Top Chef: An alternate interpretation

One of the most disturbing things I've seen on TV recently (besides all of I Love New York) is the way four of the remaining contestants on Top Chef ganged up on the odd man out, Marcel. I'd been unnerved by their persistent verbal abuse of him for the past couple of weeks. But last week, they crossed the line into physical assault, when Cliff woke a sleeping Marcel and held him down, while Ilan filmed it and yelled for either Sam or Elia to come get the clippers and shave Marcel's head.

One of the things that bothered me most about it is that I don't think it went down the way the show presented it.

UPDATE: Both my videos of the original head-shaving incident and the re-edited footage have been removed from YouTube after I got an email from them citing "copyright violations." Make of that what you will. (All I'm going to say is this: VH1 doesn't seem to mind my use of videos, but then I'm not accusing them of lying. Stay golden, VH1.)

Here's the head-shaving incident as shown on Wednesday's episode of Top Chef:

I found it pretty upsetting to watch, perhaps because for part of my elementary school career, I was the weird kid, like Marcel obviously is in Top Chef. I got ganged up on by several older boys on my 8th birthday, but unlike Marcel's situation, a friend of mine stopped them from doing much more than messing with my clothes. (Barbara Marsh, if you're reading this, you have always been a goddess to me for stepping in. I owe you 27 years' worth of thanks.)

Marcel had no such friends nearby. Elia had claimed to be his friend, telling him that she defended him when others said bad things about him. (Although, really, what kind of friend says that?) But she was in the next room, not responding to Ilan's calls to get the clippers -- or to help Marcel.

I hate the passive language the gang uses to describe what they did to Marcel. "Things got out of hand," says the guy holding the camera and calling for people to come help. "The situation got uncomfortable for everyone," says the guy lounging on the couch while Cliff wrestles Marcel to the ground and holds him there. I'd say you looked pretty damn comfortable, Sam.

Cliff takes pains to classify his lifting of Marcel and forcing him down as a prank or a joke. Yeah, good times all around! Doesn't this look like fun?

And this! Who hasn't gone from being asleep to having their feet dangling off the floor?

But it's the next bit of the sequence that took my breath away. After freeing himself, Marcel storms out, walking through the next room, where there's a person kneeling on the floor.

I have some strong suspicions about who that person is.

And if it is, in fact, Elia, then she's still got all her hair. If I'm right, the assault on Marcel took place before the head-shaving. Which throws everyone's motivation into question, as far as I'm concerned.

I re-edited the footage operating on the theory that it is Elia in that picture, with her hair still firmly attached to her head. I also took out a lot of the voiceovers from the gang. Here's what it looks like using those parameters:

Viewed through this lens, everything looks different. Suddenly, the "hey, let's shave our heads" scenes in the hallway look like so much bad acting. The bit about recording Cliff drinking a beer looks like a bid for plausible deniability. And the font on "REC" and the blanked-out date looks like it was added in post-production.

I'm not saying that I know any of this for a fact. This is all just a theory based on the resemblance the person on the floor bears to Elia with all her hair. But even if I didn't believe that the whole head-shaving pact was concocted as a cover story, I'd be done with this season of Top Chef.

Not only do I not feel like I've learned much about food or cooking innovation, the level of utter nastiness from the chefs toward Marcel has just turned my stomach. This isn't why I watch reality TV competitions. I want to see talented people creating aesthetic achievements that would never, ever occur to me. I don't want to see a retelling of Lord of the Flies, as the show's host Padma Lakshmi has called the Marcel-baiting. Top Chef has truly left a bad taste in my mouth.

Comments

[anon]

I'd like to watch your re-edited version, but I can't get it going on this page and double-clicking to YouTube goes to a page saying it is a private video.

[Catherine Cantieri]

Well, that's certainly no good. I reclassified them as public videos on YouTube, so hopefully they should be viewable by all & sundry now. Thanks for the heads-up!

[Melanie]

Thanks for taking the time to put these two video clips up for everyone to see. I have seen video caps but it really helped seeing the footage for myself, particularly the reverse order one. You're right, it does look like bad acting/performing in the hallway sequence, right before they shave their own hair.

I, too, had some negative experiences with bullies in school. To keep from getting smacked around again by one girl in my neighborhood who was threatening me, I actually became her friend (for five years) and tried to fit in with a group of people I didn't belong with and, as a result, was not true to myself. I wish I had had a stronger backbone and knew how to stand up to her without fear back when I was 11.

