352 replies to this topic

[keckler]

I think he's a true dick. I don't think he really puts it on -- I think he's really, really like that and really, really doesn't care what people think of him.

But I still have an irrational love for him that I can't figure out. Why do I love him and despise Bourdain? Maybe it's the accent. Maybe it's him being a former footballer. I don't know.

[DCCrackMonkee]

I love Gordo and Bourdain, both clearly being Big Dicks, so maybe that just says something about my taste in men, heh. They are good friends in real life, too, yes?

eta: The clips on GR's BBC shows with his kids really shows that he is a softy. He's ADORABLE with those kids.

Edited by DCCrackMonkee, May 23, 2007 @ 5:24 PM.

[Puds38]

Love GR, personally I think he's a big old softy deep down.

[kikidee]

True dick, but lovably so. I read something recently where he revealed that he had been behind some big dramatic stunt back in the day. He was the chef at some restaurant whose name I can't recall, but word on the street was that Marco Pierre White was trying to undermine him behind the scenes and take his place. So Ramsay arranged to have the reservation book stolen from the restaurant knowing that everyone would believe White had done it. That's some Machiavellian shit right there. It gives him "True Dick" street cred.

I love Gordo and Bourdain, both clearly being Big Dicks, so maybe that just says something about my taste in men, heh. They are good friends in real life, too, yes?

I *think* yes. I don't find that surprising though. Outside of the kitchen, Ramsay seems to act like a very nice sane human being. Something about that kitchen makes him lose his shit, and it's very entertaining. For all his bluster, Bourdain frequently gets VERY sentimental on his show. They're both big mouths that aren't actually as assholish as they sound.

Edited by kikidee, Jul 20, 2007 @ 2:12 PM.

[Thena]

I love Gordo and Bourdain

SAME. Well, I love Bourdain more because I've read his books and watched No Reservations. They are good friends and Bourdain praises him in his writings. I don't quite understand why I like GR either, but a lot of celeb and successful chefs are dicks to some degree. Maybe it's the footballer and accent for me too.

ETA: We talked about the MPWhite/GR feud in the old thread I think. I read Heat recently, and I am not surprised how these two can't get along. Bourdain admires White as well.

Edited by Thena, May 23, 2007 @ 7:00 PM.

[swimmyfish]

My exposure to both Bourdain and Ramsay has been limited to Kitchen Confidential and last summer's final 5 episodes of Hell's Kitchen respectively, but I really like Ramsay and really dislike Bourdain. I can't really explain why - Bourdain seemed like a giant asshole in the book who thinks he's better than just about everybody, and while it cannot be said that Ramsay is not an asshole, it seems like he's genuinely interested in the getting and helping the contestants to improve their skills; just the way he goes about that is, well, explosive.

Slightly off-topic, someone mentioned this in the Meet Market thread:

That's_why_it's_called_nonSTIIIIIIIIIICK!

Oh, that was such a good moment. Like his head was going to explode because Sarah was so damned stupid. But I'll bet she's seared her scallops (or whatever they were) in non-stick pans ever since then. See? - instructive!

Edited by swimmyfish, May 24, 2007 @ 12:55 PM.

[Stenbeck]

True dick.

I wouldn't expect the chef of a quality restaurant to be all fun, hugs, kisses and baking cakes with rainbows.

[indigotea]

True dick. The kind you NEVER want to work for, but always want to sit around and gossip with. It's all in the context.

[ThatGrrl]

I'm on the "Ramsey and Bourdain" love train. In fact, I really, really wish that train existed. With sleep cars.

[Shamrock317]

That's_why_it's_called_nonSTIIIIIIIIIICK!

Oh, that was such a good moment. Like his head was going to explode because Sarah was so damned stupid. But I'll bet she's seared her scallops (or whatever they were) in non-stick pans ever since then. See? - instructive!

I second third and fourth that! Might have been one of my alltime 5 favorite TV moments. He was like a little preschooler throwing a fit.

When does it start up again? I've apparently been missing promos. ...

