Top Chef: Portland's physical distancing makes no sense

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In the new season shot during the pandemic, there are scenes where the judges and contestants are close together and there are scenes of them socially distancing. As Andy Dehnart points out, Top Chef is sending mixed messages. "If you’re indoors, unmasked for a period of time, distance isn’t useful, because respiratory droplets travel like cigarette smoke does," says Dehnart. "Inside a locked-down set and with a cast and crew that was living together in a hotel, it’s not surprising that no one on Top Chef Portland is wearing masks. Because of the frequent testing, I certainly don’t expect anyone on screen to be physically distant from each other." Magical Elves COO Dan Murphy explained: “Safety of the cast and crew was our highest priority. Even though we were in a bubble and tested everyone regularly, we also socially distanced whenever possible out of an abundance of caution. Additionally, we implemented creative solutions like having the cast mic themselves, added fixed cameras, a longer judges table, and created crew pods to assist with tracking and tracing as added layers of protection.”

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