Ok, for those who aren't sure what the original casting ad was, I still have it and here it is (note, it says 1. "up-and-coming bakers"; 2. "launch the career of a promising cake decorator and baker"; 3. "Break into this highly competitive culinary world"; 4. "Do you believe you have the skills and drive to graduate top of your class?"; 5. "Will feature weekly lessons". Why the heck to professionals need weekly lessons? Plus, they didn't have any lessons)
NOW CASTING!
FROM TLC AND THE CREATORS OF "" COMES A NEW BAKING COMPETITION SERIES.
ARE YOU THE NEXT GREAT CAKE ARTIST?
Are you a natural born baker or artist? Can you make amazing masterpieces, crazy confections, or over-the-top cakes? Could you be the next pastry guru?
If so, the producers of "" are currently casting outgoing and competitive up-and-coming bakers who want their big break with the help of the "" himself!
TLC and Buddy Valastro (the "") are looking to launch the career of a promising cake decorator and baker on a new baking competition series. Break into this highly competitive culinary world with the help of Buddy and his team! Do you believe you have the skills and drive to graduate top of your class?
This new baking competition series, hosted by Buddy and team will feature weekly lessons, challenges, and eliminations. 10 hopeful contenders will vie for cash and prizes. No culinary experience required!
If you still wonder if this is accurate, it's still online: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/cake-boss/casting.html
Omg--I think this thread is a train wreck!
The train wreck part to me is this further drama where people are revealing their personal disappointment in the show for not maintaining this expectation of moral untouchableness some kind of sugary high ground. It's like Buddy shot their puppy. Dude, it's a tv show. It's not a ministry of the Church of the Decorated Cake. Lighten up.
As I see your point, they do have a right to their own opinion.
Well yeah, me too--what?
I don't understand the personal grief.
Your right - you do and you have stated your opinion. As stated, I see your point.
Personal grief is just what you said "personal".
I mean how does one generate personal grief over a tv show?
And please don't just say it's generated personally. I mean to me it's ludicrous to be so ripped up devastated about this.
The only thing I can see that they even changed is that they are not showing the weekly lessons. Other than that it seems a matter of interpretation to what was posted upthread that I just reposted...
Omg--I think this thread is a train wreck!
The train wreck part to me is this further drama where people are revealing their personal disappointment in the show for not maintaining this expectation of moral untouchableness some kind of sugary high ground. It's like Buddy shot their puppy. Dude, it's a tv show. It's not a ministry of the Church of the Decorated Cake. Lighten up.
As I see your point, they do have a right to their own opinion.
Well yeah, me too--what?
I don't understand the personal grief.
Your right - you do and you have stated your opinion. As stated, I see your point.
Personal grief is just what you said "personal".
I mean how does one generate personal grief over a tv show?
And please don't just say it's generated personally. I mean to me it's ludicrous to be so ripped up devastated about this.
The only thing I can see that they even changed is that they are not showing the weekly lessons. Other than that it seems a matter of interpretation to what was posted upthread that I just reposted...
Unfortunately I dont feel comfortable about speaking for why this is being takin so personally by others. What I take away from what I read, at the end of a long day is this - cake decorators want to be taken seriously, and they do not like the way the contestants are being spoken to , etc. I dont recall devastation, only frustration.
The original ad, which I missed pointing out in being a specific point shown is: "No culinary experience required!" That isn't what happened.
I'm not so sure people are so up in arms over this, they are just giving an honest opinion of what they are seeing. I'm not taking it personally, and I'm not reading other posts that they are taking it personally either, (though I could be wrong), but are expressing their observations. No big devastating emotions.... Though I do feel bad for the treatment of the contestants participating.
Gotcha TClanton--ok so I think we just need thicker skin. I don't feel I am being mischaracterized in any way by that show. I'm not like that exactly although I can trash talk with the best of 'em. 