Bullies can change other people's lives dramatically and often their work is unseen.

[Cindy]

A great reordering.

I think one little bit may have been different. I would say that the last scene of Marcel, picking up the blanket to leave, should have come right after he stalked off and closed the doors, since he still has his shirt on. Then, the scene of Sam gesturing and egging Ilan on to go in after him. Then, the scene with Marcel with his shirt off, angrily rushing forward to bash away the camera.

I say this order because of Marcel's hair, which was combed in the shirtless scene. I think he was getting ready for bed, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and doffing his shirt, when Ilan invaded his space to film him shirtless.

Can you try cutting it that way?

[Buster]

Re Cindy's post, Marcel claimed in an interview that he went into the bedroom to try to sleep and that the others kept harassing them. He claimed that Cliff even started throwing chocolate bars at him. So that's when he gathered some blankets to sleep in the bathroom.

So it could be he stripped to his boxers to sleep in his bed then confronted Ilan while stripped and then got dressed again before going to sleep in the bathroom, perhaps for the warmth, perhaps because he didn't want to be filmed half-naked if further abuse was coming.

[CR]

Gotta love the production team at Bravo. I've responded to a number of blogs on the show (Colicchio's and Harold's are generally pretty interesting, with much less "spin" than the others). Anyway, in those blogs, I've said some reasonably (and understandably) harsh things.

Then, I made a post to the Production lady's blog. (Un)Suprisingly, they refused to post it, not citing a reason. I can only guess that they don't like being called into account for their actions, unless you do it in a roundabout way that talks about how great they are.

Here's the post (this was attempted the day after the show aired, when I noticed that the Elia footage had been yanked from the show, but before it became seriously common knowledge):

I'M CALLING YOU OUT!!!

Since I think you guys thought you pulled a "fast one" on everyone, I'll post a
nice little link:

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/top_chef_2/2007_Jan_19_marcel_incident_editing

This clearly shows that you guys edited the order of events, so that Elia would
look like the "good guy" that had little to do with the events that unfolded. It
shows that the group only shaved their heads AFTER the prank against Marcel went
awry, which means that they didn't feel any sort of guilt -- only a sense of
self-preservation, which pretty much sickens me.

But what sickens me more is that you felt that it was right to edit the scene so
that your supposed "hero" Elia (who undoubtedly wins the whole thing in Hawaii,
so you REALLY don't want people to hate her -- too damn late) looked like she
felt really really bad (cue sad music). What make me even SICKER is that the
picture in the link seems to have disappeared from every rebroadcast of TC,
which means that you REEDITED the footage once your ruse was caught. Pathetic.

I'm not a big supporter of Marcel. I understand how he could get under people's
skin. Then again, I wasn't a supporter of Stephen last season, but did anyone
try to physically assault him? No. I have a hunch that TC1 wouldn't have let
that happen.

So, answer this -- why did this happen? I'll go under the assumption that you
had nothing to do with the attack itself, even though for days, it was obvious
that Ilan, Sam, and Cliff would do something like this, and you should have
stepped in. But why do you feel that you should edit the footage like this? The
text at the end of the episode clearly states that "Portions of the show not
related to the eliminations have been edited"... To me, it seems that by casting
these people in a better light with your editing, you have directly screwed with
what the results SHOULD have been to garner a better response from your
audience.

Also answer why the production team would think that airing a poll on "Who hates
Marcel the most?" including "me" as an option would be considered funny. Maybe
you should have added "The Production Team" to the list, because right now, you
guys aren't looking too good.

I certainly won't be watching the last two episodes, or any of next season. Not
because I think this is the worst thing ever (I used to watch Jerry Springer,
and enjoyed it for what it was), but because this isn't what this show was
supposed to be about. This show was supposed to be about competitive cooking,
not schoolyard bullying.

So, you expect your contestants to have the balls to stand up for what they did.
Let's see if you can do the same, and answer the questions.

Or I guess you can always go on and on about how 'dignified' the show is -- I
guess you've got enough footage to edit it so that it almost looks that way.

