Friday, September 25, 2020

Jack of All trades, Master of None?


Some cook for fun, some for their profession and other because they have to.  Cooking can be the most basic of art forms to some, a hobby to many or way of life. Artists and cooks are more similar than we know. Both use art as a means to express themselves in a way words never can. Artists use a canvas, paint, color, palates, mixed media to create something that speaks of their personality. Cooks and culinary artists mix and color various raw ingredients into a final finished that has a unique aroma and taste. No two artists are the same. No two products of art can be the same. Cooking is believed to be a spiritual, meditative form of art that can satiate the mind, body and soul. It can be a therapeutic means to calm the energy to those indulging in it. It can create a sense of Zen and tranquility as we become oblivious of our surroundings.

In today's world where everything is a competition, everyone is part of the rat race, people want their talents and interests to be paraded around for many reasons. It can be the only way to gain popularity, market their talent and business or simply gain personal satisfaction.

A man of many talents, Francis Roddam or commonly known as Franc Roddam created the reality TV show MasterChef in 1990. He was a established English film  director, businessman, screenwriter, producer and publisher. Roddams life in Hollywood was not of great success. His many movies were not blockbuster hits as he liked to create realistic movies; to show that the grass is not in fact green on the other side. Like all struggling in the Hollywood industry, Roddam was determined to make his mark. He found success when he revolutionized the idea to democratize food. He created this competition to showcase the culinary talents of people in Europe.

Frank wanted people from every walk of life to collaborate under one roof to prove their talents worth. The success of the show was so tremendous that its format has been exported to 40 countries under the same MasterChef logo. This format is sold all over the world by the production company, Shine Group. 

The MasterChef competition is broadened into four different versions: the original MasterChef series, MasterChef: The Professionals, Celebrity MasterChef and Junior MasterChef. The Junior MasterChef is a version created for children aspiring to showcase their culinary skills and talent. Furthermore, Australia created a fifth version called MasterChef All-Stars, for former contestants to raise money for charity.

MasterChef is open to people of all categories : home cooks, amateurs, and professionals. Anyone with an interest and knowledge in cooking was welcome to participate in this competition. MasterChef U.S.A, aired on July 27,2010, is a competitive cooking reality show based on the original show created by Frank Roddam in the U.K. winner competes for $250,000 in cash, their own cookbook and a trophy. MasterChef India, similar to MasterChef U.S.A is an Indian competitive cooking show based on the original MasterChef U.K. It aired in 2010 on the channel Star Plus, produced by Colosseum Media Pvt. Ltd. The winner takes home ₹ 10,000,000 in cash, a chance to publish their own cookbook and have their own cookery show.

This reality show goes on for eight weeks in total airing from Monday-Friday. In the first six weeks, the first four episodes aired each week are known as heats. The winner of each heat is known as the quarter-finalist. Each week six contestants participate and a quarter-finalist is chosen at the end of the week. At the end of the week, the quarter-finalists compete with each other and the winner is chosen as the semi-finalist. At the end of the sixth week, all the  semi finalists compete with each other for the upcoming final two weeks. Contestants are evaluated based on the taste, visual and presentation of their final dish created. MasterChef has four events of competition and one chef is eliminated after the second and fourth event. This set of 4 events takes place over the period of 2 episodes. The events are : Mystery Box, Elimination Test, Team Challenge and Pressure Test. 

In the Mystery Box round, every contestant is given one box with the same ingredients. The task in hand is to create a dish in a fixed amount of time. The best dish is then selected by the judges based on taste, presentation and technique. In the elimination test, the remaining chef's are given 15 minutes to choose their ingredients from a pantry to create a dish. The judges then evaluate the dishes based on the requisites and select two winners. The winner of the previous round is given one advantage over the rest and the judges decide the chef with the least score to leave the show in this round. The third round, team challenge divides the contestants into 2 teams. Their task is to create a dish within the stipulated time. The last round , pressure test, is for the losing team. They compete with each other to create a complicated dish in a very small amount of time. Based on the taste, appearance and technique, each dish is judged and the losing chef is eliminated from the challenge. The rounds continue until there is a last man standing. He or She is given the title of Master Chef for that year and is deemed with the prestige of conducting their own cookery show along with a lump sum cash prize. 

This world phenomenon has had its share of bad luck too. In 2013, MasterChef was hit by accusations of sexual, mental and physical harassments by their former contestants. This was a turning point for the show as it received a lot of backlash from the media and the public. Also, being a reality show, people have come to realize that the show is scripted. Regardless of such allegations, Master Chef continues to be a staple in each and every household. 














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