Harmony Approved · 10:12am Jun 20th, 2014
art by Mistermech
As a general rule, and for reasons that will be obvious, I don’t like reality television. However, I have become surprisingly addicted to the occasional cooking competition (something that probably counts as ironic considering my notorious inability to cook). There’s just something about watching the creative process and tackling of adversity in a cooking show, not to mention the results that I so wish I could taste, that appeals to me. Now I’m sure you are all asking: why in the world am I talking about this here?
Bear with me.
Not long ago, we saw the finale of the first season of Masterchef Junior – a cooking competition that managed to do everything right. It had all of the best qualities of a star cooking competition while managing to avoid all the worst qualities of such shows and reality television in general. Here are some examples:
One of the high points of cooking competitions is the challenges – tough, creative and exacting – which push the cooks to think outside the box or work outside their comfort zone while creating beautiful, upscale food (that is not only better than anything I could ever hope to cook, but is probably better than anything I’ll have the opportunity to eat). On that score, Masterchef Junior delivered. Despite the contestants being between the ages of 8 and 13, they were called on to perform in challenges worthy of shows with adult and experienced cooks. The standards of quality to which their food was held to were the same as similar adult cooking competitions. It was actually quite astounding.
At the same time, the standards of behavior that the judges were held to were higher than you would see on a normal cooking show. In a normal, adult cooking competition, judges are encouraged to be acerbic and brutal when possible because that gets ratings. Criticisms are often exaggerated and cruel, designed for laughs and audience pandering rather than actually trying to be accurate or helpful. The hyperbolic nature of such criticism makes it, at best, useless for the contestants, if not downright damaging. (It’s not even useful to the viewers! If a judge says a plate of foie gras and apple lattices tastes “like a unwashed sock that’s been in the gutter for three weeks”, that leaves us with no idea what it actually tastes because we know it doesn’t actually taste like that.) Gordon Ramsey is a particularly well-know example, his angry-man persona is overinflated for ratings in Hell’s Kitchen, a show tied to multiple suicides.
But here, we see Gordon Ramsey at is best (and probably at his most comfortable), actually acting as a teacher as well as a judge. Here, the judges are honest but kind. They do not sugar-coat, but nor will they act like bullies. If a child contestant’s food is too salty to be edible, he will be told “that’s too salty to eat” – but you won’t hear them quip, “Eating your food is like having the Great Salt Plains stuffed forcibly into my mouth.” On Masterchef Junior, criticism is as it should be. Insightful, honest, accurate and helpful.
Likewise, while the children are held to an adult standard of fare, they are not treated as adult contestants in other, critical ways. In a standard reality television show, the participants live in a fishbowl. They are isolated from their friends and loved ones and placed under high stress without their support structures. They are shoved together in a living space with their rivals while under constant surveillance, and generally prohibited from engaging in common stress-relieving activities such as watching television or listening to music (it would interfere with sound recording) or even taking a walk to get some fresh air (they can’t go anyplace that cameras have not been per-arranged to film). The one stress reliever that they can be provided is alcohol. The affects of this over multiple weeks on the participant’s state of mind, personal interactions and possibly even their creativity and professional capabilities is not hard to imagine. And it helps give reality television one of the things it normally thrives on: drama!
Here, none of that seems to be the case. Support structures remain off-camera but intact. There are no signs of isolation and communal living under a microscope -- comments from the children suggest they go home with their parents each day.
Robin Ashbrook, executive producer and showrunner for Masterchef and Masterchef Junior:
There was always a chaperone and it was almost always a parent. They were at all times able to see what was going on in the kitchen. All of the parents actually sat together and watched what happened. They really bonded. It certainly wasn’t a “Dance Moms” atmosphere.
The result is a competition where the focus is entirely on the food and the contestants cooking skills, because there isn’t any of the ugly or annoying drama that can clog an adult cooking competition. As an extra step, the producers made the decision to eliminate two children in each elimination challenge. Until the one-against-one finale, no child was singled out as the “loser” in a challenge.
