Today's Kool Idea: Hell's Kitchen

Okay, we have a confession to make...we at The Daily Kool are absolutely addicted to Hell's Kitchen. No, no...please try not to think less of us. There is just something about watching Gordon Ramsay torturing a group of professional chefs that keeps us glued to our television every Thursday night. Talk about blood, sweat and tears...yes, we have literally seen them all on Hell's Kitchen. Even when we anticipate the disaster that is about to strike, we just can't look away when Chef Ramsay makes verbal mincemeat of a contestant. Who knew we had such a sadistic side?

Apparently, FOX did. Hell's Kitchen is one of their more popular series, now in its 5th season...Season 6 is scheduled to debut on July 21st. The unscripted show follows a group of relatively inexperienced contestants vying for a chance to earn a prestigious $250,000 position as Head Chef in one of Gordon Ramsay's new restaurants. The series starts out with two teams (blue and red), in a men vs. women split. Each episode begins with a challenge that tests the contestants' culinary knowledge or ability. The winning team gets a fabulous reward, such as a trip to the spa, dining out at an exclusive restaurant or a day at the horse races. The losing team suffers a bout of quick torture...from eating a tray of disgusting cow parts (yes, you read that right), to scrubbing the dorms (bathroom toilets included) to prepping both kitchens for dinner service. It's amusing to see grown men and women lower themselves to adolescent levels as they win and lose each challenge.

The most important challenge in Hell's Kitchen is, of course dinner service. To ensure victory at this challenge, each team must complete dinner service with little to no mishaps in the kitchen...easier said than done. Something always goes wrong...either a lapse in teamwork, organization, skill, or in some cases...all of the above. Whatever the problem, Chef Ramsay raises the heat in the kitchen (sorry about the pun) by screaming obscenities at the contestants' ineptness and humiliating them in front of their colleagues and customers. He calls them out on every mistake, pushing and poking at them mercilessly to test whether they will rise to the challenge or fall flat on their faces. The team who emerges victorious gets to live another day, while the best of the losers has to nominate two teammates to be voted out of Hell's Kitchen. Chef Ramsay makes the final decision...many times an unexpected and controversial one.

It's hard to deny the entertainment value that comes from a man constantly testing how far he can go before a contestant breaks...and boy, does Chef Gordon Ramsay stretch those limits! His reputation as a brilliant, but definite hard-nosed professional proceeds him though, so don't be so quick to feel sorry for the contestants. They all know what they're in for. But, the grand prize is so amazing, the opportunity so tempting...they agree to appear on the show anyway. Go ahead...give in to your sadistic side and check out Hell's Kitchen tonight on FOX.

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