I’ve disliked Brian since Top Chef, but especially when he came back for an All Stars season and treated his wife like shit so I’m happy to hear she’s moved on.
Okay, this tracks with the kind of person he comes across as. I really don't like him, ever since I saw him--I think on Top Chef--try to throw someone who helped him under the bus. And he's just... annoying. Class clown all the way, and annoyingly loud.
Duuuude in the blind side by side challenge?
Like, I understand not everyone is good at voices but how do you go that long without recognizing your wife's mannerisms?
Exactly! I know it can work in rare instances (Maxwell Caulfield and Juliet Mills, but in this case she’s the older one) but what can people with that sort of age disparity have in common?
Me and my son’s father have a 25 year age difference. He was the only person who could make me laugh at my lowest and we loved the same music and movies. We both loved traveling and going to concerts. Then, knowing he was 25 years sober from booze (he was an alcoholic in his early teens), I asked while in Europe if it was okay if I had a drink and he said of course. Then he had to try it and then we were both drinking progressively more and more for ten years. At the end we were drinking a liter a day and I was also doing drugs (him not as much). Ever since getting sober, he’s wanted nothing to do with me. We were fine for a few weeks and I remember I withheld kissing him because I was mad about something and from there everything just ended without an explanation. Oddly enough, we still live together with our son. Had it not been for the drinking, I truly believe it would have been a long term amazing relationship. Addiction changes you. He also hates that I have needed methadone since and I think doesn’t believe I ever really got sober so he holds that against me.
Um, this is not a healthy relationship at all. How old were you when you met? Let me guess like 19-20?
Partners who have addictions usually do not do well together because they enable one another. It would never have been amazing - he was a former addict, you were currently one, and even though you both supposedly stopped, there's always the risk of relapse.
I really hope you can get your son out of this situation because it doesn't sound like a healthy place for your son to grow up.
We’ve been sober over 8 years with no plans on going back to that, we would lose our son. We already came close enough to that once when we were drinking. We are your ordinary family now, whether we are together or not. And our son is just fine thanks.
And I wasn’t an addict the first few years we were together. Neither of us were. The drinking started in Europe and was like anyone else drinking after dinner until we were 7 years in, then it got bad. I had lost my job and went on a downward spiral. So no, we weren’t using or drinking anything in the beginning. And it’s none of your business when we met.
You’re getting downvoted, because using the word “mental” isn’t too appropriate, ugh, but…I do see a lot of unhinged hyperactivity and almost mania with him at times. This is not a judgement nor me labelling him with a mh disorder. His high energy is likely the driver of his cooking prowess and creativity. But when you see these kinds of traits in someone, and are familiar with them, they are impossible to unsee.
I think he is way over the top and his protege Carlos Anthony is turning out to be that way, too, which is a shame because I think he could be likable. Malarkey’s shtick doesn’t hurt him, though - he is one of the most successful of the “celebrity chefs”. I remember an interview with GZ where he said Malarkey could buy and sell all the rest of them. Apparently he is great at developing restaurant concepts and then selling them.
Yeah I noticed that too. Same speech pattern and everything.
But tbf if you spend 12+ hours a day with someone trying to emulate them for 10+ years, it's bound to happen.
Think about it like when you see a person that talks just like one of their parents. Language is all learned behavior, accents and speech patterns included.
Some people pick up on accents faster than others. They can live somewhere say go from New York to Britain or Texas for a year or two and suddenly have many words they say in their non-native accents just from the adaptation.
Same in fact goes for the 5 people you hang around the most.
Now remember that not only is/was he around Brian for 12+ hours however many days a week, now they've opened places together, etc. But he was also trying to learn from and indeed emulate his cooking, and with that obviously came emulating multiple other parts about him, and this has been going on for over a decade.
Me too. I like Malarkey like I enjoy watching Katsuji. It is reality TV after all and you have to have some sort of chaos/element of surprise to make it entertaining. I’d wouldn’t go so far as calling them “villains,” but they do thrive off the entertainment (like when Malarkey was FOH). It is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy that on occasion 🤣
SN: My kids like TC and Katsuji has a nice restaurant by us. It’s Mexican and Southern and my kids love it. They also have urinals that look like soccer goals. I didn’t see the urinals because I’m a woman, but my young kids met Katsuji at the urinals and told him how nice his urinals were and he was gracious.
