(This is a crosspost from the Frotcast, since it seems relevant to both interest groups)

Did you know Pedro Pascal gropes women to deal with his anxiety? If you were online at all in the past week or two, you might have noticed this narrative going around, or people making memes about it, or sharing supposedly damning video evidence of such a thing. Maybe involving Vanessa Kirby, or possibly Willem Dafoe's wife. And yet, when did Pedro Pascal ever actually say anything about anxiety? Who was making the accusations? The narrative didn't quite pass the smell test from the start, and as it turns out, that's probably because it seems to have been some kind of strange astroturfing campaign.

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Kat Tenbarge wrote all about it in Spitfire News this week, and in this bonus podcast, I interview her all about the Pedro Pascal campaign, where it started, why it's happening, and what it tells us about bots, the slop internet, and why it's easier to manipulate celebrity news for bespoke political ends. In Pascal's case, it all seems to trace back to his trans sister and some rabid JK Rowling fans (though possibly also Bella Ramsey and The Last of Us).

Of course, the Pedro Pascal smear campaign is only the latest in a line of these odd, fake-grass-roots social media influence campaigns which seem to have no higher goal than to make you think that, say, Blake Lively is kind of a b***h or whatever. It's only when you dig a little deeper that you discover what seems to be the true motivation, like a messy legal battle between Lively and her former director. Something I actually got drawn into myself when a post of mine appeared to get artificially boosted, possibly as part of a larger influence campaign. Are these mini-viral moments just a way for reputation management firms to justify their paychecks, or is there actually legitimate damage being done?

And did this particular kind of shady reputation management begin with the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, or does it go back even further? Even before Depp/Heard, why did writing about particular celebrities (Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise, Kamala Harris) always seem to summon a flood of uncanny-seeming replies?

All this is Kat Tenbarge's particular beat, and she hangs around for a wide-ranging discussion of celebrity culture and niche smear campaigns.

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This past week I was offered the opportunity to speak with this season’s Top Chef finalists — Bailey Sullivan, Shuai Wang, and Tristen Epps. This being The #Content Report, I’m always loathe to turn down an opportunity for #content, so I said yes. I don’t generally love interviewing more than one person at a time, which makes it harder to have a natural conversation, but I figured it would be nice to have some additional Top Chef material leading up to this week’s finale.

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I also had them for 10-15 minutes, which meant we weren’t going to get to delve deeply into anyone’s childhood traumas or desert island discs. With this many people it ends up being more like a company conference call that we’re trying to pretend is a natural conversation than actual natural conversation (these guys just don’t know how to constantly interrupt and talk over each other like seasoned podcasters). Still, it was one of the last chances we’ll get to hear from these competitors, and a good opportunity for them to confront the guy (me) who’s been making fun of them for the past three months face to face. Well, face-to-screen, anyway.

I managed to ask what it was like going from back-of-the-house worker to reality TV character, got Shuai to weigh in on mise-en-place-gate, aka Mise-en-Trash (when he dumped all of Henry’s mise-in-place in the trash by accident during the pickle episode), and asked the chefs who they thought their biggest competitor was going to be when they first showed up to the competition. Oh, and of course, I got to find out what “The Massimo Experience” was like first-hand.

It ain’t Frost/Nixon, but hopefully you enjoy a few more minutes of Top Cheffery before this season fades into history. I meant to sign off the competition “Justice for Big Cabbage,” but I got flustered and forgot.

