The Constructed Narrative of Kitchen Nightmares

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In which we examine the ways in which the reality television show Kitchen Nightmares crafts a narrative.
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Music Used:
Epic Panorama 03 - August Wilhelmsson
Menino é fogo (Instrumental Version) - Clara Mendes
Humbot - Wave Saver
Chant for Quisqueya - Ambre Juane
Fugalicious - Gavin Luke

[@okawesome2746]

Wait, 30 minutes? That's, like, three quibis of content. You sure you want to give that away for free? That's a lot of quibis.

[@CraftsmanOfAwsomenes]

6 Sargons

[@JJ-vw2tq]

9 kromer

[@Nilnot]

Lady E ain’t afraid to make it rain quibis

[@jan_Masewin]

what’s a quibi, precious

[@okawesome2746]

@@jan_Masewin a short lived streaming service that aired less than fifteen minute episodes only, also only availble on smartphones. Commercials for it tried to use "quibi" to mean a period of about ten minutes, it did not catch on.

[@EllieSpectacular]

"Kitchen Fantasies" - a reality show where Gordon Ramsay goes to thriving, successful eateries to sabotage their kitchens and jokerfy the chefs

[@troyschulz2318]

I'm almost certain several KITCHEN NIGHTMARES episodes were like this IRL.

[@TheSecondVersion]

If this show were real, Sbarro's would definitely be on it.

[@guesswho2590]

Are you dumb? It is real. Editing only makes it more dramatic than it actually is, but those business weren't thriving. The kindda introduction that you get at the beggining is the "audition" tape they send to see if they can be part of the show. Only the worst are picked out at the end, cuz that's the point of the show, so they can help and fix them. There are only a few cases when it was kindda obv that the owners were just doing it for the money and just sell the place, but only a couple, most of them are genuine.

[@caseyconnell9336]

Cool video. The lesson I learned through my kitchen nightmares binges was restaurant owners often have no clue how a restaurant actually functions. Democratize the service industries, let workers have say in their working environment

[@melodi996]

@@troyschulz2318 well, there were episodes where they had much less problems than usual and really had wholesome owners, so they don't have to make drama out of each place.

[@JakeJonRoberts]

I will say this: the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares at least, like tries to be about the restaurant industry and Ramsay's insights, giving cultural context to the places he's going to. American TV really does a disservice to Ramsay's genuinely interesting perspectives.

[@Silencio223]

The difference between the two is stark - the UK version is like "This chef has lost his passion for cooking, and I'm here to help him rediscover it", where the US one is "These greedy owners will cut any corner to save money, and I'm here to stop them before they kill someone."

[@Celebrian666]

@@Silencio223 to be fair, based only on working in restaurants on the US, many owners here do seem to want to cut as many corners for profit as possible.

[@captainufo4587]

@@Celebrian666 But then shouldn't they be aware of it? When Ramsey shouts "why do you use this shit" the answer should be "I know it's shit but it's cheaper and help balancing the expenses". Instead they all act sheepish and mutter that they weren't aware it was that bad.

[@jamesbuc6116]

@@Silencio223 The UK version is also unafraid to go 'And everything crashed and burned and closed down' wheras the USA one always goes 'AND EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER' regardless of everything.

[@brokenmelodies723]

@@Silencio223 Idk the two kids giving him spoiled scallops in the very first episode of UK shows sometimes it can be just as bad, arguably worse since I don't think it's as made up as the US counterpart.

[@sachitechless]

I think there is another group that gets more to why this show is popular, and that group is people who have worked in hopsitality. The industry is a hellhole and I'd say most of the owners call in Gordon Ramsay because they're convinced they aren't the problem and why the staff are unhappy or untrained or the food sucks. It's like a kind of catharsis for people who have worked in a kitchen, the idea someone from outside could actually talk back to the shitty boss where they work, even just once, without getting fired.

[@LadyEmilyPresents]

This is also true, both in the sense that most owners on the show seem to be in denial about the state of their business and just want affirmations for Ramsey and also in the sense that I got really into Kitchen Nightmares when I was working in food service and was dealing with a shitty owner and terrible customers

[@emmanuelmayoral9779]

Absolutely I worked as a dishwasher, then as a spaghetti guy (boiling and portioning pasta and then going back to do dishes), and briefly as a cook, and I would have loved to see Gordon Ramsey call my manager a muppet. And probably the rest of us too for our complicity

[@mattlozinski1700]

Legit there were days when my head chef was being terrible and I hated my job I would fantasize about calling in the nightmares crew to have ramsey yell at him

[@kalidwapur]

It depends on people. My companion has been working as a cook for years and she hates the show because and Gordon Ramsey because it normalizes abuse in that line of work even more than it is already. It's a sometimes violent environment and some guys that grew up on this think that behaving like Ramsey is a normal thing.

[@Ebonzai]

This is SO true I have nothing to add, I only added this so you'd know how right you are

[@MeatSnax]

As someone who's worked in kitchens their whole life, the show is very lightly staged, if at all. If they actually do find random nobodies or get the employees to act in a way that's so pitch perfect to how an actual dysfunctional dinner service goes at a shitty restaurant, those people should be famous method actors. The state of the walk ins, the unwarranted egos and tempers, the degeneracy of the kitchen staff, the baffling management decisions, it's all stuff I've seen at multiple restaurants in real life. And while Ramsay is playing it up for the cameras, his temper isn't from nowhere. Long before he was a celebrity, he had a reputation as being one of the most difficult chefs to work with in fine dining. The reputation is what got him the fame, not the other way around. I have heard from several chefs that have worked in his companies that he's much nicer now that he's not working in a kitchen 75 hours a week.

[@lauraescudero6922]

Yeah i didnt work in kitchens but my father did, and he never liked those shows because of how close hits to home for him. Working in a kitchen brings the worst of someone

[@Treeeee2008]

Good to know, I hate getting into reality shows only to find out that they're fake.

[@meepmop6]

Kitchens are also stressful af and I think that's why so many chefs smoke.

[@kurozero1072]

@@meepmop6 oh boy you dont know the end of it in a restaurant, as a former assistant chef this shit is common

[@meepmop6]

@@kurozero1072 yeah I've been a kitchenhand in a couple hotel restaurants and all the chefs smoked

[@TheSecondVersion]

Hotel Hell is basically, "Kitchen Nightmares, but about an entire hotel, and the 3-Part Structure always has a scene where Gordon strips naked to try the hotel bathtub" Every. Single. Episode.

[@MrSkerpentine]

@Erwin Rommel HE’S FUCKING *RAW*

[@CalliphoriBae]

@@MrSkerpentine finally, some good fucking food

[@KusunokiSG47]

There was a time when I thought, "male character fanservice ? Hah ! Ridicoluous !" Then I saw Gordon's arse and the stars aligned

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

My favorite was when he swam naked in the river

[@strangeworm4562]

Well it's the best part obviously

[@sebastronaut92]

Does anyone else justify their love of Gordon Ramsey by how he's always nice to the wait staff?