[CR]

In contrast, here's the post I made on Colicchio's blog -- just as harsh, but not pointed directly at Bravo. This one was accepted (I guess as long as you don't ask them to answer for their own culpability, they don't mind you posting):

Thank you, Bravo -- you freed up an hour's worth of space on my DVR, because I have better things to do than waste an hour of my time watching four of the most unlikable people trying to win money (unless they intend to give it to me). Up until this week, I was pulling for Elia, but even her behavior was disgusting, so all of them can pretty much bite me (and I recommend all fans do the same -- boycott the last few episodes so that maybe with Season 3, they're a bit more selective over who they bring onto the show. Less drama, more cooking, I say.)

I'm severely disappointed in TC's production team. See, initially, I thought that they Elia and Ilan shaved their heads, then they stupidly decided to pull the stunt with Marcel, and then they felt bad, and all went to bed. Seems like how most people would react if they did something crappy to another human being. But that isn't what happened.

After watching the video several times again, and according to others who noticed the same, Elia actually had hair when this was happening to Marcel (see the quick-clip right after Marcel slams the doors). So that actually means that they decided to shave their heads, said "oh, let's shave MARCEL'S head", assaulted him, and then felt giddy enough in their cleverness that they went and shaved their own. Which also means that until Cliff got eliminated, none of them even felt the slightest bit of regret for what they'd done. This speaks even more about their character than we already knew.

As for the show, who the hell is there to cheer for? Look at the cast from this season:

1) Suyai -- seemed very nice. Of course, so did Betty. By this point, she probably would have been a psycho killer. I'll give her a thumbs up.

2) Otto -- seemed like a nice guy with questionable ethics. I have a hunch that by this point, he would be one of the "Bash Marcel Club". Due to Lycheegate, I can't give him a thumbs up, but can stick with Thumbs in the Middle.

3) Emily -- an arrogant albino who thinks she's above the rest of the world (I've read other interviews with her where she's just as big of a jackass). Definitely a major thumbs down.

4) Marisa -- she had good ethics, but the annoying ability to tattle on people instead of handling the situation. I did not like her, but she didn't do anything really wrong, so thumbs in the middle.

4) Josie -- I liked her until her "I'm the best chef in the entire world" exit interview. I can't stand unproven arrogance, so I'm not a big fan. Thumbs in the middle.

6) Carlos -- He seemed like a nice enough guy. A little too "try to do well enough not to get eliminated", but at this point, anyone who isn't a flagrant a***** gets my vote. Thumbs up.

7) Frank -- The toothpaste psycho... are you kidding me? I'm just glad that he wasn't around this episode, because I have a hunch that he would be trying to do more to Marcel than just shave his head. Definite thumbs down. With a restraining order on the side.

8) Mia -- Even her last-second self-serving salvo of "generosity" can't convince me that she's anything more than a back-stabbing jerk willing to throw anyone else under the bus to save herself. Definite thumbs down, though I would have LOVED to see her in this past episode, only because her hatred for Cliff would have made her reaction interesting.

9) Betty -- Started out as one of my favorites, but quickly fell from grace with her less-than-appealing behavior. Now, she's one of my least-liked-reality-contestants ever (there's your silver lining, Betty)! Definitely a humongous thumbs down.

10) Michael -- There was no way he belonged in this competition, and his bandwagon jumping last week (before his elimination) was annoying, but I still have a soft spot for him. If he would only get off his butt and TRY, he could be great, but I don't see that happening. I'll give him a thumbs in the middle.

11) Cliff -- I've disliked the roid-rage freak for a long time, and am thrilled he got eliminated. He needs some anger-management help. Big-time thumbs down.

The remaining contestants:
Ilan -- Why is this idiot so damn obsessed with Marcel? Until the last 3-4 shows, he was my favorite, but now I hope when he gets to Hawaii, he falls into a volcano. Definite thumb down.

Sam -- He always seemed a little psycho, and his behavior over the last few weeks has proven that. Can't stand him. Thumbs down.

Elia -- Had us all fooled, and until this week, was my front-runner to win. Now, she falls in with the rest of the crowd. She would still be thumbs in the middle, but she tricked me into thinking she was a halfway decent person. Serious thumbs down.

Marcel -- I know the last few weeks have made him seem like Captain Victim (and he has been), and he's been riding it for all it's worth, but I still think he's an arrogant, foam-loving moron with bad hair. Remember, he's done his share of baiting (remember Betty in the firehouse?) However, he's smart enough to ride the pity wave, and it's doing wonders for him. Ultimately, I want him to win -- not because I like him, but because I hate him the least. Still, he gets a thumbs down.