Official Bios:

Shuai Wang

Hometown: Queens, NY

Current city of residence: North Charleston, SC

Occupation/profession: Chef/Owner at Jackrabbit Filly & King BBQ

Born in Beijing, China, Shuai Wang was raised in Queens, N.Y., from the age of 9. Even though he was surrounded by the delicious meals his grandmother and mom prepared, his excitement for getting into the craft came only after he took a culinary class in high school and read Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential.” Shuai attended the Art Institute of New York, where he dove into his future profession head on, taking a hefty course load while still finding the time to volunteer at the James Beard House whenever his schedule allowed. Following his tenure in New York, he and his wife moved to North Charleston, S.C., where his notoriety in the industry continued to rise. Shuai was a winner of the 2016 Eater Young Guns and Best New Chef awards and his food truck Short Grain was named one of the America’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit. In 2017 he was nominated for a James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef. Shuai is the owner and chef of Jackrabbit Filly, a heritage driven New Chinese American Restaurant in Park Circle, North Charleston, and King BBQ, a Chinese BBQ restaurant with southern smoke, which won Top 10 best new BBQ restaurant of 2024 by Southern Living Magazine and 2024 Top 20 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit. Shuai and his wife, Corrie, won StarChef Charleston Restauranteur of the Year 2024 and most recently, Shuai was named as a 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.

Tristen Epps-Long

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Current city of residence: Houston, TX

Occupation/profession: Chef/Owner at Epps & Flows Culinary

Tristen Epps-Long is a Caribbean-American chef who focuses on neo Afro-Caribbean cuisine in a fine-dining format. Raised in a single parent military family, Tristen discovered his love for cooking at an early age. After graduating from Johnson & Wales’, he honed his craft in Michelin-star restaurants, eventually earning his own Michelin recognition as the executive chef at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster in Miami and receiving Star Chef’s Rising Star Chef award. Tristen also served as executive chef of Cooks & Captains in Brooklyn, NY and Ocean Social by Tristen Epps for the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami where he earned a James Beard Nomination for Best Chef of the South. Dedicated to bringing recognition to Black foodways and elevating them within fine culture, Tristen aspires to be a trailblazer and role model for the next generation of chefs. His diverse travels—from Guam, to Stockholm, to West Virginia to New York—have shaped his worldview and profoundly influenced his culinary approach. After relocating back to Houston with the goal of opening his own restaurant, Tristen founded Epps & Flows Culinary, a platform for collaborative dinners showcasing his neo Afro-Caribbean cuisine. He is currently laying the groundwork for two exciting concepts Buboy, a woodfired Afro-Caribbean tasting menu, as well as a casual hot dog bar that reimagines the beloved staple with bold flavors and unique toppings.

Bailey Sullivan

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Current city of residence: Chicago, IL

Occupation/profession: Chef Di Cucina, Monteverde

Chicago native Bailey Sullivan was born into the hospitality industry. Growing up in her dad’s pub Goldyburgers, she always knew she wanted to pursue a career as a chef. While attending culinary school at Kendall College, Bailey interned and worked at a two Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago, before working under Chef Matthias Merges at Yusho Logan Square, where she developed an appreciation and passion for Asian ingredients and ramen. After graduation her path continued at “Top Chef” alum Beverly Kim’s Michelin-starred restaurant Parachute before joining Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio to learn the art of hand-made pasta and regional Italian cuisine under James Beard Award-winning chef and “Top Chef” finalist Sarah Grueneberg. Known for embracing seasonal produce and global flavors with an Italian hand, Bailey has earned a reputation for embracing the “atipica” side of Italian cuisine—blending tradition with bold whimsical twists. When she’s not in the kitchen, Bailey enjoys singing karaoke or spending time with her two cats, Giuseppe and Arthas.

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Earlier this season I got to interview Top Chef host Kristen Kish for Decider. Then just before this past week’s episode, I got to interview Top Chef judge Gail Simmons. Just like last time, you can read the interview and my full write-up over at Decider. It’s all polished up and coherent over there. This time though, I also have the audio version for your aural pleasure. Check it out if you’re interested, and stay tuned for Power Rankings, coming momentarily.

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Howdy, #Content Report subscribers. It’s been a while since we posted a podcast. If you love Top Chef Power Rankings and movie reviews… well, this is different than that. But if you liked hearing Joey and I discussing Top Chef on a podcast, this is very similar to that!

Joey Devine from Roundball Rock/our Top Chef podcast returns to the Frotquarters this week to talk Thunderbolts*! Joey liked it more than I did (not saying much!) but agrees about there being way too much banter. He likes Marvel soy banter even less than I do, but hates the therapy speak slightly less. Something for everyone, I guess.