[@noahkarpinski1824]

That definitely is a point in his favor

[@ratbrain6991]

There’s one episode where Gordon has a small “funeral” for how bad the desert was and he helps the waitstaff carry around the desert tray and they are all laughing and joking it’s really such a sweet moment

[@dreadwolfrising]

He's great to the service staff, but he as an employer and head chef has come under fire for alleged abuse of his own staff in the past

[@sebastronaut92]

@@dreadwolfrising yeah nah definitely a bad guy. This is just how I justify my guilty pleasure, even though I know it’s wrong…

[@dreadwolfrising]

@@sebastronaut92 completely valid! Definitely nothing wrong with that, I do have to say that the shows are super entertaining!

[@FFFan436]

There’s a quote from mark Burnett, a legendary tv producer who made both survivor and the apprentice about how he considered reality tv a bad term for something like survivor and preferred unscripted fiction, with the idea being that they construct a narrative out of a month of raw footage

[@jadenbryant9283]

Yeah especially that catfish show with mat and nev

[@damien678]

oh that's actually a fantastic term for it, I really hope 'unscripted fiction' catches on

[@robinthrush9672]

I submit "improv drama" as another term.

[@unstoppableExodia]

This comment deserves a heart. Calling those kinds of shows unscripted fiction would be a much more accurate descriptor.

[@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051]

.

[@Khassardetemplari]

Honestly, 22 out of 105 total restuarants still operating seems like a pretty good margin of success for the show, considering the margin of success in the industry. Which is not to deny that it's still heavily produced.

[@haratofu]

I agree. These are all restaurants that are horribly mismanaged and on their last legs. There's that famous statistic that 60% of restaurants go under within a year, so a 20% success rate trying to turn around some of the worst is damn impressive if you ask me.

[@Kyman102]

A 20% chance of surviving years later is better than a 0% chance of surviving another week.

[@graealex]

Pretty sure Ramsey appearing already gives a publicity boost for a restaurant. If your food is somewhat decent, you might be able to convert these visitors into regulars. After all, the restaurants are featured on national TV.

[@JoeLeeGreenGiant]

But, if he does sue you, you'll get to make "Gordon Ramsay Sent Me a Legal Threat and then It Got Worse"

[@TheAbigailDee]

I'm not hoping for this to happen of course but MAN when you put that title there...it'd be a banger.

[@bloodrunsclear]

The three act structure is also a big part of internet drama analysis videos too: the history, the controversy, the outcome

[@captainufo4587]

I have an interesting story about Kitchen Nightmares. Specifically the Italian version. For those unfamiliar with it, soon after the American version of Kitchen Nightmares ended, Fox Life started production on a fully Italian version of the show, with chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo instead of Gordon Ramsey (if you're curious, Cannavacciuolo doesn't cuss. He's nearly 2m tall, about as wide, and slaps you like a truck). Now, the thing with Italian cuisine (and i'm sure many others) is that it's heavily regional, sometimes even provincial, and it's not difficult to stumble on some obscure tradition that is a curveball compared to the national stereotype. In an episode I caught, Cannavacciuolo was rescuing a failing restaurant in Mantua. The curveball here is that traditional risotto in Mantua is more akin to stir fried rice than the more common creamy dish you'd find elsewhere in Italy or abroad; I'm familiar with it because I have friends from there who would not shut up about it, but it's not widely known outside the area. During the act 1 segment when the chef tastes the restaurant's dishes, Cannavacciuolo gets the risotto and complains it's not creamy. On screen, it looked the part, a well executed Mantuan risotto. Now, I'm sure that thing had plenty of defects otherwise we wouldn't be speaking of a failing restaurant, but of all the shortcomings you could point out, it not being creamy is possibly the only wrong one. I had imagined the owner of the restaurant coming out of the kitchen to explain that it's the local tradition, but nothing happened. Which is suspicious, but anyway. Then the show proceeds, and in act 2 there's an added segment that the US/UK versions don't have in which Cannavacciuolo demonstrates a recipe to the restaurant's chef. Guess what they cooked? Risotto. The creamy version. And again, this proud, local, thick accented chef doesn't bat an eyelid, he is in fact in awe of Cannavacciuolo's technique. Imagine if you open an American restaurant, and here I come telling you that Buffalo Wings should be boiled and made into a soup instead of fried, and you are all "oh, you're so much better than me at cooking". The creamy risotto ends up in the renewed menu proposed by Cannavacciuolo, and then again highly praised by the (supposedly) very local crowd which attended the reopening. The show went out of their way to include a clip of a few patrons praising it as the best risotto ever (which I'm sure it was, don't get me wrong. Cannavacciuolo has three Michelin stars as of today, I'm sure he knows a thing or two about restaurants and food. But it wasn't their local traditional recipe, that should've raised a few eyebrows). Not a single soul came out saying they were expecting a different dish. I'm sure it was all genuine reactions. /s

[@Rebe8d89AH]

This was a really cool breakdown. It's a bit infuriating that they'd steamroll over a regional traditional dish and make an example of it. I'd probably prefer the Mantua risotto over the creamy version anyway.

[@Toxihex]

In the Bulgarian version there was this 25yo owner who kept calling his 60yo elderly women kitchen staff ladles. That was the entire premise of the episode. He was a walking meme, they were typical slavic inadequately nice elderly cooks, and he kept insulting them with this one insult that's not even an insult and nobody really knows what it's supposed to mean. I can't recommend this version enough to people who are fans of kitchen nightmares, most episodes are on youtube.

[@junichiroyamashita]

One cannot mention Cannavacciuolo without talking about his anime opening: Big Chef Cannavaccioulo

[@alan62036]

When an Italian doesn't whine about even the most minor faults in the food, then you know it's staged. :)

[@shawklan27]

Interesting

[@MahDryBread]

9:14 I'm a wrestling fan, I've long since gotten used to the people who need to interject with "It's fake" like that makes it bad Goku is fake and he's pretty awesome. Case closed

[@JBOBloedsinn]

Hangman Adam Page is, apart from my partner, the person who helped me most through the past 2 years. And before that Kenny helped realize I am pan and trans. I don't want to look like them, but damn I wanna feel like them.

[@timothymclean]

I'd have probably gone for someone a little more grounded, like Kaiji Itou or Batman. Most pro wrestlers can't fly or shoot lasers from their hands. But yeah, "it's fake" is a dumb reason to criticize any media not seriously pretending to be real, and I'm not sure wrestling's done that in my lifetime. And it's not like there's nothing else to criticize wrestling about-the companies running the big leagues tend to treat the wrestlers like crap, for instance. But "it's fake" is easy, I guess.

[@crotchman]

@@timothymclean Only WWE treats their wrestlers like shit.

[@MahDryBread]

@@timothymclean The Hurricane had super strength and I refuse to believe anything to the contrary!

[@timothymclean]

@@crotchman In my defense, that's the only wrestling company I could name.

[@Boggythefroggy]

I found out about Amy’s baking company after I read an AMA of the server who was fired for asking a question on reddit. Man, I can’t even rewatch the episode itself because of how awful the owners acted, it’s like watching a car crash but in agonizing slow motion.

