MasterChef in hindsight

[Sytadel]

So it keeps popping up in other threads, and after typing a post in the neg thread I thought it might be simpler to actually have a topical thread on the now-gone cooking reality TV show.

I honestly feel that Julie probably gained the most from the competition - she's shown that she's genuinely evolved during the course of the show. Chris was a competent Chef but gained very little; he was a constant strong performer within his chosen genre and good, but not brilliant, outside of that genre. Poh was much the same, with a similarly circumscribed and niche interest in heritage cooking. Julie, however, continued to improve - she learned to manage her time better, she acquired techniques and used them in later challenges, and above all else, turned home cooking in to acceptable resturant quality meals. She wasn't as good as Chris or Poh by the end, but she had shrunk the margin considerably.

My qualm was that this was never really articulated as the goal/objective of the show. It was meant to be, simply, "the best Chef wins" not "the most improved Chef wins". If they felt Julie should've deserved to win because she was the most improved then it should've been articulated as such - rather than engineering the last few challenges to ensure she appeared like the best Chef.

That said, I think Justine was probably the most deserving. She improved substantially like Julie did, yet had technical skill that eclipsed both Poh and Chris. She wasn't consistent, but she'll grow out of that since she's young. Not to mention she's hugely marketable.

---

Either way, it was the first reality series that I've enjoyed in quite a while. The Biggest Loser is/was a tear-jerking game too far abstracted from reality to be relatable, Idol runs talented singers through a commercial mesh and pushes them out the other end, and I won't even begin to talk about So You Think You're Ostentatious?

I think the show worked for three reasons. Firstly, it was topical. Biggest Loser and Big Brother both fail to be topical, and instead ultimately become about the game, interpersonal drama, and all related drivel. I can't stand Big Brother, and during Biggest Loser I'll usually watch it for the parts of the show that are actually about exercise and dieting. Secondly, it was something people could relate to. Idol and Dance! mostly deal with aggrandised young overachievers, a population of people that only really appeal to teenage girls and other vicarious status seekers. MasterChef, on the other hand, attracted people who really did come from all walks of life and didn't present themselves as unlikable superstars. Those people engaged in something we're all familiar with and fans of: cooking and good food.

Finally - and most importantly for me - is that these people weren't fame-seekers. The reward for the competition wasn't to be idolised by idiot public, the reward was truly fantastic: a serious opportunity to become an expert at something you're passionate about. Even to win, Julie's still in for a thankless life of blood, sweat, and tears. It's a much more dignified and respectable prize than anything offered by other reality TV shows.

So - that was a bit of an essay. Thoughts?

[Lazlow]

The bias towards Julie was clearly evident with the cookbook challenge. Throughout the whole challenge the onus appeared to be on plating an attractive photogenic dish.

Something Julie failed miserably at doing.

It comes to judgment time and suddenly taste and flavour comes to the fore and Chris is out with trite sentiments of "it wasn't up to the usual Chris standard". WTF at that? He must have served up fecal matter to get eliminated.

Julie was their cliche underdog story. Every episode was promo'ed with Julie saying "I've stuffed up big time" or "I think I'm going home" and time after time she somehow managed to stick around, despite her clear incompetence.

I sure as shit hope she doesn't go on to be a professional chef, at least a chef in a high pressure environment. She'd be a complete nightmare to work for. I was completely dumbfounded that her "homely" cooking was suddenly a highlight when other contestents were being lambasted for not being adventurous. Something which I think affected Poh tonight in the pressure test. Her cookbook challenge meals used clearly unique and acquired ingredients successfully, but they turned around and told her they "didn't appreciate it". So tonight she stuck to basics.

If I had to pick the two final contestants, it'd be Justine and Julia. Chris' whole shtick of cooking large chunks of meat falls flat when the bastard can't cook meat. He was notorious for either undercooking or overcooking meat dishes. Justine was a clear standout, and Julia generally slaughtered the competition only coming unstuck with an unfamiliar culture.

[IRS]

I think my post at UYAC expressed myself pretty good.


I'm kind of embarrassed I ended up watching a 3 month competition that was rigged.


