As a chef, people naturally assume that all I watch in terms of visual content is food videos and shows. Well, it’s true. But did I choose to become a chef because of Masterchef? Well, no, but also yes. We have all grown up watching food being made. Whether it’s at home, at a Subway or a shawarma shop, or even on TV, watching food being prepared is almost like viewing art in its most tactile form.
We are obsessed with seeing these chefs or creators turn random ingredients into something that looks so tantalising, we would probably give anything to be there at the tasting station. It’s almost magical, seeing this transformation happen right in front of our eyes. There are ways where food reality TV plays out like an action thriller, but with moments of profound emotion (and sometimes stupidity) woven in. Nothing gives me more joy than sitting in my sweats, eating a bowl of instant ramen, and watching some poor sod completely mess up their gourmet dish on TV. It relates to my sense of inner hubris, thinking, “Oh, I could totally make that”, while I proceed to overcook my instant ramen (it happens!).
We as people like chaos. And what better way to enjoy chaos, than to see someone have a meltdown after their baked alaska didn't turn out right and throw it in the bin!
Watching food being prepared is almost like viewing art in its most tactile form
Shows like Masterchef, The Great British Bake Off, Hell’s Kitchen, to name a few, are the best versions of reality TV that can ever exist. Seeing food being made by these experts, while also seeing them at their most vulnerable, being so prone to mess up, makes them all the more real to us. We like to see things that may seem out of reach in our day-to-day lives, but seem so close that we can almost touch them through the TV screen.
We as people like chaos
The food business is one that can never go into recession, as our experiences as people are intrinsically tied to food. There is a reason why open kitchens and the concept of tableside cuisine exists, as if we are not making the food, we are eating it, and when we are not eating it, we are watching it being made. Our fascination with food extends beyond having our cake and eating it too, as on TV, we can see how making that cake can also be considered akin to modern art.