Hell's Kitchen is Propaganda: An Analysis
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Hell's Kitchen is a great show that is effectively propaganda, establishing Gordon Ramsay as a god-like figure, and ensuring the viewer can only maintain one point of view: that of the show.
In this analysis, I unpack the editing tools hells kitchen uses to manipulate information and emotion in order to align its audiences with the desired perspective. I will compare this to this to the way political movements, ideologies, and commercial brands use propaganda.
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At 3:40 I had to remove a section of the video due to copyright issues. I jump from talking about Non-Linear Editing to the role of the Narrator. My apologies for this, unfortunately my copyright dispute for this section was instantly rejected. I hope it doesn't ruin the watching experience.
This is where you are supposed to say that the unedited video is on your Patreon.
Ironic.
Talking about Non-linear editing then... non-linear editing.
@@SharpDesign literally lol, CZcams's copyright strike system is a pile of shit.
It's all good..
Please keep making videos.
I like when you apply the ideas and concepts to real world current events..
@@thefilmessay9832 Do you still have the script? I'd like to know what you said there.
I HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THIS DISH. [dramatic thud] IT'S THAT YOU HAVEN'T MADE IT FOR ME SOONER.
[upbeat music] - THANK YOU, CHEF. - BECAUSE IF YOU HAD, DREW, THEN I WOULD KNOW HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT COOKING FOOD THAT'S BAD. [dramatic thud, suspenseful music] - I'M SORRY, CHEF. - AND WHEN I SAY, "BAD," I MEAN, MICHAEL JACKSON BAD. [upbeat music] - THANK YOU, CHEF. - YOU KNOW HOW HE LOOKED REALLY, REALLY BAD AT THE END OF HIS LIFE? [dramatic thud]
Key and peele 😂😂😂
Ah a man of culture
Lmaooooo nice
I would love to see a different edit that made Ramsey look out of his depth and floundering. Just an over reacting fool, screaming for no reason.
Just for fun, I second that. Surely the editors have all the footage and can make anyone seem anyway whatsoever, but the challenge is can you make it with just the final released footage?
He's a professional chef with years of experience if you want something like that just look at his interviews.
That’s exactly how I see him. But then, I despise the whole show. And I have only seen short clips in adds and whatnot.
Watch Gordon Ramsey uncharted lol
@Zion Does Stuff the truth is Ramsay is a natural leader, charismatic and a highly skilled chef. There is nothing artificial in his depiction here.
I think I'm mostly satisfied by the explanation that these are trained, professional chefs, and that's why Gordon loses it with them. Everytime you see him interact with kids or amateur/home chefs, he's incredibly respectful and supportive. I think that's very consistent in ways he displays himself. So, sure, not a superhuman obviously, but he seems like a decent guy.
I don't think he would expect an 8 year old to cook like a god with 30 years of working experience right
@@WoockerSocket2 no, but a lot of those kids do and I hate them for it. 😀
Ramsey is an impressive chef, but frankly his style of “””””””””teaching””””””””” is genuinely upsetting. He claims to push people because he knows they can be more, but honestly that’s just the same argument I would hear as a kid (I’m not mad, I’m just trying to make YOU mad!)
It doesn’t help that a lot of time what he’s screaming about isn’t particularly helpful or informative, more just insults. I feel a show like The Great British Baking Show, while far less exciting, is also far more informative because the judges give helpful, fair and level headed feedback
That's exactly what its like cooking in a professional kitchen. Dont view hells kitchen as an honest portrayal of how ramsey does his teaching look at other shows like the f word and british kitchen nightmares. And yes yelling at people when they make mistakes works why do you think they do it in the military cause it toughens their skin.
@@lampad4549 I really hope you’re not speaking from personal experience. We have a term for that kinda working environment. Abusive workplace. And there is a difference between tough and abusive.
@@muchozolf it’s over dramatised for the American audience who aren’t content enough with “normal” television. The first season of Hell’s Kitchen (before it was Americanised) he was tough, but nothing more. There were No stupid sound effects and no dramatic sound cues. Then when it becomes Americanised in the further seasons it’s full of sound effects and backing tracks to provoke emotions as mentioned in the video and more shouting, more arguments, more drama and even full on fights.
