Rob Frappier: Writer, Marketer, Nerd, All-Around Nice Guy

I originally wrote this post for the Talent Zoo Media Blog, Digital Pivot.

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Generally speaking, I can’t watch reality television. I’m not trying to be a hater, but it’s just not my thing. For some reason, however, I make an exception for cooking shows. Don’t ask me why, but if it involves slicing and dicing or broiling and boiling, I’m there. That’s why I’ve been so wrapped up in Top Chef Masters on Bravo.

The show, which follows in the footsteps of the original Top Chef series, pits several talented chefs against one another in a series of culinary competitions. The difference between Top Chef and Top Chef Masters (or TCM as it’s referred to by devotees) is that on TCM, the competitors are not looking to make a name for themselves. In fact, all six of the original contestants are already well-established figures in the culinary industry.

So far in the competition, I’ve taken a shine to Rick Bayless, who is famous for his Mexican cooking and his two Chicago restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Why am I supporting Bayless? Three reasons.

1. He makes Mexican food, and who doesn’t like Mexican food?
2. He is based out of Chicago,  a city I love and also where I graduated from college.
3. He understands social media and he actively uses it to reach out to fans of the show.

As with all reality shows, TCM is only partially “real.” It’s impossible for the average viewer to know what goes on behind the scenes or what gets left on the editing room floor. Basically, we are stuck with what the producers decide to show us, meaning our opinions of these wonderful chefs are inevitably skewed.

Thanks to the social media savvy of Rick Bayless, fans of TCM have been getting a unique behind-the-scenes look at the show. In addition to having a big presence on Twitter (almost 10,000 followers whom he interacts with regularly), Bayless also has his own blog, Root4Rick.com, that chronicles his experience on the show.

The best part about Bayless’ blog and his frequent Twitter updates is how genuine he is in communicating with his fans. You get the sense that this is the “real” Rick Bayless, a guy whom you would like to sit down with over some fish tacos and just converse. In other words, he “gets” social media, and with every tweet he is pro-actively building the Rick Bayless brand.