Bravo's silence over Top Chef winner Gabe Erales' sexual misconduct controversy is "pretty pathetic"

The Daily Beast

"This is just the latest in a long line of troubling if not straight-up predatory contestants appearing on reality television and the 'adults in the room' failing to do their due diligence," says Elizabeth Hunt Brockway, pointing out that Erales is the latest in a string of sexual predators plaguing reality television. "Perhaps that is, unfortunately, true to reality," says Brockway. "But this genre of television has never seemed to have an issue with editing around problems that might otherwise hurt their final product. Reality-television audiences tend to skew predominantly female, particularly in the cooking and competition sub-genres. Given that the vast majority of women have experienced some kind of unwanted sexual advances in their lives, it’s safe to assume that a staggering number of these shows’ viewers have themselves been victims of sexual harassment or assault. And that’s not taking into consideration the 43 percent of men in the United States who report being victims as well, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The restaurant and food world are no exception to this disheartening reality. In fact, when it comes to women reporting sexual harassment in the workplace, all other industries pale in comparison. With these sobering statistics in mind, it feels particularly egregious for a show like Top Chef to cast contestants or include storylines featuring sexual harassment or assault of any nature. Where Top Chef differs from other reality shows is in the level of sophistication and legitimate influence it carries in its featured field. The show seems to be aware of this power and both its host and head judge have spoken out in support of women previously. I respect Tom Colicchio for his frank admissions of insufficient action amid the restaurant industry’s #MeToo reckoning. I admire Padma for speaking openly about some of her own experiences. And yet, Season 18 of Top Chef will forever be known as the season where a creep won."