Just wondering did anyone else notice that the camera is often pointing up at Ramsey and down at the contestants making him look more authoritative
This channel is seriously underrated. It deserves way more views.
Thank you, I appreciate all the support!
TRUEE
Agreed very smart and underrated
Haha there's a comment like that on almost every video
Yeah, definitely a solid, well written & researched channel, I found it on accident after rewatching the lighthouse recently and really digging it
It's really interesting seeing it from a different perspective
Like it's looking behind the curtain at how cults of personality & dictators use these tools
In this context we are on Gordon's side so the average person don't consider the multiple factors, also editing is like 75% of it
But on the other hand, you'll see people eating up blatantly ridiculous and absurd rants from populist demagogues recently like Trump and it's so obviously BS that any rational, educated person could see through, but they're the ones watching the "show" noncritically haha, and taking it at face value
The whole propaganda approach is something I've noticed with nearly all American reality TV shows and quite a lot of British ones too. And personally I can't stand it. The use of overly dramatic music and editing in these kinds of shows I find painful and frankly, as a viewer I feel patronised whenever I come across a reality show that expects me to believe the bullshit. 5:33 "It makes the show better as you don't have to think as hard" - for me this mentality nails everything that's wrong with TV entertainment today, particularly in America. You sound like an intelligent guy who is highly perceptive to this stuff. I can't help but think you're playing devil's advocate somewhat with this video...
I mean in terms of trash tv. Its obviously not a great show, but if you want something trashy and dumbed down, hells kitchen is great to watch because you can completely intellectually switch off and just let the editing and soundtrack carry you through. Bad or not, you can't deny that its not highly entertaining at times, like all reality tv is. Yes its propoganda, but there's a reason realty tv is so widely loved and enjoyed, and hells kitchen makes that really apparent.
@@thefilmessay9832 Yes it's true, out of context I do find scenes from the show entertaining. And like you I have watched them on CZcams, purely for the entertainment factor of Ramsay's outbursts and one-liners. But if you asked me to watch a full episode?... Noooo thank you. It's an interesting case study of reality TV, that's true. But whenever I watch something like this when the music and editing is spoon feeding the viewer in such an obnoxious way, I just feel like my intelligence is being insulted and I immediately feel the urge to turn it off. It's almost like I have an allergy of that kind of TV. The fact that shows like this are so popular to me is indicative of a) how easily people can become addicted to something that's familiar and b) how low the average intelligence level of the human race really is. I know I sound like a total snob here but what the hell haha. Few things give me more satisfaction than lambasting shit TV.
@@robinjohnson6301 It sounds like somewhere along the way you were fortunate enough to be inoculated against the kind of messaging baked into shows like this one.
So good
I'm truly surprised at how small this channel currently is,
keep up the good work my guy!
I really appreciate that!
Ramsey passed by in my village, and a local restaurant still has the script from an episode saying thing like "act x scene x: gr present his dishes to the locals, he await their judgement, they finally appraise him for his understanding of the local culture, gr reflects on the last couple weeks and conclude that it was an amazing experience blablah"
Kinda killed his shows and his whole character for me, and made me lose the last bit of hope i had for TV "reality" shows
As someone who has worked in kitchens I deeply dislike the way he treats people in his shows. Kitchens are intense and you do need a level of grit but I think it just gives me a bad taste in my mouth because I’ve been treated like that before. And due to the propaganda you talk about everyone thinks he’s great and don’t realise the harm that that can cause.
I agree. I'm a cook myself, and I was treated this way in my first years from this chef. I was a 16 years old inexperienced kid who barely knew how to make tomato sauce, yet he constantly yelled at me and personally insulted me because I wasn't as capable as him. Worst year of my working life. It contributed to destroy my already low self esteem. But Ramsey does it on TV and everyone finds it hilarious. It's not hilarious, it's straight abuse to be insulted by your boss with nothing you can do but saying "I'm sorry"
@@yokiweyy4770 To be fair he's working with other professional chefs, who should know better. They also signed up for the show with Gordon Ramesy. I am sorry to hear your story though, people starting out certainly shouldn't be treated like that.
