• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 5, 2008

One really has to wonder about the people who watch Fox's "Hell's Kitchen." Full of schadenfreude they must be--more than willing to take pleasure in someone else's misfortune.

It would be one thing if the ranting, raving star/host Gordon Ramsay reserved his abrasive, abusive criticism for the competing chef's creations in the kitchen. (The show takes what's now a rote formula for reality TV, with amateur chefs competing for prizes with eliminations each week.)

But instead, Ramsay's bile can get jarringly personal. Take the May 20 episode. A team wins a competition where they're to use 20 ingredients to prepare an array of dishes.

The prize is the chance to participate in a "very exclusive photo shoot" with In Touch magazine (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX).

At the shoot, Ramsay joins the contestants, where the principal shot features them in front of a dashing foreign sports car. One contestant, "Matt," a 35-year-old sous chef, has notable avoirdupois. And his weight has apparently led to him being positioned behind the open car door--looking to avoid his full frontal. A horrific prospect for Ramsay.

"Have you got Matt's tummy tucked behind the door?" he barks to the photographers/choreographers.

They reply affirmatively.

"Thank you," he says in his British accent, used expertly for maximum condescension.

It's enough to make a viewer wince.

Most, dear Gordon, criticize the skill with pots, not the pot belly.

Despite any questions about viewers' motivations, "Hell's Kitchen" is popular--the most-watched show of the summer--so there clearly is an appetite for Ramsay's swagger, agitation and condemnation.

Which begs the question whether In Touch benefits from its affiliation with the show (it was there last summer, too).

Probably. Ramsay's star power surely has some rub-off effect--and In Touch's presence in the May 20 episode was well-crafted from the magazine's standpoint. (It would appear Fox has some deal where In Touch gets integration in exchange for promoting the show.)

Not much makes Ramsay chipper, but he leans that way when informing the winning team that they're headed to the photo shoot. "You've got the star treatment. Off you go. Well done."

"Matt" actually exudes a certain gleefulness, saying "this is the prize I wanted." But that comes off a bit staged. As he says it, he peers back toward the camera.

Then comes the shoot itself, which exudes glamour. There's champagne, makeup, spiffy clothes ("Matt's" in a tux).

Finally, there's a mock-up cover with an imposing Ramsay front-and-center and the cover lines: "Hell's. Hot. Hot. Hot."

Apparently schadenfreude is too.

Product	Show	Q-Ratio
Ford Mustang GT	NCIS	4.1909
Home Depot	The Academy of Country Music Awards	2.5699
Jaguar	The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular	1.8067
iPod	The Big Bang Theory	1.6041
In Touch Weekly	Hell's Kitchen	0.3961

Click here to view these placements. Data and analysis provided by iTVX.