Wednesday, April 12, 2006

The Next Food Network Star: Final Four

Well, that was quite the shocker, wasn't it? Last week I predicted that Nathan would be sent home, but instead it was Andy who got the boot. Andy was wooden in front of the camera and had no discernable personality, but at least he wasn't a jerk. We'll miss you, Andrew Schumacher!



But we won't miss that 'stache.

Nate is still an overtweezed jerk.



Last week I suspected that Reggie's incompetence was part of a redemptive story arc, but now I think that it's Carissa's turn to make the transition from hopelessly flawed to shoo-in for the final two. I think we'll say goodbye to Reggie next.



Carissa's cupcake demo was a mess and her show pitch didn't blow me away, yet the judges insisted that Carissa found her niche. I'm predicting a Guy/Carissa final two.



Speaking of Guy, he blew everyone out of the water in the cupcake demo. I would watch a show with him finding fun and funky ways to present food. His show pitch was alright, but his concept was no more scattered than the other 3. I still think this entire show is a run-up to Guy's evenutal coronation.



I thought all of their show pitches were boring and safe (did I just channel American Idol?), and all of their presentations seemed half-baked, like they'd never considered it before. Plus, they're basically doing what all the other hosts do. I can't believe Bob Tuschman gave Reggie a hard time: "Why would we want to have 2 Southern cooking shows? We already have Paula Deen." How many Italian shows does the Food Network have? Four? Shame on the contestants for being bland and predictable, and shame on the judges and Food Network for moving the network in such a boring direction*.

Alton Brown was awesome, and I loved the practical advice he gave to each of the contestants. That man has some serious wisdom. I would totally purchase an "Alton Brown's Guide to Life".



Next week Paula Deen is a guest, and in the previews she looked really rough. Uh oh, I hope she's not overextending herself a la Rachael Ray.



*Awhile back I came up with some ideas for new Food Network shows. I know, I know, dream on. But still, I haven't given up hope. (Also, I saw Padma Lakshmi on some Travel Channel show the other day. She was showing Jeremy Piven around India.)

2 comments:

JordanBaker said...

I'm kind of worried for Paula--she looks totally hit in the shows from the most recent season (in the new house). I wonder if her agoraphobia is coming back.

Unknown said...

I haven't been watching this time around. But, I did catch half of the show last night. Looks like they threw you a curve ball and kept Reggie and Guy. Without having much knowledge of either contestant, I'm gonna go ahead and say that I think Guy will win just because of his wilder side. It seems to be something that Food Network sorely lacks. So, yeah, Guy is my final answer. I hate to say it, but I've kind of lost interest in the Food Network as of late. About the only show that I will tune into is Everyday Italian and Barefoot Contessa...moreso for Ina because I just adore her. I'm even getting kinda tired of Paula, even though I dearly, dearly love her. She's good people and reminds me so much of my own family. But, her recipes just aren't jiving with what I'm trying to accomplish in my life right now. I'm trying to eat healthier and exercise and ya just can't do that with a stick of butter in everything.