@@yankeedoodle5187 I don't see what it accomplishes to treat anyone like that. He has rage issues. He should be the one getting help. No reason to go around creating mental health issues in people who tried so hard to become professionals just to find they're only going to get raged at.
i just stumbled upon this channel after watching some of drew gooden's film essays-- PLEASE keep this going! your vids are super interesting and perfect to watch :)
Thanks so much! Check out my chanel for loads more videos :)
I’ve watched many episodes of Restaurant Impossible and enjoyed them. I always got the feeling that Robert Irvine really cared about the results of the process. He never screamed at people for basically no reason. Sometimes he got angry when they did things that were unethical or dangerous. But he’s got a “tough love” sort of vibe, and most of the restaurants seemed to come out better, and both the restauranteurs and the audience learn something (I’ll confess my favorite parts are always the design reveals!). With Gordon Ramsey, he seems to be there *in order to* scream and swear at people. Not so they can learn, but so he can be seen as better than they are. Your analysis is very interesting and, I think accurate, showing how the whole structure of the show, the production and the editing all come together to reinforce Ramsay’s authoritarianism and god-complex. It explains why I’ve never been able to watch more than a few episodes of *any* of his shows. And I probably never will. Thanks.
It seems to me that the whole point of the show is to watch him scream and laugh at the people being screamed at. It seems like the short of show bullies enjoy.
Given that he's been awarded 16 Michelin Stars, I don't think he needs music to support his culinary opinions. I think he has earned that over the course of his career. Even people who dislike him can't suggest that he doesn't know his stuff. The editing is of course going to be geared towards entertainment and drama but you can't say Gordon's expertise is fabricated. (or have I fallen for the propaganda?). I'm new to channel and will be subscribing!
I think cooking shows especially are most susceptible to this production bias. With competition shows about art, fashion and music we as the audience can see the finished product the way it’s supposed to be consumed, our personal taste can distinguish successes and failures without needing to be told. Sure on cooking and baking shows we can appreciate presentation but we don’t really know as the audience if something is a success or a failure, we literally cannot taste it so we have to be told. I LOVE Hell’s Kitchen for the exact reason you stated, it’s easy watching and you have to suspend logic to accept it for what it is. I just feel bad for the chefs that go on this show and make something mediocre but every single signature dish challenge has to end with a tie/sudden death so I guess your food is shit and Gordon will spit it out for good television!
Anyway, loved the video, been binging your essays all day!
American TV shows are overly dramatic. You can see the difference when you compare the British version of Kitchen nightmares to the American one.
Brilliant analysis.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love your voice and dialect. It's absolutely perfect for teaching and narration.
Also. I always hated Ramsey.
He's way too aggressive and abusive.
That guy is all red flags to me.
Yeah get tougher skin, Ramsey is like a lot of chefs. If you want peaceful stress free working environment a professional kitchen is not it. In fact, dont ever go a to professional kitchen if you cant accept that form of behavior.
If you are chef you signed up for that aggression and abuse.
@@lampad4549 I take it you are a chef and enjoy the aggression and abuse?
I totally agree. I personally first noticed this on Chopped, a cooking sohow on Food Network. They employ all the same tools as mentioned in your video. After noticing it on Chopped I noticed how nearly everything uses music to influence your mood.; tv and movies alike. It's almost impossible to find media that doesn't try to emotionally manipulate you, but realizing what is happening allows me to watch more objectively. More often than not these tpes of media get an eye roll because I see the tactic coming and can avoid the "effect" of the musical que. Great video thanks for the great content. Be well/
Where the lamb sauce at tho
Everything in media is propaganda to some degree...but the fact is that Ramsay is an ultra charismatic leader and successful chef and people around him in his personal life look up to him and like him. So this isnt propaganda in the ficticious sense, this is just hightened reality.
Thanks for helping me to understand my allergy to these restaurant fail shows. I loathe authoritarianism.
I conpletely get you there, the intense, dictatorship editing of these shows certainly reflects and authoritarian viewpoint.
Have you ever watched Hotel Hell? I used to watch it a lot and it seems to me it ran similarly. In fact, there was always one part of every episode in which Gordon would take out a black light and as soon as he did I immediately knew the following scene would be disgusting, and the audio always made the same sound as he turned out the lights and looked around the room with his black light.