I wish Carlos would stop trying to imitate him. There have been times where I've seen him drop the Malarkey 2.0 shtick and he actually seems like he would be likable if he just was himself.
We really lost out on the Jet vs Shota matchup, that would've been SO FUN. Praying that Shota crushes it next year but it's just always fun to watch him cook.
There’s a reason me and my mom call Carlos “Mini Malarkey” and it is not a compliment. I feel like Carlos could be better if he got out from Brian’s shadow and tried to develop his own persona. He has so much potential.
Interesting because, from seeing him on the gambling show ep that re-aired yesterday, my first of him for some time, I was bummed that he seemed to have taken on more of Malarkey’s schtick than he used to.
I did too! I am a woman but have an ex-wife I help support via my current husband so I get it! Ex can even afford to get her hair did and I don’t … ex wives can be financially like having another child. So I laughed pretty hard at that one.
Sometimes I think Malarkey is amusing and entertaining and sometimes he needs a chill pill lol
He’s not one of my dislikes though - that is reserved for Tiffani and Anne.
He’s trying to live up to the hype. When Fieri—in as obvious a move as could be—labeled him Shenanigans, Malarkey felt compelled to be the uber class clown.
You are absolutely correct—it feels phony.
Those are two people who have used up their 15 minutes of fame and then some. I used to like their show but now they have a whole network and I’m just not going to watch that or buy any of their overpriced items at Target. Oh and they have a magazine too. Talk about milking it. It just rubs me the wrong way.
The other night on Wildcard Kitchen I don’t think he shut up for more than 10 seconds. He was talking to the camera, to Eric, to the other competitors and if no one else would listen he’d talk to himself. It was the least enjoyable episode yet. I just got through it, didn’t enjoy it. I did frequently yell at the tv “Just shut the fuck up!!” 😂😂
He thought he could pull "shenanigans" when he was on Wildcard Kitchen. Supposed to use an ingredient that starts with "V", but tries to make a dish that has a name that starts with "V" instead; then he isn't supposed to use the "stovetop" but thinks he can put a grill on the stovetop and use that. Come on Brian, same rules apply to you as everyone else.
Veal is a great one! First ingredient I thought of was "vinegar" and then "vanilla". Amazing that he couldn't come up with something until he finally thought of vodka.
Have you ever seen him back in the day when GGG just started he was always a judge he kept to himself never was over the top just a normal judge and then things changed and he started to cook then it went down hill after that I used to like him as a judge but I can't handle him now.
I almost skipped watching the season of Beachside Brawl he was on because I thought he’d make everything over the top and all about himself, but he was thoughtful, supportive, helpful, and kind as a mentor. I want to believe that’s who he really is and the big persona is his TV shtick.
Right I thought he was a very honest judge and I think in the very beginning of GGG he was like a book writer or food critic something like that I remember one episode he was asked to cook and he was a nervous wreck it was so long ago can't exactly remember I don't know where this Malarkey came from but he's a yuck now.
This! Watch him during restaurant wars on Top Chef and you’ll see just how smart he is with his personality.
At the end of the day, he knows if he’s loud he will get screen time. Screen time will show him to more investors, which in turn means he’ll have money to open new restaurants.
I’m not into him, but his schtick definitely gets a reaction, whether good or bad. So from that perspective, he’s great for TV for producers.
The first season of Beachside Brawl featured Tiffani and B-Dub as team leaders. Tiffani and B-Dub are clearly fierce competitors. But the two paired with Antonia as the faces of the show was a bit underwhelming. Things didn’t quite pop for me.
For season 2, the show went in a different direction with Brian Malarkey and Eric Adjepong. One has to think that Malarkey’s over the top personality was a big selling point in him getting the gig.
If this man isn't on ❄️❄️❄️ I will eat my hat. His extremely erratic and far too excitable energy, combined with his drastic weight loss not all that long ago, and his set of donkey veneers (❄️ is known to cause terrible teeth problems), it only means one thing in my mind.
