We stayed up until 4 am yesterday watching Hell's Kitchen. (Gee, I hope it isn't sacrilegious to admit that today...) We just couldn't break away from the profanity and torture. This show is not for the weak of heart - the humiliation the hopefuls endure is an ego-crushing boot camp designed to annihilate a person's spirit, psyche and any semblance of passion they may have had coming into the show. Tempers flare, tears flow, cat-fights ensure, dreams are shattered, people smoke incessantly and food gets spit on, yet...it's wildly entertaining.
Gordon Ramsay is a celebrated chef, author and successful restauranteur, as well as the most vicious and degrading man to grace the scene. His style is harsh and one may wonder if the contestants aren't somewhat masochistic to put themselves through it all but I suppose the idea of heading up a brand new five-star restaurant with a guaranteed six figure income is quite an incentive for some. Oh yes, not to mention the satisfaction of proving to the viewers (and perhaps, their families and themselves) that they're worthy of it all has some obvious appeal as witnessed through hard work of the participants.
Of course, not all people are cut out for that kind of pressure. In the very first episode, Aaron, the 48 year-old retirement home cook, loses it even before they are given their first assignment. He's blubbering like the man-child that he is in the first episode, right up until Chef Ramsay calls him at the hospital and kicks him off the show for good. (Did I mention that he faints in that particular episode?) Anyway, he was beginning to annoy me with his total incompetence, extreme insecurity, profuse sweating and his childlike persona. (Gosh, that was heartless, wasn't it??)
[Giddy up]
Anyway, if you're looking for something fun to watch in reality television programming, I highly recommend it.
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