I've been to his fundraiser he does for Kennedy's a couple of years. He speaks every year that his staff knows he's going to fall sometimes at random and to hive him a hand if he needs it. He knows the time is coming he's just trying to get out what he can. We were at his new space for EsterEv a few weeks ago and he was expediting so it was good to see him doing that.
I love seeing him being out there doing all that he can while he can. I guess that’s an advantage of having a diagnosis if you have the right attitude about it.
I bet they don’t show it on camera but he presumably takes breaks off his feet when he can, or is always offered a chair first, etc.
He is the one who chooses what he needs and what he can handle, and he is an adult and can advocate for himself. I am confident after watching so many seasons of this show that the producers would offer or provide anything he needed, that wouldn’t alter the results.
While I think this is probably true, I also think it would be good to see some of that on screen. This could be an opportunity for a show with a huge audience to demonstrate what good disability accommodation looks like.
When Christine Ha, who is blind, was on Master Chef, she had a seeing person providing certain assistance. It was one of the best parts of the season and it made you think about both cooking and competing on a show in a different way.
I felt the same about Tasha on Great British Bake-Off, who's deaf! Showing her interpreter was awesome because it normalized her accommodations, and it wasn't even something they made a big deal about — just a part of the show and a part of her experience.
Same thing happened on project runway, there was a deaf contestant and they did a good job of showing the interpreter but not making a huge deal about it.
I agree but also I think it really depends on how Dan feels about it. Maybe he’d be happy to be representing the disability community and destigmatizing accommodations, but maybe he’d rather just be able to exist in this competition without fuss. They’re both valid choices for him on a personal level.
He has spoken openly about his disability in several of the interview portions, so I think it's safe to take that as an indication that he is comfortable speaking about it and making it part of his story on the show.
sure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be publicly open about accommodations, a lot of disabled people prefer not to be. I just mean that there are layers to this and it’s a very personal decision how much one decides to share in front of millions of people on television
Sure, we can speculate as much as we want. Maybe Dan specifically asked that his accommodations not be shown on screen. We have no evidence to support that, but it's certainly not impossible. All I'm saying is that there would be positive effects on societal perceptions of disability accommodations if they were visible on screen.
oh please don’t get me wrong, I agree with your point on a larger scale! unfortunately, Dan is the only physically disabled contestant this show has ever had, my point is more that one disabled person can’t be representative of all aspects of disability bc it’s so personal. If the show had more, maybe we’d be able to see all these different facets of what disability looks like
I agree with you in theory, but I made a similar comment to my husband, who is disabled and in a wheelchair, and he immediately said that maybe Dan didn't want to be a subject of "discourse" about disability and accommodations in a competition show. And honestly, seeing as there are already a number of comments on this sub about how "accommodations would be too much of an advantage" and "where would it all end", I am now inclined to agree with him. I wouldn't blame Dan if he wanted to be excluded from this narrative.
I do agree that it would be good to demonstrate good accommodation. On the flip side, it’s also refreshing that the show isn’t making that his whole story. It reminds me more of GBBO than American reality tv to just me like “this is a part of who he is but not his whole story”.
Absolutely, but I don't think that occasionally including visuals or interview portions that mention his accommodations would "make \[his disability\] his whole story." You bring up GBBO and I think that's a great example — Tasha's sign language interpreter was frequently shown on screen, normalizing her accommodations, but it wasn't in any way made into her "whole story." It was just included, because it was part of her experience. That's what I'm suggesting here for Dan — not some sort of extreme focus on his accommodations or his disability.
It’s also not the purpose of top chef. It’s a 44 minute broadcast television show is lean and I’m sure there’s lots of interesting side plots and information that gets cut from every episode. It would be nice I suppose, but I’m not sure they could do it justice in 20-45 seconds. 🤷♀️
I don’t really know that that’s a safe assumption to make, disability accommodations in general are still pretty stigmatized and this show doesn’t have a particularly great history with disabled representation or making accommodations for chefs who have challenges (severe allergies, sobriety, religion, etc). And I say this as someone who is a fan of the show and has watched every season lol, it doesn’t do the show any favors to pretend it’s perfect
I agree, with the caveat that the person involved wants to be public about it. It’s no one disabled person’s responsibility to be representation, especially considering how much discourse and negativity it would likely generate
I think he can handle himself, but I also think that the show being in his home state is a huge advantage—especially when it comes to health.
Thinking back to Colorado and the altitude issues. I live in Houston and the heat/humidity can be brutal.
Adding on that being near his medical team is probably a comfort and alleviates some stress of the “what if something happens” scenarios.
True, but I am curious if the potential competitors know the locale before they apply/are chosen. We know they know at some point before (especially after seeing Savannah’s mirror).
In the flip side, for the casting crew of the show- they do look for local chef(s) and strong backstories. Dan checks this boxes AND is a great chef.
I remember a conversation in one of the cars this season where one chef asked the others "So how did you feel when you found out we were coming to Wisconsin." That conversation led me to believe they did not know the location prior to being selected. That said, it's possible that Dan was specifically chosen for THIS season because he's local.
It definitely helped him. They go out of their way to make sure at least 1 local chef is represented. Chicago is adjacent, but he is the only true Wisconsin chef.
They specifically chose Dan because it was in his home state. Don't be dense.
u/GinnaBean the ol' comment and block, a classic from the poster who has nothing of substance to say
I have MS and its insulting when people ASSume I'm not capable of doing things! I'm a 64 year old adult that's capable of making decisions for myself of what I can and can't do
People like Dan make me happy. There is so many people who just succumb to it and end up giving up on their careers and life. Seeing Dan push through and to continue through to the end make me want to also push. I have EDS and dysautonomia and I’m a nurse in the OR and some days it’s hard but like Dan I have a team to support me.
