Worst Cooks in America are the Biggest Crybabies in America
In the arena of reality cooking competitions, Worst Cooks in America is definitely the most cringeworthy. Because not only are the contestants laughably incompetent, but their incompetence leads to constant emotional breakdowns.
A seasoned chef could complete the challenges these "cooks" face blindfolded and only allowed to use their feet. Even a home cook could succeed with a fair amount of ease. So to watch these contestants, week after week, be unable to complete the challenges (i.e. follow directions) and then cry about it is at once fascinating television and incredibly frustrating to watch.
Last night, the contestants had to make homemade ravioli completely from scratch. They are given step-by-step instructions by trained chefs Anne and Beau. They write everything down as they watch the chefs complete their demo. And then when it's time for their turn, what happens? Complete and utter buffoonery. These cooks have absolutely no idea what they're doing. It's baffling how seemingly smart and competent adults can't follow step-by-step instructions.
And as much as chefs Beau and Anne want to just slap the contestants across the face and show them how easy it is to follow simple instructions, they can't. Instead, they speak to them like one would talk to a child or an untrained dog. Chef Anne is especially guilty of patronizing her team members when they mess up, which is always.
But the real crying came out during the elimination challenge. The contestants had to follow a recipe to make different hors d'oeuvres for a party of 30. The contestants are handed recipe cards, some easier than others. All they have to do is follow the recipe cards over and over for 30 guests. Could they complete such a ostensibly simple task? In a word: No. And in a sentence: No, and half the contestants had nervous breakdowns as well. If you handed these seemingly alert adults instructions on how to make a bird-feeder, they would most likely end up chopping off important limbs.
But before we get to the waterworks, just take a look at one of the most disgusting dishes ever conceived. Rachel Coleman decided that blending apples, cinnamon and horseradish, and tying it all together with prosciutto and slapping it on a crostini would somehow be edible. I feel bad for the people who had to eat that.
And she didn't even lose!
But the biggest moments of the episode were also the saltiest. When rockabilly contestant Jennifer Cross had a complete meltdown because nothing went right during the challenge, it had a domino effect, resulting in half the contestants (and one of the judges) crying as well.
And after all of that, Jennifer didn't lose either! Worst cooks in America indeed.