Farther separating the show from adult fare was a sense of whimsy. For example: whipping egg whites or cream into “stiff peaks” sufficient to not fall from an overturned bowl is the sort of challenge you could expect from any cooking show – but only here would the contestants have to turn over their bowls above the heads of the judges. The show elevated itself with inspired moments of amusement – always good-natured and never at the expense of the contestants.
As an interesting note, as well as holding the children to the cooking standards of an adult competition, the show offered a reward worthy of an adult competition. However (something I learned in researching the show after I started watching it), the children came onto the competition without any idea that there would be a $100,000 cash prize as well as the pretty trophy.
Robin Ashbrook:
None of these kids came knowing there was a prize. When we were out looking for these kids we didn't say, “Hey, you could win this.” It was like, “This sounds fun."
In short, this was reality television that managed to be honest and kind, two virtues that are generally lacking in such fare. And while not the show’s focus, it also managed laughter at its most virtuous. Not to mention a nice touch of generosity.
If the kids managed to bond, as it has been suggested their parents did, then perhaps the show even managed help forge friendship too. But success or failure in that arena is a product of the children (and parents) involved, not the show itself.
For most readers of this blog, I’m sure cooking competitions are not really your thing. However, for a majority of you, I’m willing to bet that virtue is. It is so good, and so refreshing, to find entertainment that holds itself to a standard that we, as brony viewers, can be proud to enjoy. We all have our guilty pleasures, but let’s take some time to champion the uplifting ones!
I’ve given mine. Now I want to hear from you. What entertainment gets your Elements of Harmony Stamp of Approval?
(PS: I cannot think of a way the show might have touched on loyalty… but I don’t think Rainbow Dash would feel too left out considering the speed at which these kids came up with and pulled off culinary masterworks worthy of fine dining.)
art by ColgateFIM
...and now I'm hungry.
I've worked in cafes and kitchens before, and I sympathise with these kids; maintaining standards in a high-pressure environment isn't easy, especially when you're doing 500+ covers from a tiny-arse kitchen.
The post really hit home for me; Hospitality is my chosen profession because I love the way peoples faces light up when they eat something I've put time and effort into, to cook. There's a lot of qualities you need in a kitchen environment, the majority of which Kkat covered.
So, thank you sir/ma'am, once again you've managed to brighten up my day with your eloquently worded, and uplifting posts
These days I avoid TV altogether. Down in Australia it is nothing but sport (which I don't like), re-runs, and reality shows. I can't stand the latter, pretty much because of the faults you pointed out. Added to that, commercial TV out here is just that: commercials with a bit of show thrown in to keep you watching. That doesn't make it good for spotting virtues, does it? Silence, however, is golden!
Heard My Little Pony is supposed to pretty good for it, the reboot (started airing in 2010 I believe) not the one from the 80's.
I know it sounds like a little girls show but trust me it's not as bad as you might think.
Eleanor and Park (forget the author's name at this point in time) is easily one of the best books I've ever read, and what every romance on the site wants to be. (including mine...)
Yeah the only TV show's I pay any attention to are MLP, and Doctor Who. The rest... bleh. It's all overly draamtic, dark, drek. All set in the same dreary 'real' world. Never did care for anything that wasn't Sci0fi/Fantasy.. And no I do not like Game of Thrones. The drama in that out weighs the fantasy. And just to dark, painful, and the Kill 'em all attitude. Just everything sucks (in verse), and the few things that don't... are just there to end up being turned around and made to go wrong later. You like it, fine, but not for me.
I miss Star Trek (The good, pre B&B Trek and definitely not the mindless action romp Abrams turned it into.) Firefly... (DAMN YOU FOX!!!) Stuff like that. Just, nothing appealing to me at all on TV anymore except those two shows.
