Since we started watching food shows, my fiancee and I suddenly turn into douchebag judges and feel the need to critique everything.
During the past year of local chef interviews, no topic has been more polarizing than reality television. Some chefs would gladly take a turn on television in order to raise their profiles in the kitchen, while others don't even own a remote control. All have suggested in some fashion that what's shown on television is complicating their relationship with diners. Are reality cooking shows eroding our capacity to enjoy a dish without critiquing various aspects?
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There was a pretty good South Park last season that touched on this..."creeeeeem freeeeeeeesh!".
I think if watching food programming turns you into a big, hyper-critical asshole, in reality you were ALWAYS a big, hyper-critical asshole...now you just have some new adjectives to play with.
I watch pretty much everything, from informative and educational to complete and total trash. I pick up some good recipe ideas and techniques, but for the most part it's just food entertainment....like the WWE is sports entertainment. We're really enjoying Ludo Bites on Sundance, and the new show "Chef Hunter" on FoodTV gives a decent look into an actual restaurant kitchen....so I don't expect it to last.
By not having cable, dish, etc. I dont get to see much other than PBS cooking shows.
I agree with justthefactsmaam. Jaques and Julia is where its at.
Cooking shows should be about learning, not drama and bleeped-out 4 letter words.
I absolutely cannot watch anything on bravo. Makes me nuts. I watched an episode of chopped once, I thought it was the dumbest show ever. I kind of like the Japanese version of iron chef. I'll watch about anything Bourdain puts out.
So no, reality cooking shows have no affect on my ability to enjoy a meal out.
Reality Cooking shows are ruining Cooking shows. You used to be able to learn something by wathcing Jacque Pepin, Emeril Lagasse, Julia Child and others. Now the Food Network is trying to play to every stupid subset demographic and everything is some stupid competition. I used to want to watch Alton Brown to learn why certain foods and herbs went together, how you can dry age beef at home, etc., now the only time you see him he's hosting the dumbass Iron Chef......how boring. The Food Network is its' own worst enemy. Too bad for all of us that enjoy cooking and eating really good food.
For me, personally, it's only served to open a window into a world that I was previously somewhat ignorant about. I never would have known to check out Hubert Keller's restaurant in Vegas, for example, had I not watched him (and liked his style/demeanor so much) on Top Chef Masters. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger restaurants (Border Grill and City in Los Angeles) long before they were on their Two Hot Tamales show on Food Network way back when, but it endeared them to me more to see them in action both on that old "reality" show, as well as during their stints on TC Masters.
Seeing how those "masters" pull together dishes, and how their creativity contributes to their successes on the shows they're on gives me a better appreciation for their work in their own kitchens/restaurants. I was already a food lover before "reality" focused on the restaurant world, but I think it's really just opened my eyes to more angles of it than anything else.
I don't like to eat meals out in a blind manner. I'm going into every experience with expectations of good things coming my way. Reality shows or not, I'd be critiquing my experiences. So, no. The shows themselves have nothing to do with whether I enjoy a meal out or not.
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