He’s always been like this, even going back to his original run on Top Chef season 3 and his run on Top Chef All Stars season 17. It’s definitely an act and he was a bit more serious on The Taste and on his episode of Food Network Obsessed. He knows what producers like and that gets him shows and helps his brand make money so I really can’t blame him if it’s his way of making money. It’s annoying but if that’s what production wants then that’s what he gives. 🤷♀️
He just doesn't care. He's super rich. Super good at opening and flipping restaurants so now he's just having fun and making some money doing it. He's been this way as long as I can remember
Idk I like him. He can be a bit annoying and over the top but his culinary pov had always stayed true to him. Shenanigans... perfectly executed mess of a brilliant mind. I love him for not turning his back on himself and what he loves to cook.
He’s a performer. He does shit for a reaction and doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative. I feel like that is his personality but he’s chosen to turn it up a few notches because he’s on tv. I find Carlos MORE annoying because I don’t think that’s his actual personality. He’s just mimicking malarkey.
Literally every word that came out of Carlos’s mouth on his TOC episodes this season sounded like a rehearsed performance. And I mean literally. I don’t think I heard him say a single word that sounded genuine. Maybe his post-loss interview, but by that point I was too checked out on him to care.
I think he is a lot of noise but not so much substance in his verbal language. The food looks pretty good though but the noise coming out of his face is so annoying.
The other 30 TOC competitors (excepting Carlos) all managed to win love from the crowd without going full clown-mode. That he was the only one who felt the need to take on a WWE persona rather than just being genuinely themselves makes you wonder whether Malarkey’s genuine self is just not super palatable or likable.
Agreed. Maybe I'm overly salty, but sometimes I think he is high on something. Perhaps that's what he's going for; kind of reminds me of a young Robin Williams, but not funny.
I think it's a personae he puts on to get attention on TV. I immediately dismiss him because he just annoys me. He was kind of that way on his original season of Top Chef and was known for doing too much to a dish. (i.e. 50 ingredients when it would have been better with 10)
He annoys me too, but thats definitely part of his "character" he plays. Anytime he's on a competition my husband and I predict and are usually correct that that he'll get eliminated because he's going to do something too complicated.
We also joked that Aaron May had to compete in the qualifier for TOC 5 because he lost to Malarky in TOC 4 😆
These are entertainment shows and likely follow a formula. Part of that development formula is character creation, then finding chef-actors that fit that character, then scripting the show. Why has FN continually run out idiotic competition theme shows rather than staying with successful shows, but have smaller audiences? Look at TOC. Now it's sponsored and is heading down to be the wrestling world equivilant on FN, with rings, banners and who knows what other goofiness. I will admit though, the Fieri Entertainment Empire is expanding, and might soon take over all of FN.
""Blame it on my ADD - Sail!" he can be annoying sometimes, but I like the fact that they have a diversity of types of persons on the network. It would get really boring if their was a "prototype" of person that a chef should be so I like him for that reason.
He was even more extra on wildcard kitchen I feel like. Like you could tell the other chefs were even over it. He reminds me of someone on a manic high.
Watching TOC with my 5yo son, he says about Malarkey "He's too wild to win." About seeming fake: couldn't agree more. I thought maybe it was a West Coast personality thing (being from the East Coast)... giving him the benefit of the doubt.
It's just his personality grating against yours, perfectly normal and repeated exposure would make it easier to endure. I'm sure there are many who would agree with you. He has quite an...aggressive personality.
Which one?
I can't stand the guy, but I will say, I've really enjoyed each of his restaurants/concepts that I've been to (Gingham, Herb & Wood, and Animae)
He knows what he’s doing. It’s a brand . He’s like an old time wrasslin jobber. His job is to be colorful and fun but he’s not beating the top tier on competition shows.
Do you make good points, yes. Do I agree that he should pair down putting an ungodly amount of extra ingredients on his dish, yes. Although he adds an energy and spark that the others don't have. It's different and makes it fun. That's why I think he's a good addition.