[cpindc]

I feel like GR is a Big Dick to get better results in the kitchen (he also praises people when they get it right, and it means even more because he's so hard on them), and AB is a Big Dick just because he is who he is (in his own mind).

[YourMom]

I don't think he's a true dick. I think he plays that role (a) for the cameras, and (b) because it gets him better results in the kitchen.

I also think he is sex on legs, so, you know...I could be biased.

[Milz]

I really like Ramsay and really dislike Bourdain. I can't really explain why - Bourdain seemed like a giant asshole in the book who thinks he's better than just about everybody

I've watched Bourdain give his 0.005 cents on a PBS NOVA episode about Typhoid Mary, he was a giant rat's rectum on that show too. So I guess that's just baseline for him.

I've read a couple of GRrrrr's cookbooks. I don't get the impression he's as great an ass as AB. While GRrrrr is a foodie with high foodie standards, but he's not a snooty foodie. If you want to see snooty foodies, watch Todd English, Ming Tsai and Joe Bastianich!

Edited by Milz, May 25, 2007 @ 12:20 PM.

[InnerCanuck]

I think it's mostly a show. One of the reasons I came back to HK after watching the first episode was the fact that I laughed so hard at how OTT GR was. Couldn't believe that it wasn't a put-on.

Now I've read his memoir, I have a different perspective on him. Plus, his dessert book is simply amazing. He had me at dessert. ;)

[Bard Sinister]

Me: Am I surprised that he has employed no women on the kitchen staff for his new restaurant? Not really.

Can I ask why?

Bringing this over from the old thread.

It's not because I think GRrrr is sexist. He seems like an equal opportunity asshole to me, although I have never seen him hit a woman or throw something at one (he's done both to men on screen; the worst I recall with women was dropping a plate on the ground when they were standing around). It's more because on GRrrr's UK shows, he has been lamenting the lack of competent female chefs. He started a "find me a Fanny" contest, which I thought was quite profane (in UK slang terms), until I realized he intended to create a double entendre with the name of a well-known (but not to me) female chef.

Gordon is much kinder to the amateur chefs and celebrities that appear on The F Word than he is with the Hell's Kitchen candidates. (I loved the segment Gordon filmed with David Walliams.) He's also rather darling with his children, and has a foozball table in the kitchen where he films his cooking videos.

Edited by Bard Sinister, May 25, 2007 @ 5:20 PM.

[nimoway]

I seem to remember seeing on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (where he was a dick, but with nice moments) that he recruited two of the chefs (one of which was a woman) from a restaurant which was quickly going down the crapper to his restaurant, so like Bard Sinister I think he's an equal opportunity arsehole.

[slyest romantic]

I think he's a true dick in the kitchen, but huggable outside of it. As others have said, I wouldn't want to work for him, but I'd love to sit down and have a pint with him. No, wait, I'd LOVE to work for him, but without all the yelling and belittling. I'd love to learn from him, but not sure I wouldn't get my tears into the food.

I had a chance to meet him last October at a book signing in London; the only problem being, my flight back to Canada was at 3pm, and his signing was at Piccadilly at noon. It takes about 20 minutes to get from Piccadilly to Victoria, then 30 minutes from Victoria by train to Gatwick. You're supposed to check in 2 hours before the flight. Well, it was a no-brainer, really. I took a chance, stood in line at Waterstone's to get the book signed (not me in the pic), and got to my departure gate at 2:55pm. Boy, there were a lot of irritated folks at the desk. Meanwhile, I couldn't sandblast the smile off my face.

In return for his autograph, I gave him this cartoon I drew. He laughed and said, "That's fucking going up in my kitchen!" Then he gave me a hug, kissed me on both cheeks and said, "Have a safe flight, my darling." (Okay, so he called every single woman, "My darling". Let me have my moment, yeah?) I was totally smitten.

kikidee, it was Aubergine where Gordon stole the reservation book. He admitted it, for the first time, in 10-page The New Yorker article.