Here is the thing tho, most finalists end up working at one of GR's own or similarly high end restaurant, usually with a 250.000 dollar salary for a year or longer. And GR has said before that he usually knows in the first two minutes of meeting the contestants who ends up as finalists. I am sure there is much more of an executive choice involved in who ends up running a flagship restaurant than the competition alone. Thus, the audience has to be told a specific story to go along.
While most of propaganda is fiction, fiction itself is not propaganda. It's pure entertainment and has little to no basis in reality and can therefore not be called propaganda.
I was never able to finish a single episode of this show, Ramsay scares the hell out of me and i've always felt bad for the participants..
Spot on analysis. This show is so heavily edited and over the top. I enjoy it nonetheless.
I love what you've brought up here I think anyone can take the points youve made and hopefully apply that to other entertainment and media productions.
Would like to see this cf The Great British Baking Show.
Awesome work, very well articulated! The power of editing to influence the viewer!
Thank you!
Just watched a couple of your videos. Great analysis of TV as it is today. I have subscribed, you maybe have done media studies or something? Very entertaining and informative, like what you are doing.
Thank you very much! Yes I did my undergraduate in Philosophy and then an MA in Film Studies. I appreciate the support!
This video explains why I've never been a fan of Hell's Kitchen although I did enjoy the British version of Kitchen Nightmares.
I remember one episode of the American Kitchen Nightmares where the owner WENT OFF on Gordon and they had to work HARD for Gordon to save face because he was clearly wrong!
At least that's how the owner made him look.
I can only figure they desperately needed that show in the can or else they would have scraped it.
My opinion is it made for a much better show. The host doesn't always have to be right to make an entertaining or interesting show. His mistakes would still have to be carefully handled, or "curated" as they say these days. But it could, probably would, make for better television.
I love how you use this to show how propaganda works in general!
This is a really underrated channel!
Sound 4 slaps hard
What in the tin foil hat is going on in here ?
lol
Just found your channel. I love your voice 🙂😊
Thank you!
@@thefilmessay9832 This is the first time a creator replied to my comment. So thank you too
Nicely done!
great take! it really is quite strange how close a lot of that culture is to propaganda
Thank you! Appreciate the support
Ramsay is a real life Mary sue/Gary stew
i agree, i hate hell's kitchen and truly enjoy the F word or kitchen nightmares. didn't understand why until now
Interesting how as soon as he or his people isn't in control of the narrative, Gordon comes of as an ill-tempered child
All those sounds and unnecessary, overblown reactions are reasons why I can barely stand many American shows like This, Bar Rescue, etc. even though I’m in the industry (Bar management/Consultant).
Marketers naturally associate happiness with coke.
Real pirate vibes worth the soundtrack
I absolutely love Hell’s Kitchen
using mao poster for nationalism... thats what the opposition was fighting for 😂
by the transitive property you think propaganda is great.
cody sent me
great video
Duh?
I like your voice
This was excellent, thanks
Damn
Underrated channel
Appreciate the support!
Amazing video!
Thanks!
Chefs are insufferable neurotics.
Gordon Ramsay doesn’t like pineapple on pizza, I’ll say it’s bad and never try it.
By your explanation of propoganda isn't all forms of art propaganda. Also why cant opening a coke be a form of happiness sure it may be bad for a physical health but a lot of things we enjoy aren't necessarily good for our health.
Furthermore, it seems like you are analyzing hells kitchen like its a film, this is competition so yeah the judges should ge right.
Jesus loves you a lot =-D
Nah
What's a Jesus?
Wild that people seem to forget that when a show starts its budget is low and grows with success. It's not to make him look like a God you fool.
Insightful, thanks
Quit watching when you referred to a Bradley as "a tank." You're doing the same thing you're describing, over sensationalizing. A Bradley is an APC, a troop transport. Defensive role versus offensive role.
Not everybody grows up in a country where military circle jerking is a national religion and children learn 5 different classes of military vehicle before they get to long division. Anyway the distinction doesn't diminish his point about it being an over-the-top staging of Ramsey as the infallible authority over the show and its participants.
Did you actually just complain about him calling a APC a tank when you called the m113 a Bradley, if you are gonna do stupid crap like this at least get your vehicles right
First