Mine would be an anime called Yu Yu Hakusho. It shows a great deal of Loyalty because the protagonist is constantly fighting for those he cares about even to the point of resorting to using his Life Energy to defeat a villain. It shows laughter because there are many funny moments throughout the show and one of the characters is quite humourous. It shows magic because it has many different types of energy. It shows kindness because of all the supporting cast coming together to back the protagonist to the point where he realises what he's truly fighting for.
(Ignore the part where the guy says that it isn't Sacred Energy, that was an error in the dubbing process.)
Oh Luna, now you made me hungry. Since I don't watch any TV at all anymore, I can't give you a TV show that does that for me. (Apart from Doctor Who as Seraphem already pointed out.)
But if I think about it, I bet I can think of various games that do that for me, especially role playing games.
Not surprised Gordon Ramsey pulled this one off. Though he came up in (TV-camera-less) kitchens that were even more abusive than anything you see on Hell's Kitchen, he has the capacity for something like this, and I don't think they had to twist his arm to get him to do it.
I bought the Ultima 4,5,6 collection on GoG a few days ago, and have been replaying IV for the first time since childhood (the collection is $3 right now, and IV alone is a free download. I'm going to copy from Wikipedia:
The point of the game is to become the Avatar, by embracing the eight virtues and leading a virtuous life. There is no big bad, there are no evil cults. Those come later, in later games in the series (and some really strong consequences for the character due to their actions in this game), but Ultima IV is really just a game about character development. It's older than most people reading this (came out in 1985), and hasn't really aged all that well, but anyone who's a hardcore fan of CRPGs (such as anyone who's played the original Fallouts...) will find an amazing and utterly unique experience.
One of my favorite shows on this earth is My Name is Earl. I was watching it quite a bit before my days in MLP. Boiled down to simplicity, it is about a trailer park crook looking to undo all the wrong he has done to the people of Camdon county.
There are some interesting parallels that one can draw between Earl and Friendship is magic. The first and most obvious one is almost every episode having a moral. Now, let me get this straight, this is a PG-13 TV show that is geared toward young and middle aged adults (you can tell by its soundtrack of 80' rocks songs). I watch a lot of TV, and never before in my life have I seen a live action television show have characters that learn morals that the writers don't beat you over the head with at the end.
These morals are really relevant in today's society, and there are a lot of people in the world that need to learn from this show. The morals are simple, like one episode was about how people who are different in some ways aren't inhuman, shown through Earl meeting a small town full of carnival "freaks" and making up some of the bad things he's done to them. In the end, he encourages them to stop living in seclusion and to go out and fulfill their dreams. That, I can attribute to Kindness.
It sadly was canceled after four seasons. Probably one of the funniest and most heartwarming shows to ever have graced the small screen died because it only had a few million viewers. Thanks, all you television tycoons out there.
Even if it will end up staying incomplete forever, I do recommend it to anyone who is fan of MLP (Read: everyone on this site).
2221215 Seconded. My Name is Earl was a real surprise for how good it was - you don't often see comedy programming that actually has strong morals and very little cynicism.
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I'm a big anime fan, just like I'm a big MLP fan, and when I watch anime, I enjoy finding common grounds between the shows. These six characters in particular, I find are well suited as Elements of Harmony virtues.
The only reason that Ichigo fights is to protect his friends. Whenever his friends are in danger, he is always there to risk his life, (Rukia) and break the rules (Orihime) if it means keeping them safe. He always gives it his all when fighting, and when his friends are threatened or put in danger, he is able to summon up incredible power to protect them. If it means protecting his friends, he is willing to do anything.
Haruhi is always doing stuff to just have fun. While she often causes trouble for others because of her schemes, this is only because she is oblivious to how other people react to how she does things, (Like a certain pink pony we all know) while she just wants to have fun. Despite her abrasive attitude and how she can sometimes treat those close to her roughly for her own benefit, she cares deeply for all of her friends, and will always be there for them.
