If you've ever watched Hell’s Kitchen, the format's immediately familiar: There's timed challenges, chaotic dinner services, and Gordon Ramsay pushing contestants to their limits. The show frames itself as a test of talent and resilience, promising that hard work and skill will eventually pay off. Yet when viewed through the lens of Frankfurt School theory, it raises interesting questions about the kinds of success and individuality that popular culture tends to reward.
Adorno and Horkheimer’s concept of the culture industry helps explain why the show feels both intense and repetitive. Each season follows a similar structure, and contestants move through the competition in predictable ways. While the show emphasizes personal backstories and distinct personalities, advancement often seems tied to how well chefs adapt to Ramsay’s expectations. Rather than clearly celebrating creativity or obedience, the show sits somewhere in between, inviting viewers to decide what kind of individuality actually counts.
The show also turns cooking into nonstop labor. Contestants rarely experience joy or creativity in the kitchen. Instead, they rush, sweat, and absorb constant criticism. The pressure never lets up! From a Frankfurt School perspective, this matters because it shows how leisure television continues to train viewers to accept work, discipline, and hierarchy as normal - Even relaxation comes packaged as stress.
The portrayal of labor is also worth noting. Cooking in Hell’s Kitchen rarely looks joyful or expressive. Instead, it appears rushed, exhausting, and constantly evaluated. From a Frankfurt School perspective, this matters because it blurs the line between work and entertainment. Watching the show may feel like leisure, but it also normalizes stress, surveillance, and hierarchy as necessary parts of success. Still, whether viewers interpret this as motivation, realism, or excess is far from settled.
Fiske’s idea of popular discrimination shows that differences in interpretation are deliberate. Viewers select their level of engagement - some find competition meaningful and emotional, while others see the show as background or spectacle. Meaning is shaped by viewing patterns and discussion, not just the text.
Rather than offering a single message, Hell’s Kitchen opens up space to think about how discipline, creativity, and entertainment intersect in popular culture. That ambiguity may be exactly what keeps audiences coming back.
What do you think cooking competition shows are ultimately emphasizing: culinary skill, personal transformation, entertainment, or something else? Why?
Hi Kristyn,
ReplyDeleteI love how you highlighted the never-ending stress and chaos that are presented as a form of motivation in today's pop culture. I think it is very interesting to consider just how popular shows like this are. Not only Hell's Kitchen but also Master Chef and a dozen others just like it. A large number of viewers crave the need to perform and the anticipation that comes from shows like this. I think there is something that feels natural and entertaining from this; perhaps in a world full of chaos and rushing, this overflows into TV shows that become relatable, not in the cooking sense, but in the tempo of the shows. Thinking about The Great British Baking Show, which is another popular cooking show, but instead of a tense scene, it is depicted as calm, peaceful, creative, and fun. There is a big difference in atmosphere. It's interesting to consider how this is based in Britain and the stark difference found in this compared to a Gordon Ramsey cooking show, which could be because of cultural differences. Great post overall!
Thanks, Lindsey! You brought up a good point - not all cooking/baking competitions are like this. I watch TGBBS too (I'm a Food Network nerd haha, which is why I picked this topic), and it definitely has more of an upbeat and friendly feel. I think Ramsey's approach in his shows is simply part of his overall personal brand.
DeleteThis is great, Kristyn. I think you're spot on that Hell's Kitchen sends a message normally the stressful (and I would say abusive) behaviors in the workplace. This is the kind of stuff we should be paying attention to. We know that even a small awareness of what ideologies may be present in our popular culture, the more likely we are to be able to resist such messages. It's fine to watch it, of course, but we should be able to say to ourself, "This is entertaining, but it's not reality" (which is pretty ironic considering we've defined it as "reality TV."
ReplyDeleteYes, ironic indeed. They're definitely entertaining though, which is why I watch them so much!
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