Is it a Cooking Show.... or Something More? 🍳
Not gonna lie, I didn’t expect to get this into it, but here we are… I’ve been a little too excited about this lately so I figured I’d just talk about it here 🤭.
I have been watching Culinary Class Wars and to be honest, I did not expect to get that invested into it 😅. At first, I thought it was just another cooking competition with those intense challenges along with the dramatic judging and some talented contestants who are trying to prove themselves. Pretty standard huh?
But nooooo😭, after a few episodes, it started to feel like something more. It is not simply just about the food but it is about the people involved, their background, their struggles and how they can deal with the pressure.
The show features around 100 chefs with "underdog" chefs against top-tier chefs in a competitive culinary battle. This difference by itself does make it more intense but it's also more personal to watch.
More Than Just Food 🍽️
The interesting fact about Culinary Class Wars is the combination of cooking and storytelling. The contestants are not only judged based on technical skills, but also on the basis of creativity and even how they present themselves under pressure.
Somehow there is always that one contestant you naturally end up rooting for - usually the underdog 🥹 Then there's maybe one who somehow frustrates you for no clear reason 😭.
Before you even realise it, you begin to form some opinions, picking sides and get emotionally attached to their journey.
The funny thing is… this is not random.
Reality TV tends to be organised in a manner that gives emphasis on personal stories to create a stronger emotional attachment with the audience (Murray & Ouellette 2023).
As a matter of fact, one of the show's greatest strengths is the juxtaposition of various culinary identities ranging from street food to Michelin-star quality as it makes the competition feel like more than just cooking (Baek Byung-yeul, 2024).
And that is what keeps people watching.
From Watching to Participating 📱💬
What I find even more interesting is that the experience is not terminated when the episode finishes.
After watching it, I can awkwardly find myself scrolling through TikTok to see what other people are thinking and clearly, I am not the only one doing this 😭😭😭😭 .
People would analyse the judge decisions while supporting their favourite contestant and even make some edits, meme or reaction videos 🎬.
There are some viewers who also make predictions or even comment on the fairness of the competition. So.... at this point, the audience is no longer simply watching the show but they are actively participating in discussions and popularity around it.
This is what Jenkins and Jie (2024) refers to as participatory culture where the audience actively engages with the media rather than passively consuming it.
In Culinary Class Wars, the show continues through online discussion where the viewers extending the story beyond the screen 🌐.
Sometimes, the online reactions can be more intense than the actual show 🔥. Social media platforms quickly increase the emotional reactions that can turn entertainment into fandom wars, online conflict or even targeted criticism towards contestants.
Why Do We Care So Much? 🤔
One of the things that I continue to observe is that people have become so emotionally attached to contestants so fast. Although we are aware that reality TV is staged, it does not come across as fake.
Reality television is meant to push the boundaries between what is considered real and what is created, forming a sense of closeness between the audience and participants 📺 (Eichelberger, 2024).
Due to this, viewers also react in an emotional way, either by supporting, criticising and even defending the contestants as if they know them personally.
But at the same time, it is important to recognise that what we observe is well-developed. The editing, storytelling and production options have an impact on the way every contestant is portrayed.
A "villain" or "favourite" is not necessarily natural - there are cases when it is created on purpose to entertain.
And yet.....we still fall for it every single time.
A Digital Community in Action 🌍
What makes this even more meaningful is that a virtual community forms around the show. To be clear, people online may not know each other personally but they are connected through the same interest.
There are people supporting the same contestants, arguing over judging decisions and reacting dramatically to every single moment of the show 🎉.
It may be disorganised and sometimes even chaotic, but honestly, that is exactly what makes the community alive and interesting.
At the same time, participatory culture is not always positive. Online discussion could create community and engagement but also lead to toxic actions towards contestants.
Since people can easily get emotionally attached to the show, it is possible that the criticism online may be personal instead of constructive.
This is related to the concept of networked publics, in which online platforms enable people to interact and create communities based on common interests (Boyd, 2010).
These shared viewing experiences can be popular, as Culinary Class Wars did, even reaching the top of the Netflix charts worldwide and attracting millions of views (Baek Byung-yeul, 2024).
