Top Chef Texas & other dumb reality contest shows (Houston: wedding, to buy)

[sxrckr]

I haven't cared to watch this but did anyone else notice on the commercials all the flashes of cowboy symbols, saloons, bales of hay and such? The hostess Padma says "we're messin with Texas" in an ugly denim dress that most people in Texas, at least in the large cities, would not be caught dead wearing out.

Now, I can totally see why City of Houston refused to pay Bravo to be on the show.... after all, what sort of stereotypes and outdated image would Bravo be trying to perpetuate?

Speaking of pay-to-play, now more fallout with the show, it's made public that the state paid hundreds of thousands of tax dollars for the show to come here. And the City of San Antonio paid $200,000 to have the show film there for the majority of the time and "highlight" them. Dallas, Houston and Austin all say they were asked to pay as well, Dallas and Austin are still denying they paid but who knows what may come out later. Top Chef's producers are now suing the state to shut up and keep quiet about the whole thing!

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/top_chef_9/2011_Oct_10_san-antonio-payment

[JayBrown80]

I think this is the 7th or 8th season of Top Chef, and it quite common for them to play up a location with what may seem like "stereotypical" highlights.

Since you mention you don't watch the show, I guess that is why you are unaware that they often "highlight" the location they are filming in. It is not done out of ignorance or to insult Texans. When they filmed in Bermuda they had the chefs dive into the ocean and catch fresh conk to cook (something not every Jamaican does). In San Fransisco, with it's huge Asian Population, they had the chefs work in a Dim Sum bar making chineses finger foods. In Las Vegas they served dinner to Cirque De Solei and made meals for Penn Jillete, all with a casino backdrop (casinos not being an every day destination to all Las Vegas residents).

In New York City they went to this little italian joint that you have to buy a permanent table at, and the "mafia" connection was joked about as well (Lorraine Braco from the Sopranos was a judge that episode). In fact, on Top Chef Masters, they had Tim Love, a Dallas chef, that is well known for doing "cattle drives" going on horseback and serving people gourment food he cooks on a prairie camp fire.

In Miami they highlighted the cuban culture and cuban food, playing traditional latin music in the background.

So no, I think you are reading too much into what they were wearing and them playing up the location. Seems like you are looking to be offended, and by a show you don't even watch! Top Chef is actually very good about paying homage and deference to the places they film in. They really love food and food culture, and they feel it would be stupid to not pay tribute to a places unique food culture when they film there.

As far as paying Texas cities to film there, Are you naive? Of course TV shows, reality and otherwise, get paid for advertising places and products. It is common practice when a city is mentioned in a show for that show to ask the city for either tax breaks or money to film there. If you watch Top Chef, or any TV show, you will see tons of product placement by coke, and pepsi, and GE, and etc etc etc....

Also, no offense, just b/c you didn't like Padma's dress, doesn't mean that NO ONE would be caught dead wearing it. And even if the dress was hellaciously ugly (once again, if you actually watched a show before judging it) you would know that Padma wears ugly dresses all the time! She is a model! She often wears impratical and strange dresses. I don't claim to understand fashion, but on the show she has worn an off the shoulder, skin tight evening gown to go eat a greasy hamburger out of a food truck. I notice a lot of models on TV wear "fashionable" clothes that no one would be caught dead in. Look at Project Runway! Look at any of those modeling shows, or what "fashionable" famous people wear to talk shows or events. Remember that strange hat the british royal wore to Prince Williams wedding? That strange circle that sat off her head? Was she insulting Texas too?

Like I said...seems like you are just LOOKING for reasons to be offended.....

[TX75007]

What I BLEEP BLEEP think that BLEEP shows like this BLEEP one are too BLEEP BLEEP full of BLEEP BLEEP profanity.

[AK123]

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

Seems like you are looking to be offended, and by a show you don't even watch! Top Chef is actually very good about paying homage and deference to the places they film in.

If Top Chef was worried about offending people, perhaps they could have done better for a Texas series than basically pretending like the state's largest city doesn't exist.

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

They really love food and food culture, and they feel it would be stupid to not pay tribute to a places unique food culture when they film there.

They have a great way of demonstrating their love for food and culture, by skipping the state's best restaurant/food city (according to Forbes Traveler and several other publications and rankings) to go to the highest bidders instead. There's some really great fusion and Gulf Coast cuisine in Houston as well... but perhaps, as others have said, this just wasn't "Texas" enough for them.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by TX75007

What I BLEEP BLEEP think that BLEEP shows like this BLEEP one are too BLEEP BLEEP full of BLEEP BLEEP profanity.

I agree. Well said.

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by AK123

If Top Chef was worried about offending people, perhaps they could have done better for a Texas series than basically pretending like the state's largest city doesn't exist.




They have a great way of demonstrating their love for food and culture, by skipping the state's best restaurant/food city (according to Forbes Traveler and several other publications and rankings) to go to the highest bidders instead. There's some really great fusion and Gulf Coast cuisine in Houston as well... but perhaps, as others have said, this just wasn't "Texas" enough for them.

Shrug. Talk to your city council. Houston wouldn't allow them to film. The producers did ask. And I don't think they were "worried about offending people" as some people are offended no matter what you do..so why even bother trying to make them happy? Austin has a great food culture, as does San Antonio. You are partial to Houston, but that doesn't mean that it's the ONLY city with a food culture. Write a letter to the producers and tell them how horrible they are that they didn't cover every square inch of Texas. That they have deeply offended your sensibilities by not getting tamales in El Paso, Steak in Lubbock, Tex Mex in Brownsville. Since every other season of Top Chef only covered ONE city, I think it's great that Texas gets to show off THREE. I know that you will just not be pleased because they didn't show 4 or 5, but whatever.

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by TX75007

What I BLEEP BLEEP think that BLEEP shows like this BLEEP one are too BLEEP BLEEP full of BLEEP BLEEP profanity.

I am sort of confused by this statement. Top Chef is not Hells Kitchen. Top Chef has maybe 8 beeps an entire season. Hells Kitchen is the one with every other word bleeped out.

[Nairobi]

I just saw the promo for 'Top Chef: Texas', and I have to say that I'm so happy Houston said "yuck fou" to the producers. I guess our city dodged the opportunity to look like ridiculous buffoons on national television.

...and speaking of stupid things on television, has anyone seen that idiotic Geico commercial?

[Zembonez]

Scripted "reality" garbage programming. It's what producers think we want. No wonder I don't watch much TV anymore.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

The biggest question is why do you care?