the hipster, the stay-at-home mom/dad, the restauranteur, the over-the-top character, the down-home persona, the vapid beauty queen-type, the ethnic cook, the person who has recently lost a ton of weight, etc, etc, etc.  To the point that the contestants themselves begin to seem like re-runs of past seasons.

 

This show stopped being about the cooking several seasons ago.  Now the show is all about the show.

Yeah, we were talking about Nicole before, and it's why she doesn't stand a chance.  She may do that fake voice under stress, but underneath that she's too real--and that's not what this show wants.  Not I didn't say "normal" or "ordinary", but "real".  What FN occasionally likes is the simulation of "ordinary", although of course they alternate that with bigger, louder gimmicks. "Real" isn't part of the equation.

 

Nicole doesn't talk like a Jersey Girl stereotype, ergo she's got no "gimmick".  She doesn't make some quirky kind of food as a specialty, like "sandwiches" or "pies". so she's again got no gimmick.  She's gorgeous, but if Giada has any say, that quality will get poor Nicole stabbed (probably in the gut and not in the back) sooner or later.  

 

Lenny has really all but won this season already, I'm assuming.  He's the triumph of a character they can build some show concept around where it's all set already, other than the actual filming.  He basically would just have to show up, they pop on some crazy cowboy music and graphics, and run with it.

 

Or... Emma if they go the other way and try for the "ordinary person triumphs" mode this time.  If she DOES win it would only be because it's a less obvious gimmick, but she comes off more as that "ordinary person" simulation at the same time.  In other words, she fits the CHARACTER of "ordinary person" and might be someone the audience identifies with, whereas a Jersey Shore girl who doesn't talk or act like Snookie probably won't fill a type people will be as accepting of.

But again, I get the point that the point of this show isn't really anymore (if it ever was) to produce someone who can be in other shows.  It's to make a season of crazy shows that people watch now, then pretend that winner COULD be a star--and shuffle them to the back like poor Justin Warner if it doesn't work out.  That also ultimately plays into the same two people being favorites in my mind though.  Lenny being there till the bitter end will stir viewers up.  If a certain portion wind up loathing his act and rolling their eyes, that only helps probably.  And Emma is the one people will probably cheer for at home, so again, I think it points to the same two.  

 

EDIT - the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if Loreal stays in there or not.  If it was about making a follow-up show "Butcher Girl" clearly trends even more to FN viewership than "Crazy Cowboy".  The issue is if even this pile of crap show can ignore how badly she cooks. Then again, if this is all about the building of a story, then playing the whole season as Loreal finding her footing perhaps works too.

 

Reuben doesn't have a chance in hell.  Nor does Chris, or Christopher if he returns. BBQ Guy might--he's got that "gimmick", plus the big "returning from nowhere" storyline.

 

So overall I'd say Cowboy Lenny, Emma, Loreal, or BBQ Guy.  It's one of those four, regardless of if the show is about making another show or just making the best and biggest cheese right in the here and now.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Kromm

[cooksdelight]

they alternate that with bigger, louder

I am reminded of this every time I see Sunny Anderson doing a commercial for a hotel chain, and she yells "A kitchen! A KITCHEN KITCHEN!!!"

And Justin's show, driving around finding quirky places to try weird food, could have been a success if A) he'd suffered through the stand and stir for 6 episodes, and B) he'd not tried so hard to push his show down Alton and FN's throats. It might have been the breakout show this network needs to attract new viewers. I think Justin saw himself as the second coming of Guy.

[orchidgal]

Food Network: It's not about the food anyway*.

 

*Not that it ever was.  It always was about the money, honey.  We are just being a bit more bold and brassy about that fact now.

[mlp]

 

And Justin's show, driving around finding quirky places to try weird food, could have been a success if A) he'd suffered through the stand and stir for 6 episodes, and B) he'd not tried so hard to push his show down Alton and FN's throats. It might have been the breakout show this network needs to attract new viewers. I think Justin saw himself as the second coming of Guy.

 

I agree with the first two sentences as Justin did have a following.  I couldn't and still can't stand him myself but he does have fans.  I think his biggest problem was that he saw himself as the second coming of Alton Brown, not Guy, and he had and has an ego to match but hasn't earned it yet.  I would guess that caused some conflicts with Alton [understatement].

 

FN has given the winners of FNS opportunities and some have been more successful than others.  Heck, they're still finding things to do for Melissa the insufferable.  Jeff Mauro who won right before Justin is doing well as is Damaris who won most recently.  Justin is currently writing recaps of FNS and, just like last year, he thinks he's hip and witty and he manages to make at least part of them all about himself.  I wish he'd just go away.

 

Sarah the twit seems to be heading in the same direction although her personality is completely different.  She wasn't at all receptive to the mentors' criticism and she was borderline insubordinate.  They won't let her get away with that.

