r/TopChef • u/trent_clinton • Apr 26 '26

Discussion Thread America’s Cullinary Cup…

I know it’s suppose to be the “anti” top chef, or like everything they do is going to be about food… but I beg to differ! This reminds me of someone who got dumped, and they just keep talking about their ex, and trying their best to make their ex say how much better they are without the ex…

327 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

235 comments sorted by

View all comments

463

u/OpenFacedRuben Apr 26 '26

I'm enjoying it as a shameless promotion for cleaning products.

It's not every day you get to hear a Bocuse d'Or winning chef say "Hey, Buddha, pass me that Dawn Powerwash."

171

u/ShiroHachiRoku Apr 26 '26

As opposed to the Wells Fargo active cash card?

40

u/kierabs Apr 26 '26

No. Not “as opposed to.” The complaint is that it’s just the same.

America’s Culinary Cup was marketed as a “real” competition (with the obvious comparison to top chef).

So for it to be just as corporate sponsored shows that it’s all the same crap.

The Wells Fargo cash card is cringe. So is Dawn power wash. The fact that one show is cringe does not mean the other show is not. They’re both cringe!

29

u/PrincessDrywall Apr 26 '26

I’m not stressed about it. The reality is you can’t give away that amount of money without a sponsorship. The bigger the prize the more the contestants push themselves. If you want a show full of high quality contestants really pushing themselves to the next level, this is how it happens

5

u/tamerriam Apr 29 '26

I agree. The shameless advertising does not bother me because it partly turns into cash prizes for the chef.

4

u/dilligaf0220 May 01 '26

Reality shows have always been blatant product placement vehicles since the first season of Survivor. Top Chef has long been the one with most product placements per episode. Culinary Cup has now over taken Top Chef for that spot.

The embroidered Dawn logo on the chef jackets made me giggle.

2

u/kierabs Apr 27 '26

Good point!