If you get in the finale and want to start a career in food media, why not? It sounds horrible going through the application process, multiple auditions, two months of shooting, constant prep, Daily Mail digging in your wastebins, etc. If you get that far, good on you - it seems like a lot of effort! Like - they've probably put in the hours by that point.
Guiseppe's writing a book - talked about it in the finale? - does that make him less "pure of heart"?
― Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 2 December 2021 17:40 (two years ago) link
It's just a contrast between the early seasons of the show where people didn't necessarily know that they were going on a hugely watched show that would make them famous and able to make a lot of money. Nothing wrong with taking advantage of the opportunities, but Guiseppe at least was convincing in the appearance that he was doing it for personal reasons rather than becoming an influencer.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 2 December 2021 17:51 (two years ago) link
(I know it's naïve to think that anyone goes on any tv competition show without some desire for glory, but in the past this show has been better than most about letting the viewer suspend disbelief, which is a big part of why it was so successful in the first place?)
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 2 December 2021 18:00 (two years ago) link
Without glasses, Chigs had kind of an intensely furrowed brow as a normal resting face. The glasses helped to either physically cover up the brow, or to prevent him from making that face in the first place (perhaps he had been squinting because he couldn't see very well). I assumed that the show made him wear them once they saw how he looked on TV. He was much more attractive with the glasses!
― jaymc, Thursday, 2 December 2021 18:13 (two years ago) link
Ha I think you cracked it
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 2 December 2021 18:16 (two years ago) link
sans glasses he appeared to have slightly crossed/misaligned eyes, the glasses likely a corrective for that
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 2 December 2021 18:24 (two years ago) link
Yeah, maybe that was it.
― jaymc, Thursday, 2 December 2021 18:43 (two years ago) link
It's just a contrast between the early seasons of the show where people didn't necessarily know that they were going on a hugely watched show that would make them famous and able to make a lot of money.
This is just the dynamic of all reality competitions that last for a while -- early seasons are "purer" (scare quotes are doing a LOT of heavy lifting there, because even in their infancy reality tv has always involve a lot of behind the scenes manipulation to create the naive facade), but past a certain threshold, the point of the show starts to move away from those origins (e.g. baking) and towards maintaining the show as a cultural phenomenon (GBBO). I think that latter part also explains the ever more dire time call bits and the handshake -- those things just sort of happened before but are now baked (ahem) into the show.
― Nelleee Hooper (Leee), Thursday, 2 December 2021 20:15 (two years ago) link
glad chrystelle didn't win, i'm sure she's fine but her whole "WHAT?!? I WON!?!?" thing got pretty annoying given that she's obviously a very very talented baker and also looks like a model. jurgen's vibe, which could come off as smug at times, was still preferable
― na (NA), Thursday, 2 December 2021 20:20 (two years ago) link
i'm really kind of surprised by all the distaste for Crystelle - i really liked her! super skilled, cool under pressure, consistently made beautiful things that i would want to eat.
― I Am Fribbulus (Xax) (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 2 December 2021 20:33 (two years ago) link
she works for goldman sachs ffs, she was clearly the villain of this season
― adam, Thursday, 2 December 2021 21:18 (two years ago) link
I liked all three finalists, although I wouldn't want to be friends with any of them IRL.
And it feels like old fashioned sexism to say that you don't like Chrystelle because she's "trying too hard." Chigs gave up a job in sales to join the Bake Off. Guiseppe is from a family of chefs and now has a book coming out. But they're dudes, so...
Chigs is the only one who is regularly promoted to my IG. I have no idea how that algorithm works, but she hasn't been promoted to me at all, and I'm seeing a lot of him.
― colette, Thursday, 2 December 2021 21:30 (two years ago) link
Crystelle is a fairly typical Habs old girl - second-gen professional middle class family, modern languages at UCL and then straight into a City job. A cool baker from a couple of seasons back, Selasi, worked for another one of the big banks.
― the thin blue lying (suzy), Thursday, 2 December 2021 21:36 (two years ago) link
It's okay to be a in a competition and want to win, though!
