Masterchef Junior

At first blush FOX's Masterchef Junior, a cooking competition for eight to 13-year-olds that's pulling in good ratings for FOX, should raise red flags. Kids participate in an intense competition with tough judges in front of millions of viewers where every week someone gets the axe. Isn't this child exploitation? 

Masterchef Junior airs Fridays on Fox. The first four episodes can be viewed online for free on Fox's web site or Hulu:
Episode One, Here Come the Kids
Episode Two, School's Out
Episode Three, Whip It
Episode Four, Bad Food

Australia had their own version of the show in 2010, and viewers were concerned even then. “All but one [of these kids] will ultimately fail,” said Dr. Guy Redden, of the department of gender and cultural studies at the University of Sydney. “Adults living in a capitalist society are familiar with high-stakes, winner-takes-all competition and are better placed to deal it,” he says. “I’d question whether most adults would feel comfortable watching kids on such an emotional roller-coaster.” However columnist and mom Angela Mollard says failure isn't such a bad thing for kids. We coddle kids too much, she claims, and don't let them learn that sometimes in life you won't get a trophy. She saw nothing exploitive about a friendly cooking competition. Rather, she said it was character building. 

Australian producers said they were very concerned with making sure the contestants were not exploited: “Once the kids are selected to go into the Top 50 they undergo a series of psychological evaluations. It deals with IQ, communication skills, self-awareness, and resiliency," explained Executive Producer Nick Colquhoun. “They need to be able to communicate a passion for food in order for the process to be enjoyable and they need a level of confidence. If there are signs they wouldn’t cope because they don’t have the self-confidence and it might affect them if they don’t win a challenge, then based on that advice we might not put them into the competition. By the time they arrive we’re confident they’re going to have the capacity to enjoy the process. People enjoy it because there is a sense of positivity to it.” Visitors to the set noted the children were carefree and playful, and got along well with each other. 

Arguably, any time minors appear on television it's exploitation, but it's clear the American version of Masterchef Junior is also taking great pains to treat the children with "kid gloves." There is no yelling and screaming or anger. Their dishes are praised for all their good points, and any sour notes are explained in a gentle way with advice on how to improve next time.  We see a different side to Gordon Ramsay, the crass British host with a notorious temper.  He tells Jack, one of the most talented pint-sized chefs, that he reminds him of his son. His son's name is also Jack and he loves to cook. (We're betting some viewers didn't even know the tough ole bird had kids--we didn't.) Ramsay shows he can be a good sport too, allowing the kids to dump

under-whipped cream on his head (It wasn't just a food fight. It was a lesson in stiff peaks.). When the kids are making cakes, one of the girls makes a grave mistake halfway through the recipe and starts crying. Ramsay tells her to take a deep breath and wipe her tears, then jumps in and helps her start over, calmly reminding her she still has plenty of time. Ultimately she was sent home, but not before the judges emphasized how incredible a chef she is.

The show is shot exclusively in the studio. It doesn't peek into the children's homes, schools, or private lives. The information revealed about the children only relates to cooking--what they are good at now and what they want to do in the future with their talents. Thus far, anything else has remained strictly off limits. We don't even know where many of the children are from. The cash prize was not mentioned to the children until the competition was well underway. They were only told about the trophy at first.

The kids themselves are wildly talented, with most of them able to pull off a perfect beef Wellington, grilling and frying, various difficult desserts, seafood and dishes with exotic ingredients. 

Surprisingly, Masterchef Junior has turned out to be a show that suggests reality T.V.'s true potential:  less trash and fighting and more raw talent; respect for fellow competitors, and fun. Said one commentor on Entertainment Weekly: "Everyone should be watching Masterchef Junior. These kids are much more mature than many of their adult counterparts on the regular show. They all feel badly for those not moving on and want to win on their own merit."