My Iron Chef Theory

[freeport_pirate]

I have a theory about Iron Chef America, which is mine. It goes like this. Bobby Flay is in more battles than any other Iron Chef for the same reason you groan when one of his episodes comes on: he's a dick. I suspect that when these chefs agree to be on the show, they think, "God, Flay is such a dick; I want to crush him!" Really, who wants to lay

Comments

[jdurall]

Batali is for all intents and purposes off the network, Morimoto apparently hates being on it, Cora lives in California. Symon is based out of Cleveland and just opened a new restaurant in Detroit.

Flay has almost entirely devoted himself to the Food Network, and has two or three other shows currently running and seems to be on every one of their specials. He's also the only chef based out of New York City, where Iron Chef America is filmed. Hence, he's the go-to guy when they need an Iron Chef and no one else is available.

None of which makes him any less a dick.

[valmiras]

All of this makes sense to me after recently watching two episodes, with predominantly Asian and Italian style challengers, respectively, and they both picked Flay. Why?

[jdurall]

I recently read a bit of a tell-all about ICA where it revealed that for the most part, the challengers don't get to pick their opponents, or they get to pick from a short list of who's available.

The non-competing Iron Chefs have body doubles that stand there while the "selection" is being made. Flay, more than any others in the lineup, is a tireless self-promoter. I suspect he considers himself to be the "face" of the Food Network.

[freeport_pirate]

Oh, you are probably right, but I like the idea of challenging chefs stabbing their knives into their cutting boards Rahm Emanuel style and shouting out, "Bobby Flay, dead!"

[kenmarable]

Haven't really watched Iron Chef America much but I do know in the original Japanese version Morimoto was picked quite often for that very reason. His whole thing was this neo-bold-crazy-Japanese style, so all of these ultra traditional Japanese chefs would come out to put him in his place.

My favorite episode was where this "clan" of Japanese chefs that all trained under this great master came out with their best to challenge this Morimoto "upstart" who thumbed his nose at traditional Japanese cuisine. The whole clan sat in the audience silently sending stern glances towards Morimoto. He took a swig from his every-present bottle of Coke, glanced at it, and with a shrug poured it into the rice cooker with the rice. I swear several of those chefs half stood up with shock on their face ready to strike him down or something. Morimoto just smiled, nodded, and went back to cooking.

Staged or genuine, it felt like watching a Kurosawa/Mifune movie - but with cooking.

[freeport_pirate]

I loved the feuds with the various clans of Japanese chefs. ICA could use something like that. The way they portrayed these groups of chefs like Mafia crime families was hilarious.

[skaldheim]

Makes sense. It'd also explain why I don't really watch the American version, though I was completely addicted to the Japanese one. How did Bruce's Amber character phrase it? "Bobby Flay is a thug with no talent."

[lilithdarkmoon]

I think the original was still the best. Sakai is still the man, and ICA has felt contrived for a while.

[freeport_pirate]

Oh yeah, I much prefer the original. It was a wackiness that ICA lacks.

[lilithdarkmoon]

As a foodie, I think I liked it because of the unfamiliar ingredients and some of the techniques used. Let's hear it for the original Chairman (though I do like Dacascos)!

[freeport_pirate]

If you haven't seen it, Nicole and I had a brush with the new chairman in Vancouver last year. Funny.
http://freeport-pirate.livejournal.com/90399.html

[josephbrowning]

Loved the original, but not a fan of the new one. I liked how they'd often get Japanese tv and movie starlets as one of the judges. Some of the comments were quite good but there was one that I remember being so vapid I told Suzi that her comments were just variations on "I like food."

And Sakai is the man. :)

[josephbrowning]

Oh, and if you like Iron Chef you may like Ninja Warrior. It's good fun, IMO, requiring some intense physicality to get through the various challenges.