So Ummm - Amy's Baking Company Episode - Zowie !

[Nazgul Girl]

   I've seen some references on here about Amy's Baking Company ( and restaurant ) in Scottsdale, and the controversial Chef Ramsay episode.   We had never actually seen the initial episode until tonight.   ( Evidently there is a 2nd follow-up episode, but BBC America didn't air it tonight ).

   All we could say was just " Wow ! ".   That's a beautiful facility that they have created, but they are both crazy.   He admits to stealing the tips from the waitstaff, she lies about their restaurant food not being bought ready-made and frozen.   We think that there must be a thirty-year age difference between them, and that he's kind of trapped.   He's evidently gone through a lot of money to open up the place, and keep it open.   If he builds custom houses, which is where he said he'd made his money, he's not building them now.   He's too busy punching in rinky-dink dinner orders for her and trying to keep her from overwhelming.   If he wasn't so nasty himself toward the customers trying to get out of the restaurant, I'd actually feel sorry for him.   He's in over his head, and he seems to be very worn out.

   Amy's personality reminds us of the batshit crazy attorney from hell who persecuted my husband and eventually, me, for almost twelve years after he started resisting her draining his money from him by bilking him into real estate deals, and then persecuting us by filing numerous lawsuits against us over the years.   Amy is the closest representation of that type of personality I've seen on tv.  The ex-attorney ( lost her license ) is actually worse.   But, Amy's getting there.  

  Altogether, it was an amazing show.   

[milee]

Nazgul, when we went to visit my sister in Phoenix last year, I couldn't resist. We did a field trip to have dessert at Amy's. My sister chickened out, so it was just my boys and me. 

Although we were expecting sparks, it was a very low key encounter. Nobody else in the restaurant and both Amy and Samy came out to talk to the boys at length. They were both kind to the boys (although my boys were also very polite so it wasn't like anything controversial was happening to provoke them.) And no idea if she made it or if it was purchased, but the desserts - we got two and shared them between the three of us - were fantastic. And I'm well-traveled and very picky, so I don't say that easily. So if I hadn't seen that Kitchen Nightmares episode, would have had no clue anything was amiss.

A few months later, I let the boys watch parts of that KN episode and they were surprised it was the same people who had been so nice to them.  It was a good chance to talk about self control and how important it is to stay cool under pressure; they got it.

[Nazgul Girl]

   I'm glad that you and your boys had a good experience at the restaurant.   I do believe that their desserts are probably very good.   I think they should be glad that people like you would take a chance on them !   

[happyhoix]

A few months later, I let the boys watch parts of that KN episode and they were surprised it was the same people who had been so nice to them.

I haven't seen this particular show, but I often wonder how much of those shows are actually real and how much is exagerated for the camera.

I've seen some episodes of that scary woman who makes over hair salons, and some of that scary guy who makes over restaurants, and some of that scary lady who makes over bakeries (Why are these scary people so often British) and the way some of the owners behave, and some of the employees behave, I can't believe those places would actually be in business. I wonder how much of that is done for show.

[Phoenix84]

May 9, 2014 12:00:05 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

A few months later, I let the boys watch parts of that KN episode and they were surprised it was the same people who had been so nice to them.

I haven't seen this particular show, but I often wonder how much of those shows are actually real and how much is exagerated for the camera.

I've seen some episodes of that scary woman who makes over hair salons, and some of that scary guy who makes over restaurants, and some of that scary lady who makes over bakeries (Why are these scary people so often British) and the way some of the owners behave, and some of the employees behave, I can't believe those places would actually be in business. I wonder how much of that is done for show.

I have often thought that a lot of "reaility tv" is probably staged and the drama is artificial.

These people know they are being filmed and they have to keep it entertaining for the ratings.

[CarolinaKat]

May 9, 2014 13:27:19 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

May 9, 2014 12:00:05 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

I haven't seen this particular show, but I often wonder how much of those shows are actually real and how much is exagerated for the camera.

I've seen some episodes of that scary woman who makes over hair salons, and some of that scary guy who makes over restaurants, and some of that scary lady who makes over bakeries (Why are these scary people so often British) and the way some of the owners behave, and some of the employees behave, I can't believe those places would actually be in business. I wonder how much of that is done for show.