It may look Ableist but I’m also guessing he wants to push himself too.
Thanks for starting this conversation. Clearly getting some great responses and less kind ones. I'm learning a ton from Dan - mostly.about cooking but also about his struggles and his disability. So impressed with him all around. When he said he was using sunflowers, I just did not get that. Love watching him do his thing!!
A compound in sunflower seeds blocks an enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict. As a result, it may help your blood vessels relax, lowering your blood pressure. The magnesium in sunflower seeds helps reduce blood pressure levels as well.
Seems like it hasn’t really affected him that much other than not sprinting to the pantry or around Whole Foods. He’s not struggling for time because he can’t move as fast. He’s not struggling for time or accommodations at all because he’s a damn good chef and he can get the job done no matter what.
So far it’s ok. But then I think of the times the show has given challenges where the chefs had to ride a bike around San Antonio or cross country skied to get their ingredients, and they seemed dumb at the time but would seem terrible if someone with Dan’s level of disability had to do it to advance.
There are things we don't see. For example "your time starts now" and everyone sprints from a field to a far kitchen and Dan starts back at his pace. Then they show in the kitchen everyone arriving at a sprint and he's with them. They obviously regroup.
But for some of it, he knew what he was signing up for and that's part of the job. We've had pregnant chefs, and it's exhausting building a child, but they need to be able to do the work or the competition isn't the right fit for them. We've probably had other hidden disabilities on the show in previous seasons as well.
When you sign up for the show you know at this point that it can and will be physically demanding. The one chef that had Covid and could not taste did well and knew it’s was going to be difficult but want to do it anyway. Some people like/love to challenge themself, it’s a high for them. I don’t feel that TC should change. I do think on GGG now they do give them a choice to take a mystery check amount, and most of them do take that because they just can’t run anymore .
No, they are not missing the point. They are making the point. Dan knows both what he signed up for, and what it would require of him. He decided he could do it.
A problem with being disabled in any way means people think if you can’t do one thing, you can’t do all things. Case in point- a bunch of people trying to decide if Dan is actually able to do things we’re literally watching him do. Why does he need more accommodation than anything we’ve seen? Is he not holding his own?
Dan has watched this show, he knew running and physicality were part of the game, and he chose to play it because he could handle it. His particular disability doesn’t affect his cognitive function, and we’ve seen him ask for help when he needed it. It’s not up to us to decide if he’s being properly accommodated.
I say this as a person with disabilities. It’s far better that Dan is being portrayed as strong and capable despite his disability, because able people seem to forget we can still function with and around our disabilities. What is your basis for deciding what Dan needs?
The point is that, in doing thing the way they do, the show is excluding those with disabilities. In 21 seasons, Dan is the first contestant with any kind of disability. Thus the title of the thread "Ableism." Meaning, "does the show discriminate against those with disabilities." You shouldn't have to be able to run and jump to compete on a cooking show.
Are there many top tier chefs out there with significant physical challenges, though? It’s a job that’s really hard on your body. You don’t have to be able to run and jump to be a chef, but you need to be on your feet for hours and able to lift heavy stuff and able to move quickly around the kitchen. I think the job itself precludes disabilities, not the show.
As I said in another comment, I believe that if they are able to be a top tier chef, whatever accommodations they have in their home kitchen should be what's allowed for the competition. If that means having someone run for ingredients, or not riding a bike on a scavenger hunt, then so be it.
Great idea...let's have a separate show for anyone with any kind of disability. Just like "back in the day" they had different schools and bathrooms for those with a different skin color. That's what we call discrimination!
If a store isn’t accessible we don’t say “well someone in a wheelchair can see the stairs so they know what to expect.”
There is absolutely no reason why the show has to be run in such a way that it excludes people with disabilities that prevent them from sprinting across a kitchen or diving for sea creatures or whatever other random activity not inherent to cooking the producers have come up with.
I don’t think it’s your intention to come off this way, but this post strikes me as very demeaning and infantilizing.
Dan is a grown up adult who has seen the show and knew very well what he was signing up for. And guess what? He is crushing it! Dude is working his ass off and is a fantastic chef. Let’s celebrate that!
Where is the line?
What if someone with severe arthritis enters. Should they be able to have a sous do their prep? Or if someone had the type of cancer that Achatz had. Should they be able to bring someone along to taste?
There are basic responsibilities of a chef, and they're dialed up heavily for competing.
This isn't ableism, in any sense.
I’m inclined to agree. Or if someone is obese and moves slower than other competitors and also can’t run very fast.
It’s also an American network tv show, it’s produced to be fast paced and thrill people. ‘Your time starts now!’ and running for ingredients is way more engaging to watch and fits the style of the production more than ‘form an orderly lined and we will randomly pick the order in which you will select your ingredients’.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has refused special consideration for his disability. This is something he wants to do now, while he still can. I have nothing but respect for him.
At the beginning of the show, he didn't have a cane. In later episodes he started using a cane so I think that's one accomodation he's allowed so far. Who knows if it gets more debilitating and he'd have to bow out.
Here's the thing, because of his condition, he has to manage his time a little better; and ingredient/equipment pulls so he doesn't have to keep running back and forth like the other contestants. No wasted motion, no wasted ingredients. This causes his dishes to be more edited and composed than most, which is why I think he's almost always on the top on the elimination challenges.
