Food Network Star. Anyone else watching it this season? (Here, there be spoilers)

[firecat88]

I already know who I like and who I don't like. Hell, I've known who I don't like since I saw the commercials for the show. O.o There's this guy on there who looks like he's still in middle school and kinda acts like it too. I've seen him before on Cutthroat Kitchen, and he was the most arrogant little shit ever.

Thus far, he's behaved exactly like I expected he would. Being rude to the other competitors, pouting when criticized, throwing a flat-out tantrum in the waiting room, yelling "You're not my mom!" at another competitor...

[mjr]

I used to be MUCH more interested in FNS.

That is, until they actually started incorporating "stories" into the cooking. I really don't care if some lady's grandma taught her how to make something when she was 5 years old (why is it always the grandma??). I don't care if some dude had to learn how to cook because his mom worked 3 jobs and he was the oldest.

I know they want some sort of weird "connection", but to me it's unnecessary.

Show me how to cook good food, nix the stories, and we're good. That's what I loved about Good Eats.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, FNS jumped the shark years ago.

I usually like to tune into the premier, but this year I had an event to go to. I might watch the re-runs on Saturdays, if I don't have anything else to watch.

A lot of times, the "winners" don't pan out, anyway. Seriously. Go back and look at the previous winners of this show, and see what they're doing now. I know people HATED Justin Warner. The dude got a one-hour one-off show, and that was IT. I think he might have blogged for them for a year. That Lenny dude that won didn't even get a show. Damaris Phillips apparently got one, but it's on in a weird time slot.

What's the most sad to me is that people think this show is taped one week at a time -- during the season. I can validate this based upon the fact that for "train wreck" value I go onto the FN website and look at comments.

There's always "You should have voted off so-and-so" or "Bring back so-and-so", when the season was taped and "in the can" (as they say) months ago. There are also comments like "we don't want that kind of food! We want healthy food!" (as if the VERY few saying that speak for everyone) But nearly every single "healthy cooking" show on that network has failed.

You also get the "I would watch so-and-so" (usually along with some sort of reason). But then if that person wins, their show is usually canceled for -- surprise -- low ratings. Then you get the ones who complain and say, "You voted off so-and-so...I'm never watching again!!"

Though I will admit sometimes I think certain contestants get screwed over. Like the year Emily Ellyn was on. When she got eliminated, my opinion is she got screwed. The judges clearly liked her food better than Martita's (at least that's what we were shown on TV), and Martita stood there with 30 seconds of "dead air", and still went on? Yeah, nothing unscrupulous there...

Now they have celebrities cooking, drive around and shove food in your pie hole shows (I'm looking at you, Guy Fieri), and shows like "farm to table" or whatever, and too many contest shows.

I used to be a much more avid watcher of FN...I really only watch Chopped and Good Eats re-runs now.

I'm convinced FN doesn't know what it's viewers really want, and so they're dying a slow death at their own hand.

[rvdammit]

why is it always the grandma??

Grandparents tend to be the retired, free childcare option for working parents?

[firecat88]

That Lenny dude that won didn't even get a show. Damaris Phillips apparently got one, but it's on in a weird time slot.

Damaris' show is on Cooking Channel, I believe. I've seen a couple of episodes of it. And Lenny...apparently got into a lot of trouble with the network for some offensive videos, pictures, and forum comments that made them drop him like a turkey leg covered in spiders.

Also, dramatic backstories are FN's schtick for these kinda shows. Just look at Chopped.

[mjr]

Also, dramatic backstories are FN's schtick for these kinda shows. Just look at Chopped.

And they wonder why their ratings are down. But I've seen episodes before where you're right, you know who's gonna win when they introduce the candidates by who has the most dramatic/sob back story. Just make an appetizer out of bologna, Jell-O, and milk, and leave the story out or it.

[MoonCat]

And they wonder why their ratings are down. But I've seen episodes before where you're right, you know who's gonna win when they introduce the candidates by who has the most dramatic/sob back story. Just make an appetizer out of bologna, Jell-O, and milk, and leave the story out or it.

It's time for Stump the Cook!

I hear you on the personal stories. I feel the same way about the Olympics. I only want to see the competition, I don't care if the athlete was raised by wolves in a remote Russian forest from the age of 3 months to 16 years.

