The image I project is that of a tough, wisecracking woman* who don’t take no shit from anyone. It’s mostly fiction, but it’s served me well. To a point. I walked, strode, really, with my sunglasses on and a firm set to my chin. Most people take one look at me and leave me alone. I knew, however, that if someone was serious about attacking me, they wouldn’t be fooled. That’s why I started taking taiji classes. This post isn’t about that, though. It’s about my softer side that I rarely show. This side of me loves plushies and fluffy animals. The latter at a distance, however, because I’m allergic to most of them, including cats. But I love cats so I have one.
I also like cheesy pop music, unapologetically. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures because if you like something, why feel guilty about it? I can cheerfully admit that I have terrible taste in music for example, but I never feel guilty. about it. I boggle some people’s minds by being so matter-of-fact about liking what most people consider is bad music. It’s the same as when I say I’m a terrible driver (which I am). People are nonplused, which is partly because that’s not what you want to hear, I’m sure. but, the reality is that not everyone can be an above-average driver.
My point is that while I appear to be edgy and tough, I have a soft side that people may not know about. I don’t hide it, but it’s not as if I bellow it from the rafters, either.
I don’t watch much TV or movies, but one thing I like is what I call gentle competition shows. The Great British Bake Off is the original one (now The Great British Baking Show, but I stopped watching it after Sue and Mel were forced off). It was a surprise hit and afterwards, it spawned a plethora of similar shows in a category I call gentle competitions. That means people compete against each other, but they’re not trying to crush their opponents. It’s not Cutthroat Kitchen or whatever it’s called–I hate that show. There is no sabotage and everyone is so supportive of each other.
I liken the shows to visiting your favorite regional chain restaurant. In my case, it’s Culver’s. It’s better than fast food and the burgers are actually good. (I get the gluten-free bun and no butter or cheese on the burger, but that’s neither here nor there). You know exactly what you’re going to get when you order from Culver’s and you know you’re going to be satisfied.
The gentle competition shows are the same. The formats follow the exact same formula, to varying degrees of success. There’s a comedian as the host who makes me cringe with the awful writing. Sue and Mel went over the top from time to time, but there was a genuine warmth between them that made it palatable. The newer crop of hosts work alone and just make me want to put my fingers in my ears. Hunter Marsh from Sugar Rush is the most tolerable of the lot and it’s because he’s not quite as smarmy as the rest of them. Plus, he’s easy on the eyes.
Sugar Rush is actually my favorite of these shows. Is it the best? No. It’s strictly mediocre. But it’s warm and comforting, and it makes me feel good. There are four teams of two, each teach with their own backstory. There is a theme of the day like going to the beach or going to outer space or whatever. The first round is cupcake, the second round is confections (I think? Yes, it is. I just checked), and the third round is the cake round. The contestants get 3 hours for the first two rounds and anything they bank is added to the final round, which is an additional 3 hours. One team is eliminated after the first round and another after the second, so only two make it to the final round.
The judges are Candace Nelson and Adrian Zumbo. There is a different celebrity guest as the third judge every episode. The banter is forced at times, yes, but it’s more natural than most of the shows. Candice is called the Queen of Cupcakes and Adrian Zumbo is all about desserts. They’re highly regarded in the business and they have an easy rapport.
The most ‘cutthroat’ aspect of this show is that the contestants continue to bake each round until the last team buzzes in with their creation. That means if you are the first too buzz in on a round and you are cut, then you could almost finish your second round creation–making it all for naught. I can deal with that because it’s not one team trying to sabotage another.
The goal in the first two rounds is to make treats as fast as possible without sacrificing creativity. The time you save in the first two rounds will be carried over to the final round. You have to balance speed with creativity in order to ensure you make it to the third round.
Whoever wins the third round wins $10,000. That’s one type of these shows–a winner per episode. More often, though, one team is eliminated each episode until there are two or three left for the finals. I like both ways, but I have to admit I prefer the one contestant eliminated per episode route better.
What I like about Sugar Rush, though, in addition to the delicious creations is that the judges are clear about the criteria. I may not agree with them, but I can at least understand why the make the decisions they do. With some of the shows, they don’t say why they choose the winner (or the person to lose) in anything more than the vaguest terms, leaving me dissatisfied.
Quite honestly, my standards are super-low for these shows. If they follow the formula of gentle banter between the contestants, a decent connection between the judges, the host not being completely cringeworthy, and the creations fantastic, I’ll watch it. I will say that there are a few shows that don’t even clear that low bar, such as Nailed It. I cannot stand the host, sadly, because I love Jacques Pepin. I don’t like him on this show, though, because everything is so hokey and the host is way too sexual. I mean, I like a sexual jokes if they’re funny, but she crosses the line into sexual harassment. I know the contestants are there voluntarily, but there is still a power imbalance that makes me deeply uncomfortable.
None of these shows can hold a candle to The Great British Bake Off, but some of them are real comfort food. Not just the food shows. I’ve also watched shows about interior decorating and sewing. The shows aren’t meant to challenge me or break any new ground. They stay firmly in their zone and deliver exactly what they promise. I think the formula is getting stale (and it was never fresh to begin with).
Yesterday was a rough day for me. I pushed too hard and ended up exhausted. I queued up Sugar Rush watching an episode made me feel better. I’m watching another episode now! Again, it’s comfort food, which means I don’t mind the repetitiveness. I don’t know how many more shows like this I can stand to watch, but I’m content with watchable mediocrity for now. (Most of them Netflix Originals.)
Oh! Shoutout to Next in Fashion, another Netfl0ix Original. It only had one episode, but it had Tan France and Alexa Chung as hosts. Plus, the vast majority of the contestants are people of color, queer, women, or a mix of all of the above. That is so hard to find in these shows (except Sugar Rush. It has a decent amount of POC as contestants), I really appreciated the effort Next in Fashion took to make it happen.
*I may or may not get into my gender issues later.