Chopping your way Through the Competition:
6 Reasons Why You Should Watch Chopped
New up and coming chefs seem like a dying race these days. There's one reality television show that aims to fix that very epidemic. Currently running through its 33rd season, Food Networks "Chopped" comes to give marketable fame to many little known chefs who seemingly have what it takes to make it to the top. Each and every episode displaying heart pounding competitions of pure culinary skill. A chef's creativity and cooking abilities are put the ultimate test when they are required to use every ingredient randomly chosen from a basket for appetizer, entree, and dessert. Contestants of four quickly decrease one phase at a time, each phase representing a portion of a proper meal. Finally when each phase is said and done, only one chef remains and becomes a true culinary paragon. With a prize sum of $10,000 waiting for said winner, its clear to see that the stakes of Chopped are higher than one can imagine. While this set up seems like the poster-child for generic competition reality television fair, anyone who takes a look beyond the surface level will find a program truly worth their time and emotional investment thanks to its message that no one is perfect, alongside a true passion for food and cooking.
To start at the very beginning, each episode starts with the four contestants each given a separate introduction in turn, giving a brief synopsis of their background, culinary skill, and personality. Many contestants, such as chef San Allison, executive chef at a Restaurant by the name of Savor and Y in Manhattan, have severe mental drives to be on Chopped, like the fact that San has had 2 strokes in his life and is using Chopped as a test to see if he still qualifies to be a chef. Such backstories and motivations give the audience a contestant to root for and relate too. For no chef that appears on chopped(Within normal circumstances) is really known outside of this. This gives each chefs' struggle some real weight. Because just like the audience, these chefs were practically nobodies until Chopped gave them their moment and chance at fame. This reinforces the concept June Deery argues is central to reality television, "Amateur Status". No chef is free from criticism when their culinary "Masterpieces" are put on the chopping block for each of the three celebrity judge chefs to critique. With how the editing of the show seems to have each chef build up their cooking quite high before getting judged, the resounding *Clang* that plays when a judge chef methodically tears their dish apart is all the more humbling and satisfying. Chopped delivers a vivid theme that no one is perfect, anyone can come from anywhere, and no matter how talented or hardworking you are, there's always a way in which you can better yourself.
Contrary to how many mediums idealize and glorify a celebrity's judgement and abilities, even the celebrity judge chefs are not exempt from criticism coming from either the contestants or their fellow judges. This can range from simple disagreements on an aspect of a dish between two judges, to a full blown argument between a judge and a contestant about a "flaw" within a dish. While the editing of said events may work to exaggerate the severity of such disagreements, the main concept still remains that even celebrities are not perfect beings. While on Chopped, feedback from a judge chef on a dish is immediately countered with an "excuse" of some kind by the respective chef. While it's true that the words of the judge hold more merit, the fact that what each contestant has to say for themselves is given as much screen time as it does goes to show that within the Chopped environment, every chef's word is given some sort of merit. Celebrities are not gods, and Chopped drives this concept home with it's feedback friendly environment, from both ends of either the judge chef or the participant.
Although celebrities are not divine beings, they do hold power over which contestant obtains what most view as the main motivation for entering Chopped, the reward money sum of 10,000 dollars. The fact that each contestant is competing for such a large sum of cash adds a sense of weight and stakes to every single movement by the contestants, secret ingredient thrown as a curve-ball for the participants, and every single word and look that the judge chefs give each contestant chef. On multiple occasions, the concept of winning said sum can lead to a contestant letting it get the better of them, and having that money be the only thing they care about. For example an episode where a singular chef's backstory of wanting to win the prize money for the sake of his mother back home who was diagnosed with cancer, practically made his need for the money be the only thing he talked about. Certainly, the editing and footage of said chef could've been edited to paint him in a negative light, but the point still stands that the chef's motivation ended up taking far too much precedence over his own actions as a contestant and a person. The large tempting sum of 10,000 dollars waiting for the winning contestant at the end of Chopped adds a sense of tension and weight to the contest, so much that it may blind some participants.
