Am I the only one who thinks Lisa's made it to the Top Chef finale not despite the fact that she's an inferior cook to several of the people who've gone down in recent weeks but precisely because the producers like the idea of building up a villain. A Richard-Antonia-Stephanie finale would be all good people and talented chefs -- who wants that? But with Lisa in the mix, we can root for her downfall.
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Conspiracy Theories
06 Jun 2008 03:12 pm
Comments (47)
I suggest you read the Top Chef blogs, in particular Tom Collichio's defense of the judge's decision. Averring that the judges are keeping someone on the show for ratings is a pretty serious charge--its what separates Top Chef from, say, Hells Kitchen. To paraphrase Ted Allen, I feel bad for the producer who has to tell Tom Collichio that his culinary judgment need not be important to the show.
After all, you didn't taste the food.
Actually, I think the "judges don't make a decision on cumulative basis" makes much more sense than a producer conspiracy. All Lisa has had to do is not screw up as bad as somebody else, which she's managed. There are lots of situations in which people manage to fail themselves upward (see e.g. Bush, George Walker), and Lisa's rise is one of them.
Plus, she managed to not undercook anything. And if there's one thing I've learned from Top Chef, it's that all else being equal, undercooking or underseasoning will lead to elimination, period.
I believe this disclaimer runs at the the end of the show:
"Winning and elimination decisions were made by the judges in consultation with producers. Some elimination decisions were discussed with Bravo."
So, um, duh.
I came to the same conclusion when I watched it.
Agree absolutely. Nothing gets my girlfriend more charged (with regards to Top Chef) than rooting openly against Lisa. Unlike sports teams, people tend not to back a single person in these events, but rather go for a collection (plenty of people would be happy with Antonia, Richard, Stephanie, or even Dale winning Top Chef). But one thing people can get behind is rooting against a common villain.
Part of me thought it was because they really wanted a woman to win, and getting Lisa in there helped stack it in their favor. Four men in a row would not make for good politics.
Otherwise, if they wanted a villain, why not keep Dale in? He had at one point won 25% of the competitions (5/20), despite competing against more than 3 other opponents. Much more talented than Lisa.
I hope I'm wrong, and I admit that this is unlikely.
Re "the producers like the idea of building up a villain. A Richard-Antonia-Stephanie finale would be all good people and talented chefs -- who wants that? But with Lisa in the mix, we can root for her downfall."
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Er..it's about REALITY. What makes you think she will fall?
Have you eaten in Philly lately?
Oooh, this one made my blood boil. Lisa's a whiner, a sore loser, a blame-tosser, and she cooks some unarguably weird crap. But Antonia's mistake was fundamental whereas Lisa's was executional. At this stage of the game there's not only zero room for error but, when two errors are committed, the judges will go with the more elementary (and thereby more egregious) misstep. I think it took some guts to kick out one of the favorite contestants who has performed consistently well and is liked and respected by judges and fellow chefs alike, and instead choose to keep the impudent, purse-lipped misanthrope, Lisa - all in the name of culinary integrity.
P.S. If you want to see a brutal match-up purely for ratings zing, see if you can dig up a rerun of last night's So You Think You Can Dance where two female roommates and close friends successfully navigated the minefield of contemporary, Broadway, ballroom and Mia Michael's loopy acid-trip choreography in the grueling Las Vegas final auditions only to be pitted against each other for the last remaining spot in the top 20. It was disgusting. I loved it.
Just read Cameron's link, and completely changed my mind. Wow. Thanks for that. I've never seen anything that behind-the-scenes from a reality show judge.
This NPR story ( found here ) says reality show producers like to use sleep deprivation as a way to kick-up the stress and confrontation.
And they noted Top Chef has done this as well. So, I wouldn't doubt it.
BTW, the producers will tell you this is a reality show not a contest.
Oooh, this one made my blood boil. Lisa's a whiner, a sore loser, a blame-tosser, and she cooks some unarguably weird crap. But Antonia's mistake was fundamental whereas Lisa's was executional. At this stage of the game there's not only zero room for error but, when two errors are committed, the judges will go with the more elementary (and thereby more egregious) misstep. I think it took some guts to kick out one of the favorite contestants who has performed consistently well and is liked and respected by judges and fellow chefs alike, and instead choose to keep the impudent, purse-lipped misanthrope, Lisa - all in the name of culinary integrity.
P.S. If you want to see a brutal match-up purely for ratings zing, see if you can dig up a rerun of last night's So You Think You Can Dance where two female roommates and close friends successfully navigated the minefield of contemporary, Broadway, ballroom and Mia Michael's loopy acid-trip choreography in the grueling Las Vegas final auditions only to be pitted against each other for the last remaining spot in the top 20. It was disgusting. I loved it.
Nah, Lisa's just insanely lucky -- every time she screws up, someone else manages to make a bigger mistake.