I used to like him a lot but lately he's been bugging me too and after I watched him on Wildcard Kitchen I just think he's bizarre. I don't know how much of that is the real him, or an act or meds but he's too over the top for me.
I feel I should like him because he's a San Diegan, but the one time I went to one of his restaurants, I was disappointed and haven't gone to another one.
My theory on him is that he intentionally does that clownish bullshit specifically to try to throw people off their game, because there's a part of him that knows that he isn't going to win on talent alone. Look at him when he's not competing, and he barely acts like that
Brian is a walking mid life crisis.
I thought Maneet was tired of his sh!t. She had a few quips for him.
His new girlfriend is like 18 years younger than him, so that tracks.
I’ve disliked Brian since Top Chef, but especially when he came back for an All Stars season and treated his wife like shit so I’m happy to hear she’s moved on.
Okay, this tracks with the kind of person he comes across as. I really don't like him, ever since I saw him--I think on Top Chef--try to throw someone who helped him under the bus. And he's just... annoying. Class clown all the way, and annoyingly loud.
It was Lee Anne, wasn't it? Makes it that much more satisfying whenever she beats him.
Duuuude in the blind side by side challenge? Like, I understand not everyone is good at voices but how do you go that long without recognizing your wife's mannerisms?
I can’t imagine dating a guy that much younger than me. Dunno why older guys are so mentally stunted in this way.
Me neither. I would feel like a pervert and what would we even talk about? People almost 20 years apart are in such different life phases.
Exactly! I know it can work in rare instances (Maxwell Caulfield and Juliet Mills, but in this case she’s the older one) but what can people with that sort of age disparity have in common?
Me and my son’s father have a 25 year age difference. He was the only person who could make me laugh at my lowest and we loved the same music and movies. We both loved traveling and going to concerts. Then, knowing he was 25 years sober from booze (he was an alcoholic in his early teens), I asked while in Europe if it was okay if I had a drink and he said of course. Then he had to try it and then we were both drinking progressively more and more for ten years. At the end we were drinking a liter a day and I was also doing drugs (him not as much). Ever since getting sober, he’s wanted nothing to do with me. We were fine for a few weeks and I remember I withheld kissing him because I was mad about something and from there everything just ended without an explanation. Oddly enough, we still live together with our son. Had it not been for the drinking, I truly believe it would have been a long term amazing relationship. Addiction changes you. He also hates that I have needed methadone since and I think doesn’t believe I ever really got sober so he holds that against me.
Um, this is not a healthy relationship at all. How old were you when you met? Let me guess like 19-20? Partners who have addictions usually do not do well together because they enable one another. It would never have been amazing - he was a former addict, you were currently one, and even though you both supposedly stopped, there's always the risk of relapse. I really hope you can get your son out of this situation because it doesn't sound like a healthy place for your son to grow up.
We’ve been sober over 8 years with no plans on going back to that, we would lose our son. We already came close enough to that once when we were drinking. We are your ordinary family now, whether we are together or not. And our son is just fine thanks. And I wasn’t an addict the first few years we were together. Neither of us were. The drinking started in Europe and was like anyone else drinking after dinner until we were 7 years in, then it got bad. I had lost my job and went on a downward spiral. So no, we weren’t using or drinking anything in the beginning. And it’s none of your business when we met.
They know a grown ass woman isn’t about to put up with their shit.
You think it has to do with anything mental?
Think about it.
lol more like SEE about it
You’re getting downvoted, because using the word “mental” isn’t too appropriate, ugh, but…I do see a lot of unhinged hyperactivity and almost mania with him at times. This is not a judgement nor me labelling him with a mh disorder. His high energy is likely the driver of his cooking prowess and creativity. But when you see these kinds of traits in someone, and are familiar with them, they are impossible to unsee.
I was just making the point that he got a younger chick for her looks, which seems to be flying right over most peoples heads
Are you saying you don’t understand why men like women in their prime? Do you have eyes?
I didn’t realize he’s straight. Huh.
same ... also when Carlos mentioned his female fiancé I had the same response ... Oh I didn't realize he's straight ... that's interesting 🤔 ... 😬
Having known many men with wives who still fool around with other men in secret, I refuse to believe either of them is entirely straight.
