There are a couple of things that I noticed while binge watching food related reality shows with my sister. I will also write a list of my favorite cooking TV shows, but beforehand, let me introduce the topic by telling you how many things we learned:
- British reality shows are 100% different from the American version (sometimes even of the same show!).
- If you put bacon into something, you are taking it "to a whole new level".
- The cake is too big, it will not fit into the van!
That said, I want to talk about one person in particular whose shows I have been watching for over three years now:
Gordon Ramsay.
If you don't watch cooking shows then you know
Gordon Ramsay one way: the yelling as*hole who curses all the time in a reality show about a restaurant. Right? Well, that's even less than the tip of the iceberg. Allow me to elaborate!
I will admit that that
Ramsay is the character he was paid to play on the show.
Remember: a character, it's key to understand where I am headed with all of this. That's, or more precisely
he was what the American people need. And I am not being judgemental here, it's simply a fact. I dare you to watch a sweet baking competition like
The Great British Bake Off and an episode of
Hell's Kitchen. Go on! Google it, see it on YouTube, it's ridiculous how different they are! The structure of certain reality shows is to build up suspense - which is fine in certain cases -, but otherwise it is very annoying. Oh and yes, they had the bake off show in America, entitled
The American Baking Competition and it was cancelled after one season.
So in case you are an American who would enjoy such a relaxed and sweet smiley show where people are awarded for their achievement and not just sh*t on, check it out! But even the American had somebody who did everything to break the rules, and he won... so yeah, Americans and their mentality...
What am I trying to say?
That American reality shows suck? Yeah. Yeah they do, because 90% is about watching people fail miserably and laughing at their misfortunes and at the judges telling them off. I don't enjoy that. What I do enjoy is teaching and actual criticism.
So why am I talking about
Gordon Ramsay? Because he is that person. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong, but I'll let you know that you have not seen a single episode of
The F Word or of his travels abroad, or any British production or interview with late night hosts, then you don't know anything about him.
That man is hilarious and he is the kind of teacher who will tell you off when you really are shit, and get you motivated, but will gently pat you on the shoulder if you are too inconfident and when you do a good job. He doesn't like pompuos or overconfident people, but if you prove yourself you will be awarded. And for me that's a good teacher. All my life I have been told I'm shit, so when I am told now, I don't really hear it anymore, it doesn't even make me want to do better, it's like
"Oh yeah? Okay, I guess. Moving on." and I just agree with it. But you will see a significant difference between an American
Hell's Kitchen and a British
The F Word. In one he exaggerates, like a lot, and that's not necessarily his fault. Americans are born winners, have you noticed that?
"I am the next (insert title of show here)". Failure? Not an option. The American competitors do have big mouths and are excentric and have a certain pride to themselves. It's no wonder you will see less shoulder patting. But that's fine, because that's what the audience wants to see, the American audience that is, somebody cursing and the students cursing back and so on...
But not me. I don't enjoy that. When you are standing in front of a chef who's got successful restaurants, has travelled the world, can basically make anything with anything in 10 minutes - even if your palate is a bit different -
when he tells you that what you made is "sh*t", you should probably go ahead and believe him. And why? Because even if you like it (and I know people who eat oranges with ketchup, so hey, you're not alone!), you should still accept the opinion of a trained professional and shut up. Learn. You are here to learn.
Humility? It's a wonderful trait, and you cannot learn without it, trust me, I know! Been there and done that, seen it again, taught people who didn't have it, NOT fun. The basic idea is that you are loser if you admit defeat, right? Americans and there rules... society sucks over there. Overconfidence will only get you so far! And the British? They do have humility.
When
Ramsay yells they try to be better, even if they already gave it their all, they will die trying!
I'm not saying Americans won't, but you can only watch so many shows with people yelling into your face that they are the best of the best! I've seen kids and moms tremble in front of
Ramsay, and others just laughing and talking with him and not even taking him seriously! He knows people, he is able to create a relationship with everyone and that's fabulous. I remember in last year's
Masterchef, when my favorite contestant,
Jamiee Vitolo was eliminated and for her
memory video of her best moments in the show they actually showed footage that has never been seen: in it she was sitting on the floor in the studio with Ramsay and they were just talking and laughing. That's the man I love, not the version mass media wants to sell you!
That said. I have seen a lot of
Gordon Ramsay. Not just in a kitchen calling someone an "Idiot sandwich", or something way worse... (here's a list of the best:
25 Of Gordon Ramsay’s Greatest-Ever Insults), but interviews where he keeps laughing, even
Masterchef Junior is ten times more humane than the adult version, along with British shows where he is with his kids and family. Not to mention the discovery shows, where you find out that there are things even
Ramsay is scared of!
Why did I write this entry?
Yes, the final question, well, let alone the fact that I too am preparing to become a teacher and that I have been blessed with teachers who see through the bullshit of some people, I wanted to write about
Gordon Ramsay from a bit of a different view. That is, him as a role model and not so much as a chef. There is a reason he acts the way he does and I can't blame him.
Actually, 99% of the time (unless it is hyped for TV) he is right when he tells somebody to "F*ck off".
I hope I made you want to look up his work, because really, there is more than meets the eye!
Still, he does curse a lot. But I kinda don't mind, because they are usually well positioned! And when he is mean to someone it is usually very much justified! That said I would like to end with a quote:
"I have Gordon Ramsay parties. We sit around and tell each other to f*ck off."
