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now this gets me down!

post #1 of 16
5/2/04 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
I read that famous chef Gordon Ramsay (sorry if he's only famous in the UK)
has publicly humiliated a younge Head Chef on British television, saying he is not even capable of cooking a fried egg!
This, I gather, was part of a fly on the wall documentary, and the Chef was given the impression that it was to help young aspiring chefs!
As I understand this chef shortly resigned after the programme.
What I want to know is where do these types of chefs get off playing with peoples lives, I have not seen the programme but would love to hear from anyone who has! If this young man was as bad as the former footballer said then surely he could have been honest but kind and maybe encourage him to re look his approach!
We all start out somewhere. Maybe this young man was not fit to be a head chef, but from what I have read I don't believe anyone deserves the hand of Mr Ramsay who is well known for his bad temper and bully boy tactics. I don't agree with bad tempered chefs - it gets us nowhere, creates a bad atmosphere and makes everyone unhappy, which let's face it must make it's way into the service!
In my personal opinion Mr Ramsay should be stripped of his title of Chef and go back to football where all the other hooligans are!
Sorry very strong but I really don't like bullies!
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post #2 of 16
5/2/04 at 2:53pm
Neither do I, Lins, whether they're chefs, schoolmates, politicians or neighbors. A boor is a boor is a boor. The only way to stop this kind of thing is for society to do what it must: not eat the chef's food or buy his/her books; make sure school administration does its job to sanction bullying students; vote the bully-boy/girl politicians out of office; and try to find a mediator for dealing with neighbors you are stuck with.

Just my 2P.
Moderator Emerita, Welcome Forum
***It is better to ask forgiveness than beg permission.***
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post #3 of 16
5/2/04 at 3:23pm
Thread Starter 
I agree but how do we disagree and sort out the good from the bad when the likes of madonna say they adore Gordon Ramsay's food? How do we deal with a public that goes by what the rich and famous say is good?
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post #4 of 16
5/2/04 at 11:29pm
I saw the show. The incident was sparked off when the chef overcooked some vegetable, I cant remember what, for a meal being served at a michelin star judging. Believe me I understood exactly how Gordon Ramsey would have felt. Unfortunately it was aired on tv and no doubt would have been forgotten as any hot tempers during service are but of course so much has been made of it as it went public. Not much different than some of the sick dialoques that pass as reality tv which here in Australia seems to be popular entertainment. Gordon Ramsey is a fine and very talented chef and having been a footballer really has nothing to do with that. The guy may not have cut it as a chef anyway, you are speculating if you are linking his giving up the job with that incident.
One quick question, have none of you lost it during a very stressful service and said things you would rather you hadn't. I know I have.
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post #5 of 16
5/3/04 at 2:42am
I hadn't heard anything about this until now. But, let me relate an experience of mine, it's also a sort of driving force as well for me in retrospect. When I was in college I had an instructor who rode me like a rented mule and was very critical of my performance, as a shy 19 year old 'kid', I took it hard in the wrong way. My instructor told me that I would first of all be lucky to find a job with my skills as a cook, and then be lucky to keep it for more than six months. That hurt, but I decided that this was the jobline that I wanted and I was determined to prove him wrong. I think after 7 years in the same kitchen I may have succeeded. My point is that I have learned that determination is stronger than critcism, it's all in perspective.
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post #6 of 16
5/3/04 at 7:48am
If you boycott Gordon Ramsey, you'd have to boycott about 95% of all restaurants out there. Lord knows I've had my share of abuse in the kitchen too. It's not right, and I'm glad this was aired and stirred up a little controversy. This behaviour is unacceptable in every other work environment, why should cooks have to tolerate it? Are we really to scum of the earth?
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post #7 of 16
5/3/04 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
[QUOTE=judy you are speculating if you are linking his giving up the job with that incident.
One quick question, have none of you lost it during a very stressful service and said things you would rather you hadn't. I know I have.[/QUOTE]
This was not speculation, I read that the chef gave up his job due to the incident?
M point was not to question the cooking abilities of Gordon Ramsay merely to question his attitude to others as a chef!
I get sick of hearing people saying that chefs are temperamental, this is not true of a good percentage of chefs and the likes of Gordon Ramsay losing his temper on t.v which is by no way the first time, does not help our reputation!
We are not the scum of the earth and it's about time this perception of bad tempered chefs stopped!
Let's face it, if you lost your temper in any other enviroment then you would be heading for a disciplinary!
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post #8 of 16
5/20/04 at 12:24am

Entertainment

Hi,

I don't have a T.V. That might sound a little strange to many but somehow I feel I'm wasting time when I have so many other interests. That doesn't stop me enjoying it when I do see it. Even the ads are good!
BUT lots of my friends are talking about Gordon Ramsey and his program. These are people who have no professional stake in the business. The general view is that he is a bully. They don't like the swearing either. There is much sympathy for his 'victims'. This is not the way to improve people or get them to do their best.

