Outline
-----------
20140423
Storyline: Gordon Ramsay-a British chef visits struggling restaurants across America and spends one week trying to help them become successful. That is a makeover show. And the performance of Chef Ramsay is very significant, because he is very aggressive, bad temper and masculinity. I will focus on the cases which set on the racial owners especially the female racial owner. Talk about the class, race and the American ideology.
Class. Race and American ideology
* Kitchen Nightmare is a type of business Makeover shows which including complex elements of transformation. Differ from some reality tv shows which normally avoid or hide social issues and problems such as the racial status quo, KN highlights the diverse ethnic background of owners of restaurants. Moreover, the representation of ethnic members in this show occupies a large percents, it represents the number of ethnic immigrants in America is not a minority group; they are not subordinated to Whites. It reinforces the idea is consistent with American values of equality and fairness.
The overemphasis of ethnic members in the shows leads the anxiety of Whites audiences, so that the restaurant they owned is featured as a “nightmare” covers every aspect although it aims to fit to the theme of this show.
Moreover, most of ethnic owners’ backgrounds emphasize the importance of business and the restaurant as a dream for them which carry the hopes and future of their life. In addition, the show not only pays attention on the part of business, but also considers the family relationships and interpersonal relationships of owners. There are several points I consider: The idea of American dream is emphasized on its equally for every ethnic groups； The American dream is build on the consumerism, the success of business means happiness in people’s life.
Besides, almost each restaurants have has a glorious past with good attendance, however all they would fall down for various reasons which related their individual problems. This representation emphasized political and economic freedom of American dream as well as rules of law and private property rights, the business crisis result from owner’s faults. At the same time, it points out the importance of self-discipline.
* In general way, reality tv will categorize people according to assumptions held by white people. The categories provide explanations for why ‘‘those people’’ are ‘‘like that.’’ While all groups have stereotypes, those of less powerful groups are stronger and more numerous and have a greater impact on how others perceive people in the group.
In KN, ethnic owners are challenged by several groups: Chef Ramsay, theirs staff and their customers.
Chef Ramsay is powerful because he owns professional skills and large authority, and it is like a “Godmother” in general makeover shows. But he represents the group of high-class whites; it conveys the idea about Whites’ powerful stereotypes comes from the individual capability instead of the dominant ideology.
In most of cases, the members of staffs are various ethnic, but the common point is about there are conflicts between staffs and ethnic owner. Although the group is subordinate to owners in the light of business, but the number of group is large, ethnic owner is always in the isolated situation.
But at last, the ethnic owner takes control and becomes bossy because of Chef Ramsay’s help. The help from Chef Ramsay is significant; firstly, as mentioned before, the power comes from his individual capability. Secondly, in particular on the case which sets the owner is female ethnic, it is easily to assume that the power comes from the male value which Chef Ramsay represents. All these actually do serious ideological work by avoiding or hiding social issues and problems.
Lastly, customers definitely are important for every types of business. Successful restaurant should fulfill the requirement of customers on the food, surroundings, and services. Ethnic owner would like to offer local cuisine in their restaurant, Chef Ramsay also is thoughtful to introduce the ethnic chef to improve the menu. But the standard of menu and the decoration of restaurant are taken charge by Chef Ramsay and customers as evidence to prove his good choices. Ethnic owners are disempowered in the show. The good transformation conveys the idea if they (racial minorities) follow the rules or stander (which made from Whites), they are accepted in the system of America. The American dream is based on the dominant system which Whites set.
* KN focusing on individuals rather than social groups, portrays the ethnic owner especially woman is lass of self-discipline with disadvantage personalities; remind viewers that problem are because of “bad” individuals, not flawed social structures. The cases set on female ethnic owners is aim to put the critics from Whites look more reasonable，because they judge the case base on the gender problem, not the racial background.
* On When Haiti or Japan gets struck with a devastating earthquake people expect America to come to the rescue now. America has been the crutch for a lot of places that have experienced tragedy, and I think reality tv shows that through these “crutch” show, especially for the minorities groups.
* For international viewers, or immigrants in America, this reality show like real world, showing parts of USA which do not fulfill people’s fantasy. Break the image of perfect America or American paradise, but as we can see, these damages are not serious enough, it shows they can be fixed, by the help of rescuers and individual efforts. The rescuer here means the ideology of America. On one side, it delivers a message about if you are working hard enough, America would not be the fantasy place for you, it only makes dream come true for who can self-response. The dream has conditions, and the condition is related to individual effort. On the other side, these representations of “real “but not “very unchangeable” determine the degree of authenticity, as well as release the anxiety for government, shift their attention and conveys the idea about there are various methods to solve the problems, not only rely on government.
Questions:
How reality tv claims the equality of American dream and conveys the core idea of American dream is relate to individual business within consumerism. How reality tv help maintain the racial status quo, including stereotyping racial minorities and explaining and justifying racial inequality in a way that forestalls major reforms. Kitchen Nightmare demonstrates many of these.
-----------
20140416
The Construction of gender dynamics in Kitchen Nightmare
Abstract
I Introduction
A Introduce the significance of ethnic female owners in kitchen nightmare
B Thesis
II Kitchen Nightmare is portrayed as a type of business Makeover shows which including complex elements of transformation for emphasizing the power of male active value instead of woman self-made.
A It is reasonable to rarely feature female owners because of the subconscious about most of enterprises are dominated by men in society.
B Female owner is easily challenged by staff especially male chef because of female value is restricted by the gender role of mother/ wife in kitchen.
C Female self-made power is reduced for the multiple kinds of problems of restaurant.
III The image of Chef Ramsay is molded by his characteristic performances for reinforcing American ideas within globalization.
A Most of the struggling restaurants are set in the immigration backgrounds which are criticized by the non-traditional cuisine they served.
B Chef Ramsay who comes from Britain as a godmother visits various foreign cuisine restaurants around America.
C Chef Ramsay is known for his ferocious temperament, colorful vocabulary, and no-nonsense attitude; he performs a subversive image which is different from traditional gentleman.
IV The relationship between Chef Ramsay and female owner as a plot device strengthens the patriarchy in American ideology.
A The character of female owner are depicted as sensitive and emotional which hinder the process of transformation, compared with the professional image of Chef Ramsay.
B Ethnic backgrounds of female owners distance the clarity of communication between Chef Ramsay and female owners for two purposes.
1\ Emphasize the difficulty of makeover comes from their ethnic background
2\ Emphasize the power of makeover lies on male active value of Chef Ramsay
C The attitudes of female owner towards Chef Ramsay takes a sharp shift, it represents the power of male active value according to a series of work from Chef Ramsay.
1\ Chef Ramsay gives restaurant a successful makeover job
2\ Chef Ramsay stands on female owners when they are challenged by staff
3\ Chef Ramsay fixes some relationships between female owners and their family or staff.
V Conclusion
Bibliography
Discussion of "Outline"
Add your voice to this discussion.
Checking your signed in status ...