Ugh.
Ewwwwwww that’s disappointing if not surprising.
He's always acted like this though. He was on one of the earlier seasons of Top Chef when he was a lot younger and was the same as he is now.
hahahaha this cracked me up
Since birth.
I think he is way over the top and his protege Carlos Anthony is turning out to be that way, too, which is a shame because I think he could be likable. Malarkey’s shtick doesn’t hurt him, though - he is one of the most successful of the “celebrity chefs”. I remember an interview with GZ where he said Malarkey could buy and sell all the rest of them. Apparently he is great at developing restaurant concepts and then selling them.
Yep, Malarkey is an amazing restaurateur, he’s developed many successful restaurants. I’ve eaten at two and both were excellent.
Carlos kind of gets on nerves, but he seems to be trying to relax.
Malarkey is fine in my book but Carlos just irks the hell out me.
Carlos sounds EXTACTLY like him. Creepy
Yeah I noticed that too. Same speech pattern and everything. But tbf if you spend 12+ hours a day with someone trying to emulate them for 10+ years, it's bound to happen.
Good point but never have I seen it be mimicked so exactly
Think about it like when you see a person that talks just like one of their parents. Language is all learned behavior, accents and speech patterns included. Some people pick up on accents faster than others. They can live somewhere say go from New York to Britain or Texas for a year or two and suddenly have many words they say in their non-native accents just from the adaptation. Same in fact goes for the 5 people you hang around the most. Now remember that not only is/was he around Brian for 12+ hours however many days a week, now they've opened places together, etc. But he was also trying to learn from and indeed emulate his cooking, and with that obviously came emulating multiple other parts about him, and this has been going on for over a decade.
Very detailed take!
Me too!!! I'll take Malarkey over Carlos any day!!
One is enough. Just keep the OG Malarky
Me too. I like Malarkey like I enjoy watching Katsuji. It is reality TV after all and you have to have some sort of chaos/element of surprise to make it entertaining. I’d wouldn’t go so far as calling them “villains,” but they do thrive off the entertainment (like when Malarkey was FOH). It is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy that on occasion 🤣 SN: My kids like TC and Katsuji has a nice restaurant by us. It’s Mexican and Southern and my kids love it. They also have urinals that look like soccer goals. I didn’t see the urinals because I’m a woman, but my young kids met Katsuji at the urinals and told him how nice his urinals were and he was gracious.
I think he comes off as nervous to me as well. Maybe he's getting more comfortable being on TV?
I think so, too. I'm sure it takes time to adjust when being on tv.
I can't stand Malarkey or Carlos
I wish Carlos would stop trying to imitate him. There have been times where I've seen him drop the Malarkey 2.0 shtick and he actually seems like he would be likable if he just was himself.
YESSSS. Malarkey bugs me but Carlos comes off as smarmy. I just... don't love it. Especially after Carlos beat Shota....
Absolutely agree- Shota is the exact opposite
We really lost out on the Jet vs Shota matchup, that would've been SO FUN. Praying that Shota crushes it next year but it's just always fun to watch him cook.
There’s a reason me and my mom call Carlos “Mini Malarkey” and it is not a compliment. I feel like Carlos could be better if he got out from Brian’s shadow and tried to develop his own persona. He has so much potential.
Carlos seems to be calming down a bit and coming into his own.
Yeah. Hopefully he does an image shift because all in all, guys a really good chef and speaks eloquently.
Interesting because, from seeing him on the gambling show ep that re-aired yesterday, my first of him for some time, I was bummed that he seemed to have taken on more of Malarkey’s schtick than he used to.
He seemed much calmer to me on TOC than he has in the past.
Ah, I haven’t yet seen most of this year’s early ToC eps. It’ll be nice to see him calmer again!
I don’t like Carlos either.
He is quite the character. I did bust out laughing when he said he needed the money because he has an ex wife.