For myself, I'm amazed that no one can see what this is all about. MONEY! We have somehow got past the 'instructional' phase of cooking and restaurants and into some bizarre form of entertainment. ( Cooking on French T.V. is a serious business )
Whats next? The torturing of live animals on T.V. to get that little bit of extra flavour?

'Fly on the wall'? Not on your life! These programs take hours to film and the first take is always right? I don't think so.

When's everyone going to wake up?

Dave
"The kitchen is his **** and he the devil in it" -- A Book of Characters
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post #9 of 16
5/20/04 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
Well said Davewarne!
I am not a fan of Gordon Ramsay, as you can probably tell, I don't like to rant on about things, but the man drives me mad!
I was given a magazine last week bought in England by one of our guests, I was told it would make us laugh.
Gordon Ramsay was doing some simple tapas dishes, I don't remember the exact wording but he discribed the Spanish salt cod, as a dish made up of the leftover scraps from restaurants!
Where has this man got his information from? Has he ever been to Spain?
Salt cod is a way of preserving fish, It is a delicacy here, not made up of scraps and it is very expensive!
He has obviously run out of victims in England so is having a go at the whole of Spain or "Spanish paupers" as he would have you believe!
OK rant over!
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post #10 of 16
5/20/04 at 4:17pm
A bully is a bully.As long as a person allows themselves to be demeaned by one they will continue there actions.I attended 16 different schools growing up and I have met my share of these kind of people.Most people who act like Gordon do are realy insecure in there own skin so they think they make themselves look better by putting others down.They have overinflated there egos to the point of no respect for others. I would bet if someone stood up to Gordon on the show and put him in his place it would probably not be aired.
This is what needs to be done to a bully.Confront them and dont back down!
I know this is hard for most but right is right and wrong is wrong and we all have made mistakes in the kitchen. Peace to all , Doug.................
The two most common things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity !
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post #11 of 16
5/20/04 at 7:25pm
This is a bit off topic, sorry.... and directed primarily at any Europeans on the board.
Gordon Ramsey?? Football player. I'm trying to recall a lifetime or two ago England's unstopable goalkeeper whose career was cut short by a car accident that left him blind in one eye. Is that the same fella or am I thinking of someone else?

Thanks

Jock
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post #12 of 16
5/21/04 at 2:00am
Jock...

Wasn't that Gordon Banks? Not hot on football, we did rugby at school. Hate that too.

Dave
"The kitchen is his **** and he the devil in it" -- A Book of Characters
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post #13 of 16
5/21/04 at 1:17pm
Thread Starter 
Yep it was Gordon Banks, Goalkeeper for England and Leicester City (My home town)!
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post #14 of 16
5/21/04 at 6:15pm
That's right, Gordon Banks. I remember now. I knew there was a Gordon in there somewhere.

Thanks

Jock
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post #15 of 16
8/17/04 at 4:29pm

ramsey

ramsey is an egotistical fool....the punters who go to his restaurants are only guided by sheer media hype they want to be seen to be eating somewhere fashionable and to inflate their own ego's..eating out can be from the most simplistic to the most intrinsict...just enjoy the moment why all this media hype????
I always drink with a friend That way you always have somebody to carry you home..Or Actually it only takes one drink to get me loaded....trouble is ,Ican't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteeth....
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post #16 of 16
8/17/04 at 6:34pm
Absolutely right Anneke. Females I think have it worse than males. In addition to being yelled at and cussed out, they're also more susceptible to sexual harrasment. About 15 years ago I worked for this one chef who would, just out of the blue, get behind someone, grab them and then thrust his pelvis against their behind. He'd laugh, kitchen would laugh, and yeah, even I sometimes laughed. But it got old real quick. Now that I think back at it, I'd never stand for this kind of behavior. Not even if it wasn't me.

Kuan
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