[@MrSkerpentine]

and then they did the follow up episode a year after they made it and the fuckers were selling “””self-aware””” merchandise about them being assholes to their customers. Ugh.

[@pretendfriend1417]

I just watched a video of Samy aeguing with a customer with a knife in his hand and Amy holding him back. Lol. He got deported and they live in Israel now. 🇮🇱 lol

[@ray_x6959]

car crashs are epic asf even better in slow motion wym?

[@gracekim25]

Yeah I remember that episode 😅

[@draculaschild6626]

I remember my step dad used to put this on while he cooked dinner sometimes. It made me think that my father should start one. So I told him about it, because I loved his cooking. He told me that he would probably end up on the show if he did. He also told me that there wasn’t hard enough drugs that would allow him to not die of a heart attack from the anxiety of running a restaurant. Not really a point to this I just remember it. It makes me remember a simpler time in my life and it’s kind of homey. So yeah, good show.

[@marcofiume3921]

Aw, how nice!

[@KeithBallardA]

Oh no, why'd you have to tell me Amy's is on youtube? It's... too powerful... it's... pulling me in... I can't- [begrudgingly moves to the youtube search bar]

[@guy-sl3kr]

For posterity: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWayaIeIidWYqa8 I should note that the channel that uploads full episodes is separate from the channel that uploads memes (though the meme channel has some full episodes too)

[@rroman1988]

I don't think enough appreciation is given to the fact that you picked Gordon's creation of the worst grilled cheese ever for your black and white transitions

[@hopsonkim4952]

Was about to comment this. Ever see the video of Josh from Mythical Kitchen roasting Gordon’s grilled cheese?

[@rudito22]

Love that including quibi as a streaming service is in itself a joke.

[@Lucifersfursona]

Quibi being included over peacock is Correct and she should say it

[@rudito22]

@@Lucifersfursona ah yes, the Office and/or Eurovision streaming service and nothing else

[@betweenthepanels9145]

@@rudito22 amber Ruffin is fun

[@100billionsubscriberswithn4]

@@Lucifersfursona At least Peacock is free.

[@grumpysphinx4911]

@@100billionsubscriberswithn4 And there's some hidden "gems" on there I couldn't find anywhere else, like the British show Noughts and Crosses and the movie The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover

[@DynMads]

One comment; The numbers on how many restaurants actually succeed after his visits is astounding. It's actually way above what most economists would have thought. He is quite a miracle worker in that sense.

[@michellee.6508]

Careful research reveals that a whopping 61 percent of all the restaurants that have ever been "saved" by Gordon Ramsay are now closed as of jun 24, 2015. I'm sure that number is even higher now

[@DynMads]

@@michellee.6508 40% is still an immense amount of surviving businesses even for that time. The expected outcome would be less than 15% or so and I mean, you also have to consider how restaurants work in general. They usually live or die within the first 12 months of business. If they don't make it after 6 months the odds of surviving are very much against them. The fact that this guy could make restaurants not just recover but stay for years after his visit is quite a work of miracle.

[@aff77141]

It's truly all about if the owners really want to try--though there are unfortunate instances where they passed away instead

[@stitchfinger7678]

@@michellee.6508 Thats stil better than the going rate of business failure.

[@bookcat123]

I was going to say… most restaurants only last a year or two. To have so many still going is not a bad thing.

[@damien678]

Ok, to be fair, I'd watch a season of Gordon helping out one restaurant to succeed, ESPECIALLY if it's more edutainment and really gets into the details and nuances of what could be going wrong and what they think the best plan is

[@animeotaku307]

I'd recommend "Project Bakeover." It's more about bakeries than restaurants, but it is far more nuanced. The owners are fairly competent (no rotting food or rancid kitchens or mistreated staff) and usually make at least one thing that the chef, Steve Hodge, finds good. His way of revitalizing the bakery is 1) giving the front area a makeover to draw in more customers (courtesy of the interior designer he partners with), 2) adding new items to the menu that will help the bakery (ex. latest episode he had the owner add fruit tarts to take advantage of the area's orchards and her own garden), and 3) addressing underlying issues such as the owner not trusting their staff. It's a very cozy show.

[@michaelroemer3425]

you should watch the series where he goes into a prison and teaches them to cook

[@agededunser3560]

@@michaelroemer3425 Yes, Gordon Ramsay in prison has a great message as well.

[@jacksteel1539]

watch the UK version

[@SamtheBravesFan]

Absolutely. Even just watching Kitchen Nightmares UK, I get the sense that he genuinely wants to help people succeed, even if he's making a TV show out of what he's doing. You want more functioning quality restaurants in the world, not less.

[@Toxihex]

As someone who has worked in a restaurant, and a pretty mid-to-high grade one at that, I can tell you some gross shit absolutely happens behind the scenes. I myself have been told to put something back in the fryer when I dropped it on the ground because it's "hot enough to sterilize it", and when you're in rush hour and there's no time to start from scratch, you just do it.

[@hopsonkim4952]

True, but at the same time, people flip about stuff unnecessarily. Hair in your food? Sure, I’ll replace or refund it, but, you know, people have hair and make your food, it’s not the end of the world. You saw a rat under your table? That’s gross, what can we do to fix it? See a rat in the parking lot by the dumpster? Yeah it’s a giant box of food trash outside. Should we hire an armed guard?

[@Toxihex]

@@hopsonkim4952 lmao yeah. I agree about the hair and the rat but there's some pretty slimy stuff on the floor half the time and I wouldn't imagine that'd go away with an oil rinse. I've dropped an entire cleaned smoked salmon on the floor (yes, the fish, the entire fish minus the scales) and put it in the fridge without telling anyone. It was a sushi place so someone got served that. The floor itself gets cleaned every day but we walk outside with the shoes we use inside. I also put a cleaning liquid instead of oil on my hands by accident when making rice balls because nothing was labeled and in the same containers. I pretended I had "nearly" used it when I had made like 10 balls with it already and didn't care because it was odorless and nobody would find out. Nobody found out about either instance. Never order from fast food restaurants or big chains in general, most of the staff didn't give a fuck and the establishment in general wants to cut every corner possible.

[@martinazittl1809]

@@Toxihex serving raw food that fell on the floor is an attempted murder lol I hope you changed career

[@Toxihex]

@@martinazittl1809 it's not raw, it's smoked. And it's not attempted murder lol a lot more needs to happen for a person to die from that

[@AR-rg2en]

@@Toxihex you definitely need to change career

[@gardenvarietyghost4801]

I knew someone who was a runner up on Masterchef, and he said that a lot of the contestant fighting is played up, and they were pretty much all friends. He was also a very kind non-confrontational person, and was portrayed positively by the show. Although Masterchef is definitely a very different format, given it doesn't have a negative spin and focuses on contestants long term.

[@createplanwithelle]

Who’s your friend? Or at least the season?

[@crazydragy4233]

I read somewhere, and it seems like all competition based shows suffer from it, that some people get the short end of the stick, as you need drama and losers to have winners.

[@gardenvarietyghost4801]

@@createplanwithelle It was S8, Jason W. He actually has a cooking show now, so I suppose things are working out for him!