I do hope Richard and Stephanie crush her in the finale, though.
It was funny last episode when the Bravo TV text message poll reported that 91% of the respondents thought Lisa should go home.
Lisa is lucky. Even when she cooks things that are mediocre or just plain bad, and even when she acts like an unbearable wench, someone else is a little worse, or their errors are more egregious.
The judges hate it when things are undercooked. They hate it more than general mediocrity. So Antonia and her undercooked peas were sent packing.
Lisa can't win. It's obvious. It's also been obvious that the winner will be either Stephanie and Richard. So, it doesn't matter a whole lot in which order Dale, Lisa, Andrew, et al all were sent home. Like Richard said, 'Congratulations, Lisa, for winning your bronze medal.'
It's also worth thinking about the contrast in styles. Richard and Lisa both struggle with execution in ways that Stephanie and Antonia don't, but they also set themselves apart from Stephanie and Antonia in that they push the envelope in terms of flavor and conception.
And lets not forget that the choice wasn't down to Lisa or Dale. It was Lisa or Spike. So if we're talking about unappealing personalities...
And lets not forget that the choice wasn't down to Lisa or Dale. It was Lisa or Spike. So if we're talking about unappealing personalities...
First it was between Dale and Lisa, because Spike cunningly stayed out of the kitchen and avoided conflict.
Then it was between Spike and Lisa.
while lisa was absolutely not among this season's strongest chefs, antonia's offerings that night, by look and description, seemed to be a bland muddled mess. if it was cumulative ratings, it might have been dale there instead of antonia in the first place.
"Actually, I think the "judges don't make a decision on cumulative basis" makes much more sense than a producer conspiracy"
I kind of think that the judges do make decisions on a cumulative basis. Last season Hung was on the chopping block with dishes that the judges felt were horrible, but he never went home. Season 2 Marcel made some really crappy dishes (with that foam!) that the judges passed on. I think in the case of Hung the judges just felt he was a better chef, and Marcel got advanced for ratings, man did I hate that GUY! Lisa's story seems a little improbable and she reminds me a little of Tiffany from season 1 (but without the skills), we all hate the villain. So, at some point in the show I think that the judges switch to who's the better chef instead of who makes the best dishes. But in the case of Antonia, she did make some awful food (it looked like) while Lisa's seemed better.
So I'm torn between agreeing with Matt and with the judges.
Man this is the geekiest comment I have ever written
"Actually, I think the "judges don't make a decision on cumulative basis" makes much more sense than a producer conspiracy"
I kind of think that the judges do make decisions on a cumulative basis. Last season Hung was on the chopping block with dishes that the judges felt were horrible, but he never went home. Season 2 Marcel made some really crappy dishes (with that foam!) that the judges passed on. I think in the case of Hung the judges just felt he was a better chef, and Marcel got advanced for ratings, man did I hate that GUY! Lisa's story seems a little improbable and she reminds me a little of Tiffany from season 1 (but without the skills), we all hate the villain. So, at some point in the show I think that the judges switch to who's the better chef instead of who makes the best dishes. But in the case of Antonia, she did make some awful food (it looked like) while Lisa's seemed better.
So I'm torn between agreeing with Matt and with the judges.
Man this is the geekiest comment I have ever written
Making it twice makes it extra geeky.
Conspiracy or not, the producers have consistently provided entertainment and something that my wife and I can not only watch with equal enthusiasm, but discus for the entire week following the episode. That said, I sincerely hope that neither Richard or Stephanie make any horrific errors next week that enable Lisa to slink into the finals and I still feel a bit dirty being a fan of a reality show.
Alternate Theory: The producers knew she was sticking around (by getting lucky) until the finale so they made her the season's bad guy. Several eliminated contestants have indicated such in various interviews. Editing is a powerful tool.
How'd Salman Rushdie get together with Padma? I know they're split now, but still...
i think you really hate her because you're just a bunch of anti-semites
I can't stand Lisa and I thinnk Stephanie or Richard will win the whole thing.
I am glad that they don't eliminate the judges. I would never watch the show if Padma was not in it.
It is of your nature to think this way, and an indicator of just how frivolous your tastes really are....
You're all wrong. Hillary's primary defeat has blinded you to posit a world in which good triumphs over evil. This is false.
Lisa will WIN.
That's the clear narrative here. And just imagine, oh imagine the resultant buzz by the watercoolers of America.
I think you're absolutely correct.
My wife's exact words when Padma said, "Antonio, please pack your knives and go":
"That was a producer decision".
Seriously. I know she had daddy issues and all, but what the fuck?
http://hollywoodbackwash.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/padma.jpg
Am I the only one who thinks...
No, pretty much everybody thinks that. See Tom C's blog (cited above, but here it is again for good measure. He calls it the "theory-that-just-won’t-die") or any Top Chef fan forum.