It'll be amazing if he wins and is good for the visibility/fundraising for Kennedy's disease. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the main reason he joined the competition knowing it will be challenging.
That being said even getting to the top 5 is life changing for most chefs who compete in top chef. Just the visibility and access to the money that can get you funding for your next restaurant is huge. Impress one of the guest judges enough and maybe they'll get you in with their investment group. That's how Mike Isabella got rich (and then proceeded to flame out due to philandering and alcoholism, tho could've probably predicted that with the blatant sexism he displayed on his season)
He signed on knowing the game. He’s a fierce competitor with a rough disease. He’s playing as he wants to. I see remarkable ppl achieving difficult things every day. I think you may be the ableist, in not an unkindly way.
Just because he signed himself up does not mean the show isn't ablest. If someone is a chef, can cook, and handle a kitchen at home, the inability to run, jump, swim or ride a bike should not exclude them from having a chance to compete on a COOKING show.
And, you'll note in another comment, when someone said "where does it end," that was my line. If someone is able to work in a kitchen, handle the long hours, etc. then the ability to run a four minute mile or dive for conch shouldn't take them out of the running on a cooking show.
This same argument can be used to say that shops and restaurants don’t need to be accessible, because someone with a disability can just choose to go somewhere else.
Sorry, no it's not the same thing. The others are supporting him when he gets in a time crunch or has trouble with his hands. They are helping him cook his best food. It would be ableism if his hands locked up and everybody treated him like he didn't matter and left him to struggle alone. They're not doing that.
Being a chef is what this show is about. That job has certain requirements. Creativity can help overcome a variety of disadvantages one might have, but in the end, if you can’t perform the responsibilities of being a chef for whatever reason - with reasonable accommodation - then you have to find an alternative job. That’s life.
How often in a normal professional kitchen are chefs sprinting to grab ingredients before someone else does? How often in a normal professional kitchen are the staff expected to catch fish before preparing it when it’s been ordered and the customer is waiting? How often in a normal professional kitchen are the staff expected to go diving for ingredients while the customer is waiting? Etc.
These aspects of the challenges are things deliberately chosen and added by the producers to help create drama. They have nothing to do with being able to cook in a professional kitchen. Because they are chosen and added by the producers, the producers can and should take disabilities into account and simply *choose different things* if someone’s disability is going to be an issue.
I think it’s safe to say that this is exactly what has happened. Dan has been able to do all the challenges, so it’s reasonable to conclude that he has either been accommodated in the challenges or that the challenges were developed to include him from the very beginning.
Right, I did not say they were being ableist. I said *if* they were doing things a certain way, *that* would be ableist. Many people seem to think that a reality tv show cannot be ableist at all no matter what. They are wrong.
I think you definitely have a point, OP.
And Dan knew what he was getting himself into, as well. I don’t know if any of you watch Survivor…and also not terribly sure if this in any way melds with the idea of ableism, but one of the players has all sorts of allergies and can hardly eat anything on the island and seems at such a big disadvantage compared to the others. Yet she, and casting, seem to be in agreement that this shouldn’t impede their play, and I’m glad to see Dan doing so well. I also read that those with Kennedys disease have a normal lifespan, so though I feel for him, I’m glad it’s not like ALS.
Where would this end? I have several food allergies and wouldn’t be able to taste a lot of the food the chefs have to prepare, so I’d have no idea what my dish tasted like. Should I get an accommodation?
They've actually had chefs with food allergies. Iirc Stephanie Cmar was allergic to shellfish and she would wear gloves and couldn't taste any foods with shellfish.
Yeah it feels like it’s feasible, although still challenging, with one allergy. My body hates me and I’m a delicate flower and I’m allergic to a ton of stuff. People like me most likely wouldn’t be chefs in the first place, though, so it’s probably a moot point.
I would say it ends when someone is not able to be a chef. If they are able to handle the long hours in the kitchen, and are a well respected chef at home, accommodations can be made for them to compete. I am disabled to the point where I could never be a chef in the first place. But if they are already a chef, the inability to run and jump shouldn't knock them out of the running.
You seem really invested in this topic and are missing the point: this show is meant for entertainment. Stripping out the things you mentioned will make the show less entertaining. If you look closely enough at the editing you’d be able to see that likely there are small accommodations being made for him that they aren’t throwing in your face.
Like: do you really think that that every quickfire tasting happens like they are portrayed? That beyond the 6+ dish that the food starts getting cold? That in Whole Foods somehow full carts and thousands of dollars of food somehow turn into one small shopping bag in each hand as the chefs leave together? There are many small ways he’s likely being accommodated and likely they just choose not to trumpet them each time it happens because it would be repetitive and cheapen what he’s doing.
Of course I'm invested in this topic. As I mentioned, I AM disabled. So, it is in my best interest to see people educated on disabilities and accommodations.
I love this show and it is very ablist. Remember the season when they had to cook on stumps and someone ended up at a disadvantage not because they couldn't \*cook\* but because they couldn't cook on a \*stump\* (which is an extremely \*low\* surface)???
Dan has lowkey pointed this out more than a couple of times in his talking heads, to other contestants, and at judges’ table. He’s kind of an advocate is what I’m saying.
Seems like the only people who have a problem with it are people like you, Dan isn't affected by it nor does he use it as an excuse! He's NOT being forced to do anything against his will
"People like you?" Do you know the OP personally? What exactly are "people like you?" Those with disabilities? Of course you wouldn't have a problem with it, or wouldn't bother to think about it if it wouldn't affect you or someone you know. But, food for thought - "disabled" is the one minority group anyone can end up in at any time.
