Liza on Rocco’s Dinner Party

11 Comments

1. 1
   Derek Hazelton
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 7:28 am

   Sandra Bernhard was such a bitch on this thing. Why would this bitch come to a dinner party, if she doesn’t eat anything (other than to starfuck with C-List celebrities on Bravo?) Also, telling the contestants AFTER they’ve prepared their dishes that two of the guests are vegetarians and have eating restrictions is such bullshit. Frank was clearly going to win because his food was healthier and met all of the guest’s restrictions, whereas Lucia had a tougher time navigating the restrictions based on her menu.

   I’m not a huge fan of Liza, but she’s seems like a cool old lady, based on all her stories and life experiences. She’s old and she rambles and she loves everyone and seemed heavily medicated. I will always love her turn as “the other Lucille” on “Arrested Development.”

2. 2
   vallegirl
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 8:17 am

   But that’s the point of the show, it’s a dinner party not dining out at a restaurant. The conceit is that the cooks, because some aren’t working chefs, have to be able to produce a party where everyone enjoys themselves. They’ve always had someone who has some kind of dietary restriction, but they also have a well-stocked pantry so it’s not an issue except when a chef forgets to accommodate the food restrictions.

   And those two stories weren’t featured on the episode. Hamlisch told a story about George Gershwin and Groucho Marx (which he’d heard from someone else, he’s not quite as fabulous as Liza) But “American in Paris” is one of my favorite movies because everything about it is so pitch perfect that it was nice to hear the story behind “Our Love Is Here to Stay.”

   But Liza’s greatest moment on the broadcast? Sandra tells some story about a babysitter she had growing up who made her eat cooked carrots and that’s why she doesn’t like them to this day and Liza, in that wonderfully dramatic voice, waves her hand and says “FASCINATING!”

   HA!

3. 3
   Derek Hazelton
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 8:56 am

   @ Vallegirl, I do understand that people have dietary restrictions, but the host not warning the chefs/caterers prior to shopping, menu planning, and cooking seems, to me, a bit harsh and unfair considering, at that point, it’s a little to late to really change anything drastically enough to accomodate those restrictions. Lucia gamely made an effort, but she clearly was screwed because there wasn’t a valid Plan B that she could whip together with her leftover ingredients. I’m sure that if you plan a party, you’d tell the caterer upfront that Person A is a vegetarian, Person B is a vegan, and Person C is a pescaterian, but not after the shopping is done, and certainly not minutes before the food is about to be served.

   Granted, I haven’t watched this show regularly, but Rocco’s “oops, two people are vegetarians, my bad!” didn’t seem to be a twist, so much as it was a big fuck up on his part. (Which is why, I assumed, he brought Sandra Bernhard as reinforcements when he talked to the chefs about it.)

   Loved Liza’s “FASCINATING!” I couldn’t tell if she actually meant it or if it was a cleverly disguised diss. Definitely love her!

4. 4
   lOS ANGELES 1993
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 9:31 am

   I never watch this show but happened to catch it last night. Love Liza she was great. Sandra Bernhard what a bitter mean bitch.

5. 5
   vallegirl
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 9:37 am

   If you had watched it before you’d know that, as I stated in the earlier post, that it’s a feature in every episode and as such, like on Top Chef, they maintain a very well-stocked pantry for the cooks to use when the “twist” occurs. And to date it posed a problem for one chef, and that’s because he completely forgot/ignored the restrictions.

   Seriously, it’s a fluffy piece of entertainment. It didn’t even impact this particular episode so it was mostly a non-starter. I don’t understand why you’d be more offended by the twist than the cooks were. They just acknowledged and moved on.

6. 6
   Derek Hazelton
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 9:52 am

   I accept that it was a twist, and I accept that reality game shows have them. As I indicated, I was more put off by the timing of it. I’m willing to accept your assertion that it has been the same for all of the contestants in the previous episodes, but it doesn’t make it any less shitty in this one case to see it, as a first-time viewer.

7. 7
   vallegirl
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 10:26 am

   Guess I’m just an asshole who’s not nearly sensitive enough to the needs of a cook on a reality show. Especially when the cooks weren’t particularly sensitive about it, either.

8. 8
   captain-save-uh-hoe
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 10:30 am

   Vallegirl- you, yourself said it was a fluffy piece of entertainment! No need to get so worked up over it I see both sides of the coin on this one… as a first time viewer, I had Derek’s perspective, then having read your thoughts, I understand the rules better. I don’t think having a different take on the show or its rules makes anyone an asshole, regardless of disagreements.

9. 9
   Derek Hazelton
   Posted August 18, 2011 at 10:59 am

   @ Vallegirl, I certainly don’t think you’re an asshole, and I hope you don’t think I’m one, either. I just haven’t seen this show before, and I was curious (based on the article) and I checked it out and I was didn’t get the rules. When I watch the Bravo reruns of the previous episodes, I’m sure I’ll have the same point of view as you.

10. 10
    sarcasatire
    Posted August 18, 2011 at 11:51 am

    When I saw the first episode, I was annoyed by the twist and the timing, too. It was the Prohibition ep and alcohol was the theme and one of the chefs had alcohol infused dishes and was told after he wen’t shopping and started prepping that he couldn’t use alcohol for one of the guests. I thought it was corny but I guess they need to add a bit of drama. I watched a few more eps and Rocco does it every time.

11. 11
    Robinez
    Posted August 18, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    The “twist” has never bothered me as it concern’s the chef. They should be able to come up with something on the fly. Especially with a well stocked pantry.

    My problem with it is if you are hosting a dinner party, as they would have us believe, and want everyone to enjoy themselves and feel welcome; why wouldn’t you put as much effort into preparing food for those with dietary restriction’s as you would for the rest of the guest’s?

    I know it is fake. But the twist sux in my opinion.

    I love Liza and seeing her “fascinating” comment was worth more than anything that I have seen on TV in awhile.

    TC, Robin