[@gardenvarietyghost4801]

@@crazydragy4233 it makes sense, everyone doing "pretty good" doesn't make for a good storyline. I think the time limit is a huge part of that too, its never remotely reasonable for what they need to do.

[@mark_u]

I've watched a few episodes of the most recent season of MasterChef US and it seems they toned down the fighting/shouting/snarky scenes. Maybe they got the cue from MasterChef AU, where Gordon Ramsay guests A LOT, and is an overall really positive and uplifting iteration of MasterChef :)

[@kinesin8221]

2:10 Wait. Hold on. You DIDN'T HAVE BREAD UNTIL YOU WERE 19???? What happened. And why. And HOW. Is it only shocking to me because I'm French and bread is one of the three pillars of my gastronomic heritage (along with cheese and wine) ?

[@allisonhomiak2336]

No, it's not just because you're French. That's pretty unusual for America, too.

[@damien678]

bread is literally THE oldest food that doesn't require hunting or foraging. it's been essential to not only human culture and survival, but to our civilizations and how they've all grown throughout history. bread is about 30,000 years old, it existed before we had agriculture and is likely the reason we invented farms. i say this with no judgement, but it's completely insane to hear someone hadn't ate bread until they were 19

[@lunanielsen9144]

she had a very abusive mother who didn’t allow her to have a lot of different types of food

[@amyrozz3]

The second you said "the most famous moment of the series" I just went "AMY'S BAKING COMPANYYY". Great video!

[@endymallorn]

Me too!

[@Bloodletter8]

Amy's Batshit Company

[@KaiAfterKai]

The sudden cut at 1:08 to Ramsey catching the knife made me think he was about to plunge it straight into his forehead.

[@fntthesmth423]

Listening to you talk about this show made me realize that my token reality show is Supernanny I dont watch it anymore, but Supernanny was always the perfect show for a kid and parent to watch! As a kid i got to feel good that i wasn't as poorly behaved as these idiots, and my mom felt good that her kid wasn't this much of a monster

[@LadyEmilyPresents]

Oh wow I can’t believe I’m not the only one who watched Supernanny with their mom. You’re completely right

[@tropezando]

"You guys are in a crisis, I'm on my way"

[@britchenhauer123]

Wow I had forgotten about this show. You're right, I used to watch it with my mom! I wonder if the purpose in the show at them end of the day was to encourage good behavior in the kids actually watching it rather than on it.

[@Armeniussa]

@@LadyEmilyPresents I would watch Wife Swap / Trading Spouses with my mom and she would ask me if I wanted her to use one of their parenting styles >_>

[@cecilia5093]

When I was a child me and my sister and my cousin would literally play supernanny. Like, I was the small well behaved child, my sister was the rebel child and my cousin would be at the same time the mother and the nanny. It was intense

[@mr.alucardrules4956]

As someone who's entire family has worked in the food industry at one point there are very few embellishments chefs and owners are usually exactly like that or worse

[@dylanm8365]

it's like what happened with scrooge. whenever someone references or mentions scrooge, they mean how he was at the beginning of the narrative, even though the whole story is about him turning into someone different

[@melaniecolgin3705]

Really enjoyed this video! I was on Kitchen Nightmares in 2011, it aired on February 2012 it was the Park's Edge, Atlanta episode. I can say that it's definitely not scripted there was definitely serious instigating at play. Setting up impossible scenarios that create drama, such as massively over booking the dining room for dinner service in order to blow everything up. The production was intense and included long hours and no financial compensation for the staff (servers/ bartenders). We had some very nuanced problems as a restaurant, not a gross kitchen, but definitely a wacky menu and inexperienced owners. I got to spend a little time with Ramsey and found him super cool and funny,he even held my 4 month old daughter for a minute and gushed over her. Unfortunately, Park's Edge did close in November of 2013 due to the property changing hands and the owners not being able to afford the new rent. I'm sure you've seen this episode, I'm the redhead ( Melanie) who calls a line cook a jackass at the expo counter in the kitchen 😆 Overall, it was a unpleasant experience but I can appreciate it for what it was, my 15 minutes of mediocre fame and pure entertainment. They did help the restaurant but it was definitely more of an entertainment motivated production. Loving your content, keep it up!

[@rwalker0130]

I remember that one- the bartender bothering Ramsey at the table was one of the most cringe moments in the whole series 😆

[@melaniecolgin3705]

@@rwalker0130 yep. I'd almost forgotten about that 😆

[@JayOutOfHell]

Only on this channel will I get a love letter to Berserk about it's adaptations, a in-depth look at Demo Reel, and now a video about Kitchen Nightmares. I love it

[@4QIcehole]

I know right? It's like she has a direct link to the more shameful corners of my ADHD-riddled brain

[@JayOutOfHell]

@@4QIcehole bro same

[@lexi8445]

Something that strikes me here are the episodes where the restaurant owner or maybe head chef is clearly in some form of mental unwellness and needs help beyond the scope of the show, yet Ramsey still attempts to give them therapy or have them confront their issues. It plays into the three act structure discussed here since it's meant to show Ramsay doing something big to help not just the restaurant but the people in it, but I cant help but wonder at it. Like I doubt shouting off a cliff is going to help a man who needs a therapist. It's kind of trashy.

[@rainydaze3589]

Your comment reminded me of an episode of Tiny House Nation where an estranged father and daughter were trying to reconnect with him helping build the tiny house she was going to live in. The host of the show kept trying to repair their relationship by giving them "therapy". Me and my roommate were both incensed by this since a relationship like that can't be fixed in a 40 minute episode and it felt really disingenuous to make it so a tiny house is what saved them

[@Toxihex]

Or when he promises them that their conversation will be "private" and then the microphones are still on and the camera crew is lurking out the windows filming them... and the people watching are just, okay with it. I don't give a fuck what's in their contracts, when you promise someone a private heart to heart because they won't open up otherwise and are fully aware it will be broadcasted for the world to see, you're a shit person. I know he didn't start off like this, but that's what he has become. I know he'd like it if he could actually help the people, but SO much of what he says and who he is biased for and against is so fake you can't help but roll your eyes. The core of his "niceness" is "blood is thicker than water, even if your family is shamelessly toxic" and it's quite gross imo.