Edited July 5, 2014 by mlp

[GaT]

 

whereas a Jersey Shore girl who doesn't talk or act like Snookie probably won't fill a type people will be as accepting of.

As someone who used to live in NJ, this drives me crazy. Snooki is not & never was a Jersey girl. She was born in Chili, & raised in New York. She doesn't sound like a Jersey girl, she sounds like someone from New York. 

[Kromm]

As someone who used to live in NJ, this drives me crazy. Snooki is not & never was a Jersey girl. She was born in Chili, & raised in New York. She doesn't sound like a Jersey girl, she sounds like someone from New York. 

Perception is reality on TV.  People don't CARE where Snooki is actually from.  It's the image they now have of New Jersey women (especially from down on the shore), so it's what they're going to perceive as a "Jersey character".  Nicole, not fitting it, just will come off as a nice bland pretty girl from some unidentifiable background.  That may not be the truth, but I think there's a pretty good chance it will go down that way (and even worse than what the viewers think is how FN pigeonholes her, since she wouldn't even GET to a stage for the public to vote for her if they don't facilitate it).

 

Again, it's the ones who seem to fit a character who will get past the middle stage the season is in.  Lenny, the crazy cartoonish cowboy.  Lorelei, the Butcher girl with the retro/punk combo look and feel,  And Emma, who fits THEIR idea of "the ordinary girl" character, IMO, far more than someone with a muddled message/image like Nicole.  And finally, the BBQ Guy, I'm assuming is likely from Salvation. Characters all, more than cooks.

[NikSac]

I live in Southern California so I know that Knotts is an amusement park, but would someone who lived on the East Coast necessarily know that? Is the park really that well known outside of California?

 

I don't know... maybe not. By the time I was old enough to understand what an amusement park was I lived on the East Coast and knew what Knott's was, but I was born 5th generation Californian and only lived away from the state for about 5 years, so my parents, grandparents, etc. might have something to do with it. When I was a kid my friends all knew what it was, even on the East Coast.  Then again we were planning our escape to live in Disneyland forever, so... we might've been a little delusional (hmmm maybe like some of the 'stars' on this show?). 

[Kromm]

You know who knows about Knott's Berry Farm from the East?  People who have vacationed in California and been pissed off by the admission price to Disneyland.

[leighdear]

FN has given the winners of FNS opportunities and some have been more successful than others

 

Even non-winners have prospects IF they have the right personality and are coachable/teachable.

 

Adam Gertler was a runner-up in Season 4, and has gone on to his own shows, "Will Work For Food" and "Kid in a Candy Store".  Plus, he's always popping up on "The Best thing I ever Ate" episodes and other various FN shows.  I LOVED him on his season, and Kelsey Nixon was on that season too.  "Kelsey's Essentials" on the Cooking Channel has been very popular.   Even though Aaron McCargo ultimately won the competition, he was by no means the only "star" they found. 

Edited July 5, 2014 by leighdear

[MaryHedwig]

Even non-winners have prospects IF they have the right personality and are coachable/teachable.

Jeffrey Saad was a runner up on Season 5 and went on to host the United Tastes of America on the Cooking Channel.  Season 6 runner up Tom Pizzica went on to host Outrageous Food.

Edited July 5, 2014 by MaryHedwig

[cooksdelight]

 

Jeffrey Saad was a runner up on Season 5 and went on to host the United Tastes of America on the Cooking Channel.  Season 6 runner up Tom Pizzica went on to host Outrageous Food.

 

 

I believe Jeffrey has a new show coming out soon, and he opened a restaurant in Studio City. Tom Pizzica just opened a new pop-up business, Belly Burgers. Both seem to be doing really well for themselves.

[Rhondinella]

Sorry, just catching up.

 

Emma:  "Yay!  We're going to a farm!"  HAHAHAHAHAHA!  Also, Duh!

 

I agree about Giada.  I have never loved her but she is a total bitch this season, and yes, exactly what I don't like about Food Network these days.

 

 

I'm agreeing with the theory that she's pissed that Luka got sent home before she could administer a little one-on-one "mentoring" time.

 

They don't need someone who can cook, really.  They need someone who can host a gameshow and perhaps credibly demonstrate other people's recipe to fill a timeslot in the morning.

 

 

Exactly.  Although that only is so because they have made it so.  It could totally be about cooking alone, but I guess they figure they wouldn't get as many viewers.  Although the idea of people who aren't into cooking or food watching one of these shows just for the personality seems weird to me.  Do people do that?

 

I couldn't care less about personalities, a chef's personal history with grandma or having them cook for random people who drop in.

 

 

Plus, honestly, how many different food stories can one person possibly have?  I mean, yes chefs spend a lot of time around food so they probably have more than most.  But still?  A different story for every. single. dish.?  That's clearly not possible without just making crap up.