This is like my 12 year old obsession with WWF all over again.

Crocodile tears and "MY FAMILY" ensured it didn't matter if she just took a dump on the plate, she'd still win.


I really liked the show. Most 10 reality shows are painful to watch because they stretch 10 minutes of footage into 30. This time they stretch 20 into 30. It was at least tolerable.


It's kind of disappointing that in the end the competition was clearly rigged. But if we just forget the last week and pretend Poh, Chris or Justine won, it'd have been a great series.
Having said that, if I was Poh or Chris (ESPECIALLY Chris) I would be very upset. They must feel like they got sodomized by Matt Preston.

[Lazlow]

Masterchef forums are going bananas too.

You are right... obviously a racist result in the end. As if they were going to make a Chinese Master Chef Australia. Please... its ridiculous and its pretty obvious. Julie sold that family ********, never deserved to be in the finals, she shakes every time she cooks and she made major mistakes through out the competition. She is just a f'ken pretender cries every time they speak to her and blows air out of her **** about her family... If anyone deserved to be there in the end, it was Chris.

EDIT:

I must have missed the bit there the judges tasted Julie's sorbet and told her to do it again. And then Matt Preston proceeded to claim it as good as any sorbet he's had in Aus.

[IRS]

I sure as shit hope she doesn't go on to be a professional chef, at least a chef in a high pressure environment. She'd be a complete nightmare to work for. I was completely dumbfounded that her "homely" cooking was suddenly a highlight when other contestents were being lambasted for not being adventurous. Something which I think affected Poh tonight in the pressure test. Her cookbook challenge meals used clearly unique and acquired ingredients successfully, but they turned around and told her they "didn't appreciate it". So tonight she stuck to basics.


Well... There's not much she could have done.

If Poh did something crazy again they'd complain she was too adventurous like the previous challenge. But she didn't so they complained it wasn't adventurous enough.

[Lazlow]

Shit I also forgot about when Julie called a shallot an onion.

EDIT:

funny - I used to think that Big Brother was the most racist show on TV, but I now think that Masterchef takes the cake!!


Julie won because:

1 Pie + Passionfruit puddle > 2 pies slightly undercooked
Raw fish > slightly unseasoned fish
MISSING A LAYER OF CAKE > finished cake
1 plate + 2 half plates > 3 plates.
crying > poh's mad dog cooking.

[Blue]

Yeah, complete bullshit. I'm not sure about racism, but they definitely rigged the whole thing to push pudgy Julie's garbage "home-cooking" book to teary housewives who wouldn't be able to cook the stuff that Justine, Chris or Poh put forward week after week. Julie cannot become a professional chef. She'll flog a terrible book, and use the 100k to put her kids through school, or put a ****ing extension on the 'family room'. I really enjoyed this show, and it's the first reality/competition show I've actually enjoyed or cared about. It just goes to show that money talks very loudly. The judges sold themselves like whores. Matt Preston has gone from everyone's ****ing darling to a money-grabbing bitch.

[Thraxas]

Yeah it's complete bullshit, Julie's shitty ****ing "The last chapter will be the most important. It will be blank and people can put their own family story in it", won her the competition as the creators all saw the $$$$$$$ it would bring in from sappy women!

My fiancee was all "oh that's such a good idea, blah blah blah". All teary eyed and wanting Julie to win.

I hated Chris but how they could send him home when Julie couldn't even get all her food on the plate in time was bullshit.

[Slippery]

I don't think I'm nearly as venomous towards Julie as some of you guys, but I've been calling bullshit on Julie being in the show since the puddle pie dilemma - Lucas leaves cos his pie fillings are "not great". Julie survives when one of her pies is A ****ING PUDDLE - WTF?

I do think that last challenge in the final Poh could've won, if she followed the recipe.

I really did enjoy Masterchef, my dad teared up at the end which was hilarious.
- My favourites were Julia, Lucas and Poh, so I'm dissapointed none of them won.

[texta]

I just find it bizarre that the person who won would have absolutely no skill when it comes to actually working as a chef. Her ability under pressure was truly terrible.