I mean Gordon Ramsay, whether you like him or not, has tv shows where he about has a heart attack and humiliates people big time--plus he's a sweet understanding lambchop on other shows. He is a big time chef and owner of many fancy schmancy places.
I'll tell yah what grates my nerves more than that is the show with Margie and her boss in Orange County Christopher Garrison's I think is the name--their attitude, their working relationship sickens me-- turns me off like a light switch. Schtick is much much different to me. Schtick might get down & dirty but is un-permanent--just for show.
And I'll go one further--it's Margie's boss' spirit that is at the root of that scorching rivalry that needs to be medicated.
Buddy's show is fluff compared to that ^^^ to me. Well then there's the even fluffier $50k not exactly shabby.
Guys, 'no culinary experience required' doesn't exclude it.
[quote="Tclanton"]
@cownsj Don't you know that you can't write an honest opinion on here without certain people taking it the wrong way or blowing something completely out of proportion.
[/quote
@cownsj Don't you know that you can't write an honest opinion on here without certain people taking it the wrong way or blowing something completely out of proportion.
That's true--from what I'm reading about the ad and the application--the word amateur was no where listed. That's the first place in this thread where it got blown outa proportion.
The application clearly asks,
"Did you graduate from culinary school? If yes, where and when? If no, do you consider yourself bakery/restaurant trained, self-taught or a combination?"
If they are asking if you received bakery training then it's a given that it's not exclusivley for unprofessionals therefore it's not only for amateurs.
THAT is what was someone else's interpretation that is out of proportion. More outrage was leveled against this so called devious point and that's chinese telephone.
I guess, -K8memphis, what I don't understand is why YOU seem to have such an issue with all of this.
I guess, -K8memphis, what I don't understand is why YOU seem to have such an issue with all of this.
Because it's been described as this deplorable switcheroo and there is no switcheroo.
Hey - maybe they should do a show for those of us who are 50 and older! That could be fun-ny! Geriatric Cake Artists! LOL
I think we should get together and pitch this to some producers.
We could get sponsors like Medic Alert and Depends and etc.
It was much more than that. They were sculpted, textured, colored and seemed perfectly engineered for the quick glimpse they gave.
We'll see next week... but from what we've seen so far I doubt it is anything done "perfectly". I know you love the show and all, but my expectations are not as high.
Me liking the show doesn't mean I think everything is wonderful and every cake is Kerry Vincent worthy. I just like it for entertainment. I like the drama of spitting out a cake like that in unusual conditions. I need to look at that clip again--
It's quite a few fondanted tiers, blue airbrushed around the bottom edge--then it looks like they took scissors and cut little points like you do for making pine cones. It does appear a bit unrefined--almost see the cake through there but at a distance I totally dig it. The topper looks rushed--looks like sticks coming out of a half orb or something.
-K8memphis, I think it's great that you like the show. I really do. What I find disturbing is the problems I see with the show, and yet I've watched two episodes of it..... 
I've even watched repeats to see if I'm missing something or misjudging and having a knee jerk reaction. Go figure.
I think the fact that they advertised stating that Buddy would be "teaching" a new technique each week, combined with everything else, is what makes believe this was intended for amateurs. I don't see a reason he would "need" to teach professionals, they are there to show what they know. And clearly, that is how the show has run, so far. So if he isn't teaching, and the original ad stated that would be part of the show, I take the sum of what I read, and yes, that is my interpretation of the ad.
Ok, Brian, I know you're reading this, so here goes -
That cake was as gorgeous as I anticipated it would be! Congratulations to you and your teammates for a TKO cake!
And yes, I do love it more in the white with blue. Anyone who has seen the gorgeous blue hue of an ice shelf or iceberg knows what I'm talking about.
Forget those fuddy-duddies who can't think outside the Christmas Gift Box - I don't think that design would have looked as good in green.