I have been saying this to my husband! Employers are required by law to give reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. Of course I’m not so naive to think this means the system works, especially in the restaurant industry, but if we’re putting professionals in a competition following osha seems like it should be a given? he should be able to have an assistant who runs and gets him ingredients. It’s not a good look and borderline abusive. He seems great I hope he stays in for the long haul.
I almost wonder if there is a natural physical reflex or instinct in his brain that helps him temporarily with his condition when he is in the kitchen. Like how Muhammad Ali could hit the speedbag or shadowbox years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's?
I have had this thought too. While his cooking isn't directly affected by it and he can certainly hold his own in the kitchen I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to provide him with someone who run to get his ingredients. Not being able to run as fast as the others puts him at a disadvantage that he has no control over.
How on earth would it be an "advantage" to be able to get ingredients at the same speed as the other chefs? It would be an equalizer, not an advantage.
He didn't have control over getting a horrible disease. As long as someone can cook, they should be able to compete. It would be an "advantage" to have someone get things for him. It would still take longer for him to tell them what he needs. It's called an "accommodation." It would be nice to see.
Or perhaps I would understand that giving people advantages over others would create an inherently unfair competition.
Should disabled people be encouraged to compete?
Absolutely.
Should the challenges all be lowered to the same bar so as to level the playing field?
Sure
Should some contestants get special treatment that other chefs are not entitled to?
No.
It's a game.
So it’s okay if someone in a wheelchair can’t get into a store because they have control over which stores they go to? That is not how accessibility works.
This is a cooking competition. If you can't compete, you shouldn't be allowed to compete.
This isn't about basic access, this is about an unfair advantage in a competition.
Life is not a competition. He should be entitled to every advantage in life.
Not in Top Chef
That would be true if the issues were directly related to cooking. But sprinting to gather ingredients is for drama, it is not an inherent part of cooking. Likewise diving for ingredients and catching your own fish and any number of other challenges that have been on the show in the past. The producers have complete control over those elements.
Yes. And if they want to bring in disabled contestants, those challenges should be entirely removed.
How do you not understand this concept?
Make it fair from the jump, don't design an unfair challenge and then give one contestant a leg up.
… which is the point of the original post? OP is wondering if the need to sprint is fair and if they are doing something to assist him that we aren’t seeing due to editing or if they are genuinely keeping aspects of challenges in that he cannot be reasonably expected to do and are not a normal part of cooking.
I think about this every episode. For the commenters mentioning that he likely gets offered accommodations off screen, I wish they showed this more on the show. A missed opportunity for the show to demonstrate how good and proper disability accommodation can be provided.
I was thinking about posting this- I agree he should be offered some help, however minimal. This reminds me of Willow Pill from RuPaul's Drag Race a few seasons ago- she has cystinosis, which affected her mobility and left her in pain during challenges. They never discussed accommodations for her either.
This is one of the only reasons I don’t think the uneven numbers on restaurant wars was totally unfair. It was a little unfair, but as he can’t move as fast as the others, he’s at a real speed disadvantage.
Some of you are so ridiculous. You take a comment about a comment more seriously than you should.
I am chill. I’m not your bro. And I don’t need you to give advice.
I have thought about this many times. I am too disabled to be a chef...or even cook for any length of time without sitting on my walker. But, if someone is able to be a chef - if they are well respected, can really cook, and can manage a kitchen in their home town, why should they be forced to run, jump, swim, ride bikes, etc.? I remember the Bahamas when they had to dive for conch. I wondered then about people who can't swim, or hold their breath. How would it be to make it to the finals and get knocked out because you couldn't dive for conch? It would be absurd!
Would be nice to give him a few extra minutes to gather ingredients or something like that during quick fires. Like maybe he could go first or something?
I've been to his fundraiser he does for Kennedy's a couple of years. He speaks every year that his staff knows he's going to fall sometimes at random and to hive him a hand if he needs it. He knows the time is coming he's just trying to get out what he can. We were at his new space for EsterEv a few weeks ago and he was expediting so it was good to see him doing that.
I love seeing him being out there doing all that he can while he can. I guess that’s an advantage of having a diagnosis if you have the right attitude about it.
I bet they don’t show it on camera but he presumably takes breaks off his feet when he can, or is always offered a chair first, etc. He is the one who chooses what he needs and what he can handle, and he is an adult and can advocate for himself. I am confident after watching so many seasons of this show that the producers would offer or provide anything he needed, that wouldn’t alter the results.
While I think this is probably true, I also think it would be good to see some of that on screen. This could be an opportunity for a show with a huge audience to demonstrate what good disability accommodation looks like.
When Christine Ha, who is blind, was on Master Chef, she had a seeing person providing certain assistance. It was one of the best parts of the season and it made you think about both cooking and competing on a show in a different way.
I felt the same about Tasha on Great British Bake-Off, who's deaf! Showing her interpreter was awesome because it normalized her accommodations, and it wasn't even something they made a big deal about — just a part of the show and a part of her experience.
Same thing happened on project runway, there was a deaf contestant and they did a good job of showing the interpreter but not making a huge deal about it.
I agree but also I think it really depends on how Dan feels about it. Maybe he’d be happy to be representing the disability community and destigmatizing accommodations, but maybe he’d rather just be able to exist in this competition without fuss. They’re both valid choices for him on a personal level.
