What Top Chef loses when it loses Padma by Christina Izzo

Our household has watched Top Chef from the beginning, even in the false start year hosted by the glob of charisma antimatter that was married to Billy Joel for a time. When Padma Lakshmi came aboard the show, the cynical assessment settled on the idea that she was more of the same, especially because she had a more famous spouse (she was married to novelist Salman Rushdie at the time). Instead, Lakshmi was a transformative presence, presiding over the competition show with very evident knowledge of the culinary arts and an enthusiasm that was tempered enough to never come across as hollow cheerleading. She brought class and steadiness to the series. Especially given that Bravo has practically abandoned practically any type of original programming that doesn’t involve wealthy women yelling at each other, the endurance of Top Chef is unthinkable without Lakshmi. Writing for The A.V. Club, Christina Izzo offers a fine farewell appreciation in reaction to recent news that Lakshmi is exiting Top Chef after this season that’s just concluded.

The Way She Tells It by Roxana Hadadi

The Emmy nominations will be announced in just about a month, and I’m mentally steeling myself for the likely disappointment of again seeing the best series currently on television go unrewarded. At least there seems to be a little more of an attempt in this nominating round to get a little more industry attention on Devery Jacobs, arguably the most talented member of the stellar cast of Reservation Dogs. Her inclusion in one of The Hollywood Reporter‘s awards season roundtables is a very good sign. Jacobs is also the subject this nice feature in New York magazine, written by Roxana Hadadi.

The Republican Obsession With ‘Work Requirements’ Is Telling by Jamelle Bouie

Published by The New York Times, this editorial by Jamelle Bouie correctly savages the compulsion Republicans have to impose work mandates on every effort to help struggling individuals that they can get their oil-stained hands on. In addition to the flagrant mean-spiritedness of their stance, imposing such restrictions is often more expensive for taxpayers, even as its sold as part of the longstanding farce of right-wing fiscal prudence. We know how to solve most of the social problems that ail us, we just don’t have the political will to do it. That’s mostly because one party values their cruelty-based beliefs over actual evidence that providing assistance to people works.