Hell's Kitchen as a metaphor

 My husband and I have been "binge watching" Hell's Kitchen ( well not really binge watching, we watch one episode a night because it is limited and I want to stretch it out)   we are currently on Season 8, I think.  Last night I started to think about HK as a microcosm and what it all meant.

Before you roast me, YES   I know it's a reality show and the film is cut to make me think a certain way about the contestants, some of them appear to be straight out of Central Casting.

Sixteen  lucky "kitchen workers" are chosen to compete, most of them are some kind of cook.  Now before you start on me for THAT, please understand that my father was a sort order cook.  There is a BIG difference- and HE taught me that- between a cook and a chef.  None of the people in HK have earned the title of Chef, yet.  They  begin by showing Chef Ramsay their skill set.  Some people's dish is worse than what I make ( my food is good, my "plating" is hideous, but I am just trying to get it on the table)  I try to guess who will be the first one out the door, based on food and demeanor.  I am usually wrong.

Over the past few seasons, Chef Ramsay is less and less an asshole, less F-bombs are dropped.  He does order contestants out or to the pantry for a chat, I think based on his assessment of their skill and for dramatic effect. Let's face it, watching a kitchen show without some kind of manufactured drama would be as dull as the dishwater in the back of the house. ( Even I have drama in the kitchen, but I blame my possessed oven- and before you say it, yeah, it's a poor worker who blames his tools, but my oven LIES to me about the temperature- it belongs to the apartment, and I was going to see about a replacement, but they just sold the building and it's probably NOT a great idea to start OFF being branded a complainer.  We will be moving, hopefully within the next year. 

The thing about HK is that somewhere along the line in each season, the contestants forget that the prize is running a kitchen for an outrageous salary.  They remember the salary and forget that running a kitchen is what you are there to show you can do.  You need to be able to LEAD a brigade.  I don't care how awesome you are in the kitchen, if you stand at the pass SCREAMING you are not going to keep staff.  I have a thing about yelling at people.  I will NOT yell at you, unless you are on fire ( or some other danger)  People who scream at you constantly do not achieve the desired goal.  They lose your respect and I for one am less likely to approach a boss who screams at me like I am incapable of simple tasks.  I have been known to push back, but after a certain point, I just give up. In HK, being able to guide a team is the skillset they all forget.  In season 7, this was dramatically illustrated in the last service. Nona took Boris in hand and gently but firmly explained what he was doing wrong and how to correct it.  Russell stood at the pass, screaming invectives.  When Nona won ( and rightly so, Chris and I high-fived like we had something to do with it) Russell bitched about how his team "lost it for him"  No Boo-boo( as my daughter says) that's on you. You may be the best cook since the invention of fire, but if you can't guide people and keep their respect, you might as well go back to making mud pies in the back yard.

When I watch HK, I realize a few things.  Working in the kitchen can be a metaphor for life in general.  Learn your strengths, work on your skills, lean on  and learn from others and above all remember that your product is not just you doing the work.  My dad was right about getting into what he called "the cooking game",  it's not for everyone. It's harder than it looks, like most things that are done by people who know what they are doing and make it look easy.  I take away from each episode that there are people out there who will do anything to get ahead, but when you are working with others, it is far easier to be kind and learn something from them.  You might learn something about yourself in the process.