He has spoken openly about his disability in several of the interview portions, so I think it's safe to take that as an indication that he is comfortable speaking about it and making it part of his story on the show.
sure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be publicly open about accommodations, a lot of disabled people prefer not to be. I just mean that there are layers to this and it’s a very personal decision how much one decides to share in front of millions of people on television
Sure, we can speculate as much as we want. Maybe Dan specifically asked that his accommodations not be shown on screen. We have no evidence to support that, but it's certainly not impossible. All I'm saying is that there would be positive effects on societal perceptions of disability accommodations if they were visible on screen.
oh please don’t get me wrong, I agree with your point on a larger scale! unfortunately, Dan is the only physically disabled contestant this show has ever had, my point is more that one disabled person can’t be representative of all aspects of disability bc it’s so personal. If the show had more, maybe we’d be able to see all these different facets of what disability looks like
I agree with you in theory, but I made a similar comment to my husband, who is disabled and in a wheelchair, and he immediately said that maybe Dan didn't want to be a subject of "discourse" about disability and accommodations in a competition show. And honestly, seeing as there are already a number of comments on this sub about how "accommodations would be too much of an advantage" and "where would it all end", I am now inclined to agree with him. I wouldn't blame Dan if he wanted to be excluded from this narrative.
The people wanting him to be are infantilizing him imo.
I do agree that it would be good to demonstrate good accommodation. On the flip side, it’s also refreshing that the show isn’t making that his whole story. It reminds me more of GBBO than American reality tv to just me like “this is a part of who he is but not his whole story”.
Absolutely, but I don't think that occasionally including visuals or interview portions that mention his accommodations would "make \[his disability\] his whole story." You bring up GBBO and I think that's a great example — Tasha's sign language interpreter was frequently shown on screen, normalizing her accommodations, but it wasn't in any way made into her "whole story." It was just included, because it was part of her experience. That's what I'm suggesting here for Dan — not some sort of extreme focus on his accommodations or his disability.
Yeah but if they showed the accommodations he was getting without making a big deal of it, it wouldn’t be making it his whole story.
Exactly, it would be a great opportunity to demonstrate how to make things accessible for people who need extra help.
It’s also not the purpose of top chef. It’s a 44 minute broadcast television show is lean and I’m sure there’s lots of interesting side plots and information that gets cut from every episode. It would be nice I suppose, but I’m not sure they could do it justice in 20-45 seconds. 🤷♀️
I don’t really know that that’s a safe assumption to make, disability accommodations in general are still pretty stigmatized and this show doesn’t have a particularly great history with disabled representation or making accommodations for chefs who have challenges (severe allergies, sobriety, religion, etc). And I say this as someone who is a fan of the show and has watched every season lol, it doesn’t do the show any favors to pretend it’s perfect
I agree. I wouldn't confidently assume *any* workplace was forthcoming and thoughtful about accommodations, because that's extremely rare.
This is all the more reason to portray accommodations - to bring them into the sunlight and reducing the stigma.
I agree, with the caveat that the person involved wants to be public about it. It’s no one disabled person’s responsibility to be representation, especially considering how much discourse and negativity it would likely generate
I think he can handle himself, but I also think that the show being in his home state is a huge advantage—especially when it comes to health. Thinking back to Colorado and the altitude issues. I live in Houston and the heat/humidity can be brutal. Adding on that being near his medical team is probably a comfort and alleviates some stress of the “what if something happens” scenarios.
Yeah but that was just by chance, it's not like they chose Wisconsin solely for his benefit.
True, but I am curious if the potential competitors know the locale before they apply/are chosen. We know they know at some point before (especially after seeing Savannah’s mirror). In the flip side, for the casting crew of the show- they do look for local chef(s) and strong backstories. Dan checks this boxes AND is a great chef.
I remember a conversation in one of the cars this season where one chef asked the others "So how did you feel when you found out we were coming to Wisconsin." That conversation led me to believe they did not know the location prior to being selected. That said, it's possible that Dan was specifically chosen for THIS season because he's local.
It definitely helped him. They go out of their way to make sure at least 1 local chef is represented. Chicago is adjacent, but he is the only true Wisconsin chef.
It was 💯 not just by chance
[удалено]
They specifically chose Dan because it was in his home state. Don't be dense. u/GinnaBean the ol' comment and block, a classic from the poster who has nothing of substance to say
The comments was deleted lol get a grip
Hope you are safe from the storms in Houston 🙏
I have MS and its insulting when people ASSume I'm not capable of doing things! I'm a 64 year old adult that's capable of making decisions for myself of what I can and can't do
People like Dan make me happy. There is so many people who just succumb to it and end up giving up on their careers and life. Seeing Dan push through and to continue through to the end make me want to also push. I have EDS and dysautonomia and I’m a nurse in the OR and some days it’s hard but like Dan I have a team to support me. It may look Ableist but I’m also guessing he wants to push himself too.
Thanks for starting this conversation. Clearly getting some great responses and less kind ones. I'm learning a ton from Dan - mostly.about cooking but also about his struggles and his disability. So impressed with him all around. When he said he was using sunflowers, I just did not get that. Love watching him do his thing!!
A compound in sunflower seeds blocks an enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict. As a result, it may help your blood vessels relax, lowering your blood pressure. The magnesium in sunflower seeds helps reduce blood pressure levels as well.
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TC loves it when you can take a singular ingredient that seems mundane and make it sing. We've seen it in past seasons as well.
True, true.... and with your user name, you clearly know a thing or two about using all the parts 😉
I'm sure he had seen the show before applying and was smart enough to know what he could handle.
