Hell's Kitchen, a Review

I have stated in the past that I think Hell's Kitchen is one of the worst food shows on TV, and I stand firm on that opinion. After having watched a third or so of two episodes, I just cannot do it again. I tried watching it to be fair and not cast judgement until I had more information, but it's just to embarrassing and too painful. TVFoodFan.com has a short review on the subject right now, and some news about Gordon Ramsay getting shot in the eye with hot soup. He's OK, which is unfortunate, in my opinion.

If you don't know what this show is, just watch FOX for a while some evening and you'll see a preview of it. Basically, chef Gordon Ramsay oversees two teams of chefs yearning to be the best, all the while yelling at them, calling them names, and making them feel like shit. Each week, someone is voted off (like all reality shows), and the winner will be crowned the champion of Hell's Kitchen and get their own restaurant.

Let me go back to what I said in that last paragraph. The contestants get yelled at, sometimes screamed at. They get food thrown at them. They are made to feel like complete and utter losers and failures at the slightest mistake, and Ramsay calls them names and puts them down the entire show. But all of them stay there, wanting to win and get their restaurant. At numerous times during an episode, the contestants stand in a line in front of chef Ramsay to get denigrated. They all stand there with this terrible look on their faces. One of defeat, humiliation, and shame. Just look at this picture.

After watching the show once, I knew what that look was. I've made that look before back in my fraternity days. It's the look of someone who has been hazed.

Hazing is what Ramsay does. He yells, screams, throws food, and belittles people who want to succeed or be accepted. I hated getting hazed by my fraternity brothers. It was one of the worst times in my life. And I have never seen any application of hazing that makes practical sense in the real world.

I'm embarrassed to watch Hell's Kitchen. I'm embarrassed for the participants. And I feel sad for them.