You're probably thinking that Edward Elric would be the last person you'd think of for kindness, but think about it: Have you ever seen anyone else who is so resigned not to kill? (At least in the manga and Brotherhood anime). He is always there for his friends and family, and yes he does resort to violence, but that is only after he at least tries to talk it out and he knows that it won't work any other way. He tries his best to find a peaceful solution, and even when he has to resort to violence, he NEVER goes so far as killing anyone, even when his life is in danger, even if his enemy is only the slightest bit a real person, or even when they ask him to kill them, or even if they're the most evil person imaginable, who doesn't regret a single thing they did. Gee, kind of reminds you of Velvet Remedy, huh?
During the Kira investigation, L is almost brutally honest to Light and all of the task force members with how he suspects that Light is Kira. L truly believes that Light is Kira, and he doesn't try to hide it at all, and uses it to his advantage. In addition to lying and withholding the truth to protect his identity, he also knows when it's necessary to lie in order to save lives or progress his plans to where he can catch Kira. To paraphrase Homage, "Being honest is knowing when not to tell the truth."
Anyone familiar with anime would know that Goku is basically kindness incarnate with how merciful he is. However, I don't think that he would be fit as the Element of Kindness, since he not only enjoys fighting, but is always training to be ready for it and always goes for that option immediately. Now, consider how he deals with all of the enemies that he's faced. When Frieza lies dying on Planet Namek, Goku gives him enough energy to survive the blast. When Cell is about to fight Gohan after fighting him, he gives him a senzu bean to restore his strength so that he can fight him fairly at full strength. After Majin Buu is killed, he wishes his spirit back to life to give him a second chance as a better person. Think about it; he gives his enemies the gift of life. What could be more generous than that?
There is an entire genre of anime dedicated to magic girls, but Sakura stands out. When faced with a difficult challenge, she faces it together with her friends. She has an amazing ability to make friends with anyone, even if they were enemies, or that person outright despises them. She is also innately talented with magic, picks it up very easily at the beginning, and becomes incredibly powerful with a wide variety very quickly.
I never enjoyed reality shows because of the sheer amount of corniness that comes spewing out of the screen. Like you said, they sort of force this, or it's scripted. You hate someone on the show either because they force them to act that way or they have it all planned out. (Ratings! Muawhahahaha!)
While I stopped watching Doctor Who (for too many reasons to count) and MLP (my story is the only thing I have left to finish) I watch a whole plethora do TV. I think TV is one of the best outlets for story telling. You are given time to flesh things out as opposed to say: a movie. If the episode you just watched didn't cover something the next one might. If you want time to get to like a character -- the show gives you that time to become engaged.
As a fan of animation I usually prefer it over most real-life shows. Though I follow quite a bit of them. Shows like Game of Thrones, Vikings, Heroes (currently not airing but they're going to reboot it), and Mythbusters. Though, when a decent anime comes out I'll watch it eagerly, this is of course, until there's an English version out.
That aside, I liked the blog Kkat! I curious to see what you post next!
What? A reality show that isn't fixed and isn't forcing unlike people together to create the all powerful drama? Blasphemy!
In all seriousness, it is good to see something like this were there is a light-hearted feel, because, in general, reality shows are what is keeping me from liking television any more. That and Netflix, and video games, and ponies, and...
Rush and Pony on!
T4E
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freaking clone bias.
My Elements of Harmony Stamp of Approval?
That's a tough one. I don't really watch a whole lot of TV, because of financial reasons (#ICanBarelyAffordInternet) and when I do watch it it tends to be wither horrible, a movie, or some clichéd good show that everyone enjoys.
Can movies count? Because the only thing I can think of at 9 AM is The Lord of the Ring trilogy, which...is not my first choice in the matter, given how much goes against the six virtues, but hey.
Personally, I feel that The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss gets The EoH approval. Here's why:
Cute, quirky style that keeps with Seuss visions. (PINKIE APPROVED.)
Most of the characters are kind and true (FLUTTERS APPROVED.)
The characters are usually honest about they're problems. (AJ APPROVED.)
The show teaches lessons all kids should know. (TWI-PROVED.)
The show's sets and puppets are well made. (RARITY APPROVED.)