I have often thought that a lot of "reaility tv" is probably staged and the drama is artificial.

These people know they are being filmed and they have to keep it entertaining for the ratings.

Ramsey walked out on these people. That's a new one.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I saw the original Kitchen Nightmares where Ramsey walked out the first time. I also saw the second one, where Kitchen Nightmares went back.

When I saw the first one, I got the niggling feeling that they were setting up KN and going to use them for publicity. After the second show, I was sure.

Yeah, both of the owners are nuts. But their craziness has put their restaurant on the map and has gotten people talking about it. AND it has gotten people in the door, and that's the goal of a restaurant, to get customers.

[Shooby]

I would like to know if she makes all the desserts?

[8 Bit WWBG]

Is it related to the Amy's frozen products in the grocery store?

One of the consequences of cutting cable is that there are so many of these shows I'd just love to watch.  I need to save them for the gym or something (and if I watched them all while doing cardio, I'd be ridiculously fit!).

I want to watch some of the pawn shows.  Some I've heard are quite staged, but others are not?  Unsure...

[Chocolate Lover]

WWBG, this one is on network television. I watch it every Friday night.

[milee]

May 9, 2014 13:37:21 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I would like to know if she makes all the desserts?

No idea. If she doesn't, she has a source that's better than just about everywhere else in Phoenix that I've encountered.  And again, I'm picky.

My youngest likes to bake and asked her specific questions about one of the really good ones we tried.  She may have been lying, but she did say she made it herself and described some of the ingredients and techniques.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 8, 2014 21:43:47 GMT -5 milee said:

Nazgul, when we went to visit my sister in Phoenix last year, I couldn't resist. We did a field trip to have dessert at Amy's. My sister chickened out, so it was just my boys and me. 

Although we were expecting sparks, it was a very low key encounter. Nobody else in the restaurant and both Amy and Samy came out to talk to the boys at length. They were both kind to the boys (although my boys were also very polite so it wasn't like anything controversial was happening to provoke them.) And no idea if she made it or if it was purchased, but the desserts - we got two and shared them between the three of us - were fantastic. And I'm well-traveled and very picky, so I don't say that easily. So if I hadn't seen that Kitchen Nightmares episode, would have had no clue anything was amiss.

A few months later, I let the boys watch parts of that KN episode and they were surprised it was the same people who had been so nice to them.  It was a good chance to talk about self control and how important it is to stay cool under pressure; they got it.

The fact that you went there to check things out and found things apparently 'normal' adds more proof to my brain that the show that they put on for KN was an act.

[milee]

May 9, 2014 15:48:09 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

May 8, 2014 21:43:47 GMT -5 milee said:

Nazgul, when we went to visit my sister in Phoenix last year, I couldn't resist. We did a field trip to have dessert at Amy's. My sister chickened out, so it was just my boys and me. 

Although we were expecting sparks, it was a very low key encounter. Nobody else in the restaurant and both Amy and Samy came out to talk to the boys at length. They were both kind to the boys (although my boys were also very polite so it wasn't like anything controversial was happening to provoke them.) And no idea if she made it or if it was purchased, but the desserts - we got two and shared them between the three of us - were fantastic. And I'm well-traveled and very picky, so I don't say that easily. So if I hadn't seen that Kitchen Nightmares episode, would have had no clue anything was amiss.

A few months later, I let the boys watch parts of that KN episode and they were surprised it was the same people who had been so nice to them.  It was a good chance to talk about self control and how important it is to stay cool under pressure; they got it.

The fact that you went there to check things out and found things apparently 'normal' adds more proof to my brain that the show that they put on for KN was an act.

Hard to tell.  We weren't causing any trouble - just a mom with two cute, polite little guys (they're heathens at home but they know if they misbehave in public they will die a slow and painful death... ) so it's not like there was anything to stir up emotions to see how they'd react.  Honestly, pretty much everybody is nice to my boys.