I think ten should follow up with a fly-on-the wall documentary of her actually working because I'd love to see her break down and be fired after about 13 minutes.

[Filthy Old Drunk]

If I were to pick a winner based on passion of food and the industry, I would pick Julie over Poh. Poh did a lot of creative things, but she showed that cooking and being successful in the industry played second fiddle to her painting when the judges asked her about aspirations. Even now she's talking about some exhibition she's got coming up in Nov.

People are harping on and on about Julie's second chances, but if you watched the series, nearly every contestants got second chances. Hell, Poh was eliminated from the competition and was given a second chance - something Julie didn't get. Poh even got a second chance during her audition. I just find it funny that the people who were bitching about Poh being allowed back into the competition are now the same ones whining that she was more deserving. (not here obvs.)

I had a feeling Chris would falter at the final hurdle, and Andre nailed it a few weeks ago when he said that the contestants had caught up to his level. Where as others were progressing, Chris was remaining at the same level, so it was inevitable he would be overtaken. Was he hard done by? Chris' dishes didn't have the, to quote George, "food porn" look about them to suit his cookbook, where as Julie's did. She got away with it because her cook book is home style. She also beat Chris in the flavour department - the most important aspect. Also, Chris was given many previous chances so he probably shouldn't have been in the top three anyway.

Yeah, complete bullshit. I'm not sure about racism, but they definitely rigged the whole thing to push pudgy Julie's garbage "home-cooking" book to teary housewives who wouldn't be able to cook the stuff that Justine, Chris or Poh put forward week after week. Julie cannot become a professional chef. She'll flog a terrible book, and use the 100k to put her kids through school, or put a ****ing extension on the 'family room'. I really enjoyed this show, and it's the first reality/competition show I've actually enjoyed or cared about. It just goes to show that money talks very loudly. The judges sold themselves like whores. Matt Preston has gone from everyone's ****ing darling to a money-grabbing bitch.

I'd just like to point out that there were only ever a handful of contestants who had any desire to become a professional chef. Aaron is one, Justine is another. Andre. Julia.

Chris - wants to open a business serving beer and food. Already has a commercial kitchen in his home and has spent 'tens of thousands' on cooking related things like cookbooks.
Julie - wants to open a small, homely restaurant, which she has said for a long time.
Poh - wants to open a noodle bar (??); is more focused on her art work.
Sandra - wants to plug her book about fat kids.
Geni - too old, don't know what she wanted.
Michelle - She already has her own business.
Melissa - She wasn't around long enough to articulate her intentions.
Kate - wants to be a pastry chef. Is undertaking study.
Linda - Has a business "food designer" or something. Is probably the most 'fame' hungry of the lot.
Sam - Says he wants to work in the industry, but I just can't see it. He's not passionate enough.
Josh - doing cooking classes.
Trevor - bought a cafe.
Lucas - wants to expand his coffee shop to sell food.
Nic - wants to serve food at his wine shop.
Tom - didn't really express what he wanted.

So there's only four or five contestants who wanted to become a chef anyway. I know the name is 'MasterChef', but it was clear from the top twenty that the show wasn't about the contestants becoming professional chefs.

I've been calling bullshit on Julie being in the show since the puddle pie dilemma - Lucas leaves cos his pie fillings are "not great". Julie survives when one of her pies is A ****ING PUDDLE - WTF?

The judges reasoning was that her first pie was spectacular where as both Lucas' pies were pretty average. Still, it's a dubious decision.

I thought the show had its flaws - allowing contestants to vote others off etc. - but ultimately I loved it. Even the nights that I couldn't watch due to work, I watched them online via the official site. I'm looking forward to the celebrity one and the second series.

[Lazlow]

The venom isn't directed at Julie, its directed at the show itself, and how it was nurtured towards a predetermined conclusion.

And therefore using the judge's reasoning in defence of Julie is flawed.

You only need to list Julie's f*** ups to see why there were far more deserving people in this competition; puddle pie, didn't plate up, unadventurous "homely" cooking, couldn't tell a shallot from an onion. This is Australia's "Masterchef"? Embaressing.

I won't be watching any subsequent series. Its clearly just as "scripted" as any other reality talent show.