It has a fast-paced style. (RD APPROVED.)
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I can't actually think of how the Elements of Harmony would fit into it (or, rather, I can't be bothered to figure it out) but Mythbusters is a purely wholesome show that does nothing but add goodness to the world, and has multiple times saved people's lives.
Iron Chef doesn't stand out particularly in the EoH way to me, though it does have honest, helpful criticism, lacks needless stressful drama, and seems respectful of the contestants and losers; and your post shoved it to the front of my mind.
However, I would still reccomend if if you enjoy a cooking show focused on the food, not the drama.
Basically, the show has some resident master chefs called "Iron Chefs" who compete against a contestant chef in a cooking challenge, both with their helpers.
What makes it interesting is the ingrediants- since each challenge has some secret ingrediant chosen that the chefs must incorporate into their dishes.
The result is an intense one-hour cooking competition over which an appetizer, main course, and desert will be prepared and judged by a changing panel of three.
The often surprising creativity in using the ingrediants, and seeing the chefs' different takes on them, really makes it interesting to me.
As far as the judges go, sometimes one seems a bit picky/ overly critical, but the few times I've seen that they have been outnumbered by the other two.
(And even the harshest criticisms are of the informative, non-hyperbolic variety. Nothing in the same universe as Hell's Kitchen.)
Sorry, I just had to get that off my head.
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Oddly enough, I'd recommend the opening episode of the old show Darkwing Duck for a good example of virtue in television.
The main character and the show's namesake is commically egotistical- fighting crime with unreliable skill and gadgets to fill a self-image and gain recognition.
I won't spoil too much, but he initially shrugs off attempts by others to help him: but after a disastrous circumstance caused by his own arrogance he sees the error of his ways and bonds with those who tried to help him.
He then displays a new level of competance as he acts as a hero with true heroic motivations.
One could say it is a (cartoon and silly) tale of enlightenment from egotistical pride to humility and friendship...though as can be seen in the rest of the show, he didn't cure his ego entirely despite the spiritual growth.
hi hi
Its amazing how simple things that seem so basic, are so easily overlooked and taken for granted. I don't really watch TV, but this is a strong case for watching one show in particular.
When I watched Firefly for the first time, back in 2004, I remember being shocked at Wash and Zoey's portrayal. I had never seen a romantic couple on TV that didn't revolve around the drama of their disagreements, and I had seen a lot. Not to say that disagreements never happened, but that's not what they were about. They had Loyalty in spades.
I think the most obvious one for me is Trigun, a personal favorite of mine. (So no wonder it comes to mind readily) It certainly doesn't lack humor, laughter, and zany antics, which helps as a salve for the eventual dark themes it runs through. Themes that run to the heart of Loyalty. The protagonist's loyalty to his family, one of which is a monster, the other of which is a beacon of kindness. (A protagonist that in many ways embodies generosity, always putting the needs of others before his own, to the point of willingly accepting pain an humiliation in return.)
Its really hard to think of other shows that really promote friendship and harmony quite like Friendship is Magic.
The original Master Chef has a little bit of the drama of an adult cooking show, but pretty much otherwise runs on the same standards; the judges comment on what is good or bad with the food and not the strange metaphors for it. I've started to watch Master Chef more often than Hell's Kitchen because of the fact that Gordon Ramsay is actually giving constructive criticism of dishes and the focus is on the food not on the drama.
Well off the top of my head I guess I'll give Takeshi's Castle the Element of Laughter Seal.
It's an amazing series of obstacles that are very challenging, creative and such a trip cor contestants and viewers alike. Seems like anybody who wants to join is allowed and each epide there is basically a large mob of contestants simply trying to get through. Hardly anybody ever won but they sure try and the prize isn't even that large, just 1 million yen.
Even so you'd be hard pressed to find contestants smiling and laughing, the whole thing was just for fun and challenges.