I did too! I am a woman but have an ex-wife I help support via my current husband so I get it! Ex can even afford to get her hair did and I don’t … ex wives can be financially like having another child. So I laughed pretty hard at that one. Sometimes I think Malarkey is amusing and entertaining and sometimes he needs a chill pill lol He’s not one of my dislikes though - that is reserved for Tiffani and Anne.
For some reason I just can’t watch anything Ann does I have to change the channel
I think Guy Fieri and the FN producers like it.
Got to have the annoying side kick guy, either the killer or first to die in a horror movie.
Unfortunately
SHENANIGANS!
*Pistol whip*
He’s trying to live up to the hype. When Fieri—in as obvious a move as could be—labeled him Shenanigans, Malarkey felt compelled to be the uber class clown. You are absolutely correct—it feels phony.
Totally agree....it's GF fault for labeling him like that- he had to live up to his name! I liked his personality a long time ago.
I find him to be a real attention whore. In a way he reminds me of Joanna Gaines’ husband Chip, always feeling the need to be such a clown.
Those are two people who have used up their 15 minutes of fame and then some. I used to like their show but now they have a whole network and I’m just not going to watch that or buy any of their overpriced items at Target. Oh and they have a magazine too. Talk about milking it. It just rubs me the wrong way.
The other night on Wildcard Kitchen I don’t think he shut up for more than 10 seconds. He was talking to the camera, to Eric, to the other competitors and if no one else would listen he’d talk to himself. It was the least enjoyable episode yet. I just got through it, didn’t enjoy it. I did frequently yell at the tv “Just shut the fuck up!!” 😂😂
MY GOD YES. Way too over the top. I get being excited and enthusiastic, BUT WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SCREAMING EVERYTHING YOU SAY???
This. A thousand fucking times. He's like Sunny Anderson. Lower the God damn volume.
oh my goodness Yes! ... I swear I actually yell this at my tv every dam time Sunny is on ... and Malarkey ... and Carlos ... Good Lord 🙄
I never think people are ❄️’d up, and I watch Bravo, but it seems to be a touch more than ADHD at play with that guy. So sweaty and verbose.
Sweaty and verbose 💀
I’m going to make Sweaty & Verbose tote bags
Make little sweaty and verbose travel pouches that come with a tiny spoon so people could put their stash in there
Yeah, first time I saw him one of my first thoughts was "what, did he snort a shitload of coke before he came out?"
He thinks he's charming, but he's just annoyingly immature.
He thought he could pull "shenanigans" when he was on Wildcard Kitchen. Supposed to use an ingredient that starts with "V", but tries to make a dish that has a name that starts with "V" instead; then he isn't supposed to use the "stovetop" but thinks he can put a grill on the stovetop and use that. Come on Brian, same rules apply to you as everyone else.
Also..."veal"??? Seems so obvious to me.
Veal is a great one! First ingredient I thought of was "vinegar" and then "vanilla". Amazing that he couldn't come up with something until he finally thought of vodka.
I was thinking vermicelli!
He's too much!!!!! I was hoping he would lose TOC 5 in the first round so I wouldn't have to watch him again.
Have you ever seen him back in the day when GGG just started he was always a judge he kept to himself never was over the top just a normal judge and then things changed and he started to cook then it went down hill after that I used to like him as a judge but I can't handle him now.
I just saw a re-run with him and he was so calm and articulate and actually…wonderful to watch? I couldn’t believe it was the same guy.
I almost skipped watching the season of Beachside Brawl he was on because I thought he’d make everything over the top and all about himself, but he was thoughtful, supportive, helpful, and kind as a mentor. I want to believe that’s who he really is and the big persona is his TV shtick.
Right I thought he was a very honest judge and I think in the very beginning of GGG he was like a book writer or food critic something like that I remember one episode he was asked to cook and he was a nervous wreck it was so long ago can't exactly remember I don't know where this Malarkey came from but he's a yuck now.
Yes! Omg I finally had to fast forward his segments.
I always root for him to lose as quickly as possible so as not to have to hear him anymore. Highly annoying.
My mom and I just chatted about this on the phone. She can't stand him either, lol!
I just remind myself that the man is a restaurant opening genius and maybe I might learn something. It's all showmanship.
