Zing!

Continuing from my last entry, one of my favorite reality shows is Top Chef. And not because I have anything to do with cooking; I just find it very enjoyable to watch. The cheftestants are interesting (oops, I have to be careful about using that word, it's not a favorite when used by a judge when describing a dish), and the challenges that they are asked to perform are exceedingly difficult.

A production value from Top Chef that I enjoy is the effect that is used when either going to a commercial or coming back from one - the cooking knife moving vertically into the Top Chef logo while being punctuated by the sound effect 'zing!' But like most everything else, I only enjoy it in moderation, such as on this show.

And when is it not used in moderation? Well, and I am referring to the sound effect in particular, it is used excessively on Iron Chef America. Ugh... I can't even stand to watch that show at all due to the incessant use of that sound effect. Like an exclamation point, it is fine when adding occasional emphasis, but overuse something and I'm turning the channel. That sound is used over and over again: when compiling lists of ingredients, cutting from one shot to another, when introducing the judges for the episode, it just doesn't stop. An effect that I normally like becomes something quite upsetting.

Whenever I happen to catch the original Iron Chef, I enjoy the show quite a bit even though it is shown using voiceovers and the occasional subtitle. I'm sure that I would enjoy Iron Chef America if not for those awful 'zings' that drive me crazy. I like the format of the show and am even familiar with some of the Iron Chefs.

On the other hand, I suppose it is one less reason for me to spend so much time sitting in front of the television.