I also remember the time when they had a kids special, I vaguely remember one scene of a "monster" helping out a kid who was having trouble with a certain challenge. But even if that wa the case I don't think the show merits an Element of Kindness Seal considering the things they do to some of their contestants, I'm looking at you rope bridge challenge and you too giant boulder challenge!
Reading rainbow. The one show that did everything right in my book. It went out of the way to showcase books and places, get kids to read, adults to sit and watch with the kids. Lamar burton was a perfect choice for the time, everyone knew him thanks to TNG.
Heck, TNG itself has so much going for it back then, it was a family affair, everyone could sit down, enjoy that, and just smile and laugh, even talk about it later.
Those would be my two, but, its honestly nice to see a reality show, that isnt a toxic atmosphere thats aimed at breaking people, no matter their age and demographic.
Interesting. This actually makes me want to see this show.
How about Frozen? Despite how hiding from her powers seemed like the less frightening option, Elsa found she was only making more problems for herself until she was honest with herself and others. Elsa only ever was seen in control of her powers when there was a smile on her face and laughter in her heart. Even when Elsa pushed her away, Anna was unfailingly loyal to her sister. Et cetera.
Really, most family movies fit the bill. You can get away with horrible morals when you're just marketing to adults, but if kids are going to see it too, you have to set a good example.
Man, Kkat makes even cooking shows sound awesome.
Well, I know for a fact that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood had practically the entire spectrum of virtues under one title.
My culinary arts teacher had us basically watch every cooking show out there (trust me, it was every cooking show) and I have to say that this one was my favorite (closely followed by Cutthroat Kitchen which is basically the opposite
). So I can totally agree with you on this.
Behold, your show Kkat: Worst Cooks in America
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I'm not sure why I found that to be funny.
I noticed a few of those things and you pointed out another few good ones Kkat! It was great to watch a show where people were given the encouragement and positive feedback for once instead of people crying/screaming or behaving in an unethical way like on a lot of "reality" TV shows.
Excluding war TV shows like Band Of Brothers and the like the only other TV show that I can think of with a majority of the Harmony Stamps was the Cartoon series Avatar: The last air bender. Not counting the new Kora season its sequel [I haven't re-watched it yet] the show had some really great high points and other serious notes. In a world that's quite literally being torn in two in more ways than just Fire army Vs Earth army and all those between there are many moments that show even one person can make a difference to others with the help of a few friends and the good will to keep going. However that's a very brief summary so I wont go into listing things just yet :)
You know... Just for kicks I was going to write a long winded comment trying to argue why Roosterteeth's Red vs. Blue exemplified the Elements of Harmony... but even though I'm good with debates that's a pretty far stretch
But I have a question for you Kkat. In Fallout Equestria this line is said multiple times:
How do you think that stands in regard to the season 4 Flim Flam episode? At least as I took it, that episode was saying that's it's better to always be honest, even if people are happier when you lie to them. Which seems to be completely in contrast to the quote from your story.
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Actually, I believe that line is said only once. As for understanding it, I recommend looking at it in relation to the nearly identical moral in the episode It's Not Easy Being Breezies.
In Leap of Faith, Applejack learned that perpetrating a lie that is harmful to others can lead to disastrous consequences. The lesson isn't "always be brutally honest" but rather "don't allow others to be endangered just because standing up for the truth is inconvenient". In It's Not Easy Being Breezies, Fluttershy learned that a rote adherence to performing acts that are superficially kind may have disastrous consequences, and that sometimes the path of true kindness requires that you not be an enabler. Both of theses episodes help show that, in the real world, virtues are complex, not cartoonishly simple.
It is far too easy to turn virtues like honesty or kindness into a vices, into something harmful with no redeeming qualities (or worse, turn them into weapons), if you practice them mindlessly, dogmatically, or towards wicked ends. Corrupted virtues.
A good person exercises virtues with wisdom, prudence and with goals that are noble, selfless and uplifting.
What an insightful blog. I'll have to check out the show. A shame that most people find "tame" and "friendly" reality shows to be rather boring, but that speaks to a sort of immediacy and instant gratification that our society has developed. I, of course, am not immune, as I am sure none of us are.
