Top Chef

I have really gotten into the show Top Chef. I'm a bit of a foody and I like the issue of leadership versus skill versus natural talent versus luck kind of thing. Further, with all the contestants being professionals in the same field, the show tends to be most what it is supposed to be about and less about drama… with one exception, this season. The group of chefs, forced to live together, be under constant scrutiny, with no privacy and get a bit deprived of sleep as well, have chosen to pick on a smaller, odder member of the team. While I recognize that editing is a big factor in how we perceive information, this poor kid doesn't seem to be all that big a problem. Maybe it's my experience with the boy scouts (could I tell you some stories about juvenile arrogance!) but Marcel didn't seem all that bad to me. Arrogant, yes, cocky, yes, self absorbed, yes, malicious, no, stupid, no, an actual jerk, no. He is smaller than most on the show, he has a bit of a quirky personal style, and he's definitely eccentric. Considering the contestants are all adults, I also understand why the producers did not step in on bullying issues. Let them handle their own problems, but then why did the producers include the issue at all on screen?

Last night we saw why. One contestant, a very large and strong guy, jerked the kid out of a sound sleep and man handled him, pushing him down into the carpet and holding his arms behind him. Another contestant watched and a third filmed the whole thing. While I imagine they weren't out to hurt anyone, it almost had the surreal quality of a graphic rape scene in a movie. I felt threatened and I was surprised at the composure of the kid who got grabbed. People are upset about what happened and rightly so. The big guy was asked to leave when the incident came to light.

In school today we talk a lot about the issue of bullying. I was bullied in elementary school (and yes I was the bigger kid) so I know how awful it is. I also think that a lot of people are quick to scream bully over a single event/bad day on the part of a child. It's a hard balance. However, once you leave school, things seem to really change. Our society has made it OK to slander and defame someone, all as part of being real, honest, etc. Blogs are starting to get scary, where family members beat up on other family members, friends, neighbors, collogues and give out personal information so those involved feel less safe and publicly judged.