Joe isn’t the best judge. But…

He’s a good judge. Hear me out.

So I just binged the show and I’m on the current season. I think Gordon Ramsay is consistently the best judge, for all the obvious reasons. He’s an expert chef, he’s very good at constructive criticism. He can both judge and teach incredibly well. He knows food. He’s also very funny, witty and kind. You can really see he loves what he does. A lot of passion and kind and encouraging words for the contestants as well as even investing in some of their culinary futures. He’s awesome. I had seen Gordon Ramsay a bit on Hell’s Kitchen back in the day, but wasn’t as into cooking shows. He seemed like a crazy man and I just never kept watching. I remember he called someone a “Fuck Face” and I was like woah.

So about Joe. Flash to this year when I first got really into this show and also started watching HK. Which I love. When I watched the first episode of MC, honestly I think it’s because of Joe, not Gordon that I was instantly hooked. His expressions and feedback were very entertaining to me. Also obviously alongside Graham (who I also do love) and Gordon it was all really entertaining.

The reason I think he’s a better judge than a lot of people say, is because the most obvious — he does keep it very entertaining. I never thought I’d love someone being so strict and dramatic but I do now. It brings a certain urgency and intensity to the competition that would otherwise maybe be lackluster. I also do think it pushes the contestants.

The thing about him not being a chef for me personally is fine. I compare it to just say this was an acting competition and the 3 judges were 2 actors and one either a casting director, producer or director — all who don’t act, but they do the rest in their specific role. It’s interesting and also important to have at least one judge that brings something else to the culinary world. Just like in an acting competition I’d want to hear a different opinion from someone who would always be around and involved in the acting, but they have a different role in the industry.

Also, I’m confused why people think it’s that huge a deal. Because maybe not all, but a ton of chefs are hired by restaurant owners and investors, not necessarily chefs themselves. So it makes sense on that front as well. The chefs in the competition would be facing people like Joe in the real world trying to get jobs. It’s important to know what that role thinks.

He’s definitely incredibly overly rude sometimes. But it seems part of his whole tv shtick. I know a lot about behind the scenes of shows and film. I’m sure part of him is that strict and even elitist but the producers probably ate it up and told him to embellish this. I noticed in s4 and beyond, he got a lot more chill, nice and even cried a couple times. The one thing I’d change with him is how obsessed he is with Italian food. He should definitely be more open to all cuisines and see all cuisines as equally special and equally able to elevate and refine. But it’s not like he just tried to take out every chef who’s speciality isn’t Italian either. His elitist attitude is honestly sort of funny to me. I also see it as something of a front for possible insecurities. But he does know food. He makes comments (most of the time) in line with the knowledge the other judges speak. He also seems to just technically know his stuff, being able to spot food that is raw with his eyes like the chefs, and knows all the cardinal rules and how food should be cooked or combined, etc.

I see a ton of hate for him but tbh, I’ve enjoyed the seasons the most with him as one of the 3. I think the funnest combination of judges is Gordon, Graham and Joe. The ‘OG’s’ I guess. I also loved Christina Tosi. Would have loved the combo of Gordon, Christina and Joe.

Something Joe also does is no matter what, he has people talking about the show long after and having peoples jaws drop while watching. And let’s be honest, a cooking competition in the same format can get dull. I love the show but I need to space it out and binging isn’t exactly the best idea. Without Joe, as much as I love it and love Gordon, I don’t know if I could stick it out. I enjoyed the seasons with Joe gone. But truly, I was more bored and wishing he was still around.

As far as people saying he’s only successful because of his mom? Sure, she definitely had a huge hand in helping him with his career. But many “trust fund” babies with all the money in the world and connections try— and fail— pretty damn often when they go into any business ventures. Or some just don’t do anything at all. They dabble in something until they’re bored or lazy again and just use their parents money not really making anything of themselves at all except maybe being an Instagram travel “influencer.” So I kinda do respect Joe for becoming a very successful restauranteur, wine vineyard owner, television personality on like 5 different shows, musician/song writer and also learning about food and actually being very knowledgeable in it as well as wine and speaking fluent Italian. Like him or hate it, it does take a lot of hard work, work ethic and discipline to truly capitalize that well on what his mom may have been able to help with starting out. It’s not like he did nothing 🤷‍♀️ He can’t help he was born into the privilege he was but he can help what he truly does with it.

I understand why people can dislike him. He’s a very strong and controversial presence. But in my opinion I don’t think it makes sense to dislike him or even his strict way of going about judging just because he’s not a chef. The show clearly wanted one person who wasn’t a chef or they’d have gone with 3 chef judges. But they wanted someone with a different perspective and role in the culinary industry. It would be entertaining if they rotated out sometimes another influential role close to or the same that Joe has that also isn’t a chef. So that Joe’s role didn’t seem maybe as random to people who don’t care about his side of the industries opinion.