Posted by The Press Democrat, CA on September 25, 2009 at 12:21:11:
September 25th, 2009
‘Top Chef’: Everyone hates Robin
by TV
Shhhhhhhh. Now go away.
Ever work with someone so annoying that every little thing they do, no matter how minor, just grates on you and makes you dislike them even more? That’s kinda what’s going on in the “Top Chef” house. The crowd has turned on Robin, and it’s getting ugly.
In Wednesday’s episode, the remaining cheftestants made no bones about being fed up with Robin’s continued existence on the show. And even though it was kinda mean-spirited and cliquish, I totally understood where they were coming from.
Is she the least talented chef there? Yeah, probably. Should she have gone home last week? Yeah, probably. But I think her fellow cheftestants resent her more for being a constantly annoying presence than for outlasting some (arguably) better chefs.
Everyone’s stuck together, 24/7, and individual annoyances become magnified in a situation like that. And hoooo boy, can Robin get on your nerves.
She chatters constantly — babbles, really — to the point of distraction, and I can see how that would drive people nuts, especially in a high-stakes competition where concentration is key. She seems self-absorbed (asking for Laurine’s help at precisely the wrong moment) and socially clueless (asking for a Mattin memorial kerchief, then tucking it almost completely out of sight into a sleeve pocket) and has displayed very little cooking acumen. When she shockingly won the Quickfire for a simple salad and apple crisp, guaranteeing she’d stick around even longer, it pushed some of her housemates over the edge of civility. I noticed Mike V., standing right behind her, didn’t even applaud when her victory was announced. Ouch.
Robin’s noticed the cold front — it’d be hard not to — but her assessment of the situation only shows how rambling and oblivious she can be.
The surprising thing is that it’s not just the immature morons (Mike I. and Eli) who are talking behind her back. When even the ever-professional Jen and mild-mannered Kevin are complaining about you, it might be time for a little self-evaluation.
Did Eli go a little too far in snarking that she used her cancer story to butter up the judges and win the Quickfire? (For a guy who talks so much smack, he sure hasn’t shown much in the kitchen.) It came off sounding whiney and petty, but I’m not sure there wasn’t a bit of truth in it. Like Ron and his refugee story, she has seemed to use her survival story to her advantage. On the other hand, this is a reality show and a competition, so why shouldn’t competitors take advantage of their backgrounds? (Though I’m growing tired of Ashley reminding everyone that her family was too poor to buy meat when growing up.)
This will all settle down soon enough. The chaff are being weeded out slowly but surely, and Robin’s time will come sooner rather than later. Let’s just hope they can all restrain themselves from bludgeoning her with a sock full of avocados before then.
Oh geez, frightening thought — Robin couldn’t pull a Sourpuss Lisa and last till the end, could she? Nahhhhhh, not in this field. If she does, I’ll fight Eli to lead the hate parade.
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