Theresa 
I can say that I really enjoyed this episode. I liked how well the guys' team worked together. Everyone contributed to the great outcome. I loved the cake, it was beautifully done.
Brian- I've never made a cake that big, but even I could see how important that support system was. You did great.
Dana's sugar decorations were superb as was his cooking. How great was that to have a chef on the team! He was classy- he helped the ladies move their cake and then split his 10K winnings with the team.
The guys really worked well together. You could see everyone focusing on their work and it showed in the results.
The ladies had a nice design but why did they not say anything to Joanna while she was stacking the cake? My knowledge of support systems is very limited, but it looked like she was using single layer cakeboards. Is that correct? They were bending under the cake as she was stacking them and it made me nervous. She did own up to it, though, and that's as it should be.
I hope that the show keeps improving.
I LOVED the blue and white Christmas tree cake, it was stunning! And in the background I thought I saw an artificial white tree!
I saw that, too. I thought it was silver, but either way, it wasn't green. Yes, there was another tree shown later, a green one, but the one we're writing about was taller.
Theresa
I did too--The boys' cake was the coolest Christmas tree cake I've ever seen. I was surprised that the sugar did not react to the warmth from the lights inside--that was way cool too.
I don't know if they went with the wood boards all the way up or the guy talked 'em into some foam core but the thick foam core would hold the upper tiers no problem. And you could switch to the thin for the highest tiers.
That Greggy's got a great eye for design. that was truly awesome to me.
I totally did not like it when the prize money was awarded and Buddy jerked it of their hands--so not cool.
I totally did not like it when the prize money was awarded and Buddy jerked it of their hands--so not cool.
I agree, but it's all about the drama, isn't it?
Theresa
yeah, I still don't like the show. I think I am going to have to stop watch all together. Last night was the first time I sat through a complete episode and it was more annoying than I thought. Like it couldn't decide to be a cheap rip-off of The Apprentice or Top Chef.
I only saw the last 10 minutes of the show, from when he took the 10 grand and offered it all to Dana. I knew Dana would share it, I never had a doubt. Later when it was rerun I kept falling asleep, only seeing bits and pieces.
These cakes were far and away their best efforts As for the lights, and since I didn't see that part, I'm going to guess they used LED light which don't get hot at all, not even warm. So they're safe to use in cake projects.
I do think the blue and white tree was much nicer than if they had done it in green. They went the right way on this one.
I totally did not like it when the prize money was awarded and Buddy jerked it of their hands--so not cool.
I think I see where they're going with this. On Cake Boss, Buddy's bakery is a high energy/emotional environment. They fight, yell, play pranks. The staff has to be willing to work together and work late to fill the orders. Buddy stresses that they are a family.
These "twists" seem to be a weeding out process. Buddy pushes them to see what they'll do. He wanted to see if Dana was willing to share his prize or keep it for himself.
In the previous shows, he wanted to see who would step up and who would let someone else take the fall. Also who was willing to walk away or stick it out.
Just my 2 cents.
1st off thanks for the positive comments!
There was a lot of design sharing and collaboration to make that tree cake happen. That isn't to say that it wasn't Jay's initial idea and Greggy's color scheme that we all played off of. It is true we worked well together. Even Jay's snippiness was not a big deal as we were working.
The tree had a 3/4 inch wood bottom and then we did use 3 ply cake drums for the remaining 8-9 tiers. The math of the structure was intense as the tree was really 4 feet tall and I had to MacGyver all of that onsite. Jay Doweled the hell out of it just to be sure.
Now for the relay race. What was not shown, was that when Jay picked up the 1st cake to cut, it broke into 3 pieces. He did his best to put it back together, but it was jacked. I tried to put it back in shape but one part kept sliding out. Nerves and stress got the best of me. I learned a lot from that experience.
Cool fact, we hadn't eaten in like 10-11 hrs when we were serving the food. I was about to tackle a guest and take their plate. We didn't get to eat any of it. It looked so good!
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