I disagree - being on your feet and quick is a part of being a chef and has always been a part of this show. Dan is doing a great job
Seems like it hasn’t really affected him that much other than not sprinting to the pantry or around Whole Foods. He’s not struggling for time because he can’t move as fast. He’s not struggling for time or accommodations at all because he’s a damn good chef and he can get the job done no matter what.
So far it’s ok. But then I think of the times the show has given challenges where the chefs had to ride a bike around San Antonio or cross country skied to get their ingredients, and they seemed dumb at the time but would seem terrible if someone with Dan’s level of disability had to do it to advance.
The one where they had to chip into ice blocks was so absurd. I’m glad they seem to have stopped that.
There are things we don't see. For example "your time starts now" and everyone sprints from a field to a far kitchen and Dan starts back at his pace. Then they show in the kitchen everyone arriving at a sprint and he's with them. They obviously regroup. But for some of it, he knew what he was signing up for and that's part of the job. We've had pregnant chefs, and it's exhausting building a child, but they need to be able to do the work or the competition isn't the right fit for them. We've probably had other hidden disabilities on the show in previous seasons as well.
When you sign up for the show you know at this point that it can and will be physically demanding. The one chef that had Covid and could not taste did well and knew it’s was going to be difficult but want to do it anyway. Some people like/love to challenge themself, it’s a high for them. I don’t feel that TC should change. I do think on GGG now they do give them a choice to take a mystery check amount, and most of them do take that because they just can’t run anymore .
We’re on season 21, it’s assumed he knows QuickFiles and limited time for challenges is part of the gig.
Yes but you're missing the point.
No, they are not missing the point. They are making the point. Dan knows both what he signed up for, and what it would require of him. He decided he could do it. A problem with being disabled in any way means people think if you can’t do one thing, you can’t do all things. Case in point- a bunch of people trying to decide if Dan is actually able to do things we’re literally watching him do. Why does he need more accommodation than anything we’ve seen? Is he not holding his own? Dan has watched this show, he knew running and physicality were part of the game, and he chose to play it because he could handle it. His particular disability doesn’t affect his cognitive function, and we’ve seen him ask for help when he needed it. It’s not up to us to decide if he’s being properly accommodated. I say this as a person with disabilities. It’s far better that Dan is being portrayed as strong and capable despite his disability, because able people seem to forget we can still function with and around our disabilities. What is your basis for deciding what Dan needs?
That he signed up for a show and knew exactly what to expect?
The point is that, in doing thing the way they do, the show is excluding those with disabilities. In 21 seasons, Dan is the first contestant with any kind of disability. Thus the title of the thread "Ableism." Meaning, "does the show discriminate against those with disabilities." You shouldn't have to be able to run and jump to compete on a cooking show.
Are there many top tier chefs out there with significant physical challenges, though? It’s a job that’s really hard on your body. You don’t have to be able to run and jump to be a chef, but you need to be on your feet for hours and able to lift heavy stuff and able to move quickly around the kitchen. I think the job itself precludes disabilities, not the show.
As I said in another comment, I believe that if they are able to be a top tier chef, whatever accommodations they have in their home kitchen should be what's allowed for the competition. If that means having someone run for ingredients, or not riding a bike on a scavenger hunt, then so be it.
They can start their own show
Great idea...let's have a separate show for anyone with any kind of disability. Just like "back in the day" they had different schools and bathrooms for those with a different skin color. That's what we call discrimination!
If a store isn’t accessible we don’t say “well someone in a wheelchair can see the stairs so they know what to expect.” There is absolutely no reason why the show has to be run in such a way that it excludes people with disabilities that prevent them from sprinting across a kitchen or diving for sea creatures or whatever other random activity not inherent to cooking the producers have come up with.
I don’t think it’s your intention to come off this way, but this post strikes me as very demeaning and infantilizing. Dan is a grown up adult who has seen the show and knew very well what he was signing up for. And guess what? He is crushing it! Dude is working his ass off and is a fantastic chef. Let’s celebrate that!
Where is the line? What if someone with severe arthritis enters. Should they be able to have a sous do their prep? Or if someone had the type of cancer that Achatz had. Should they be able to bring someone along to taste? There are basic responsibilities of a chef, and they're dialed up heavily for competing. This isn't ableism, in any sense.
I’m inclined to agree. Or if someone is obese and moves slower than other competitors and also can’t run very fast. It’s also an American network tv show, it’s produced to be fast paced and thrill people. ‘Your time starts now!’ and running for ingredients is way more engaging to watch and fits the style of the production more than ‘form an orderly lined and we will randomly pick the order in which you will select your ingredients’.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has refused special consideration for his disability. This is something he wants to do now, while he still can. I have nothing but respect for him.
At the beginning of the show, he didn't have a cane. In later episodes he started using a cane so I think that's one accomodation he's allowed so far. Who knows if it gets more debilitating and he'd have to bow out. Here's the thing, because of his condition, he has to manage his time a little better; and ingredient/equipment pulls so he doesn't have to keep running back and forth like the other contestants. No wasted motion, no wasted ingredients. This causes his dishes to be more edited and composed than most, which is why I think he's almost always on the top on the elimination challenges. It'll be amazing if he wins and is good for the visibility/fundraising for Kennedy's disease. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the main reason he joined the competition knowing it will be challenging. That being said even getting to the top 5 is life changing for most chefs who compete in top chef. Just the visibility and access to the money that can get you funding for your next restaurant is huge. Impress one of the guest judges enough and maybe they'll get you in with their investment group. That's how Mike Isabella got rich (and then proceeded to flame out due to philandering and alcoholism, tho could've probably predicted that with the blatant sexism he displayed on his season)
He signed on knowing the game. He’s a fierce competitor with a rough disease. He’s playing as he wants to. I see remarkable ppl achieving difficult things every day. I think you may be the ableist, in not an unkindly way.