Back in the day, I saw more close-ups of Nancy Kerrigan's mother than I saw of the actual skating. That's not why I watch those competitions.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Looking forward to the new season, I do like most of these competition show on the Food Network. I haven't seen the first episode yet but it'll be re-run later this week... sometime...

And you're right, that kid won't last long. I figure that he'll be gone on the first episode where he'll have to work WITH someone and not AGAINST them.

And when the heck are the "Good Eats" re-runs???

And where the heck are the "Iron Chef Japan" re-runs??? Forget that, I want a DVD set of the series!

[Racket_Man]

This is just as bad as HGTV's (another Scripts Company channel) Next Design Star.

The premise is totally the same except in place of food it is color and design. I have ONLY seen the first couple of seasons winners get really popular (like David Bromstad the first winner and his show Color Splash which ran for like 4 or 5 seasons).

FN's Guy Feitie (sp) is really the ONLY Next Food Network Star to actually be a star. 99% of the rest are relegated to either one season cooking shows or the occasional judge position or obscurity.

I don't watch these show anymore as they get tooooooo drama ridden.

[Seanette]

And you're right, that kid won't last long. I figure that he'll be gone on the first episode where he'll have to work WITH someone and not AGAINST them.

Was that the "doofus" (as Simon Majumdar put it) who threw a sabotage at the chef he was working on the same dish with on Cutthroat?

For those who missed that one, one sabotage that round was to have the four chefs assigned into two teams for spaghetti and meatballs. One chef in each team did the pasta and sauce, the other did the meatball. Of the worse dish, the worse component's maker got booted. Doofus wound up doing the meatball on his team, hit his own partner with "not allowed to use salt".

[mjr]

FN's Guy Feitie (sp) is really the ONLY Next Food Network Star to actually be a star. 99% of the rest are relegated to either one season cooking shows or the occasional judge position or obscurity.

Guy Fieri's problem, at least in my opinion, is he comes off as a tool or a douche-bro. And I think that's why he's popular. He's the "cool" guy who drives around in a flashy car shoving food in his pie hole. I've seen a few episodes, so I get the premise, but that's just me.

Notice that, because of his popularity in doing so, that there are MORE shows doing that now, except without the flashy car.

[mjr]

Doofus wound up doing the meatball on his team, hit his own partner with "not allowed to use salt".

I go back and forth in my mind on whether or not this is a sane strategy. On one hand, if your partner is strong, you're likely to come up with a good dish. On the other hand, it's a good way to eliminate a stronger competitor.

I think I'd take the safe route, and work with the partner -- at least for that round.

[firecat88]

Was that the "doofus" (as Simon Majumdar put it) who threw a sabotage at the chef he was working on the same dish with on Cutthroat?

He's been on the show more than once, so...maybe? The episode I saw, the judge was Antonia Lofaso. In the third round, the dude said 'YOLO' while presenting his dish. When he started to explain what the letters stood for, she cut him off with an abrupt 'I know what it means. I have a thirteen-year-old daughter'.

[Seanette]

He's been on the show more than once, so...maybe? The episode I saw, the judge was Antonia Lofaso. In the third round, the dude said 'YOLO' while presenting his dish. When he started to explain what the letters stood for, she cut him off with an abrupt 'I know what it means. I have a thirteen-year-old daughter'.

Yeah, that immature fratbro jerk. I didn't see the episode you did, did see Doofus on the Evilicious tournament (Simon judged his episode). Doofus did get himself cut in that first round. He and his partner had the weaker dish, mostly due to a very dry meatball, which got the kid spanked.

[mjr]

Yeah, that immature fratbro jerk.

I saw Sunday's repeat today. And surprise, immature fratbro jerk (or, as my wife and I now refer to him, "Douche boy") was in the bottom 3, in the very first episode.

We haven't figured out if they're going to get rid of him quickly, or keep him around for "train wreck" value.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

They said his food was good, but he wasn't able to convey what he wanted to say... I figure he'll stick his foot in his mouth during a judge review and he'll be gone. Looking forward to it, too!

I do hope the other guy (Dom?) gets a handle on his nerves enough to do a promo right.