 

I still like Lenny aka Chuck Wagon.

 

 

I'm an unabashed Lenny fan and have been from the beginning.  And I still think he'll make F2 and might even win.  I can see a "niche" for him on FN.  He's like no one else they have on now (at least that I know of, I don't really watch it much), has a somewhat unusual POV (the cowboy, chuck wagon thing) and can spin it into something interesting (gourmet cowboy, or some such).  Plus, apparently he's one of the best cooks there.  And some of his twists on southwestern food have sounded inventive and delicious.  So I still think some people are underestimating his chances.  And if he doesn't end up winning, I can totally see FN coming to him later and offering him some sort of deal anyway.

 

Emma is pretty good even though I still think she's perfect for any show on NPR

 

 

THIS!!!  She'd be perfect for a radio food show.

 

Alton, honey. "The triumvirate"? Without a trace of irony?

 

 

I could be wrong, but I read that him trying to be funny and ironic, just doing it with a straight face.  I think the whole mood of the judging was just tense and it may have been read by some as mean. 

[cooksdelight]

It's hard for me to tell when Alton is trying to be funny, is trying to be serious, or is just badly constipated.

[Maverick]

Regardless of what he was trying to do with the "that is TRUTH" comment, he can across as an arrogant jackass, at least to me.  I have to imagine Bobby sitting there thinking "it took me a decade to rehab my image...please don't book me a space on your ego trip".   

 

 The not knowing Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park is BS.  I don't live near CA and I know that.  They seem heavy on the East coast chefs this year, but Lenny and pageant girl are close enough they should have heard of it.  Plus, the Boysenberry was popularized by Knott's Berry Farm so I would think a food 'authority' (which is what a FNS is supposed to be) would know something about it. 

 

 I notice no one else is allowed to taste the food except the triumvirate (when they even make food, that is).  My first thought was they're just being cheap and not buying product for 8 chefs to feed 100 guests each.  But now I'm wondering if they're afraid one (or more) of these fools will poison someone.

 

 They're clearly focusing solely on the personality/presenting aspect this year.  I find it interesting they made that shift after "the network" were replaced as host by the supposed chefs.  Bobby always made a point of saying he was there to keep the contestants honest on their cooking ability.  He doesn't say that anymore. 

[RealityGal]

 

Exactly.  Although that only is so because they have made it so.  It could totally be about cooking alone, but I guess they figure they wouldn't get as many viewers.  Although the idea of people who aren't into cooking or food watching one of these shows just for the personality seems weird to me.  Do people do that?

 

 

 

See, thats my question.  I guess there is food porn, and I know I'm guilty of that with Top Chef.  I just like looking at the beautiful food, which is why I think they do those slow, sexy shots of the finished dish with the explanation instead of just giving me a quick picture before Tom shoves the food down his piehole.  So I certainly think there is a segment that isn't going to cook a damn thing but just likes seeing food.  Generally, if I want to cook something, I get the recipe off the internet, and I go to YouTube to see a technique.  I prefer YouTube because I can easily stop and go back, and I can put my laptop or my IPAD in the kitchen with me and review it over and over and over.

 

However, I don't think that I would be the prime audience for a Food Network show.  And even if I'm not, I think it just brings down the credibility of the Food Network to basically admit that they are okay with a star on the Food Network that perhaps can't cook, or doesn't really know much about food.  If you're telling me that your Food Network stars may not be able to cook, than I'm not going to the Food Network site for recipes, because they may come from a guy that wanted to put a pancake in a cup.  I can't trust that guy!  I'm not taking his advice when it comes to food!

It's hard for me to tell when Alton is trying to be funny, is trying to be serious, or is just badly constipated.

Could be all of the above.  Trying to be dry, sarcastic humor after eating too much of.....well whatever makes a person constipated....

[needschocolate]

 I was confused by Nicole's POV - Isn't "Coastal Cuisine" just another way of saying "Seafood"?
 

[Maverick]

 

If you're telling me that your Food Network stars may not be able to cook, than I'm not going to the Food Network site for recipes, because they may come from a guy that wanted to put a pancake in a cup.  I can't trust that guy!  I'm not taking his advice when it comes to food!

 What they're really telling you is that a lot of the recipes you see on these shows aren't coming from the host.  They're coming from the recipe writing department at Food Network.  And the story the host tells you to make you think it's their recipe is coming from rejected Hallmark greeting cards.

[RealityGal]

 What they're really telling you is that a lot of the recipes you see on these shows aren't coming from the host.  They're coming from the recipe writing department at Food Network.  And the story the host tells you to make you think it's their recipe is coming from rejected Hallmark greeting cards.

 

So you're telling me that no one has a grandma who brought this recipe over from Sicily on a boat?