As for the entertainment that I like, I don't really watch reality TV shows all that much, because I think that they are all scripted and contrived, but that one at least seems good.
You gotta admit, though, Gordon Ramsay has a penchant for insults that few can master. His methods on adults are rather rough, but only because he expects them to know better at that point. Particularly on Kitchen Nighmares, those who claim to be running "fine restaurants," but are actually serving food in kitchens full of cockroaches and moldy food and keep customers waiting too long and have unpleasant waitstaff.
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2222990 Really? I could have sworn it was once when Homage said it, then Littlepip quoted her and said it again (internally). Then again I'm probably crazy I've been so busy lately
Aaanyways I totally agree! Most people talk smack about those episodes (and granted the Breezies were a bit ridiculous) but I think the breezy episode had one of the most mature and relevant lessons out of every episode thus far.
Heh. I literally returned to fimfic for the sole purpose of re-reading F:E and I see you talking about Masterchef junior, a great show and one of the only reality shows I've watched for a while.
Awesome stuff.
I'm not a fan of reality or cooking shows, but I think you've sold me on Masterchef Junior. I think I'll check it out.
2221297 I...I have no words. I have been left speechless at that comment. I haven't laughed as hard as I did then in a long time. Give this man a cookie!
2232076 Is it just me or does the guy on the right look like Loki?
2459071 Somehow I've got a feeling I'm not the only one.
2460718 Glad to know people think your funny.
Well Kkat... once again you've managed to make me invested enough in a situation to actually offer up a serious opinion and not be a curmudgeon...
Regarding the drama aspect... Eh, I think it also stems from acting like a drill sargeant without having a single idea how a drill sargeant behaves. In popular media, the drill sergeant is.. this and nothing else
its kind of the idea that putting a person through hell will prepare them for the worst of the job at hand. Now, keep in mind restaurant business is an unbelievably grueling business. So, in a way, Gordan did them a favor. But its not the most ideal method of instruction. Now dealing with kids is another beast entirely, and its good to see Ramsey able to key down his usual temper (and yes, he does have one. I've seen his other works, and not all of his stuff for the camera's) to actually speak to kids on on their levels. of course I haven't seen this show (I try to avoid reality tv like the plague, but I have seen Ramsey fixing up restaurants) but I think I can take your word on this.
As for shows that do not suffer the wrath of Captain Frowny Face (quick my young ward! To the pss in corn flakes mobile) it would have to be, and this is going to be cliche but you brought this on yourself, Steven Universe. i know, everyone bloody praises this for the most silly of reasons oh its so progressive and inclusive and blah blah usual arbitrary jargon so on and so forth ad noseum and all that jazz. Now, I can't say I agree with Sugars politics entirely, but this is perhaps on of the best shows for kids and adults I've seen, easily up there with MLP because yes, its progressive, but its a progressive I can enjoy because its actually part of the narrative and woven through the narrative, as opposed to say Captain Planet.
The characters are actual people with lives and feelings entirely their own, not merely place holders to spout of whatever mouth piece nonsense the writers feel should be imparted on the masses Seth Mcfarlane style. It deals with abandonment, loss, hell, for a change they actually have a positive male role model and a single father to boot. A bit of a goof, but a good hearted man.
Hell in this situation he proved the most mature
And there's another wonderful part of the show, Steven himself. He is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, child characters. Why? BECAUSE HE'S AN ACTUAL CHILD! Look here, same episode
Right there! That's actually what a lot of kids go through when adults fail to keep their own problems from them. They blame themselves. And he's not a perfect little angel either. One of my biggest beefs with the re make of Charlie Chocolate Factory was the kid was so.... sacrosanct and perfect and sweet, gag! But... he's a kid! Sweet, and kind, and occassionally obnoxious. Steven Universe is a show that treats its inclusiveness and using "Ethnic" people as just that... people. It doesn't beat down or marganalize, and that is what makes it great, and gets my seal of approval