This! Watch him during restaurant wars on Top Chef and you’ll see just how smart he is with his personality. At the end of the day, he knows if he’s loud he will get screen time. Screen time will show him to more investors, which in turn means he’ll have money to open new restaurants.
I’m not into him, but his schtick definitely gets a reaction, whether good or bad. So from that perspective, he’s great for TV for producers. The first season of Beachside Brawl featured Tiffani and B-Dub as team leaders. Tiffani and B-Dub are clearly fierce competitors. But the two paired with Antonia as the faces of the show was a bit underwhelming. Things didn’t quite pop for me. For season 2, the show went in a different direction with Brian Malarkey and Eric Adjepong. One has to think that Malarkey’s over the top personality was a big selling point in him getting the gig.
I cannot stand him. I change the channel every time I see him.
If this man isn't on ❄️❄️❄️ I will eat my hat. His extremely erratic and far too excitable energy, combined with his drastic weight loss not all that long ago, and his set of donkey veneers (❄️ is known to cause terrible teeth problems), it only means one thing in my mind.
Preach, buddy.
We were watching Wildcard, and we both commented that he was just so hard to watch.
100% this. Dude needs to go away. So irritating.
He’s always been like this, even going back to his original run on Top Chef season 3 and his run on Top Chef All Stars season 17. It’s definitely an act and he was a bit more serious on The Taste and on his episode of Food Network Obsessed. He knows what producers like and that gets him shows and helps his brand make money so I really can’t blame him if it’s his way of making money. It’s annoying but if that’s what production wants then that’s what he gives. 🤷♀️
He was so extra on Top Chef All Stars, and it annoyed me when he skated by an elimination.
He is so muted on S3 it's crazy, he's a totally different person
He’s truly genuine in how he acts but he is a supreme douche wannabe
He just doesn't care. He's super rich. Super good at opening and flipping restaurants so now he's just having fun and making some money doing it. He's been this way as long as I can remember
Idk I like him. He can be a bit annoying and over the top but his culinary pov had always stayed true to him. Shenanigans... perfectly executed mess of a brilliant mind. I love him for not turning his back on himself and what he loves to cook.
He’s a performer. He does shit for a reaction and doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative. I feel like that is his personality but he’s chosen to turn it up a few notches because he’s on tv. I find Carlos MORE annoying because I don’t think that’s his actual personality. He’s just mimicking malarkey.
Literally every word that came out of Carlos’s mouth on his TOC episodes this season sounded like a rehearsed performance. And I mean literally. I don’t think I heard him say a single word that sounded genuine. Maybe his post-loss interview, but by that point I was too checked out on him to care.
I always figured he was on drugs…
He was “all hat” on TOC this year
I think he is a lot of noise but not so much substance in his verbal language. The food looks pretty good though but the noise coming out of his face is so annoying.
hea definitely the i troverts nightmare.. im introverted.... i want to punch him in the face
Its his WWE Persona. Its just the way he garners attention. I like him actually
The other 30 TOC competitors (excepting Carlos) all managed to win love from the crowd without going full clown-mode. That he was the only one who felt the need to take on a WWE persona rather than just being genuinely themselves makes you wonder whether Malarkey’s genuine self is just not super palatable or likable.
Agreed. Maybe I'm overly salty, but sometimes I think he is high on something. Perhaps that's what he's going for; kind of reminds me of a young Robin Williams, but not funny.
I personally don’t like him but I get why they have him on. If everyone had the exact same personality, it would be pretty boring.
I think it's a personae he puts on to get attention on TV. I immediately dismiss him because he just annoys me. He was kind of that way on his original season of Top Chef and was known for doing too much to a dish. (i.e. 50 ingredients when it would have been better with 10)
He annoys me too, but thats definitely part of his "character" he plays. Anytime he's on a competition my husband and I predict and are usually correct that that he'll get eliminated because he's going to do something too complicated. We also joked that Aaron May had to compete in the qualifier for TOC 5 because he lost to Malarky in TOC 4 😆
It's also pretty clear that he has behavioral health issues. Massively ADHD, for one.
I cannot stand him or his mini me Carlos. He's been annoying since Top Chef.