[@aff77141]

@@Toxihex Lmao sure. Tell that to the guy who grew up with an abusive dad because you want a reason to not like him simply for being loud; is it staged or not yall? Also in response to OP, a lot of times it depends. There's one episode where one of the chefs was on HARD drugs and Ramsay tried to help him, but the man was refusing it and just putting others in danger--he didn't lose his shit on him or anything, but he did tell him to get lost, which sometimes has to be done

[@Toxihex]

@@aff77141 Oh wow, he showed basic human empathy to someone who was obviously in dire need of help, on camera, when the topic was one he had personal experience with because of his brother, that must mean he's a good person. I never mentioned anything about him yelling, tf are you on about? Can you like, at least talk about the same thing if you're replying to someone? He has, time and time again, told the children of abusive parents that they should get along and never EVER told anyone to get tf out of there, except maybe the one time this dude had his whole family working for him and they very obviously didn't want to, and this wouldn't have been the case had they not constantly kept repeating they don't wanna be there. And come on, when he wants to push a narrative he goes hard at it, remember the episode with the chef that kept telling the wife of the owner to get a prozac? There Gordon was trying to make the chef out to be the good one and the owner the bad one, and when he bit into the burger he made it was absolutely dripping, which was objectively disgusting, yet he was like "now THAT is a juicy burger". He has, in the past, told someone how gross it is that their burger is dripping like that, and suddenly here it's juicy and good???? Get tf out of here. And if this doesn't show enough, I remember an episode of hell's kitchen where a girl cut herself a bit and he made it out to be like she had cut an entire finger off, being all nice and caring, yet when in the same season a dude had kidney stones he was made fun of the entire time and his pain was made out to be insignificant. It's goddamn kidney stones Ramsay dude, why are you acting like he has a slight tummy ache and telling him to get his shit together when he's in severe pain? Just cause he's supposed to be the comedy relief? It's ridiculous. That was the moment I stopped watching hell's kitchen altogether.

[@LordofFullmetal]

@@Toxihex I agree. That's crappy. If you tell someone the conversation's private, it should be private.

[@MissPlayAndWatch]

My "potato chip" is Forged in Fire. If you aren't aware of it, it's kinda like Chopped but for knife forging. I don't really care about food but "making" is super interesting to me. Of course, the show super admires the military and there's no educational value but sometimes, watching some people (the vast majority white dudes) melt some metal and hit it with a hammer is all you need.

[@Churbas]

I watch a lot of that myself, and there is one other thing I appreciate about it - everyone on the show is just so goddamned nice to each other compared to so many other shows in the genre. The judges like the compeditors, the compeditors are generally friendly and respect each other, the compeditors like the judges, everybody's just cool with what's going on.

[@annalang5687]

Sometimes, if there is a particularly skilled contestant that explains why he's making certain choices or the judges throw in some good commentary, you can even learn something. Like phase diagrams of iron and why not to quench in water.

[@catmuch4569]

My dad watches it all the time, specifically in russian, it triggers me lol

[@momamario]

I think for anybody who has worked in a kitchen would agree that even the smoothest run kitchens can get pretty hectic and nightmarish during busy times. I honestly don't have a hard time believing that places like this exist!

[@iwillworkharder]

When I was younger, one of the people who bullied me as a child died tragically in a car accident age 21, and even though I hadn't thought about her for years, I absolutely could not stop thinking about it, and I realized that I was unconsciously trying to frame her death into some kind of narrative that made sense. It stands out to me as a revelatory moment of not only how important narratives are for reflection and understanding of our own experiences, but also how deeply psychologically prevalent narrative structure was in my life.

[@damien678]

this is an incredible insight in general but ESPECIALLY to have happen under such circumstances, that's like some genuine epiphany shit right there

[@x4thmessiahx]

Kitchen Nightmares is 100% that bag of potato chips that you pick up expecting to eat some, and end up eating half the bag

[@MrHendrix17]

I'm gonna need a video essay on the 19 years you didn't have bread

[@VirtualMarmalade]

Man goes to the doctor. Says "Doctor, my restaurant is failing, what should I do?" Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Call Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey. He'll come turn things around for you." Man looks up at the doctor, tears in his eyes. "But Doctor,"

[@TheAbigailDee]

This is powerful. Much to think about 😢

[@jamiel6005]

Sorry I’m dumb can you explain

[@gradientmapabuser9875]

@@jamiel6005 it’s a joke from Watchmen 2009 that goes like - "Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, 'Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.' Man bursts into tears. Says, 'But doctor…I am Pagliacci.' Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains."

[@Applesinmybum]

@@jamiel6005 its a reference to a joke. I think it was a clown in the original? Doctor im sad. Go see coco the clow. I am coc the clown... That kinda joke but this times its ramsay

[@Dwightpower88]

@@gradientmapabuser9875 who the fuck is Steve Jobs

[@ashleylunette2187]

What I find more watchable about Kitchen Nightmares when compared to Hells Kitchen is how it makes Gordons place in the narrative feel [at least] a little bit more justified. Like these are people who are, at least portrayed as, completely unreceptive to his help, often in a super arrogant way. You aren't always supposed to dislike them, but you want them to realize they have to do whats "best" for their restaurant (for the sake of the episode anyways).Not to say I'm always on Gordons side here, but he feels more like he can be our vessel into the story, trying to do right by the people who he was solicited by. Hells Kitchens more enjoyable to me out of context. Like yeah it has the lamb sauce but I don't really enjoy watching a man scream at a bunch of 20-somethings who are trying their best for the whole run of an episode. Edit: not trying to paint the plot of kitchen nightmares as saint-like or anything! Its usually pretty patronizing at best lol Edit 2: Gordon also being super arrogant makes their clash all the more... remarkable ig (also changed my innitial statement to "Gordons place in the narrative" bc I think it suits my oppinion better, I keep adding stuff to this bc I keep getting replies on this thread lol)

[@b.parker1740]

Honestly, my biggest gripe with him as a public figure, regardless of what show he is on, is that I always get this feeling in the back of my head that whatever rage he's going into is immediately going to be seen as righteous rage because American TV likes framing angry white men/angry men voiced by white dudes as misunderstood geniuses who are "telling it like it is" and the offended parties as those who won't bask in their brilliance. Even when the narrative backtracks or points out their flaws, there is still a sizable amount of people that will never consider them wrong or fallible and it makes the experience miserable. (And I don't have to say the obligatory line about what these people/narratives do or say about a woman or POC doing the same, because it pretty much goes without saying).

[@ashleylunette2187]

@@b.parker1740 you're definitely right about that. The US one especially expects us to see Gordon as an unquestionned force of good, which he obviously isn't (the way it promotes hostility as a necessary force of change is definitely there). Like fr we don't need any more white dudes who think they're some kind of auteur genius who entitle themselves to treat people like garbage. I definitely agree that what Ramsay represents on a broader scale is something I am not a fan of, which is the exact reason why I don't like Hells Kitchen rly. Kitchen Nightmares just presents such an absurd amount of conflict that its hard not to find Gordons reactions funny. Like the intentions behind siding with him feel malicious when you look into it, but theres something about him vibing with underpaid wait-staff that humanizes him a bit more if that makes sense? Comparatively speaking, of course. Also like, he says some rly misogynistic shit sometimes, on Hells Kitchen especially which is uhh not good (sorry for such a long response lmao) Edit: its also been a long time since I've watched the US version in any way but casually, UK one is more chill

[@seliamila1005]

hell kitchen is a cruel circus

[@seliamila1005]

@@b.parker1740 his anger in hell kitchen also allowed people to think its okay to abuses cooks, the guy fit into american 'pull yourself by bootstrap' machismo , which is awful

[@seliamila1005]

@@ashleylunette2187 he called any blonde female chef bimbo also he's fatphobic

[@magicalgirlmel3289]

I think the success of this format is evident in how this show was able to be spun off in so many ways and we'll eat it up. Of course there was that we had UK and US variations of Kitchen Nightmares, but we also got Hotel Hell and that short lived series where it does Kitchen Nightmares, but Gordon is only there for 24 hours. There's also that we've had spiritual successors to the idea of Kitchen Nightmares with things like Bar Rescue.