[Filthy Old Drunk]

Of course there were far more deserving people in the competition. Justine for one. But that's beside the point. The show wasn't really about finding the most 'deserving' cook was it? That was known as soon as they allowed contestants to vote of one another. From the get-go it was commercial, structured for ratings more than finding the best amateur cook. Look at the top twenty. A diverse group of people, young middle and old age. You have the asian, the black man, the 'battler', the young and attractive, the leso, the lovable, the egotistical, the telegenic, a healthy mix of male and female. I mean, hell, even the celebrity challenges were rigged.

It's actually quite laughable that people think a show like this wouldn't have money hungry execs pulling the strings. That's the nature of reality shows and you'd have to be pretty foolish to approach these sorts of shows with any other mindset.

For mine, none of the top 3 deserved to be in the top 3, but I didn't enjoy the show any less for it.

[AranchineD]

I'll keep watching the series until they allow the public to vote off contestant; then it will have well and truly hit the 'shit' category of TV.


Also at least this show is unlike other reality TV in that you don't have to win the show to win the show, when you have people like Justine who are already getting ahead in the food industry more than Julie probably ever will after winning the comp.

[Cobla]

They must think their audience is pretty ****ing stupid to think we'll believe that Julie won fair and square.

Disappointing and as it turns out, a complete waste of time.

That is to say, once the fact that it was rigged became undeniable (sometime last week for me) I totally lost interest.

[JubeiSaotome]

I never watched it, but I remember Chisi saying that the judges didn't have the skill to make half the stuff they were making the contestants make. Poorly run show?

[sausage]

Christ, what's next; Master Vacuum Cleaner Island Loser Brother?

Inane television for a inane audience.

[AranchineD]

MasterForumer

[ElPresidente]

I think Julie deserved the win. Technical proficiency may have been lacking but you just can't beat the heart that was in Julie's cooking.

The only area in which I think she shouldn't have won if the show was based less on food and more on the skills required in working in a kitchen. In this regard Julie was simply too easily rattled by pressure and having worked in a kitchen pressure is something you absolutely have to be able to deal with.

All up great series, I adore food shows so one more on the box is a good thing in my books.

[AranchineD]

I think Julie deserved the win. Technical proficiency may have been lacking but you just can't beat the heart that was in Julie's cooking.

'Heart'? You're a shit cook but we give you an A for 'Effort', well done?

[IRS]

'Heart'? You're a shit cook but we give you an A for 'Effort', well done?

Nah

You're a shit cook but you cried and said "MY FAMILY", well done

[bulkerking]

I never watched it, but I remember Chisi saying that the judges didn't have the skill to make half the stuff they were making the contestants make. Poorly run show?

That's T.V for you. Look at half the shows these days run by a pack of "Has beens" with a chip on there shoulder...
________
Ivana_ (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/Ivana_/)

[ElPresidente]

'Heart'? You're a shit cook but we give you an A for 'Effort', well done?

I didn't say she was a shit cook. I think she is an excellent cook and I would put money on her flavours being the most wholesome and enjoyable of the bunch.

Technical prowess is not the same as making tasty food.

[Lazlow]

I think Julie deserved the win.

Did she deserve the win last night? Probably. Poh made some bad choices; going for something as dubious as Port before nailing more basics was a huge mistake. Sticking to basics in the cook-off was not going to cut it. She was on par with Julie with the dessert. We can only speculate that any assistance offered to Poh was edited out, but they certainly helped Julie by heavily suggesting she re-do the sorbet. Then they proceed to claim it as good as any sorbet they've had in Australia.

Did Julie deserve to be in the final? Definitely not.

She offered up so many failed dishes its unbelieveable. "Homely" cooking is great once or twice, but nearly everything she cooked rarely strayed from the basic. Anything remotely challenging was an abomination.

Yet the show seemed to rationalise keeping her around. The criteria changed to save her (see: cookbook challenge). They'd promo each episode with clips of Julie stressing, claiming she's defintiely going home, or really stuffed it. Yet in the end she'd pull through. The finale was a foregone conclusion. The mother of three underdog would warm the cockles of Australia's hearts by prevailing against adversity.

