Highbrow Magazine - Top Chef https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/top-chef en The Reality Behind Reality TV https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3874-reality-behind-reality-tv <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 04/03/2014 - 10:42</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1realitytv.jpg?itok=SpHisgHz"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1realitytv.jpg?itok=SpHisgHz" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Before there was reality television, there were dramatic movies and sidesplitting comedies that had just the right mix of art-imitating life that we could relate to. With scripts based, in some part, on real situations, writers drew from their own life experiences and people they knew, to construct complex characters that we either loved or loved to hate. Sixteen years after the last episode aired, <em>Seinfeld </em>is still one of the most popular sitcoms ever produced. And while Jerry Seinfeld is a talented comedian, he and Larry David, the show’s other creator, have admitted that the characters we watched were based on people they actually knew and that the series incorporated situations they had experienced and had adapted to match the sitcom’s characters. This mix of reality, improvisation and script created the perfect hybrid for us – imaginable situations, acted out by people we either liked or liked to laugh at, and with Hollywood’s guarantee of a happy ending at the end of every episode.</p> <p> </p> <p>Cut to present-day television viewing. Press the guide button on your TV remote and you will notice that the most popular genre of shows are now “Reality”. And while almost every person will declare that reality television is not real, a startling number of new shows are constantly being produced because there are viewers to receive them.</p> <p> </p> <p>Even as naysayers publicly castigate Juan Pablo Galavis, the latest bachelor on the hit ABC “reality” series, the franchise just wrapped up its 18<sup>th</sup> season, with the next bachelorette already selected to star in the hit spin-off. The <em>un-reality</em> continues, all while viewers tweet and comment, “the show isn’t real” and “<em>The Bachelor</em> is an unrealistic fairytale”.</p> <p> </p> <p>Eight years after the first <em>Real Housewives</em> franchise began showing what went on in the lives of Orange County housewives, several spin-off shows have been filmed, all over the country and even in Canada. In March 2006, when the reality series began, it depicted the lives of affluent women, who had lives that the vast majority of viewers were curious about so they could compare it to their own lives. In March 2014, the current series show women, from several major cities, many of whom are not married, and who are far from affluent, in some cases even in varying stages of homelessness.</p> <p> </p> <p>A quick scan of Twitter and entertainment blogs reveals a collection of negative comments that might lead one to think the shows are on their last legs, about to be canceled for failing to garner an audience. Yet, every succeeding year, another “Real Housewives” spinoff joins the franchise. If all the comments are negative, who are the viewers who constantly reward reality show producers with consistent high ratings to ensure continued production?</p> <p>The most common criticism about reality shows is “it couldn’t be real because nobody acts that way.” Skepticism is natural – to approach the unknown with caution is a valid survival mechanism. But how does one prove whether reality TV production deserves this skepticism? How do you prove whether a show is real or made-up?</p> <p> </p> <p>In the December 2, 2012 issue of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/the-life-lessons-hidden-in-reality-tv.html?pagewanted=1&amp;_r=0">NY Times Magazine</a>, A. Seigel wrote that “<em>The Bachelor</em> is this generation’s Stanford Prison Experiment”, referring to the 1971 study where university students participated in an exercise where two groups were randomly chosen to be inmates or prison wardens. Almost as quickly as the roles were assigned, both “prisoners” and “guards” became the embodiment of the characters – those playing guards became sadistic, and those playing prisoners became depressed and exhibited signs of stress, consistent with extended periods of imprisonment, not the mere hours of simulation to which they had been exposed.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2realitytv.jpg" style="height:416px; width:625px" /></p> <p>When the guards began using physical torture to enforce order and an early- released prisoner threatened to organize a prison-break, the study, scheduled to last two weeks, had to be canceled after just six days. It had become apparent that the characters had taken over the people playing them, almost as though just being in a situation caused them to change their perception of themselves. So although the experiment began as a scripted version of reality, the actors had internalized their roles so much so, that they believed it had <u>become</u> their reality.</p> <p> </p> <p>Is that still happening in reality shows?</p> <p> </p> <p>It’s easy to stand on the outside and look in to criticize the whole premise of <em>The Bachelor.</em> How can intelligent women agree to appear in a prolonged group date where they share a man with 25 other women, and then are left heartbroken when they experience the almost certain rejection at some point during the date? It’s easy to point fingers because in the common experience, when boy and girl are dating, if girl knows that boy is also dating several other girls, girl hightails it out of that situation. Most women will absolutely not tolerate the idea of sharing their boyfriend, particularly not with a woman who is their roommate; they will issue ultimatums but will definitely <em>not</em> continue kissing him knowing he also kissed their friend last night.</p> <p> </p> <p>True, the behaviors displayed on some of these reality shows appear to be abnormal but as the behaviors are abnormal, so too the situations are abnormal. How do you know how you would react if you were placed in a similar situation? If the students at Stanford, and who knew the script beforehand, and who although they were separated from the families and removed from their homes, were still in the company of people with whom they were familiar, people they trusted, and even then, they could not refrain from succumbing to internalizing their situation, how can anyone be so sure what they would do?