I don't think it's true, myself. She's just extraordinarily lucky.
Lisa-haters should enjoy this interview wherein she disparages her online critics thusly: "I don't want to know what people who can't even afford to eat in my restaurant, let alone know how to cook, have to say about me."
the fact that she's an inferior cook to several of the people who've gone down in recent weeks
Matthew knows this "fact" ... how, exactly?
Matt, I don't think we need to postulate a conspiracy theory: she's been awful, but as described marginally better than whoever *really* messed up that week.
Plus, the editing of the 'villain' necessarily comes after the fact. It's not like they make the episodes in between filming cooking competitions so they can have a sense of where the narrative is going. They film hours and hours and hours of footage, and then afterward shape it into a story.
I had the same suspicion as Matt. She should have been eliminated weeks ago. But it's been clear for some time that the real competition is between Richard and Stephanie who are heads and shoulders better than everyone else (with the possible exception of Antonia and Dale). I suspect Lisa is just around to keep up some drama. After all, Richard, Stephanie and Antonia would all just get along famously on the final episode.
What fun would it be without arms crossed at the judges' table and allegations of sabotage?
Throughout the season, I have wondered how much of Lisa's villain-esque qualities were due to manipulative editing and had pretty much concluded "most of them" — especially with several judges (Tom and Ted, in particular) defending Lisa to a certain extent in their blogs and saying that the editing has been really one-sided.
After her temper-tantrum to Richard and Steph for not being congratulated for coming in next-to-last place, 10 seconds after one of their best friends had just been sent packing, I threw my conclusion in the trash. She is a terrible human being.
Well duh! They sent home Dale, one of their consistently best chefs, and kept Lisa, one of the consistently worst. Maybe they threw Dale under the bus because they didn't want another Asian to win?
i thought the same thing after what happened. I also thought Bravo, and this show in particular, were above doing things like this. makes me appreciate the program a lot less. I have lost a lot of respect for the show as a result.
the fact that she's an inferior cook to several of the people who've gone down in recent weeks
Matthew knows this "fact" ... how, exactly?
Because she's been at the bottom more often than almost any other contestant, and has only won a single challenge. This isn't brain surgery.
Having said that, I think she's mostly gotten lucky, not been the beneficiary of producer shenanigans.
I had a non-close friend from college make the mistake of appearing on The Bachelor, and she got produced/edited into the crazy one for that season. They really stretched some scenes and quotes in the attempt to make her seem a little nuts.
That being said, Lisa sucks.
My god, Al even trolls the Top Chef thread . . .
You should have been assured of this theory when you saw that Project Runway tease. The entire 30 seconds was devoted to the past "villians" and who will be this season's Wendy-Santino-Jeffrey-Keith Michael. I guess talent only gets you so far.
Oh my word, my jaw just dropped when I saw Antonia skedaddle from the show on Wednesday. Yes, very geeky to be obsessed by this sort of thing, but it's true. I blogged during the show (sort of a play-by-lplay, like Ambinder did with the DNC meeting last Saturday) and it amazed me throughout - Lisa's been in the bottom almost every episode (my count was eight times). No, this person does not belong in the final three. I am totally convinced it was a producer decision - there just would have been no conflict among Steph, Rich and Antonia, so they had to keep a source of conflict in the show to the very end. And Lisa is classless - especially after that link where she says she doesn't give a damn about the opinions of those who can't afford to eat in her own restaurant. Very sad.
Despite her cockroach-like ability to linger, I still think Stephanie will win it and Richard will be runner up.
Whether or not there is a producer conspiracy (which wouldn't surprise me), Lisa sucks. Dale at first was set up as the villain, but he turned out to be both too talented and actually had some good qualities. To a lesser extent, that also happened with Spike, who also at least had friends in the house. Part of Lisa's role as the villain is probably due to editing, but she is giving them material. They couldn't cast her in that light if she didn't do anything that they could use.
I might be the only person in the world who doesn't hate Lisa. How many of us, really, would have behaved any differently than she did when faced with a cold shoulder from Richard and Stephanie, or being asked in an interview how she felt about the legions of people who've decided she sucks?
By the way, my assumption the show's disclaimer isn't kidding when it says the producers and the network help make elimination decisions doesn't do much to dampen my enjoyment of the show. Indeed, all of the stakeholders have every reason to make sure the legitimate best chefs are advancing even as they cultivate some dramatic personalities as well.
Moreover, in the end the tournament aspect of the show isn't the most interesting part to me. Primarily, I just like watching creative people do creative things under various constraints and pressure. And thus my only real concern with something like Dale or Antonia being eliminated instead of Lisa is that I was a bit more interested in what the former two were going to do in future contests, but that isn't something I am going to get outraged about.
Comments closed June 20, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
If that is the plan, it is working brilliantly. Lisa sucks.
Posted by RM | June 6, 2008 3:35 PM