Darren72 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:In any case, I thought it was bullying and bad form for Colicchio to go after Elia in that way on the Reunion Show. As a celebrity, he must know that he's not going to agree with everything that's said about him. Apparently, Elia wasn't aware of the contract clause in which you pledge undying loyalty to Tom Colicchio in return for putting your butt on the line on Top Chef. And Tom's statement that he doesn't comment on the dishes he eats at the contestants' restaurants -- well, I would hope not as a matter of ethics and good judgment-- he's not a restaurant critic though as a public figure, his opinions are unduly weighted. But that doesn't mean that there's some silent deal in return for the contestants not to comment on him. It's not that Elia shouldn't have shot off her mouth, but he's a millionaire chef who is comparatively leaps and bounds more successful and well-known than someone like Elia, such that he should silently take some slights, no matter how unjustified he personally believes them to be.

I'm not sure where the line between bullying and disagreement is here. I thought she leveled a criticism against him and he responded.

Without necesarily taking sides here I think it stopped being criticism when he was called a sellout.

Ironic hearing the bitter game show contestant referring to Colicchio as a sell-out.

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Darren72 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:In any case, I thought it was bullying and bad form for Colicchio to go after Elia in that way on the Reunion Show. As a celebrity, he must know that he's not going to agree with everything that's said about him. Apparently, Elia wasn't aware of the contract clause in which you pledge undying loyalty to Tom Colicchio in return for putting your butt on the line on Top Chef. And Tom's statement that he doesn't comment on the dishes he eats at the contestants' restaurants -- well, I would hope not as a matter of ethics and good judgment-- he's not a restaurant critic though as a public figure, his opinions are unduly weighted. But that doesn't mean that there's some silent deal in return for the contestants not to comment on him. It's not that Elia shouldn't have shot off her mouth, but he's a millionaire chef who is comparatively leaps and bounds more successful and well-known than someone like Elia, such that he should silently take some slights, no matter how unjustified he personally believes them to be.

I'm not sure where the line between bullying and disagreement is here. I thought she leveled a criticism against him and he responded.

I don't want to get into it, I was just voicing my opinion, but the way I saw it, the criticism was leveled off-camera. Andy brought it up, Elia expressed that she really didn't want to get into it, and there was the golden moment for Tom to be the bigger person and state that he didn't want to get into it either. He didn't. She then awkwardly attempted to explain what she had said, and then Tom engaged in an extremely awkward, high-toned exchange, involving initating votes-of-hand amongst the cast about whether they drink diet Coke or their restaurants serve corn-fed beef in an attempt to humiliate a chef who is, well, not doing much for herself.

Is Tom Colicchio a sellout? Or more precisely, did Tom Colicchio sell out when he opened a big ticket Vegas steakhouse during the heyday of the aughts? I think it's a fair question, but not one that needed to be hashed out on the reunion show.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ironic hearing the bitter game show contestant referring to Colicchio as a sell-out.

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On which Colicchio is head judge. Who's the sellout?

aschie30 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ironic hearing the bitter game show contestant referring to Colicchio as a sell-out.

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On which Colicchio is head judge. Who's the sellout?

Well, clearly, she is.

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edited to add emote

On a more general note, did anybody else lose interest when the "finale" lasted about three (or was it four?) episodes?

It is interesting comparing the "cliff-hanger" aspect of this to a show like Survivor. In this one, there is always a commercial break after the final argument and before the decision. In contrast, in Survivor, votes are cast and then read. I've always found the long-ending of Top Chef to be more of an annoyance then anything else. Many times, I've watched the cooking and judging and then turned it off before a winner/loser was announced. The show by dragging things out really makes it seem less interesting.

DML wrote:On a more general note, did anybody else lose interest when the "finale" lasted about three (or was it four?) episodes?

I'd be lying if I said that didn't happen for me even before that point in the season but yes, it was a real drag (pun intended) the way it was extended this season.

DML wrote:It is interesting comparing the "cliff-hanger" aspect of this to a show like Survivor. In this one, there is always a commercial break after the final argument and before the decision. In contrast, in Survivor, votes are cast and then read. I've always found the long-ending of Top Chef to be more of an annoyance then anything else. Many times, I've watched the cooking and judging and then turned it off before a winner/loser was announced. The show by dragging things out really makes it seem less interesting.

I always record and fast forward so this hasn't been an issue for me but yes it's still a very annoying practice. I guess they feel they can pay the bills more effectively by putting a break at that juncture of each episode, since those who watch live are unlikely to change the channel at that point.

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