A Bitter Taste

I know, I never talk about anything new anymore. Just the same old, same old. Well, on the topic of "Top Chef", I am increasingly annoyed. First*, further work avoidance reading has clarified some sketchiness on the part of the editing/story crafting team for the Chef. Seems, careful watchers noticed that Elia still has a head full of hair when the team goes after Marcel. Which at least suggests that maybe the idea was to shave Marcel (who does do weird pointy things with his hair, but personally I like the hair of none of the remaining contestants so, whatever) and it was only after that failed that they decided to shave their own heads. Now, the order may not matter. But if not, why shift it around?
Chef Colicchio mentions in his blog that he wanted to send all but Marcel home for sheer idiocy and have Marcel win by default, but the producers nixed that. While I would have missed watching the two episodes in Hawaii, I think that would have sent a powerful message. Instead on of the finalists is Marcel, who while I feel sorry for him, I do find annoying and a bit immature. Not shaving other people against their will immature, but not ready to run his own kitchen yet, from what I have seen. And the other finalist, Ilan, the guy who wanted to borrow a camera to film shaving another contestant's head against their will, the guy who watched a contestant wrestle the other to the ground (and captured it on tape), the guy who in one competition openly dissed his fellow contestant's dish, and the guy who convinced another contestant to talk to the judges about a fellow contestant's alleged cheating even though they had no examples to back it up. And the victim of all of these, is Marcel. So I am left with two people who are varying degrees of immature. And particularly in a reality competition where the primary element to determine worthiness (taste) is unavailable to viewers, what makes me want to watch. Sure, a little cattiness or drama can be interesting, but this is nuts. And wouldn't Bravo have sent a great message to future contestants by sending most of them home? Instead, while giving lip service to the fact that it is the food and not the drama that is the issue here, they are letting the drama take over. If repeatedly attempting to sabotage a fellow contestant in a competition where your skills are supposed to matter more than your strategy (in contrast to something like "Survivor" where this would all be totally acceptable behavior) - why are they letting such idiocy be rewarded? And why would I care who wins?

*I have the ennui when it comes to the proper linking, but look at TWoP, Bravo, and ALOTT5MA for stuff.