References
Baek Byung-yeul. (2024, October 9). “Culinary Class Wars” fuels global K-content craze. The Korea Times. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20241009/culinary-class-wars-fuels-global-k-content-craze?utm_source=legacy_url&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=news_manager_id
Boyd, D. (2010). Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implications by danah boyd (2010) - NowComment. https://nowcomment.com/documents/boydNetworkedPublics/combined?embedded=true
Eichelberger, S. (2024). Opinion | From real life to reel life: The manipulation of reality TV. The Crimson White. https://thecrimsonwhite.com/116851/opinion/opinion-from-real-life-to-reel-life-the-manipulation-of-reality-tv/
Jenkins, H., & Jie, Y. (2024). The path from participatory culture to participatory politics: A critical investigation—An interview with Henry Jenkins. Communication and the Public, 9(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380149339_The_path_from_participatory_culture_to_participatory_politics_A_critical_investigation-An_interview_with_Henry_Jenkins
AUTHOR NOTE : An ongoing faux-celebreality dating show nobody asked for, starring Rapechester’s finest disasters. If you enjoy humour, bleak absurdism, and aggressive dairy product placement, please give it a look.
Less horny, more comedy!
SUMMARY : Locally famous but legally illiterate high-fame farmer (F!PC) signs on a reality dating show due to some undue influence from the strange purple flowers and a major misunderstanding.
One reluctant bachelorette, ten contestants, one manor on the moor, a cash prize, a ludicrous contract, and a metric tonne of Remy’s sponsored milk ads.
Trash telly meets black humour. Hilarity ensues. Is it true love or is it just the dosh?
STATUS : Recently Updated on Ao3 - Avery’s here now! | MDNI
So, without further ado, I present the casting tapes from Love on the Moor.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────WHITNEY───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The camera is vertical at first, then gets flipped sideways with a thumbprint smudge. It’s clearly shot in 240p on a burner phone, and the audio crackles.
Whitney’s standing on a rooftop overlooking Connudatus Street at night, hoodie up, chain swinging. Lynx Africa fog is literally visible around him, distorting the glow of the security light. His blonde fringe covers one eye, eyebrow ring catching the lamplight.
He starts with a sharp grin, “My name’s Whitney, don’t forget it, ya fucking cunts. I’ve known PC since secondary school, and we’ve had a lot of fun times together. Days spent beating the shite out of each other, nights spent at the pub getting pissed, romantic blow jobs in the boys' lavatory, and don’t forget our times in River’s math class – I sure don’t.”
He crudely pats his clothed bulge and smirks wistfully. “Probably taught her everything she knows about being a slag…she’s gone down on half the town as I knew it.”
He shifts to the side, gesturing towards the wall behind. Behind him is a graffiti heart sprayed on the wall, with his name and yours, written in your handwriting. The years have faded it, but it’s still legible.
Whitney smirks cockily at the lens, bat resting on his shoulder. “See that? She sprayed it herself. Back when she knew what was what. Always was mine. Always will be.”
He swings the bat into an industrial aircon unit. The metal bends with a clang, and he laughs, chain glinting.
“If you lot pick me, you’ll have made the best decision of your lives. Bird’s a slut, but she’s my slut. Always complicated, us two till she became my girlfriend. Not that she had a choice, anyway. But yeah, I miss the slut.”
The camera wobbles as he points the bat directly into the lens.
“So if you don’t pick me… I’ll bash your fucking heads in.” He threatens, half-seriously.
He sprays another cloud of Lynx Africa over himself, coughs, then spits on the ground. The video ends abruptly when he smacks the phone with the bat.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
♡ Please read more on A03 ♡
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Week 5: Digital Community and Fandom: Reality TV Case Study
Reality television has become one of the most influential forms of entertainment in today’s digital world. More than simply being watched on television, reality TV is now experienced across multiple platforms, where audiences actively engage through social media discussions, fan pages, memes, and online commentary. Shows like Love Island and Big Brother create spaces where viewers interact, share opinions, and participate in the cultural conversation surrounding the show. This reflects the idea of digital publics, where online communities are formed through shared interests and interactions in digital spaces (Taylor, 2023).
Another important concept is the public sphere, which explains how media can become a platform for public discussion and opinion-making. Although reality TV is often considered light entertainment, it frequently sparks meaningful conversations about relationships, gender roles, race, beauty standards, and social identity. Audiences do not only react to dramatic moments—they also debate broader social issues that appear within these programs, making reality TV a catalyst for everyday public discourse (Klein & Coleman, 2022).