</p> <p> </p> <p>Examine for a moment A&amp;E’s <em>Hoarders</em>, as real a TV show as there has ever been. Have you ever had a junk drawer that you neglected to clean for a long time? The real people presented on <em>Hoarders</em> keep not just drawers or rooms, but entire homes filled with items they have collected over years of an exaggerated inability to let go of anything, to the point where it takes over their lives and suffocates their relationships. The producers bring in therapists to engage the hoarders and try to get them to a place where they can acknowledge that their hoarding <u>is</u> a problem, and be willing to let go of some of the physical baggage as they deal with the emotional issues for which hoarding has been a poor substitute. And while viewers tune in to watch and comment on “the worst episode ever” and state, “This can’t be real, nobody could live like that”, they are still tuning in.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3realitytv.jpg" style="height:377px; width:625px" /></p> <p>Take <em>Naked and Afraid</em>, Discovery Channel’s reality series, where two strangers are dropped off in a remote area without their clothes or possessions. For 21 days, they carry a single survival essential item and have to find their own food, water and shelter and endure natural hazard. Sure, it’s not our reality because these are not situations most Americans face on a regular basis - even the most avid survivalists or hikers usually carries provisions on their nature excursions. As with any other series, there are as many critics as there are opinions about the show. Some argue that the successes are artificially exaggerated – how can a man who almost starves when he can barely spear an eel for food then turn around and build a sturdy life raft with no tools?</p> <p> </p> <p>But whether there are interferences from the producers or not, the physical results are real and viewers can watch the effect of near-starvation with a photo montage showing before and after pictures - the normal looking ‘before’ pictures replaced with frightening images of taut skin covering gaunt, blackened faces, eyes sunken from near dehydration. Discomforting, but real.</p> <p> </p> <p>No photographs or video footage could properly convey the smells that accompany the garbage piles after a hoarder hasn’t been able to clean their house in several years. But the dead animals and the slime that leaks out of bins of rotten food accurately depict it. And the wave of nausea that a viewer feels when they watch these realer-than-most shows on TV are repulsive, not just for what they see on the screen but also because it conjures up some gross experience that they can imagine happening to them.</p> <p> </p> <p>And then in early 2014, just as millions of Americans turned their thoughts to love and romance and the promise of forever after, ABC brought us Juan Pablo and his honest way of dismissing hopes and crushing the dreams of almost every bachelorette who envisioned “happily ever after” with him. At the end of the season, when he decided that rather than offer an engagement ring to a woman he had less than 10 dates with, all the while dating several other women, the popular reaction was abhorrent disbelief. Sure, there are cultures where family elders match young men and women so that their first meeting occurs at their engagement party or after the veil is lifted at the wedding ceremony. But arranged marriages are not prevalent in North American culture. The popular idea of American dating is that boy sees girl, girl dreams about boy, boy and girl date for a few years, boy and girl meet each other’s families, spend time in each other’s surroundings, boy finally realizes his life will never be the same without said girl, and proposes marriage. Why is this latest bachelor criticized for wanting an equal opportunity to spend time in real-world situations before he makes a commitment? Is it because like the guards in the Stanford study, the vast viewing public has internalized its role and refuses to let the “inmate” free himself? Why reject the reality that we demanded?</p> <p> </p> <p>Is it because we don’t really want the reality that we constantly say that we seek?</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/4raelitytv.jpg" style="height:356px; width:634px" /></p> <p>In the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/03/11/the-bachelor-implodes-in-real-time-during-most-awkward-finale-ever-thanks-to-juan-pablo/">March 11, 2014 online issue</a> of the <em>Washington Post</em> style blogs, Emily Yahr commented that, “While the (<em>Bachelor’s</em>) final episode was wildly uncomfortable to watch, it was also one of the most riveting hours of reality television in recent memory… (because) it exposed the fascinating disconnect between veteran show producers stubbornly anchored in tradition and a star who doesn’t follow the rules.” Rules? What rules? Who decides what happens in this man’s life?</p> <p> </p> <p>In their popular series, the Kardashians have created an almost impenetrable fortress around their family secrets, releasing just enough information to keep viewers interested as they release hundreds of episodes and various spinoffs following different family members. And while they have invited a production team into their home, even the façade of their TV home is a fake, as they admit that they choose to show a different house exterior to keep stalkers at bay.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Kardashian reality-stars remain private enough with their secrets, maintaining that each family member is “fine,” encouraging viewers to tune in to see what happens next with the family. As the years continue, they decide what they will allow us to know about them, and their viewers continue to increase whether or not the show is real.</p> <p> </p> <p>But even when reality TV situations are exaggerated, they afford the departure from normal lives and keep the general public convinced that the life that is portrayed is indeed possible. For the positive scenes of affluence or fairytale romance or weight loss, it is motivational and persuasive, planting the idea that maybe, it could also happen to you. For the negative images presented, like those hoarders being almost buried alive by the possessions they are reluctant to let go of, the show might just be graphic enough to inspire some to clean out their closet, in an effort to never, ever resemble the too-real images they have just witnessed.</p> <p> </p> <p>As the more than 300 current reality TV shows indicate, the reality genre is profitable to produce and here to stay. How will we allow ourselves to be affected by it?</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong><br /> <em>Karen Wright is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @kamari2001.