[cooksdelight]

I notice no one else is allowed to taste the food except the triumvirate (when they even make food, that is). My first thought was they're just being cheap and not buying product for 8 chefs to feed 100 guests each. But now I'm wondering if they're afraid one (or more) of these fools will poison someone.

Add to that the thought that a focus group might choose someone's food as being best, their performance as being best, but they've already been picked as the next one to be axed.

[zxy556575]

Although the idea of people who aren't into cooking or food watching one of these shows just for the personality seems weird to me. Do people do that?

 

I don't so much think they do. I like competitive shows (although I'm terribly bored with this one) but never watch straight cooking shows and don't know any of those hosts. Well, I used to occasionally catch an episode of Alton years ago, but that was because the food science part was mildly interesting. But people who do watch how-to cooking in order to learn a trick or two need to like and trust the expert/chef, don't they? (Although from what I gather on the forums, a certain number of people only tune in to hate-watch.)

[cooksdelight]

I watch Damaris' show, and I also have watched Jeff's Sandwich King show. Got a lot of good sandwich ideas from him. I tried watching Melissa and Aarti's shows but they lost me in the first 10 minutes.

[Uncle Benzene]

At this point, I have a full-blown crush on Damaris. Not so much during FNS, but now?

[qtpye]

I think Nicole is gorgeous and I think she has a nice low key way about her that I like.  A lot of people have said that Giada will hate her for this...does Giada (who looks like a female demon to me) have a reputation for being a petty bitch?  I certainly hope not, as I hope Nicole goes far and is not slammed for not having the Snookie look and attitude.  I am a little confused about her coastal food POV.

[cooksdelight]

I think, and I may be wrong, but "coastal food" is something that can encompass more than just seafood....which is how she managed to use the pork as a coastal cuisine. But, she started out talking about seafood and how she grew up around it. She keeps jumping around with what her emphasis is, so I'm not sure where she's headed. When I think back to Michelle, the blond female Guy lookalike, she was all about seafood and she never wavered from that. But then again, they were given decent challenges in that season.

Cannot wait to see where everyone goes with this commercial thing tonight.

[Aquarius]

I have lived in New Jersey all my life, having been born here 46 years ago to parents who were also born and raised here. I have never known a person born and raised in New Jersey like Snooki. I have known many like Nicole, though. I am rooting for her. I loved the "bitchface" confessional. I know a waitress exactly like that - her relaxed face is a total scowl but she is the nicest, best-natured person.

I did not know anything about Knott's Berry Farm. I've done a very unscientific poll in my corner of New Jersey, and no one else has either. So it's not hard for me to believe that Emma (from Ithica, NY) or Nicole (from Atlantic City, NJ) would not know about it either. I can't remember who the other person in the car was, but it's not exactly the equivalent to saying "We're going to Disney!" to people from the East Coast.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Aquarius

[JTMacc99]

I was confused by Nicole's POV - Isn't "Coastal Cuisine" just another way of saying "Seafood"?

I posted a link to her blog earlier where she explains it. I wonder if she gets eliminated before she ever gets to articulate it on the show. To her, it is about a way of life of people who live along the coast, more than it is just food fished out of the ocean. (She explains it much better than I just half-ass attempted to do.) When she explains it, I think it sounds like a nice broad POV that could give her a lot to work with for a long time.

[Kromm]

I posted a link to her blog earlier where she explains it. I wonder if she gets eliminated before she ever gets to articulate it on the show. To her, it is about a way of life of people who live along the coast, more than it is just food fished out of the ocean. (She explains it much better than I just half-ass attempted to do.) When she explains it, I think it sounds like a nice broad POV that could give her a lot to work with for a long time.

It, like her, is thoughtful and encompassing.

 

But that's probably not what this show is looking for.  I think they're constantly looking for specific, and easily shoehorned.  "Sandwich guy", "BBQ guy", "Cowboy Chef", "Butcher girl".  They want two word pitches.  TWO words.  And note those two word pitches, if they use a food term at all, only use it because it describes a person's circumstance/image (unlike, let's say "Coastal cuisine", which doesn't).

 

"Jersey Girl" might have worked, but since Nicole doesn't fit that two word stereotype (note I said "stereotype"), it's what will likely doom her.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Kromm

[RealityGal]

It, like her, is thoughtful and encompassing.

 

But that's probably not what this show is looking for.  I think they're constantly looking for specific, and easily shoehorned.  "Sandwich guy", "BBQ guy", "Cowboy Chef", "Butcher girl".  They want two word pitches.  TWO words.  And note those two word pitches, if they use a food term at all, only use it because it describes a person's circumstance/image (unlike, let's say "Coastal cuisine", which doesn't).

 

"Jersey Girl" might have worked, but since Nicole doesn't fit that two word stereotype (note I said "stereotype"), it's what will likely doom her.

"Incompetent Boob".....

 

Just Kidding NFNS!