After we finish discussing Thunderbolts, aka The New Avengers, we move onto our thoughts on the new Mission Impossible, and how many movies ago we believe this franchise jumped the shark (if at all!). I briefly digress into Hurry Up Tomorrow being one of the worst movies I've ever seen in a theater (review forthcoming), plus a little talk about A Working Man and me trying to convince Joey to see The Accountant 2, the latest installment of the best action franchise of the last 10 years. If you love movies, there's at least a 50/50 chance you'll love this podcast! If you like some movies but love the sound of two guys talking, you will LOVE the Frotcast Bonus movie talk starring Joey Devine! Enjoy, and as always, no refunds.

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My 2021 interview with Biff Wiff from I Think You Should Leave/Everything Everywhere. His first interview. RIP, Biff.

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Vince and Joey finish up their season 1 Top Chef rewatch podcast by breaking down the two-part finale of Top Chef season 1, a competition between Harold Dieterle and Tiffani Faison.

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Little did Joey and I know when we planned to record an episode about Top Chef season 1 episode 10 that it was a reunion episode! That’s right, apparently they used to do the cast reunion episode before the finale. And the contestants on that reunion episode used be super drunk. Like slurring words and being messy drunk, and maybe almost throwing up. Was that the show producers being unethical, or just what people in the restaurant industry did in those days, left to their own devices? Either way, great TV.

We discuss all the other topics on our mind, like Ken Lee returning for his (I believe) only other television appearance (he claims on the show that he got interviewed by Howard Stern, but as far as anyone can tell that doesn’t exist anywhere). Meanwhile, the contestants all seemed to gang up on Tiffani. Were they being too mean or did Tiffani start it when she kept trying to steal Dave’s thunder? At one point, she stormed off the stage crying, saying “I don’t want to be someone’s monkey,” at which point someone else onstage says “oh, she just walked off again,” while Dave says “oh, she’s gonna throw up,” which really underlines how drunk everyone is.

Then there’s an editing package lovingly dedicated to Brian’s sexual harassment. Gail Simmons grills Harold about whether he’s single, and finally, season one’s MVP, Stephen, apologizes to Candace for their big fight. And then Ken Lee interrupts him by laughing, and Ken and Stephen get in a big yelling fight. Stephen calls Ken Lee “White Trash,” (which is a weird insult for an Irish guy, but sure) and Ken Lee calls him… a “piece of muck?” I thought I heard “wog” in there, but maybe I’m imagining things. Either way, we analyze the game tape.

Should Top Chef bring back the reunion show? We say yes.

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This week on the Top Chef Frotcast Post-Show, our old pal (and Top Chef virgin) comedian Joey Avery is joining us on the cast. We're talking Top Chef season one, episode nine, "Napa's Finest," in which the final four chefs (Harold, Lee Anne, Tiffani, and Dave) get trimmed to three before the finale in Las Vegas. First the chefs competed to see who could elevate junk food classics, and then they packed off to Napa to try to pair fancy truffles with fancy wine -- a challenge that seemed like a giant F-you to Stephen, specifically, who would've killed to be a part of this, but kicked off last episode. Meanwhile, Lee Anne seems to really hate Tiffani, which didn't seem to be a storyline before this episode? Fun!

Joey, Joey, and I Monday Morning Quarterback the dishes, reminisce about the hottest food trends of 2006, and play overhated/underhated, in which we name which food/restaurant trends that get hated unfairly, and which ones don't get hated enough. That's right, we're coming for you, hot chicken.

Don't forget to checkout Roundball Rock, The Joey Show, Joey Avery on tour, but ESPECIALLY our sponsor, BlackwoodDistilling. In fact, here's a drink recipe for all the good piggies:

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What is the cruelest Top Chef challenge of all time? After this week’s episode of the Top Chef Frotcast Post-Show, we humbly submit Top Chef season 1, episode 8, “Wedding Bell Blues.”

