I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of information from the internet. Whether it’s news, blogs, videos or just plain ol’ websites, the web is now an important part of my life.
One of the ways I consume this info is by watching videos on YouTube. Recently, I watched “Cake Wars” which is a show on the Food Network about four amateur (and one pro) bakers who compete against each other to create the most delicious cakes. It’s sorta like “The Amazing Race” meets “The Bachelor.”
The bakers are judged by a panel of “celebrity” judges like Rachael Ray, Bobby Deen and Ina Garten. After each round, the bakers with the worst cakes are eliminated and the remaining three bakers go on to the next round. This process continues until two bakers remain who have created the most amazing cakes. These two bakers then create a “masterpiece cake” for the winner to sell for profit. The winner gets all the money and the “amateur” bakers get nothing.
I love this show! It reminds me how creative people can be when given free reign. And it’s inspiring to watch these bakers work so hard to create edible masterpieces. It reminds me that every time I get a little stuck trying to create something edible, there are people out there who will create it for me if I just give them enough info. (It also reminds me of my days as a copywriter when I got a similar thrill by creating brilliant ads for my clients.)
But there’s a problem with “Cake Wars”: None of the cakes are really good. They’re all average at best. The cakes look nice, but they don’t taste good. In fact, most of the cakes don’t even look or taste like cakes at all. They look more like brownies or maybe even dirt cake. It makes me wonder what the judges are eating when they are deciding who wins each round. (Probably something non-edible like ice cream or chocolate chip cookies.)
This show is not unique in having subpar cakes. Many “reality” shows have contestants who are not equipped to handle the pressure of competing against other people. This is especially true of amateur shows like this where the competitors are given free reign to create whatever they wish. And it’s not just reality shows that have this problem. Look at any cooking show where the contestants are given complete freedom to create whatever they cook. You know what I call this? It’s “Cake Wars” by another name.
What this means is, often, the amateur bakers don’t even have a chance to win. They don’t have a fighting chance because they don’t have enough info or skill to overcome the competition.
And here’s another thing: The show gives no real info on how to improve your baking skills. It doesn’t tell the viewers where to get tips or how to practice. In fact, the only instruction the viewers get is when the contestants are told to add more ingredients or adjust the oven temperature.
If you watch just one more video on my channel, I’ll explain exactly why this show is so dangerous to amateur bakers and how it can be used to create amazing success for the viewers.