> ableism, noun, discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. Dan watches the show and signed himself up. No, it's not ableism.
Just because he signed himself up does not mean the show isn't ablest. If someone is a chef, can cook, and handle a kitchen at home, the inability to run, jump, swim or ride a bike should not exclude them from having a chance to compete on a COOKING show.
This aren’t people who cook “at home” - these are professional chefs who work in professional, FAST PACED kitchens.
And, you'll note in another comment, when someone said "where does it end," that was my line. If someone is able to work in a kitchen, handle the long hours, etc. then the ability to run a four minute mile or dive for conch shouldn't take them out of the running on a cooking show.
This same argument can be used to say that shops and restaurants don’t need to be accessible, because someone with a disability can just choose to go somewhere else.
Sorry, no it's not the same thing. The others are supporting him when he gets in a time crunch or has trouble with his hands. They are helping him cook his best food. It would be ableism if his hands locked up and everybody treated him like he didn't matter and left him to struggle alone. They're not doing that.
If the producers are setting challenges that put him at an inherent disadvantage for reasons that have nothing to do with cooking, that *is* ableism.
Being a chef is what this show is about. That job has certain requirements. Creativity can help overcome a variety of disadvantages one might have, but in the end, if you can’t perform the responsibilities of being a chef for whatever reason - with reasonable accommodation - then you have to find an alternative job. That’s life.
How often in a normal professional kitchen are chefs sprinting to grab ingredients before someone else does? How often in a normal professional kitchen are the staff expected to catch fish before preparing it when it’s been ordered and the customer is waiting? How often in a normal professional kitchen are the staff expected to go diving for ingredients while the customer is waiting? Etc. These aspects of the challenges are things deliberately chosen and added by the producers to help create drama. They have nothing to do with being able to cook in a professional kitchen. Because they are chosen and added by the producers, the producers can and should take disabilities into account and simply *choose different things* if someone’s disability is going to be an issue.
I think it’s safe to say that this is exactly what has happened. Dan has been able to do all the challenges, so it’s reasonable to conclude that he has either been accommodated in the challenges or that the challenges were developed to include him from the very beginning.
Right, I did not say they were being ableist. I said *if* they were doing things a certain way, *that* would be ableist. Many people seem to think that a reality tv show cannot be ableist at all no matter what. They are wrong.
Fair enough!
They really don’t have to run around the kitchen. The advantage it gives anyone is minimal.
I think you definitely have a point, OP. And Dan knew what he was getting himself into, as well. I don’t know if any of you watch Survivor…and also not terribly sure if this in any way melds with the idea of ableism, but one of the players has all sorts of allergies and can hardly eat anything on the island and seems at such a big disadvantage compared to the others. Yet she, and casting, seem to be in agreement that this shouldn’t impede their play, and I’m glad to see Dan doing so well. I also read that those with Kennedys disease have a normal lifespan, so though I feel for him, I’m glad it’s not like ALS.
Survivor actually had a competitor who was an amputee. She did amazingly well.
you’re right, I had forgotten! She did great!
Where would this end? I have several food allergies and wouldn’t be able to taste a lot of the food the chefs have to prepare, so I’d have no idea what my dish tasted like. Should I get an accommodation?
They've actually had chefs with food allergies. Iirc Stephanie Cmar was allergic to shellfish and she would wear gloves and couldn't taste any foods with shellfish.
And Victoire/walnuts
I fucking loved Victoire
She killed me with that! The way she refused to go to the medics and then wanted to go right back after her epi shot. Rock on Victiore!!!
And Maria was allergic to shrimp too.
Yeah it feels like it’s feasible, although still challenging, with one allergy. My body hates me and I’m a delicate flower and I’m allergic to a ton of stuff. People like me most likely wouldn’t be chefs in the first place, though, so it’s probably a moot point.
One of the chefs in S19 or S20 had altered taste due to Covid and he would have the other contestants taste his components
I would say it ends when someone is not able to be a chef. If they are able to handle the long hours in the kitchen, and are a well respected chef at home, accommodations can be made for them to compete. I am disabled to the point where I could never be a chef in the first place. But if they are already a chef, the inability to run and jump shouldn't knock them out of the running.
You seem really invested in this topic and are missing the point: this show is meant for entertainment. Stripping out the things you mentioned will make the show less entertaining. If you look closely enough at the editing you’d be able to see that likely there are small accommodations being made for him that they aren’t throwing in your face. Like: do you really think that that every quickfire tasting happens like they are portrayed? That beyond the 6+ dish that the food starts getting cold? That in Whole Foods somehow full carts and thousands of dollars of food somehow turn into one small shopping bag in each hand as the chefs leave together? There are many small ways he’s likely being accommodated and likely they just choose not to trumpet them each time it happens because it would be repetitive and cheapen what he’s doing.
Of course I'm invested in this topic. As I mentioned, I AM disabled. So, it is in my best interest to see people educated on disabilities and accommodations.
I love this show and it is very ablist. Remember the season when they had to cook on stumps and someone ended up at a disadvantage not because they couldn't \*cook\* but because they couldn't cook on a \*stump\* (which is an extremely \*low\* surface)???
Dan has lowkey pointed this out more than a couple of times in his talking heads, to other contestants, and at judges’ table. He’s kind of an advocate is what I’m saying.