Non-stiiiIIIIIiiiCKKKK!! Still my favourite moment of last season. Well, that and his parting line of, "Fuck you all," complete with laugh.

[keckler]

Oh my god -- I love that cartoon! It's awesome!

And I'm officially jealous that you got to meet him and be smooched by him.

Edited by keckler, May 26, 2007 @ 12:31 PM.

[Mandy P]

I think he's a True Dick. But, it doesn't affect my adoration. Plus, he's hot. Weird chin and all.

[InnerCanuck]

The cartoon is wonderful! If GR is smart, he'll use it in a future book, maybe a behind-the-scenes on the US Hell's Kitchen.

His memoir is no great piece of literature, but it is fascinating to read & get more of an idea of what drives him. I liked him much more after reading it.

[Keupi]

True dick but completely huggable because he knows it. He shows entitlement via profession and he's earned it but he also realizes that he's no less entitled as a person by his profession. Though I wouldn't want to work for him I would eat in any of his restaurants. At the same time, I'd love to meet him and learn a few things about cooking. I plan to be thoroughly entertained with donkey expletives and bleepings this summer because the result of this show is secondary to GR himself.

There just seems to be a certain sense of infalliability regarding GR that he himself recognizes he is as a human being yet he will not abide by anything less than the highest quality served in a restaurant. Call me naive but HK is one show where I could care less about the contestants themselves going in and just look forward to watching the whims, rampages, and actions of Ramsay.

[oddcouple1]

Just my little story... Mr. OC is a chef, and he lives and breathes for Ramsay and Bourdain. He idolizes them both, bordering on stalker-obsession-creepiness at times. That being said, we were on vacation in London and we visited GR's Boxwood Cafe for a $200 absolutely phenomenal lunch. I mentioned that Mr. OC was a chef, and we were given a tour of the kitchen, which he really got a kick out of. The chef at Boxwood (sorry, I can't remember his name) was wonderful, and very friendly, said how much he enjoyed working for GR, and that is the place he brings his children to eat bc it is the "most casual" of the GR restos in London. Be sure to read his new autobiography- very interesting- about his prior life as a pro-football player and his coming up through the rank and file of the business. I wouldn't be surprised if we picked up and moved to UK someday so Mr. OC could work for GR.

[Flamm]

GR was in Monaco this weekend. SpeedTv interviewed him for about 20 seconds in the pit area of the Monaco F1, along with some other celebs. He had some young thing trailing after him. He was asked if the food was 3 star in all the F1 motorhomes. He said of course, since it was Monaco. I don't know if he's a formula one fan or was just hanging out with the beautiful people.

[Suburbia]

That cartoon is brilliant.


Once I started watching RKN, I was talking to my roommate and said "I think I want this man to have my children. But I don't know why."

"Because he has an accent, and swears as much as you do?"

"...yeah. Yeah, I think that's it."

Call me naive but HK is one show where I could care less about the contestants themselves going in and just look forward to watching the whims, rampages, and actions of Ramsay.

It isn't just you. Of course, I'm a food nerd, and just seeing some of the stuff they make is awesome. (Or.. awesomely bad, in some cases.)

[Mr Basset]

He had some young thing trailing after him.

That young thing looked like his wife.

[Flamm]

Thanks, Mr. Basset. For various reasons I've never seen Hell's Kitchen and have only read about GR. I'm looking forward to watching it this year, especially since Keckler is recapping it. I never thought of him as married, though I don't know why. I just looked up some info about him. He and his wife have four children and I have to say his wife looks amazing. From the quick glimpse I got of her, she looked about 20. Good for her.

[dahlia]

I believe he is a True Dick. Unfortunately he is also the hotness. I have watched his shows on BBC America and he is completely unbearable. Yes, I would totally hit that.

[jekalNY]

I watched him on HSN touting his cookware not too long ago and I got bored with the rehashing of the same thing over and over but stayed tuned in no matter. I guess the live calls were enjoyable and he handled himself quite well as each female caller telephonically drooled over him.