I'm hardly an expert here, but after seeing the KN and seeing them on Dr Phil, I think it's a combination of things.  They seem to be very reactive people and - possibly because of some other events - also very defensive.  So whenever anything outside the normal happens, instead of being able to listen to feedback and do some self-evaluation, they fly off the handle, go on the attack and get very aggressive mostly because that's their form of self-defense.  What may have kicked it off was a bad Yelp review where instead of shrugging it off, they decided to respond inappropriately.  Other people on the internet saw their crazy response and joined in the attack against them and unfortunately then Amy and Samy upped the ante by increasing their level of crazy.  Instead of just ignoring the internet stuff, they went on full scale offense, which again only served to make things worse as internet trolls joined in the fun.  As things got more and more heated, their responses to normal customers probably also got wildly inappropriate as instead of reacting to that specific customer complaint, they instantly went into defense/attack/crazy mode at every perceived complaint and slight.  And so on until the bonfire went national.

Do I think they behave crazily 24/7?  No.  My guess is that the footage for KN was obtained after the bonfire was at its peak and was stitched together out of many hours of footage taken over several weeks.  So it compresses the crazy and makes it look more concentrated.  That being said, I don't think it was acting or digitally created, so do think they had to have behaved like that, which is inappropriate even if it's over a long period of time.  Think about it.  If someone filmed you for three solid weeks, they could probably put together an hour show that put you in a pretty unflattering light by being selective with what they chose to show.  On the other hand, there's only so much they have to work with and they can't show you yelling curses unless you actually did that at some point. 

[Nazgul Girl]

   Well, well, well.    Both of them are crooks, according to what I've read.   News stories and tv clips I found state that he is from Morocco, but is an Israeli citizen, and is being deported ( his case is on appeal right now) due to his lying about convictions for selling drugs and serving time in prison when he filled out the forms for his emigration to the U.S.   

   She went to prison for 14 months for bank fraud in 2003.   So, she's a damned crook, too.   No wonder they steal the waitstaff's tips.

  www.ibtimes.com/amys-baking-company-co-owner-samy-bouzaglo-facing-deportation-after-kitchen-nightmares-appearance

  www.haaretz.com/blogs/routine-emergencies/could-u-s-reality-star-samy-bouzaglo-become-israel-s-kitchen-nightmare.premium-1.525617

  www.findforms.com/pdf_files/azd/20255/86-1.pdf

Geeze, Louise.   Or perhaps, Geeze, Louse.

[Shooby]

Wow! lol The beat goes on!

As for the you show being "staged", I do think reality shows of course are going to show more volatile moments. But, I think that is just who they are. When they were on DR. Phil, neither of them had any insight whatsoever that their behavior is only making their problems worse. They want to be "right fighters" as Dr. Phil calls it.

[Nazgul Girl]

  I agree with what you wrote, Shooby.   I think they both know that they've been criminals in the past, for whatever set of reasons they can rationalize, and they fight now to keep anything negative being said or written about them, since they don't want *any* questions being asked about themselves.   

[happyhoix]

May 9, 2014 13:41:29 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Is it related to the Amy's frozen products in the grocery store?

One of the consequences of cutting cable is that there are so many of these shows I'd just love to watch.  I need to save them for the gym or something (and if I watched them all while doing cardio, I'd be ridiculously fit!).

I want to watch some of the pawn shows.  Some I've heard are quite staged, but others are not?  Unsure...

I've watched Pawn Stars some and that seems very staged. Probably the producers check out people bringing stuff into the shop to be pawned and decide which ones they want to have come back when the cameras are rolling. It makes me suspicious when the pawn shop owner can look at an item and spout off a five minute lecture about some obscure part of American history - surely he had an opportunity to go google it before they started taping.

I've heard the storage auction shows are also staged, the producers will take a crappy storage room and randomly hide some valuable antique in it for the purchaser to find and take to an expert for an appraisal. I understand how they would want to do that in order to make the show excited, though - who wants to watch an hour of someone digging through boxes of old tools and bags of used cothing?

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

May 13, 2014 10:26:42 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

May 9, 2014 13:41:29 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Is it related to the Amy's frozen products in the grocery store?