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/reality-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">reality TV</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bachelor" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the bachelor</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/juan-pablo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">juan pablo</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/real-housewives" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the real housewives</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/real-housewives-beverly-hills" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">real housewives of beverly hills</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/seinfeld" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">seinfeld</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sitcoms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sitcoms</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jerry-seinfeld" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jerry seinfeld</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/survivor" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Survivor</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/online-dating-rituals" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">online dating rituals</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/top-chef" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Chef</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Karen Wright</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:42:57 +0000 tara 4532 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3874-reality-behind-reality-tv#comments The Reality of Top Chef https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/reality-top-chef <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 09/18/2011 - 18:38</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TopChefPhoto.jpg?itok=S8sIQrcO"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TopChefPhoto.jpg?itok=S8sIQrcO" width="480" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> The allure of reality shows, more than any other television genre, is that they are relatable. ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ are quality programs, but we can’t really relate to most of the characters; they are, after all, fictional. Whereas the stars of reality TV could be (and in theory are) one of us. We tend to root for the ones who would make the same decisions we would, who would be our friends in real life, who (in theory) are not just characters hamming it up for extra air-time.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In the beginning, reality shows like ‘Survivor,’ ‘The Real World’ and ‘Big Brother’ featured contestants who required no special skills. Producers relied purely on relatability and sought out contestants just like the average viewer (though maybe better-looking). But then came talent-based reality shows, which showcased regular people, but with at least a decade of intense professional training or an insane amount of talent. When it comes to shows like ‘American Idol,’ ‘Project Runway,’ or ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ we, the viewers, appreciate what contestants bring to the stage, and whether or not we can relate takes a backseat.</p> <p>  </p> <p> And that’s where a show like ‘Top Chef’ becomes  rather hard to swallow (pardon the pun). Unlike the dancing, singing and sewing competitions, we barely get to see, let alone taste, the food from ‘Top Chef,’ so we can’t apply our personal preferences. Sautéed scallops with banana foam sounds unappetizing, so despite head judge Tom Colicchio assuring us that this is the best thing he’s ever tasted, there’s no connection to the end result.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In theory, ‘Top Chef’ should be put it into the skill-free reality-show bucket. But at the same time, these talented, professionally trained chefs are not really relatable. These are chefs who charge more money for a meal  than I’ll make for this article.</p> <p>  </p> <p> So why do people still watch ‘Top Chef?’ Well, in the first few seasons, ’Top Chef’ had interesting (and relatable) challenges. The average TV viewer may not have been trained by experts in France , yet the tasks set forth required as much creativity and thought as they did culinary skills. During each challenge, we wondered: What would I do? We had a way to connect with the chefs onscreen.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Given my lack of a Sears Kenmore kitchen appliance suite, I can’t participate in Restaurant Wars, but Season Two’s ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ challenge?  I could do that. Heck, I could throw a party around that. Contestant Betty’s slow-roasted soups served in a shot glass to represent sloth? Inspiring. In fact, after that particular episode, I wanted her to win, because that’s something I would have cooked.</p> <p>  </p> <p> So, ‘Top Chef’ producers, what happened to those relatable challenges? In recent seasons, we’re seeing a slew of the same, peculiar challenges repeating themselves. Hey chef, guess what? I can’t pronounce half the items in your mystery box, let alone know where to shop for them, or how you afford to pay for them and put them together in a meaningful way. And the physical challenges… Can I cook with only one hand, blindfolded and sharing an apron with someone else? Maybe, but really, why would I?</p> <p>  </p> <p> A word to the producers of ‘Top Chef’: We’re not, by nature, a nation of gourmets. The average American doesn’t know what a meunière sauce is, but they can name most of the ingredients in a Big Mac. So is the solution to dumb down the show? No. Because if nothing else, we love a good competition. Help us relate to  the show, and we’ll stick with it.</p> <p>  </p> <p> On a personal note, for the last few years, I’ve gone through the motions with ‘Top Chef.’ I wanted Richard Blais to win, but only because we share a last name. I can’t relate to half of what he does with liquid nitrogen. (I was actually under the impression it was illegal to buy liquid nitrogen.) I only tune in because I can’t help but hope they’ll bring back a challenge I can relate to. I’m giving it one more season. I’m currently watching a DVR’d ‘Top Chef Desserts’ while writing this article. I know the theme of the challenge is fairy tales, but I couldn’t really tell you what they’re doing. Once they started building spun-sugar beanstalk towers, I stopped paying attention. My microwave isn’t tall enough to handle it.</p> <p> <em><strong>Image on the main page by Asbjorn Floden, Flickr</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/top-chef" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Chef</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/reality-television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">reality television</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tom-colicchio" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Tom Colicchio</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/gourmet" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">gourmet</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Elisabeth Blais</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Bravo</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:38:21 +0000 tara 82 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/reality-top-chef#comments