<p>Pie Guy and Fieri in one room was the perfect storm of obnoxious.</p>
<p>Have any FNS winners other than Fieri had any lasting success on the network? I’ve come to believe that the object of FNS is not to actually find a new TV personality for the network, but to just get some Sunday night ratings on the cheap. I’m sure the powers that be know that none of the finalists have a prayer of TV success beyond the few episodes that will be televised at a time no one is watching.</p>
<p>On chowhound they are calling him “Pie Fieri”.</p>
<p>Jeff, The Sandwich Guy, does some entertaining specials and his cooking show is okay. Melissa D’Arabia had a successful cookbook and appears on The Today Show as well as a show on food Network and the Cooking Channel.</p>
<p>Looks like Aarti Sequeira is still on TV as well (Aarti Party). And I don’t know if it is still on, but Adam Gertler is one of those who didn’t win but got their own show anyway (Will Work for Food). And Kelsey Nixon ended up on the Cooking Channel. (Needless to say, we watch a lot of Food TV at our house).</p>
<p>But you are right, MommaJ. None of them have become really big names besides Guy.</p>
<p>I would not watch those two guys do anything ever. Terrible and unsightly. No winner this year, again.</p>
<p>There was a winner last year. A winner who ran with it from day one. The only issue that the winner realized he was too good to waste his time arguing with Alton on what the pilot should be. Must happen when the pupil knows how to cook great food as opposed to only babble about the chemical compositions of food, or provide color commentary on a show that died many years ago. </p>
<p>The biggest problem of this show has been that THEY really do not know what they want from competitors. Not to mention that the three stooges play favorites for weeks. but are then supposed to let the “public” who obviously cannot taste nor appreciate the food make the final decision. </p>
<p>Surprised that the results end up being whimsical? Not that it matters in the least as none of the guys in that entire round could sustain a show for more than a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>So Xiggi, without me looking back at previous posts in tis thread - who was the best of the worst this season - in other words , if you had to pick a top 1 or2, who would it be???</p>
<p>I liked Chris, the foodtruck guy, Chad or Chet the BBQ cook, and perhaps the Asian guy the best. I did not think the pie guy and Russell would last longer than the European twit-model cum bad attitude. Two of the finalists are barely able to utter a coherent sentence.</p>
<p>I agree that Chris, Chad or Asian guy should have lasted beyond Rodney or Russell.</p>
<p>^^^ I third that!</p>
<p>I agree. I couldn’t believe that Russell and Rodney kept sticking around week after week. Their cooking and camera presence were inconsistent at best.</p>
<p>On the flip side, Viet has no personality for TV and Chad started strong and kept fading. He wasn’t good at all by the time he was cut. I think with Russell and Rodney, they saw something they could work with if they could improve, i.e. work out their inconsistencies</p>
<p>Having said that, I doubt I will watch the winner’s shows. But then again I hardly watch any winners other than Melissa d’Arabian and Guy Fieri because they actually give me ideas.</p>
<p>As I predicted at home, the new Food Network “Paula Deen” is Damaris! </p>
<p>Really can’t believe that she represents the best of what was offered. Thought the show last night was a complete WASTE of an hour on tv! Basically just waiting an hour to find out the winner. Had our finger on FF most of the hour. </p>
<p>There clearly seems to be a significant time between when they stop taping and when we view and vote. Nicki is 6 months pregnant and actually Damaris looked like she had gained some pounds while waiting for the finale.</p>
<p>Damaris seems like a nice enough person and she had some decent food at times, but those 3 left on stage were not exactly people with lots of confidence!!! Didn’t Russell say he had been in the bottom 5 times? There were only about 10 shows! </p>
<p>Shaking head.</p>
<p>Damaris looked a lot prettier and more appealing in the earlier episodes; the winner everyone-look-the-same gloss seems already to have had a negative effect. And Russell is so smart and likable and not mass market that I am not surprised he was the first finalist cut but suspect he will hae some sort of media success somewhere–great voice and appealing presence. I found Rodney thoroughly annoying most of the time and thought his shtick carried him a lot farther than it should have.</p>
<p>But how could Russell land in the bottom half the series yet make it to the finale??!!! It wasn’t as though he had a complete turn around and all of a sudden was 100% in front of the camera, in originality, and food quality. All three of their POV’s were weak IMO. Russell was so NOT pleasant for me to watch - not skillful in his on camera presentation and just overall kind of scary to watch!!! (his tough demeanor was turn off to me)</p>
<p>I guess I liked his voice and overlooked his Mohawk. He spoke a lot better than he looked, when he was being natural, but he seemed uncomfortable in front of the camera. I had a feeling his food might be better than he was being given on-air credit for, just as some of Rodney’s pies were not successful yet his showmanship seems to have been on-target in broadcasting terms.</p>
<p>Clearly the Food Network needs a new, pretty, Southern cook to take PD’s place–though honestly, I have been pleasantly surprised by Trisha Yearwood’s show the few times I have watched it. Damaris reminds me of the Susan Sarandon character in Bull Durham (mostly in a good way).</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE
Please use this thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1574653-top-chef-season-11-a.html#post16553912[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1574653-top-chef-season-11-a.html#post16553912</a> to discuss Top Chef Season 11.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>