[@jnawroc]

I have one question that I must ask - what is the story about not tasting bread until 19? I don't know why, but I am extremely intrigued by it. Or was is simply a case of not tasting real bread as opposed to those breads that, as I understand, are popular in UK and US.

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

Yes. As a French person, it just seems impossible.

[@przemekdude]

Sarah mentioned that in one of her videos as well, it's my favorite internet mystery

[@Lumber_jocks]

I kinda assume she had a wheat/gluten allergy that she grew out of. One of my cousins was in a similar situation.

[@TheSecondVersion]

When she was a baby, her uncle stole bread to give to her, but he was caught and sent to jail for 19 years.

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

It has to be a gluten thing, right? That’s the only explanation I can think of.

[@thesilentmajority2765]

I never watch reality TV. But as a cook I binge watched this whole series despite knowing better... I wanted some potato chips...

[@TheBigHerman007]

I binged Kirchen Nightmares a few times in college. It and Ghost Adventures are my guiltiest pleasure shows.

[@Lucifersfursona]

... ghost kitchen Ghost Kitchen Bring ingredients into a large abandoned building with multiple known ghosts. Leave the food in their hotspots. Who will be the best... KIIIIITTTCCCHHHHEEEENNNNN GHHHOOOOSSSSTTTTT??!??!?

[@jaywhangmakes]

For me, it's during high school.

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

Aw hell yeah Ghost Adventures, those dumb bros out there picking fights with ghosts and being scared of snakes, that’s good TV right there

[@DillonExner]

Ghost Adventures…pfft. PARANORMAL HOME INSPECTORS; now, THAT’S a show!

[@amyhannon3034]

....... No bread until 19? Please tell me it was for medical reasons, because otherwise I'm calling CPS

[@iggyelle]

I'm pretty sure I've seen both the UK and US versions and I have to say the one think I like a little more about the UK version is that Gordan much more frequently sits a chef or owner down like 'hey what's the score? How'd shit get this bad?' and I appreciated that. What can I say, I'm a sucker for that sappy shit. Anyway, now I have an urge to hop on tubi for a binge.

[@stitchfinger7678]

He does that on the US version sometimes, but when he doesn't its because the business is being run by someone with severe mental issues they mask very well, or they're just a fucking loser that knew the real owner when they died.

[@eringrl101]

Emily, you posted this the night I said goodbye to my cat, Zoey, for the last time and I just want you to know that this video is the only reason I didn’t spend the whole night crying. 💜

[@LadyEmilyPresents]

I’m deeply sorry for your loss and I’m glad I was able to provide even a little bit of respite. I hope that you’re doing better, though I know this stuff takes time. Sending you lots of strength and support 💙

[@citrusskip]

Good video! I also noticed the show’s use of narrative structure, but I never knew how to word it. I used to watch Kitchen Nightmares super frequently, but at some point I got tired of rewatching the same thing. The ABC episode was the wildest thing that ever happened on that show, but I feel that outside of confirming for yourself that they’re really… “like that” we really shouldn’t go out of our way to interact with Amy. That’s less on the show and more on people forgetting that the restauranteurs are human, too. Anyway, my new reality tv show to binge is the Real Housewives. I typically watch Potomac and Salt Lake because of a fraudster managing to get on the Salt Lake show and inevitably getting arrested.

[@theunbearablejuan]

The Real Housewives franchise is a trainwreck but I find it fascinating. Even more so now with the Erika Jayne shenanigans.

[@chrisfromsouthaus2735]

Amy used to be in the comments of every single youtube video, about that episode, arguing with almost every comment about her. I mean every video. Doesn't matter if it has one million views, or a hundred, she would be there.

[@gatsbysdead]

I saw the words “Amy’s Baking Company” and had to pause the video to compose myself.

[@TeruteruBozusama]

In Norway and Sweden there's a similar reality concept with angry carpenters (the show is literally called Angry Carpenter), that find a couple that haven't finished their house yet for various reasons that are never specified but they are always called lazy. They are then yelled at while working on something that they do not have any real experience doing, built up for a bit, yelled at again, repeat until they do everything for his slight praise. Then they are sent away, and when they return the carpenter and team are finished, making it their "dream home". It's kind of Property Brothers meets Kitchen Nightmares with extra psychological abuse. I don't know how many couples/families are still together after this, but aside from being happy about his praise and the finished house, do they... Not really look happy together? I hate the show. The Norwegian version ended with 9 seasons in 2018. I don't know if Sweden did, but Norway had a version of Kitchen Nightmares called Hellstrøm Rydder Opp (Hellstrøm Tidies), where Norway's most famous chief tries the same. But he's more stiff, snobby, and passive aggressive rather than pure rage like the carpenters and Ramsey so they didn't manage to match the energy. So eventually that was cancelled after 8 seasons so it was surprisingly popular, and he was sent to people's homes to fix their home cooking, often introducing them to complicated dishes they'd probably never make again, it lasted from 2011 to 2014.

[@cremebrulee344]

Great video! The whole thing about whether or not being on the show is actually helpful made me think about how weird that whole genre of media is. Idk what to call it, dramatized charity? It's weird that both Kitchen Nightmares and something like Extreme Makeover:Home Edition have these big moments of extravagant giving (I haven't seen KN but hearing about the restaurant renos made me think about the many other makeover type shows)

[@thegreatape884]

Gordon goes in, everything is bad. Gordon tries to help, there's some friction, but they work thru it. Restaurant re-open, they still struggle, until someone "steps up" by doing 1 thing and everything is ok. Few months later, most restaurants still closes.

[@clarefee]

Wasn’t ready to think about Johnlock on this Tuesday afternoon

[@RisingSunfish]

Re: "why does every episode follow a narrative structure as Gordon successfully helps the restaurant," another point I would add onto that is that this just describes the dramatization of a competent consultant doing his job. Your point about how he intentionally plays more aggressive- almost as a self-appointed antagonist!- and how that explains a lot of the heightened drama before editing is really sound. I find it interesting to contrast this with shows in the same "fix-it" genre that aren't built around how outrageous things can get. You look at something like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, or It's Me or the Dog, and the overall vibe is much less antagonistic and more wholesome. This probably has something to do with the fact that both these shows can teach practical and much more widely applicable tips; after all, most people watching Kitchen Nightmares are not restaurant owners taking notes on what not to do, but it's a much safer bet that audiences of the other two shows will have clutter or struggle with training their dog. Not to mention that Marie Kondo and Victoria Stilwell started as consultants before getting TV shows, whereas Gordon Ramsay was famous for being a loud, angry, highly watchable celebrity chef, and the tone of KN was constructed around that (AFAIK). Finally, as other commenters have pointed out, the civilian "protagonists" of Kitchen Nightmares, the restaurant owners, are not the most sympathetic sort of people to general audiences, who are much more likely to have had a food service job than to have had their own restaurant. We're there primarily to watch Gordon yell at delusional restaurateurs about using frozen scallops or find a rat under the stove or something, and rooting for the restaurant to actually pull through is secondary. OTOH, people who go on the other two shows I mentioned will not only struggle with relatable problems, but tend to be more sympathetic in general. Like if you've seen that meme of the Australian shepherd with a plate of cupcakes in front of his nose and he's just holding this blank-eyed stare like he's having Vietnam flashbacks, that's the episode of It's Me or the Dog that went viral. And it's one of the most laid-back, funny, drama-free episodes of the show! Just this really nice young couple with two dogs who have fairly standard annoying habits. Because people watching this show want to see the dogs succeed and their home to be a less stressful environment, the highlights are those moments where the narrative is resolved or a breakthrough is made. Basically the same narrative structure, but where the appeal is oriented in a more positive direction. Anyway, good video! Narratology, even outside the kitchen, always gets a chef's kiss from me. :)