In this week’s Top Chef season 1 rewind, the five remaining competitors (season one had only 12 chefs, as opposed to later seasons which usually had 15) were challenged to cater a 100-person wedding. That sounds challenging, perhaps, but not necessarily cruel.

Ah, but that’s not all: the chefs were told to prepare a cold prawn canapé, sketch a cake, and pitch a menu for the couple about to be married, who would then choose the pitch they liked best, and the contestants would then work together to cater the wedding based on the winning menu. Again, challenging, but not mean. It was only after all the chefs had whipped up their best prawn w****s deserve’s (do not correct my French) and pitched their most pie-in-the-sky catering concepts that Tom Colicchio introduced the big twist: Oh yeah, the wedding to be catered is tomorrow.

At which point the chefs had to do their best to reproduce a speculative concept, pitched under partially false pretenses, using ingredients sourced from a regular grocery store, and prepped over the course of a single night. Wedding food is inevitably disappointing even under ideal circumstances, let alone this. And so this was essentially an impossible-to-succeed task, guaranteed to disappoint the two newlyweds who so helpfully allowed a production crew to shoot an episode of a reality show they’d never heard of on their most special day (I’m sure they saved a bundle on it, but still). This challenge was cruel to just about everyone!

Especially our beautiful big-tie knotted boy Stephen Asprinio, who ended up (spoiler alert) getting kicked off, despite preparing nowhere near the worst food of the episode and being the undisputed ratings MVP Top Chef season 1. Zero chance this show makes it to its soon-to-be-released 22nd season without Stephen Asprinio. How’s that for gratitude? I tell ya.

Helping Joey Devine (of the Roundball Rock NBA podcast) and I discuss Top Chef S1E8 is Jordan Mattox, of the Fresno’s Best Podcast.

Recording this week’s episode was made slightly more difficult on account of Peacock having summarily removed seasons 1-7 of Top Chef from the channel between the recording of our last episode and this one. You can now find it (with ads) on the Bravo app (if you have a cable subscription), or buy episodes on Prime Video. Remember when we thought “the internet is forever?” Ha! We were so naive. Can’t wait until corporations can decide to no longer offer software updates on our pacemakers or whatever.

Please share, comment, enjoy, and ENGAGE. Don’t forget to visit our sponsor, Blackwood Distilling, at Bourbon Outfitter (get it delivered!). ork together to cater the wedding based on the winning menu. Again, challenging, but not mean. It was only after all the chefs had whipped up their best prawn w****s deserve’s (do not correct my French) and pitched their most pie-in-the-sky catering concepts that Tom Colicchio introduced the big twist: Oh yeah, the wedding to be catered is tomorrow.

At which point the chefs had to do their best to reproduce a speculative concept, pitched under partially false pretenses, using ingredients sourced from a regular grocery store, and prepped over the course of a single night. Wedding food is inevitably disappointing even under ideal circumstances, let alone this. And so this was essentially an impossible-to-succeed task, guaranteed to disappoint the two newlyweds who so helpfully allowed a production crew to shoot an episode of a reality show they’d never heard of on their most special day (I’m sure they saved a bundle on it, but still). This challenge was cruel to just about everyone!

Especially our beautiful big-tie knotted boy Stephen Asprinio, who ended up (spoiler alert) getting kicked off, despite preparing nowhere near the worst food of the episode and being the undisputed ratings MVP Top Chef season 1. Zero chance this show makes it to its soon-to-be-released 22nd season without Stephen Asprinio. How’s that for gratitude? I tell ya.

Helping Joey Devine (of the Roundball Rock NBA podcast) and I discuss Top Chef S1E8 is Jordan Mattox, of the Fresno’s Best Podcast.

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This week we’re going all the way back to April 19th, 2006 to recap Top Chef’s very first Restaurant War. This was an epic battle in which one team wanted to showcase American Classics (one of which included tuna tartare on a pita bread?) in order to take down the other team, who had invoked that brand new, red hot restaurant concept that had only just reached American shores in 2006, “Spanish.”

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