Competitiveness ≠ narcissism
― Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, December 2, 2021 9:46 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
I don’t think she’s a narcissist at all, she grew on me immensely as the season went on (full disclosure I think she’s hot), but the striving ambition that leads one to end up being, say, a goldman analyst was pretty obvious in her manner, and I think noel picked up on that, which is what made his little needling land
― k3vin k., Thursday, 2 December 2021 21:42 (two years ago) link
Noel's needling was affectionate and in good humour, can none of you Americans read English comedians at all?
― Enjoy the brighter sounds of Analog on CD (stevie), Friday, 3 December 2021 09:45 (two years ago) link
Good humour doesn’t preclude sexism though.
― Alba, Friday, 3 December 2021 10:06 (two years ago) link
yeah, the Noel/Crystelle scenes really crossed into uncomfortable for me. like she was constantly having to smile for the camera and go "seriously, dude?" at come-ons disguised as "jokes."
― I Am Fribbulus (Xax) (Doctor Casino), Friday, 3 December 2021 12:11 (two years ago) link
I'm not saying he doesn't fancy her, but I'm not sure that she was uncomfortable with him. It did seem more along the lines of he is her annoying brother. Like, I can't believe, at this stage, that the production team would be clueless enough to leave actual harrassment in the final edit? The dynamic of the last two series has been very different from previous years, it seems to me, because they are all together all the time for weeks instead of just for a couple of days a week. But maybe I am absolutely clueless on this.
― trishyb, Friday, 3 December 2021 12:57 (two years ago) link
I feel like a lot of noel's interactions during baking are quite awkward - he says the wacky thing, the baker acknowledges the wacky thing but then he lingers as though the wacky thing warrants further reaction. jurgen on more than one occasion had to shrug or ask him to go away.
― conrad, Friday, 3 December 2021 13:14 (two years ago) link
Yes, I think with Jurgen that became part of the joke. Though at one point Jurgen did say he found Noel hovering a calming presence "believe it or not", but not sure if he was being serious.
― Alba, Friday, 3 December 2021 13:29 (two years ago) link
There is a “laugh or I’ll shoot this puppy” quality to the reaction shots.
My secret shame about bakeoff is that I think Paul is great! His annoyingly selective palate aside, I’m always interested in what he’s going to say, enjoy watching him, and I like his apparent comfort with having the piss taken out of him constantly. Don’t really care if he’s a bit of a berk offscreen.
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 3 December 2021 15:46 (two years ago) link
Oh yeah, me too. I bet he’s quite mesmerising in person.
― Alba, Friday, 3 December 2021 15:49 (two years ago) link
The dynamic of the last two series has been very different from previous years, it seems to me, because they are all together all the time for weeks instead of just for a couple of days a week.
This for sure, you get the sense that you're just seeing the surface of a lot of the dynamics and inside jokes that have developed in the bubble.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 3 December 2021 15:52 (two years ago) link
Oz bake off, 5 minutes in. they have paul and pru, only paul is bald. and mel and sue. and a shed rather than a tent.
― koogs, Monday, 6 December 2021 17:44 (two years ago) link
!! mel and sue!! really? awesome
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 December 2021 18:05 (two years ago) link
not the actual mel and sue, but mel and sue analogs (rather than, say, noel and matt analogs). it's all a bit mirror-world ((c) william gibson)
― koogs, Monday, 6 December 2021 18:14 (two years ago) link
oh ok jeez! do not be casual with these details lol
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 December 2021 18:40 (two years ago) link
One of them is actually a Mel, right?
― Nelleee Hooper (Leee), Monday, 6 December 2021 18:40 (two years ago) link
Also, it looks like a lot of the episodes are on d@!1ym0t!0n!
― Nelleee Hooper (Leee), Monday, 6 December 2021 18:42 (two years ago) link
oh, i did cut and paste the names somewhere...
"Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle and judges Maggie Beer and Matt Moran" ??????
(it's season 4, from 2018)
― koogs, Monday, 6 December 2021 18:46 (two years ago) link
veg, if you love mel, you should be watching Handmade: Britain's Best Woodworker. she hosts.