So, there you have it, two likeable people, and four that I didn't necessarily hate. Out of 15. And none of those people are in the top 4. I should be anticipating someone winning, like we all wanted to see Harold or Dave shut Tiffany up last season. Unfortunately, I don't CARE who wins, because I know, no matter who it is, I won't be happy.

The good news is, I also won't be watching. Screw off, Top Chef. Maybe next season, you'll get it right.

[Tina]

Love the edited version. Thank you so much for posting it!

[Jesse G.]

Is there any way you can upload your edited video via mediafire or megaupload or any one of the free web hosting sites? I didn't catch before it got taken down and would love to see it. Either way, good luck.

[Lurker]

Before the new episodes, I usually just park the TV on Bravo and watch the older episodes as I am puttering around the house and what not. It seems to me as if the loss of Mike was the end of any compelling characters in the show. As the judges often said, was Mike Top Chef material? Clearly not, but he was most certainly the most engrossing.

This left Bravo with a problem. How could they keep viewer numbers up without the same level of dynamic personal interplay that season 1 had at this time (remember Dave's overly dramatic "comfort me because I am stressed" personality? Stephen's relentless attempts to exude class? Tiffani's constant impersonation of Sgt. Hartmann from Full Metal Jacket? LeeAnn's...ummm...umm..LeeAnn ness? Miguel? Harold?) The 2nd season's contestants have been an odd mix of personality, but none as intriguing as Mike. I encourage people to go to Bravotv.com and look for Mike's application tape--where he explains his newly discovered anus wiping techniques, sets fire to a room, and mentions how his wife once vomited on his genitals. This tape got him into the 15!

Without Mike in the lineup, we have 2 stoic alpha males in Sam and Cliff, Ilan--Ambassador to Spain, a confident Marcel (you'd have to be confident to sport a coiffure that looks like a dried swirly AND a batwing soulpatch) and Elia.

Ah yes Elia. Personally, I love her accent and often found myself wanting to see more of her in the literal sense. Was I the only one who stared intently at the screen when she removed her Chef coat to dive in the ocean during the beach breakfast elimination? Was I the only one who noticed that in the Thanksgiving episode, her butt was front and center in the shot of her asking Colicchio why he allowed Cliff to get immunity? And in the same episode, the cameraman panned more towards her exposed abdomen than the food she was carrying to the table? They could have played it up but they did not.

The only thing left for us to ruminate upon was the suddenly heated relationship between Ilan and Marcel. When Marcel got picked to be in the finale, I turned to my girlfriend and said that Ilan was in. It couldn't be any other way. There's no riveting storyline for a Marcel/Elia or Marcel/Sam finale. Ilan and Marcel are in the finale simply because they are the most documented. Who wants to bet Ilan plops down a 5 course spanish-style meal in the last episode? Who wants to bet that Marcel drips some goop in water and strains it onto a pancake for one of his dishes?

The head shaving episode means absolutely nothing. Other than showing the same dynamic of mob mentality taking over wherein the strong inflict their will on the weak. We've seen it on the playground, at school, at home, and in politics. Shocking? It shouldn't be. Hell even Marcel made light of the situation during a cut scene interview--he is USED to that type of treatment. It might even speak more for his character that he has often helped the people that attacked him in the past (see Betty, and don't forget Sam--yelling at Marcel in the supply store, only to have Marcel serve his wine in the VERY SAME EPISODE!). Marcel pretty much takes abuse and lets it roll off his back. FOr that alone, I would say he is Top Chef...of this group.

At this point it is seriosly not about food but about the personalities. Bravo dropped the ball entirely by not keeping Betty and Mike. Top Chef season 2 was effectively over when Mike won the Elimination. Theres nothing more to see here.

[Jim]

I don't like Marcel, but that doesn't justify what the other contestants did to him on the show. Personally, the judges must of been in a bind, because I am sure that Tom would of loved to clear everyone of them off the show.

[Eliza Green]

Wow, i watch Top Chef all the time, but i've never herd of the "shaving episode". It was probably one of the most hilarious episodes/shows ever. But, I would have loved to see Marcel's head completely shaved off.
Too Bad!!!!! What outragous thing will happen next.