Why?
Why do you like Gordon Ramsay?
And if not, why do you hate him?
Can you imagine yourself being subjected to his brand of vehemence? Well … can you … ?!?
Cripes … I’m loud and he intimidates me.
Maybe this article on alpha males helps explain why any individual would willingly be subject to his anguish and distress. (Per the article, many of us obviously like focused, result-oriented individuals who command respect.)
Or … maybe it’s as simple as our appreciation of the way he spews “donkey” when he’s ranting. There’s a certain satisfaction of being witness to someone’s mistake at the reprimandive hand of our friend Gordon.
Whatever the reason, you cannot deny the facts: Eight incarnations of Hell’s Kitchen have aired thus far … and not only are we still smack-dab in the middle of season 9, it doesn’t appear it will be slowing anytime in the near future. 130+ contestants have appeared on the nine seasons thus far. And what of the fact that Hell’s Kitchen is that rarer than rare reality competition not relying on anything but a single individual (Ramsay himself) to determine the outcome of a contestant’s fate? Other reality programs use judges or a panel or even the contestants themselves to take matters in their own hands as to who gets cut from the competition. Not so with this one.
Then, there’s the glut of programming he’s involved with on both sides of the Atlantic in addition to Hell’s Kitchen — Kitchen Nightmares, The F-Word, MasterChef — each with its own signature Ramsay seasoning to varying degrees.
Krupa Patel and Jonathon Plumley — the ousted on episodes 10 and 11 this week — were more the willing to take whatever Gordon dished out for them on Hell’s Kitchen, participants in the rigors which reign on Fox midweek.
I don’t know. Half of me concedes the showmanship on the program, with all the raw food being flung and dishes being heaved trashcanward, is nothing more than grandstanding. (Why else the jittery camera aftershocks often in accompaniment of a Ramsay rant?) But I also know his short temper is legendary. We’ve seen it time and again. It’s not all grandstanding.
But there’s more to it than even that. I detailed a few of the reasons I dig Gordon on my last MasterChef post. Cripes … he actually kissed an outgoing male contestant Tuesday night! That peck on the cheek came out of left field! Love that!
Bottom line: I apparently like alpha males on television, too. Especially Gordon Ramsay, for all the reasons above and more. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Tell me why you like (or dislike) him in the comment section below.
(Note: I mish-mashed this Hell’s Kitchen post together for Tara while she’s busy attending to the real world. She’ll be back next week. In the meantime, I appreciate the vegetables you will most likely pass my way in acknowledgment of my efforts. Thank you. — Michael)
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Aug 11, 2011 @ 02:16 EST5EDT
it’s like a car wreck on the highway..you know it’s going to be messy/shocking/traumatizing..but you just have to look! The man can be downright charming when he wants to be and he sucks me in then. Then you know the screaming is going to start, but it’s the voyeur in me that wants to watch him yell at other people while I am safe on my couch.
Who is more worthy of haters, Alise on Hell’s Kitchen or Christian on MasterChef?
Absofreek’nlutely I love him cause when you’ve got it, flaunt it! Gordon knows his shit, and demands perfection. How can you not love his persona.
I think it was on his F-Word program where they always had a clip about him and his family at home with Gordon teaching his kids about where the food came from and why they must honor it. Rabbits, chicken, even sheep were raised in the back yard, and they all ended up on the Ramsay table with the kids digging in. Respect for his craft is why we must Respect Gordon.
I adore him because he’s Scottish, skilled, smart, snarky, and sexy.
He knows his stuff, demands perfection and 100% effort, and does recognize the honest attempts to achieve it. Besides, he’s fun to watch.
I love him because 1) he’s not really mean outside of the kitchen (in interviews he giggles and fidgets like a hyperactive little boy); 2) his face reminds me of a cute, shaggy little dog; 3) I feel confident that if I went to one of his restaurants, I would never have to worry about there being a hair in my food (or worse).
Here’s some asparagus Michael. Fry it as we do in Michigan and have some ranch dipping on the side!
And really, need I say what I think of My Gordon? Actually, even if I wanted to, there’s a little matter of that darn restraining order …
He knows what he’s doing, he tells it like it is, and he has an accent. Hat trick right there.
I like him!, his standards are over the top, and Id Love to eat knowing his standards are the best in the world, I am very particular with my food and prep, yes even if I am cooking myself a fried egg, he has a way that would piss most off, but thats who he is, its easy, you like or you dont watch, I cant understand people that go to the Hells Kitchen and are surprised in how Chef Ramsay runs his kitchen. Chef Ramsay Kicks ass, he is great! and I like it.