Bravo’s Top Chef…

Okay… I have been a devoted watcher of the tv show “Top Chef”.

Frankly… I have been puzzled for most of this season as to exactly why everyone on the show hates Marcel.  Honestly… I don’t see anything there that is so loathesome.  I actually really like the guy.  Either there is some serious editing where most of his butt-headedness is on the cutting room floor… or it is just “Lord of the Flies”.

I think Betty hated him first and everyone just borrowed her irrational, over-the-top energy and fed on it.

ANYWAY… last week, Marcel gets physically assaulted by Cliff, with Ilan filming it and egging it on, and with Sam laughing watching it from the couch.  His one and only “friend” in the house, Elia, doesn’t do anything to help him.  In fact, she even calls out that she can’t come help (but she meant help CLIFF AND ILAN).

What is WIERD THOUGH… is that the storyline doesn’t seem to actually make sense!!!

When I rewatched it… ELIA is IN THE ADJACENT ROOM when Marcel is storming out!!  AND SHE HAS HER HAIR!!  She is kneeling on the floor covering up her face!!

SO… Marcel gets attacked FIRST… THEN Ilan and Elia shave their heads!  In fact… I think they may have shaved their heads to “cover up” what happened to Marcel!!

Here is what I think happened…

I think Cliff decided to shave Marcel’s head as a mean-spirited fraternity prank.  Ilan filmed it and Sam was watching from the couch not really sure how far Cliff was going to take it.  I think Elia really is not wanting to be a part of the prank and is upset in the next room at what is happening to her “sort of” friend.  Ilan calls for Sam and Elia to come help… and Sam doesn’t help, he just watches and laughs not really sure how far this is going to go.  Elia calls out that she “can’t help” because she “can’t help them attack” Marcel.  I think at this point, it is Cliff and Ilan who are the major players.

After Marcel storms out… I am willing to bet that he said that he was going to report this since he was attacked.  Nothing on the footage backs up this supposition… it just seems the only logical explanation for the big “let’s act like we were drunk and were all going to shave our heads and just got a little carried away” scenario that I think plays out next.

So, they now put on this production… “hey, I am drinking a beer… see??”  “hey, let’s shave our heads”, “I have always wanted to shave my head”, “you are too chicken”, “this is so fun”, little dramedy that follows.

I even think that they ALL decided to shave their heads because Elia says, Iwant to see ALL OF US with our heads shaved like this and Marcel (and then she makes a funny face showing Marcel with hair.)

I don’t really know how it played out… but I do know that it didn’t play out the way that Bravo producers made it look like it did.  Frankly, I think they probably all should have been kicked off… but I think that the reason that Cliff got kicked off and no one else did is because he truly did attack Marcel BEFORE anyone else had shaved their heads.  Or at least before Elia did.

I truly think Marcel was attacked first and the rest was all a big “acting” cover-up.

I think I am not the only person who thinks so either… I found a youtube post of at least one other person who thinks it went down in the order that I think it did.  The youtube video is here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKHCCCZvhlQ.  Also, I am glad to see that Headjudge Tom Colicchio also thinks they all should have been kicked off as well. 

Also… I have to admit… I am disgusted with the way the other contestants “soft-balled” their descriptions of what happened.  Cliff says, “I do feel bad for physically touching Marcel”.  TOUCHING???  Hmm… interesting word choice.  I would call it ASSAULTING.  Holding him in a half-nelson with his feet about 8 inches off the ground???  Pressing him into the carpet??  If it would have been a woman, what would he have called what he was doing to her??  Hugging????

Frankly… at this point… I hope Marcel wins.  I basically can’t stand ANY of the rest of them.  PERIOD.  Including Elia.  I truly think she didn’t want any part of attacking Marcel… but later in the “fake frivolity” of the head shaving party… she sides with the bullies.