[@HowlBunny]

Kitchen Nightmares and Hotel Hell saved my life in junior year of college. I binged all seasons of them in about a month and I didn’t realize it was a depression induce hyper fixation 😂😂😂

[@MrJustapersn]

In regards to the Oceana grill lawsuit, they must've had a leg to stand on with that from a legal standpoint compared to the lawsuits from the other restaurants.Tthe evidence of this is the fact that all official clips of that restaurant have since been purged from the internet and are nowhere to be found on the Kitchen Nightmares channel (which has been uploading clips since 2009). Something that no other restaurant was able to accomplish when they filed a lawsuit against Kitchen Nightmares.

[@iamepic6726]

I googled kitchen nightmares oceana grill and found the episode and multiple clips.

[@MrJustapersn]

@@iamepic6726 I said official clips. Not reuploads by other random accounts to KZbin. It’s universally known that this episode has been scrubbed from the internet by all official handles

[@iamepic6726]

@@MrJustapersn not really. Still shows up on my hulu

[@causti9744]

The owners from the episode aren't the ones sueing. They reverted back to their old ways, sold the place and the new owner didn't want the episode aired, to avoid that the business suffers from it. The new owners seem to be running the place well, it still exists.

[@phoenixfreefall]

I actually once made a story-telling "how to construct a narrative" point on a fiction writing forum using Kitchen Nightmares as my example... It was a lengthy and beautiful comparison, and also transformed Ramsay's common restaurant solutions into their writing advice equivalents. This video makes me so happy.

[@bakomusha]

Has there ever been an episode of either the Us or UK versions where Gordon goes to a restaurant, finds the food good, or even excellent, and likes everything going on, but the business is still failing for reasons out of anyone control?

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

There's an episode in the UK version where Gordon is annoyed by how pretentious the food appears despite tasting good and he wants the head chef to tone down his tacky culinary touch ups

[@DianasaurC]

i remember in momma cherri’s soul food shack, gordan loved the food but the restaurant was rather small

[@VenathTehN3RD]

@@DianasaurC That's the one that came to mind for me. Momma Cherri's is the only one I remember from either version where he basically has nothing but praise for the food.

[@rockiro4360]

I mean, people call the show because there restaurant isn´t working. The main thing a restaurant does is selling food, so in 90% of the cases this will be the problem. If the decor is shit and the restaurant is unclean / ugly, the food is mostly the same.

[@vitoc8454]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral The Kitchen Nightmares official channel uploaded that episode (La RIviera) a few days ago

[@regularshowman3208]

Emily doing a video on a reality TV show I binge way too much to be justifiable? Let's fuckin go dude.

[@Eddyspeeder]

Thanks for this video. And especially the explanation of the three acts. I have always wondered how people from the industry were able to talk about "the third act" as if they could pinpoint where act II stops and act III starts. Your explanation was clearer than what I found back when I searched for it (and gave up), so that was a nice surprise!

[@jamesrule1338]

I get the same feelings when watching Nailed It and Property Brothers. Because sometimes you just want the Sausage McMuffin equivalent of entertainment.

[@plantenmoeder5006]

me and my boyfriend used to watch a lot of kitchen nightmares. before we discovered that theres an uk version, we watched the american version and used to play a game called “see if theres a shot longer than 5 seconds.” in some episodes, there is not a SINGLE SHOT LONGER THAN 5 SECONDS. its stroke enducing.

[@KobeLoverTatum]

I’ve been rewatching a lot of these episodes lately and something occurred to me, why does Gordon eat their food before inspecting it when he’s going to do it eventually anyway? Why doesn’t he inspect it before they serve it for dinner service? Why not tackle the bad food first and see the cooks potential with fresh food, you can still redo the restaurant, have a confrontation with a bad chef or owner that doesn’t want to change, it’s just weird how much mold and rot he digs his fingers into every episode and is perfectly willing to eat at every restaurant on KITCHEN NIGHTMARE

[@lexingtxn]

because it makes for a better story and provides more opportunities for shock value moments that are good for ratings. it also gives gordon a more “realistic” view of how the restaurant operates day to day and what food the customers are regularly being served. if he began the episode by cleaning out the pantry and fridge and restocking everything, the viewer loses out on the genuine experience of the restaurant and it lessens the contrast between the before and after when the show is finished

[@elainelouve]

Building up tension. The worst needs to be shown the last, and I guess eating there also makes it more "relatable", meaning we can go with Ramsay as the protagonist from "being guests" as we would normally just eat in a restaurant, to uncovering all the horrors.

[@rwalker0130]

You have to understand what the problem is, cause all the owners and most of the chefs claim their food is good

[@Leviathan_de_su]

That story structure part is just chefs kiss

[@joniejoon2]

You never had bread until you were 19? How? Why? What?

[@Donteatacowman]

My fav is My Cat From Hell. I do feel like I learned a lot about cats from the show (or, the show got me hooked enough to read books written by Jackson Galaxy and other books about cat behavior). I don't agree with 100% everything he does (specifically the essential oils / mood-water things), but watching the episode about a cat needing to be on Prozac gave me the confidence to go back on (and stay with) psych meds myself. I did get to see him at a show in person to tell him so and it was a ridiculously emotional experience for me. His biography is surprising and incredible and I should really give it a reread.

[@Arrowdodger]

Honestly, I never gave much thought to the fact a lot of the restaurants still fail because, well, a great deal of restaurants fail, for the reasons you point out. The failure rate of the restaurants he went to without his assistance would have been at or near 100 percent had he not gone, as well, I'd figure.

[@Samantha_yyz]

The funny thing is, since this video was uploaded the nightmares YT channel has been going ham on full episode uploads. It goes live like daily, doing live episode rebroadcasts usually in multi hour long streams of episodes connected by some theme. And these multi hour long combo episodes can get some big traffic too.

[@LeoMafraArt]

Not Ramsay making grilled cheese in the transitions😭😭😭💀💀

[@SkellyG444]

I absolutely love the shots of Gordon failing to make a grilled cheese, a brilliant visual to break things up

[@biel96]

Emily HOW did you not have bread before 19?????

[@Woodsorrel_tea]

I’m so glad I found your channel. Your videos are a perfect length and cover topics that I find super interesting. Keep up the good work!!