Reality TV also encourages participatory culture, where audiences become active contributors rather than passive viewers. Fans create content, follow contestants online, comment on episodes in real time, and build fandom communities that continue beyond the television broadcast. This multiplatform engagement shows how reality TV has evolved into a digital social experience, connecting entertainment, identity, and community in new ways (Torrego González et al., 2021; Harbin, 2023).
References
Harbin, M. B. (2023). Don’t make my entertainment political! Social media responses to narratives of racial duty on competitive reality television series. Political Communication, 40(4), 464–483.
Klein, B., & Coleman, S. (2022). Look at me, I’m on TV: The political dimensions of reality television participation. Media, Culture & Society, 44(3), 497–513.
Taylor, Z. A. (2023). Everyone stop what you’re doing and BeReal: Live networked publics and authenticity on BeReal. Social Media + Society.
Torrego González, A., Gutiérrez Martín, A., & Hoechsmann, M. (2021). The fine line between person and persona in reality television: Audience engagement on Instagram. Sustainability, 13(4), 1753
“More Than Just Drama: How Reality TV Builds Digital Communities and Fandoms”
Week 5: Digital Community and Fandom: Reality TV Case Study
Reality television is often dismissed as “mindless entertainment,” but in today’s digital environment, it plays a much bigger role—especially in building online communities and fandoms. Shows like Love Island and Keeping Up with the Kardashians have evolved beyond television screens into interactive, participatory digital cultures.
One key concept discussed this week is participatory culture, where audiences actively engage in creating and sharing content rather than passively consuming media. In today’s digital landscape, this concept has expanded to include interactions between users, communities, and even algorithms (Li & Pang, 2024). Reality TV is particularly suited for this because it is ongoing, emotional, and highly shareable. Fans don’t just watch—they post, comment, meme, and even influence outcomes through voting systems, demonstrating active participation in shaping media narratives (Nam & Jung, 2022).
For example, Love Island has a strong presence on platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. Viewers form communities where they discuss contestants, predict outcomes, and create fan edits. These interactions reflect how digital fandoms function as participatory communities, where users collectively produce and circulate content (Crawford et al., 2021). Hashtags like #TeamXYZ allow users to align themselves with certain contestants, forming micro-fandoms within a larger audience.
Another important idea is parasocial interaction, where audiences develop one-sided emotional connections with media personalities. Reality TV intensifies this because contestants are presented as “real people,” making audiences feel more personally invested. These emotional connections often influence how fans engage online, including defending or criticising contestants. In some cases, fandom communities even mobilise collectively, shaping online discourse and behaviour (Luo & Li, 2022).
However, digital fandoms are not always positive. While they encourage creativity and participation, they can also become toxic, leading to cyberbullying or cancel culture. Research shows that fandom spaces can reinforce strong emotional reactions and group behaviour, sometimes resulting in exclusion or hostility (Zheng, 2023). This raises ethical concerns about how audiences interact with “real” individuals in reality TV environments.
In my opinion, reality TV fandom reflects a major shift in media consumption—from passive viewing to active participation. It shows the power of digital communities in shaping media narratives, but also highlights the need for responsible and respectful engagement online.
References
Crawford, G., Fenton, A., Chadwick, S., & Lawrence, S. (2021). ‘All Avatars Aren’t We’: Football and the experience of football-themed digital content during a global pandemic. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 57(4), 515–531. https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902211021529
Nam, J., & Jung, Y. (2022). Exploring fans’ participation in digital media: Transcreation of webtoons. Telecommunications Policy, 46(10), 102407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2022.102407
Li, E. C., & Pang, K. (2024). Fandom meets artificial intelligence: Rethinking participatory culture as human–community–machine interactions. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 27(4), 778–787. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494241236146
Luo, Z., & Li, M. (2022). Participatory censorship: How online fandom community facilitates authoritarian rule. New Media & Society, 26(7), 4236–4254. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221113923
Zheng, S. (2023). Gendered fandom in transcultural context- female-dominated paratexts and compromised fan culture. Journal of Consumer Culture, 23(4), 1017–1035. https://doi.org/10.1177/14695405231168963