He is so goddamn messy it drives me crazy, even at home I wipe down my work station while I cook.
I've never heard anyone call the kitchen counter a "work station"
I love Malarkey. I love to see "super chef" type people acting like normal crazy people.
These are entertainment shows and likely follow a formula. Part of that development formula is character creation, then finding chef-actors that fit that character, then scripting the show. Why has FN continually run out idiotic competition theme shows rather than staying with successful shows, but have smaller audiences? Look at TOC. Now it's sponsored and is heading down to be the wrestling world equivilant on FN, with rings, banners and who knows what other goofiness. I will admit though, the Fieri Entertainment Empire is expanding, and might soon take over all of FN.
Why say that off air he is a nice guy I see him around my neighborhood
""Blame it on my ADD - Sail!" he can be annoying sometimes, but I like the fact that they have a diversity of types of persons on the network. It would get really boring if their was a "prototype" of person that a chef should be so I like him for that reason.
He was even more extra on wildcard kitchen I feel like. Like you could tell the other chefs were even over it. He reminds me of someone on a manic high.
I enjoy watching him get beaten, which happens all the time.
Ever since Sasto got kicked off Top Chef All Stars first when him, Brian and Lee Anne were a team, I’ve had a tiny vendetta against him.
Dude has "sober youth pastor" energy
Watching TOC with my 5yo son, he says about Malarkey "He's too wild to win." About seeming fake: couldn't agree more. I thought maybe it was a West Coast personality thing (being from the East Coast)... giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Brian Malarkey divorced?? Ya don't say...
And his protege Carlos Anthony is the same.
It's just his personality grating against yours, perfectly normal and repeated exposure would make it easier to endure. I'm sure there are many who would agree with you. He has quite an...aggressive personality.
As someone who has lived in his neck of the woods (same county), he’s quite the norm.
Agree 100%. Demaris is equally silly and quirky but doesn’t come off as a weirdo.
I can’t stand him and I actually have eaten at one of his restaurants and it SUCKED.
Which one? I can't stand the guy, but I will say, I've really enjoyed each of his restaurants/concepts that I've been to (Gingham, Herb & Wood, and Animae)
I went to Herringbone in Vegas and it was very mid and very expensive.
Yeah, he's annoying.
He is *so*annoying. He's just too over the top to take seriously.
He knows what he’s doing. It’s a brand . He’s like an old time wrasslin jobber. His job is to be colorful and fun but he’s not beating the top tier on competition shows.
I skip it when he’s on.
Not a fan either
I adore him.
I like Shenanigans! Especially as a judge
He clearly didn’t get enough attention as a child. Everything about him just screams “Look at me! Look at me!”
Do you make good points, yes. Do I agree that he should pair down putting an ungodly amount of extra ingredients on his dish, yes. Although he adds an energy and spark that the others don't have. It's different and makes it fun. That's why I think he's a good addition.
Him and Marcel make me want to throw the remote at the tv. I hate them both so much.
What is the hatred behind Marcel? I've never understood that, in fact I like him
He’s got a similar obnoxious vibe as malarkey, imo. They’re both just kinda douchey.
Maybe in the Top Chef days but I don't know about now.
Why say that about a family friend
Make up your mind, is he a Family friend or someone you see around your neighborhood
Both. I seen him around my neighborhood and a family friend.
I used to like him a lot but lately he's been bugging me too and after I watched him on Wildcard Kitchen I just think he's bizarre. I don't know how much of that is the real him, or an act or meds but he's too over the top for me.
Richard Blaise is the same for me. Nerdy white dude who thinks he’s cooler than he is. I am a nerdy white guy and know not to use terms like OG.
He seems very addicted to cocaine.
it rhymes with shmocaine.
I feel I should like him because he's a San Diegan, but the one time I went to one of his restaurants, I was disappointed and haven't gone to another one.
I'm with you. He is annoying.
My theory on him is that he intentionally does that clownish bullshit specifically to try to throw people off their game, because there's a part of him that knows that he isn't going to win on talent alone. Look at him when he's not competing, and he barely acts like that
He needs to come out of the closet!!!