Although some participants' passion for food may be blinded by money, there is certainly one man one the cast of Chopped that isn't, the host of said show himself Ted Allen. Sadly, beloved host Ted Allen for all the time he spends on Chopped, his overall role is very limited. Even so, Ted Allen's passion for food still shines through, each chef uses food as a medium to not only attempt to win the prize money, but to express themselves and bring out their dish's flavor. For every chef that is participating purely for the money, there is a chef that participates to purely test his or her own skill, for the sake of cooking itself. For example, on one episode a chef who literally works under world renowned "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto, came to chopped in order to test his own skills and due his superior proud, for the sake of cooking itself. This drive for perfection in cooking and passion for food shines through even when the general theme of the Chopped can be muddied by certain chefs who simply participate purely for the large prize money sum of 10,000 dollars. While some chefs purely wish to participate in chopped for the sake of a mere 10,000 dollars, the passion of food originating from Host Ted Allen is still alive and well in the form of chefs who wish to test their own abilities through chopped for the sake of food and cooking itself.
In conclusion, Chopped is a reality television program well worth a viewers time. Giving younger up and coming chefs a chance at not only 10,000 dollars, but fame through the food network adds a sense of weight and tenseness guaranteed to keep anyone at the edge of their seats. However, if one looks beyond the surface level of a simple contest for money, they will find a program that celebrates a passion for food through cooking that finds a way to drive home the message that no singular person, not even celebrities are perfect or free from disagreements or even criticism.
"Ted Allen Plays with His Food: Host of TV's 'Chopped' Shares a Love of Cooking."San Jose, Mercury News [CA] 29 May 2012: n. pag. Print.
Contrary to how many mediums idealize and glorify a celebrity's judgement and abilities, even the celebrity judge chefs are not exempt from criticism coming from either the contestants or their fellow judges. This can range from simple disagreements on an aspect of a dish between two judges, to a full blown argument between a judge and a contestant about a "flaw" within a dish. While the editing of said events may work to exaggerate the severity of such disagreements, the main concept still remains that even celebrities are not perfect beings. While on Chopped, feedback from a judge chef on a dish is immediately countered with an "excuse" of some kind by the respective chef. While it's true that the words of the judge hold more merit, the fact that what each contestant has to say for themselves is given as much screen time as it does goes to show that within the Chopped environment, every chef's word is given some sort of merit. Celebrities are not gods, and Chopped drives this concept home with it's feedback friendly environment, from both ends of either the judge chef or the participant.
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| Clearly, a certain chef's antics has caught Chef Alex Guarnacelli, Bobby Flay, and even Host Ted Allen's attention. |
Although celebrities are not divine beings, they do hold power over which contestant obtains what most view as the main motivation for entering Chopped, the reward money sum of 10,000 dollars. The fact that each contestant is competing for such a large sum of cash adds a sense of weight and stakes to every single movement by the contestants, secret ingredient thrown as a curve-ball for the participants, and every single word and look that the judge chefs give each contestant chef. On multiple occasions, the concept of winning said sum can lead to a contestant letting it get the better of them, and having that money be the only thing they care about. For example an episode where a singular chef's backstory of wanting to win the prize money for the sake of his mother back home who was diagnosed with cancer, practically made his need for the money be the only thing he talked about. Certainly, the editing and footage of said chef could've been edited to paint him in a negative light, but the point still stands that the chef's motivation ended up taking far too much precedence over his own actions as a contestant and a person. The large tempting sum of 10,000 dollars waiting for the winning contestant at the end of Chopped adds a sense of tension and weight to the contest, so much that it may blind some participants.
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| The sad thing is this is scarily accurate to how Judge Chef Scott Conant actually judges . |
Although some participants' passion for food may be blinded by money, there is certainly one man one the cast of Chopped that isn't, the host of said show himself Ted Allen. Sadly, beloved host Ted Allen for all the time he spends on Chopped, his overall role is very limited. Even so, Ted Allen's passion for food still shines through, each chef uses food as a medium to not only attempt to win the prize money, but to express themselves and bring out their dish's flavor. For every chef that is participating purely for the money, there is a chef that participates to purely test his or her own skill, for the sake of cooking itself. For example, on one episode a chef who literally works under world renowned "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto, came to chopped in order to test his own skills and due his superior proud, for the sake of cooking itself. This drive for perfection in cooking and passion for food shines through even when the general theme of the Chopped can be muddied by certain chefs who simply participate purely for the large prize money sum of 10,000 dollars. While some chefs purely wish to participate in chopped for the sake of a mere 10,000 dollars, the passion of food originating from Host Ted Allen is still alive and well in the form of chefs who wish to test their own abilities through chopped for the sake of food and cooking itself.
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| The many contestants of season 5 |
Works Cited
Deery, June. Reality TV. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015."Ted Allen Plays with His Food: Host of TV's 'Chopped' Shares a Love of Cooking."San Jose, Mercury News [CA] 29 May 2012: n. pag. Print.
Beautiful~
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