― When Young Sheldon began to rap (forksclovetofu), Monday, 6 December 2021 20:11 (two years ago) link
shut the front door! i will check that out thx
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 6 December 2021 20:37 (two years ago) link
there's also this on Dave, which i've never seen
https://dave.uktv.co.uk/shows/mel-giedroyc-unforgivable/
― koogs, Monday, 6 December 2021 20:38 (two years ago) link
Is that the one that Lee Mack was meant to be hosting but one of the contestants turned out to be a nazi?
― trishyb, Monday, 6 December 2021 22:27 (two years ago) link
no frame of reference whatsoever but i really liked the show!
― When Young Sheldon began to rap (forksclovetofu), Monday, 6 December 2021 22:50 (two years ago) link
the season of taskmaster with Mel and Noel (crossover!) is v. good (and is the only taskmaster season i've had the patience to watch without fast-forwarding)
― Chuck_Tatum, Tuesday, 7 December 2021 00:20 (two years ago) link
oh trishyb might be right, although that was sky history and not ch4, but it sounds a lot like the same premise. the contestants in the ch4 version were very diverse.
― koogs, Tuesday, 7 December 2021 02:03 (two years ago) link
british week on australian bake-off.
much more innuendo than the uk version
but the best parts are the interstitial shots of the birds outside the shed, kookaburras (are they that tame?), aussie magpies, parakeets, er, some other things.
― koogs, Wednesday, 15 December 2021 18:44 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORyKiLThT-8
TLDW: Every season basically has had contestants cashing in on their time on the show.
― Virginia Worf (Leee), Monday, 27 December 2021 18:37 (two years ago) link
well why not!
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 28 December 2021 03:27 (two years ago) link
The kids' faces when Paul Hollywood walked into the tent. He must feel like Henry VIII. And the way he was helping them and encouraging them was very pleasing. And Rav looking awesome as always. And Harry being tolerated by the more serious kids. Junior Bakeoff is the best.
― trishyb, Wednesday, 12 January 2022 08:33 (two years ago) link
The looks Harry has got for dad jokes has been God tier this year. I was sceptical about Paul - I wasn't sure how he'd manage the sort of encouragement and leading clues the kids need - but in the second ep he's really settled into it.
My favourite is Lola but she won't make it much further. Wasn't that surprised about the first elimination, they couldn't get over what happened in the technical and it ruined their other bake.
Junior Bakeoff is the best, yes.
― Long enough attention span for a Stephen Bissette blu-ray extra (aldo), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 09:04 (two years ago) link
Are Rav and Liam still on the show? My 7yo is a huge Rav and Liam fan.
― Enjoy the brighter sounds of Analog on CD (stevie), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 09:25 (two years ago) link
Rav and Liam still, yes, but Liam's off ill for the first few, replaced by Paul H
― koogs, Wednesday, 12 January 2022 09:40 (two years ago) link
Ah, good news!
― Enjoy the brighter sounds of Analog on CD (stevie), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 10:11 (two years ago) link
It was lovely to see how happy everyone was that Liam was back. The relief on their faces that their fun uncle was OK.Today's star baker was a very popular choice in our house, but the upset of the eliminated contestant was hard to watch, as always.
― trishyb, Friday, 14 January 2022 00:00 (two years ago) link
I was saying the same thing, treading that line where one of them wants to celebrate but another is in floods of tears is very difficult but Rav is brilliant at it.
― Long enough attention span for a Stephen Bissette blu-ray extra (aldo), Friday, 14 January 2022 09:10 (two years ago) link
i find her organising the cheering and the way she looks around when she does it a bit disturbing.
― koogs, Friday, 14 January 2022 10:03 (two years ago) link
I like the show but the elimination is too much for me. I don't think kids are built for high-stakes competition and living under the existential threat of sudden elimination. It seems cruel and unhealthy, even if the hosts are empathetic and sweet. I just don't want to see it.
Would much rather they just kept all the kids for the whole season and crowned a winner at the end.
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 14 January 2022 11:39 (two years ago) link
It just breeds the idea that perseverance and hard work and WINNING are important, but it's just adult bullshit.
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 14 January 2022 11:41 (two years ago) link