Seattle native drops a bombshell on 'Top Chef'

[TechBear_Seattle]

Seattle native drops a bombshell on 'Top Chef'

Soufflés may not be Zoi Antonitsas' strongest dish, but by the end of Wednesday's season premiere of "Top Chef: Chicago" she had risen above the competition -- at least in memorable first impressions -- because of a bombshell dropped during the contestants' introductory lunch.

The camera-shy Seattle native divulged that she and one of the other contestants -- another woman -- are a couple.

Antonitsas, 30, and Jennifer Biesty, 35, came out to the 14 other chefs competing in the fourth season of one of Bravo TV's more popular reality shows. The other competitors took it well, and a text poll done during the show revealed 77 percent of viewers taking part did not think it was an unfair advantage to be a couple on the show.

...

However, some queries about Antonitsas and her relationship with Biesty, and whether Bravo knew of the relationship when they were chosen, were not answered Thursday.

"We can't answer those questions," Bravo's Cynthia Arntzen said. "We'd like those answers to be revealed to viewers as they watch."

The full article is available from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/354938_zoi14.html

Damn! Just after I've satisfied my last Bravo! addiction (Project Runway, Season 4) now I have to start watching Top Chef. It just isn't fair that the new episodes are so damned late in the middle of the week!

[ensho]

1. I watched and thought everything went well.

the other contestents didn't seem bothered by the couple in any way. nor the judges while judging.
(wish Top Chef would consider vegatarians now and again, same with Iron Chef)

I too enjoy Project Runway

[Lannigan]

2. Good show

We like this one. I don't know that classifying it as a 'bombshell' is accurate though. I think Bravo made it a dramatic moment, but really it was so mundane to me.

Maybe I'm just spoiled now that there have been "gay shows" on TV...I'm desensitized to it - too much L Word?

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. I don't think it is a matter of gay shows

It is a show with very widespread popular appeal where the focus is not on sexuality.

I very much like the idea of presenting gay people not as party animals and out-of-control addicts (as on Real World, Survivor and other "reality" shows) or beautiful people who are shallower than a mud puddle (see any of the many modeling shows) but as skilled, professional adults who have trained for a career and love it so much that they will compete in a high profile contest that stretches their abilities.

I know that there have been gay contestants on Top Chef before: the woman who was the target of a hate crime in New York not too long ago, and a man who made the final contest last season who mentioned having a boyfriend in the "personal commentaries" that pepper the show. But this is the first time where being gay has been an issue, and it will be very interesting to see how the strain of a competition like this will affect the relationship. Yeah, it smacks of lowbrow hype, but even so, it is far above everything else on television.

[Lannigan]

4. 110% agree

It was so 'normal' that it was definitely not a bombshell. Nice, for once!!!

[mondo joe]

5. That was fun. My partner worked with her briefly at the Tom Douglas restaurants in Seattle.

I thought he was kidding when he said he knew someone on Top Chef this season.

[davidinalameda]

6. I saw something about this on one of the 365gay sites

[Moloch]

7. Is this really a bombshell?

Gay and Lesbian people are out everywhere. Things like this shouldn't be a shock to anyone because it is normal. Its not as if this is the 1950s and we need to hide from self-hating fuckers like J. Edgar Hoover and Roy Cohn.

[moose65]

8. It's not a bombshell

Bravo is the gayest network on TV. It's even gayer than Logo!! All of their shows have gay participants. On "Project Runway" it's a bombshell if a guy is straight! "Make Me a Super Model" has all kinds of homoerotic undertones, and of course "Queer Eye" speaks for itself! The winner of "Top Design" or whatever it was called is gay, and there have been several gay contestants on "Top Chef" and they catered a gay wedding in one of the first season episodes. Then there's that show about the lesbian gym/workout thing, and the main character on "Flipping Out" was a neurotic gay man. I'd say they've covered all the bases!

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. Hey, I didn't write the headlines

:hi:

[dsc]

10. I know

Ben needs to leave his wife for Rick they make a nuclear hot couple. Project Runways winners have been half gay.

[moose65]

11. do you mean Ben and Ronnie?

On "Super Model"? Ronnie is so obviously smitten with Ben, it's pathetic! Ben comes across as redneck, angry, and alternately bi-curious! LOL. I'm sure they've edited it to make him seem that way. I like Perry, too, although he is supposedly straight as an arrow and has that bitch as a girlfriend. The photo shoot where he and Casey had to "play gay" was HOT!!

[dsc]

12. yeah I meant Ronnie

and that photo shoot was very hot. I wouldn't kick any of those dudes out of my bed that is for sure.

[moose65]

13. LOL!

I thought Ronnie was gonna cream his pants last week when he got to sorta-kinda make out with Ben for about 20 seconds in that photo shoot. Come on, Ronnie.... don't waste your time on a straight man. There are plenty of hot gays out there!