One of the consequences of cutting cable is that there are so many of these shows I'd just love to watch.  I need to save them for the gym or something (and if I watched them all while doing cardio, I'd be ridiculously fit!).

I want to watch some of the pawn shows.  Some I've heard are quite staged, but others are not?  Unsure...

I've watched Pawn Stars some and that seems very staged. Probably the producers check out people bringing stuff into the shop to be pawned and decide which ones they want to have come back when the cameras are rolling. It makes me suspicious when the pawn shop owner can look at an item and spout off a five minute lecture about some obscure part of American history - surely he had an opportunity to go google it before they started taping.

I've heard the storage auction shows are also staged, the producers will take a crappy storage room and randomly hide some valuable antique in it for the purchaser to find and take to an expert for an appraisal. I understand how they would want to do that in order to make the show excited, though - who wants to watch an hour of someone digging through boxes of old tools and bags of used cothing?

My mom likes those shows, and I haven't had the heart to tell her that the producers seed the units with valuable stuff.  Or that the people on House Hunters have already bought the house before they tape those shows. 

[CarolinaKat]

May 13, 2014 10:26:42 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

May 9, 2014 13:41:29 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Is it related to the Amy's frozen products in the grocery store?

One of the consequences of cutting cable is that there are so many of these shows I'd just love to watch.  I need to save them for the gym or something (and if I watched them all while doing cardio, I'd be ridiculously fit!).

I want to watch some of the pawn shows.  Some I've heard are quite staged, but others are not?  Unsure...

I've watched Pawn Stars some and that seems very staged. Probably the producers check out people bringing stuff into the shop to be pawned and decide which ones they want to have come back when the cameras are rolling. It makes me suspicious when the pawn shop owner can look at an item and spout off a five minute lecture about some obscure part of American history - surely he had an opportunity to go google it before they started taping.

I've heard the storage auction shows are also staged, the producers will take a crappy storage room and randomly hide some valuable antique in it for the purchaser to find and take to an expert for an appraisal. I understand how they would want to do that in order to make the show excited, though - who wants to watch an hour of someone digging through boxes of old tools and bags of used cothing?

The earlier Pawn Stars are different from the current ones. I'm sure they see people with interesting thigns and have them come back when the cameras are ready. I've also heard the main guys from the show aren't there very much anymore unless they are filming. I somehow find 'oh that's a cool thing, come back between 8 and noon next tuesday' less sleazy than outright putting things of value in untis or having house hunters show 'options' that are not houses for sale

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I read Rick from Pawn Star's autobiography and it's really interesting how they have to tape the show in order to comply with pawn laws in Vegas.

Yes the show is "staged" but he said they are all real customers that come into his shop.  He gets a lot more interesting stuff since the show aired but most of the day to day stuff is your usual pawn business.  

They only film on certain days and then they pick which sells to highlight.  The experts coming in is often staged, he said he doesn't need them all the time but fans like it and the experts enjoy it. 

The reason it tends to always seem like people are selling is by law they can't film pawn transactions unless the customer consents.  Your average pawn client is not going to consent to being on camera  Selling is fair game.

It's why they aren't at the stores much anymore either.  By law they can't handle a lot of the transactions due to filming and he said the huge glut of fans who shows up are starting to interfere with regular business, so they make scheduled front of house appearances.

Shouldn't have been a shocker to anyone that Storage Wars was fake.  The ones on TruTV are even worse.

[happyhoix]

Shouldn't have been a shocker to anyone that Storage Wars was fake.

Just listening to the cast members talking smack-talk about each other seems to be an obvious tip off to me.  

I can't see many people who would get that bent out of shape competing for the contents of a storage locker - the producers must be standing behind the cameras egging them on.

I watched about 5 minutes of that Toddlers and Tiaras show (about 5 minutes is the absolute limit for me, because it seems either like child abuse or 'how to raise a hopelessly bratty kid') and there was this really awful mom who nearly got into a fist fight with the pagent director and several moms while she was signing into the event. Screaming at the top of her lungs about how she was going to kick someone's ass while holding her little girl. Security had to be called.

I truly hope nothing about that show is real, because it's too terrifying to contemplate.