It’s Ladies First at “The Next Iron Chef”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 | posted by Mike
No, I’m not talking about chivalry when it comes to the order of dishes presented to the judges.I’m talking about the fact that we’re 2-for-2 at eliminating the female contestants on the show, after jettisoning the insanely (yet charmingly) perky Jill Davie last night. Frankly, the whole thing with the molecular gastronomy challenge as a way to eliminate one of the contestants is a bit of a gimmick, but for me to start criticizing reality competition shows for needlessly making contestants jump through hoops now is kind of silly, no?
So, when did we know that Chef Davie was going to be heading home? Well, in retrospect, it should have been when she made some sort of comment about having to work even harder to prove herself as a woman in the kitchen. Saying something like that (and having it make the final cut of the show) is almost always the kiss of death. At that point, she might as well have been wearing a red shirt.
(I kid, but I don’t mean to downplay the fact that women do have a tough time finding acceptance in the kitchens of restaurants…places well-known for being a difficult atmosphere in which to work for women.)
But all is not lost for Chef Davie, as she can console herself by remembering that she’s already a regular on a pretty darn good show of her own, Shopping with Chefs. The Fine Living program that shows you how to shop for ingredients and equipment has received the coveted “record series” status on my DVR. Be sure to check it out for yourself.
Labels: The Next Iron Chef