It can be argued that Poh was also given a leg up; given a do over in the audition process, and then brought back after elimination. However I wouldn't say she's been given the leeway Julie has.

Fact remains, Australia's first MasterChef doesn't know a shallot from an onion.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that a reality show contest ended with such a staged fairytale conclusion. Idol is a popularity contest, and Biggest Loser has 3 psychs constantly analysing the contestents looking for weak points to give the trainers to probe, so they'll crack and provide emotionally heavy drama. And Dance is always a cavalcade of hard luck stories.

[Slippery]

I never watched it, but I remember Chisi saying that the judges didn't have the skill to make half the stuff they were making the contestants make. Poorly run show?

Nope, the judges that are chefs are pretty good at what they do, easily better then most of the contestants

[AranchineD]

I didn't say she was a shit cook. I think she is an excellent cook and I would put money on her flavours being the most wholesome and enjoyable of the bunch.

Technical prowess is not the same as making tasty food.

Except this competition was about tasty food in the context of the professional chef and restaurant industry. The everyday man can find almost everything 'tasty' because they haven't experienced much better, the technical prowess of the other contestants often led to better and, in fact, more unique tasting food that what Julie could ever come up with when she was involved with invention tests or other challenged where she had to come up with her own recipe and dish.

[ElPresidente]

Sorry but that's food wank.

The taste of a food (unique or not) is the ultimate arbiter of a food quality.

When I say her combinations looked tasty I'm not talking from the perspective of a guy who only eats out on occassion. I'm talking from the perspective of a guy who has been to Australia's top rated restaurants (Rockpool & Vue De Monde for instance) and other top restaurants from abroad such as The Kobe Club in NYC. Not saying that makes me any more qualified to comment but I just wanted to point out I'm not 'the everday man who hasn't experienced much better'.

There is a disturbing trend in the publics' understanding of food and that is to be too wowed by the presentation or the technique behind the food and not focused on the food itself. Thankfully the tight times we now find themselves in has forced a move back away from gimick cooking and back to solid traditional flavours.

We're seeing over priced 'gastro-pubs' fold. Molecular chefs (adding science to cooking... great idea people except cooking is already full of science. You don't need to serve Caviar in test tubes to make it so.) now finding it difficult to find a place in a market now starting to shun over-complex and unsatisfying meals.

The restaurants who are staying alive are the ones doing their own interpretations of traditional dishes.

I eat regularly at Adrian Richardson's La Luna (you'll recall him as the chef who did the challenge with Julie where it was a stuffed loin of lamb) and it is still doing a brisk trade thanks to sticking to warm flavoursome meals that show distinct personality but don't mess with people's expectations.

It was a close call between Chris, Poh and Julie but it was Julie's warm style that won me over.

I can understand people having a preference for the others... they were all doing great at the end but I can't seriously believe someone understands food when they say Julie's win was unwarranted.

The five chefs I know personally were split pretty even on who should win and I think that is as good an indicator as any.

P.S. Yes, I will admit to finding the whole shallot/onion issue quite concerning. Especially as at the time I was half-way through making a shallot tarte tatin. :P

[AranchineD]

Popularity not necessarily equaling better though, I can honestly say I've had food along the same lines of what other contestants who made some of the more unique dishes have made (mostly the asian style dishes) and would prefer it one hundred times over to the type of food Julie ever cooked on the show (even if she actually managed to cook the food properly without screwing it up).

[Lazlow]

*Attempted to cook

Her lamb roll didn't even hold together :p

[AranchineD]

Yes I realised the serious error in my post just as you posted that. >_>

[Lazlow]

Stolen from UYAC

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6120_135612488064_520993064_3035393_8352889_n.jpg

[enrique]

lol @ Lazlow, I wish I could pep you. :)

[Cerebral]

crying > poh's mad dog cooking.
lmao

Enjoyable series (it helps that I enjoy cooking shows in general), though I could see the conclusion coming a mile away. Julie probably deserved it on the night of the Final, but on the whole, Poh was far better than her throughout the series. A classic Hawks '08 victory for Julie.