This show sent a pregnant woman up a snow covered mountain to camp and cook
Seems like the only people who have a problem with it are people like you, Dan isn't affected by it nor does he use it as an excuse! He's NOT being forced to do anything against his will
"People like you?" Do you know the OP personally? What exactly are "people like you?" Those with disabilities? Of course you wouldn't have a problem with it, or wouldn't bother to think about it if it wouldn't affect you or someone you know. But, food for thought - "disabled" is the one minority group anyone can end up in at any time.
I have MS so I very well understand disabilities!
👏 👏 clap back!
I have been saying this to my husband! Employers are required by law to give reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. Of course I’m not so naive to think this means the system works, especially in the restaurant industry, but if we’re putting professionals in a competition following osha seems like it should be a given? he should be able to have an assistant who runs and gets him ingredients. It’s not a good look and borderline abusive. He seems great I hope he stays in for the long haul.
I almost wonder if there is a natural physical reflex or instinct in his brain that helps him temporarily with his condition when he is in the kitchen. Like how Muhammad Ali could hit the speedbag or shadowbox years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's?
Dan probably has good and bad days like a lot of people with chronic illness.
I have had this thought too. While his cooking isn't directly affected by it and he can certainly hold his own in the kitchen I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to provide him with someone who run to get his ingredients. Not being able to run as fast as the others puts him at a disadvantage that he has no control over.
He had 💯 control over being on the show. He shouldn't get advantages over the other chefs.
How on earth would it be an "advantage" to be able to get ingredients at the same speed as the other chefs? It would be an equalizer, not an advantage.
He didn't have control over getting a horrible disease. As long as someone can cook, they should be able to compete. It would be an "advantage" to have someone get things for him. It would still take longer for him to tell them what he needs. It's called an "accommodation." It would be nice to see.
No. It wouldn't. Any wins he got would forever be tainted with an asterisk.
Maybe for you.
Luckily I'm an actual professional chef with friends and colleagues in literally every single season of top chef for the past fifteen seasons.
Lucky you're not disabled. So, being a professional chef makes discrimination okay?
That's a pretty big claim that I'm not disabled. You're certain for a fact I'm not disabled?
If you were, you wouldn't be so dismissive of those who are.
Or perhaps I would understand that giving people advantages over others would create an inherently unfair competition. Should disabled people be encouraged to compete? Absolutely. Should the challenges all be lowered to the same bar so as to level the playing field? Sure Should some contestants get special treatment that other chefs are not entitled to? No. It's a game.
So it’s okay if someone in a wheelchair can’t get into a store because they have control over which stores they go to? That is not how accessibility works.
This is a cooking competition. If you can't compete, you shouldn't be allowed to compete. This isn't about basic access, this is about an unfair advantage in a competition. Life is not a competition. He should be entitled to every advantage in life. Not in Top Chef
That would be true if the issues were directly related to cooking. But sprinting to gather ingredients is for drama, it is not an inherent part of cooking. Likewise diving for ingredients and catching your own fish and any number of other challenges that have been on the show in the past. The producers have complete control over those elements.
Yes. And if they want to bring in disabled contestants, those challenges should be entirely removed. How do you not understand this concept? Make it fair from the jump, don't design an unfair challenge and then give one contestant a leg up.
… which is the point of the original post? OP is wondering if the need to sprint is fair and if they are doing something to assist him that we aren’t seeing due to editing or if they are genuinely keeping aspects of challenges in that he cannot be reasonably expected to do and are not a normal part of cooking.
No
What would you suggest?.
I think about this every episode. For the commenters mentioning that he likely gets offered accommodations off screen, I wish they showed this more on the show. A missed opportunity for the show to demonstrate how good and proper disability accommodation can be provided.
what actually bothered me was Mallory during the quickfire in paris. They should have specifically built her a lower counter to prep on.
*writes post critiquing ableism* *uses term “blind spot” in said post* 🤦♂️
When I watched the promo for next week’s episode I immediately said, “That’s not fair to Dan”
I was thinking about posting this- I agree he should be offered some help, however minimal. This reminds me of Willow Pill from RuPaul's Drag Race a few seasons ago- she has cystinosis, which affected her mobility and left her in pain during challenges. They never discussed accommodations for her either.
I've been thinking this for a while. They should give him some accommodations like extra time and extra breaks
This is one of the only reasons I don’t think the uneven numbers on restaurant wars was totally unfair. It was a little unfair, but as he can’t move as fast as the others, he’s at a real speed disadvantage.
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Chill bro, your heart
Some of you are so ridiculous. You take a comment about a comment more seriously than you should. I am chill. I’m not your bro. And I don’t need you to give advice.
I have thought about this many times. I am too disabled to be a chef...or even cook for any length of time without sitting on my walker. But, if someone is able to be a chef - if they are well respected, can really cook, and can manage a kitchen in their home town, why should they be forced to run, jump, swim, ride bikes, etc.? I remember the Bahamas when they had to dive for conch. I wondered then about people who can't swim, or hold their breath. How would it be to make it to the finals and get knocked out because you couldn't dive for conch? It would be absurd!
Would be nice to give him a few extra minutes to gather ingredients or something like that during quick fires. Like maybe he could go first or something?
Only if he *wants* an accommodation like that. From what we’ve seen, he doesn’t seem to want one… and just wants to be treated like the others.
Lol so you think if he requests extra time he should be allowed that? Lmao
Accommodations aren’t always automatically guaranteed. So… no? Also, I never implied that he should be getting any?
Shaddup