MTV is in the midst of making a major push towards food programming. The network is making the bet that the viewing needs of the hoards of people standing in line for five hours to wait for a ramen burger is not being met by the Food Network. They hope to capitalize on this insanity interest by developing food programs for a younger audience.

So, there's a show hosted by Eddie Huang called Smackdown. But there's also a show called House of Food that's being billed as a kind of Top Chef/Real World mashup and will prominently feature some well-respected L.A. chefs. According to The Wrap, eight “chefs” with no culinary background (not sure how this makes them chefs, in fact my heart weeps for the further watering-down of the meaning of this word) will attend “culinary school” and all live together in a house. 

]The Tasting Kitchen's Casey Lane will act as a mentor, along with Waterloo & City's Brendan Collins and Hudson House's Brook Williamson (Williamson is no stranger to reality television, having been a runner-up on Top Chef Seattle). 

Presumably the contestants living together will be horrible to one another, making for “good television.” Presumably they'll get eliminated for cooking horribly, though that isn't clear, there may be no elimination. What is clear is that there will be a winner. 

What will this lucky “chef” win? $10,000? A well-paid job at a prestigious restaurant? No. The prize is an “apprenticeship” with an unnamed L.A. chef. In other words, he or she will get to work, most likely for free, at some random restaurant. But at least they'll be famous!

That is, if anyone watches. We're keeping an open mind (no, really). 

House of Food premiers on March 31. 

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