[@HistoryHype1]

Your videos are always so informative and enjoyable to watch

[@tecpaocelotl]

Amy's baking company was funny.

[@Cosplaybuddygiraffes]

Amy is actually on KZbin and she comments a lot on the videos related to her. I remember seeing her and replying something along the lines “Hey, if you want to be remembered fondly, play to your strengths like your desserts!” and she replied with an excitement and gratitude that really surprised me. She’s a real person and I, inadvertently, treated her like the character on the show expecting a bombastic response in turn. Not sure how relevant that is, but it was definitely an eye opening moment for me in terms of reality entertainment

[@dmitryboardman9762]

I think the show mentioned Amy never made the desserts and that they were bought. I don't doubt that she is a real person, but I don't think she's a nice real person, as her behavior from multiple accounts and even an arrest has proven to be self-obsessed, aggressive, and rigid. She was probably nice to you because you were complimenting her...on something she may not actually even be good at. I don't know if the show is much at fault for her reputation, though it's always good to question those things.

[@ember9361]

she also is rude to people if she doesnt like what they say

[@themiraculous0447]

Got recommended your avgn video and ended up watching all your vids lol. Love the channel and am really excited to see new stuff. Keep up the awesome work!

[@doomande]

OI! I am from Denmark, and in the Denmark resturant video does Gordon comment on how the resturant is failing since they AIN'T serving Danish food as it says on the big sign out front, since that was a sign from the earlier owner that they never took down. He even try to speak some (really really) bad Danish to the waiter and owner to set up his bad joke.

[@HerHollyness]

No, I think the problem was that they carried on serving the Danish food from the old menu when they bought the restaurant from the previous Danish owners, even though they had no idea about Danish food and neither did their chef.

[@robinthrush9672]

I remember Ramsay going to Finn McCool's (the one you have the insider dropping info on), he went back there when they brought the spring rolls back and liked the new spring rolls so much he asked for the recipe. Whether they sucked before or it was just staged that he hated them, I can't say. I have rarely seen him actually like one of the things he orders in the beginning. One instance was the dessert; the restaurant in that episode closed, but the woman who made the desserts started her own bakery and was doing well.

[@jonathanle2787]

Correct: Kitchen Nightmares is basically the same structure every episode. And as someone who once worked in a kitchen, I love every second of it.

[@nataliereed4238]

My favourite description of the three act structure is "in act one, you chase them up a tree. In act two, you throw rocks at them. In act three, you get them out of the tree". One funny thing is that from the accounts I've heard - at least if I'm remembering right? - is that not only is Ramsay a lot more chill off camera, he's actually a pretty nice guy, and that he tends to be extremely friendly and generous with wait staff, hosts, cooks, kitchen staff and stuff when he's just going about his normal life, and not actually all that hard to please.

[@QueerCatEssays]

I'm glad you brought up the thing about scripting. I think people perhaps don't realise how much you can control a narrative just by careful selection, either of the subject, or of how you present them in the final edit. I had no idea the show followed a three act structure though, but now you've said it, I'm never gonna unsee it xD

[@Altorin]

I love how you cut that terrible grilled cheese video into the scene transitions As soon as I saw the first clip I recognized it

[@NeptuneRising70]

My absolute favorite moments come when Gordon discovers the walk-in fridge and loses his goddamn mind. It’s always the best part.

[@HimariHimatsu]

randomly found this video and now i'm interesting in what more you can create on your channel

[@thebeetbandit1732]

This is my new favorite channel. You are truly exceptional in writing and narrating. Awesome content all around, I would never watch a 12min+ youtube vid for fun... until i stumbled upon your channel lol

[@teslashark]

Korea's equivalent show, Paik Jongwon's Alley Restaurant, is way better, each episode covers multiple restaurants side by side, things are not scripted, and the crew actually tones shock value down

[@thewrongsorcerer]

I wanna know the bread story. I would watch a video on that, unless it's an uncomfortable story

[@TheDeppertLasseVogt]

This was a really fun and informative video! And you totally hit my sweet-spot, because Kitchen Nightmares is also MY comforting junk food when it comes to reality TV. Keep up the good work, you are doing a great job!

[@beansavacado8134]

Just came from your Save to Win vid- FINALLY. Someone who actually covers niche and interesting topics- subscribed!!

[@zoer4414]

Me, eating a burnt grilled cheese while watching this half-slumped on the couch: i can't believe they don't just source locally from the competitive shrimp market, amateurish culinary behaviour right there

[@IncredibleMD]

I hope the cheese is completely unmelted in your burnt grilled cheese.

[@Barl3000]

Using clips from Gordons Ramsay's awful awful grilled cheese video as breakers, is inspired.

[@saimorgestern831]

Your work is fantastic. Truly.

[@saikanzen1762]

I've also fallen into this hole just a few weeks ago and I love the perfect timing of this. Very informative, looking forward to more from this channel!

[@ZoraTheberge]

Quite a few owners/restaurant staff on the show can come across as a little bizarre or “off” because they’re simply uncomfortable on camera. That’s how most people would act if there was a huge camera in their face. Signing up for a reality show you aren’t an Executive Producer on is basically signing your life rights away. Any footage they capture is fair game and they don’t necessarily owe it to you to fairly represent the situation or make you look good. Over the course of so many hours in stressful situations, most people are going to say things they regret or didn’t really mean or were taken out of context. That doesn’t mean you should never sign up for them. You just need a near-impossible level of self-awareness to survive.

[@AkaiKnight]

Hey man, I’m just in it for the shitty food and terrible bosses.

[@purplehaze2358]

The fact that the most infamous moment of the series came from an episode featuring a restaurant in my home state of Arizona is a little saddening but ultimately unsurprising. I've said it before, but something about the desert sun here just cooks people's brains.

[@RetroPokemonDepot]

This video was amazing! I was just recommended your channel, you've got a subscription from me! Can't wait to see what other stuff you make

[@brieb402]

I love Kitchen Nightmares, and it's spiritual sequel Hotel Hell. Beyond that I tend to find most reality shows pretty annoying, with all the dramatics. (Excluding food and art competitions, b/c those tend to always be great and I always learn something.)

[@MrPooleish]

Isn't this the show where 2/3 of the restaurants fail after Gordon leaves because they just go back to serving the live rats on beds of raw chicken? Edit: whoops, jumped the gun there.

[@marzipan2555]

Most of these restaurant makeover shows don't work irl. These places are usually so deep in debt with such terrible reputations and cheap renovation that there's no real hope except for entertainment

[@anjetto1]

Also. I think most restaurants fail anyway

[@MrPooleish]

@@anjetto1 they absolutely do. I think official numbers (in my area) are around 75% fail within the first year.

[@slyherinsnake6467]

@@marzipan2555 Yeah, but I think some of the restaurants that Gordon helped are still open

[@stitchfinger7678]

@@MrPooleish Up to 90% in some places.

[@Lumpus]

That was a great video! I loved the “how to make a callback to a previous joke” bit

[@jakubmakalowski6428]

Watching this today, watched one of Emily’s longer videos and a couple episodes of kitchen nightmares yesterday