Another Reality Show About Cake

The US is scheduled to crash headlong into her debt ceiling in about six weeks. Mega earthquakes continue to topple Japan. China is about to dump the dollar and become the number one world dominator. What's the last thing this world needs?

Another TV show about cake.

Admittedly, I've been a fan of Food Network's Cupcake Wars for some time. But the thing is I don't get around the channels that much. In our house we've only had cable for a little over a year. When the TV is on it's on Nick Jr. for my kids. I don't watch TV recreationally so I know little of what's on the air. One night while I was channel surfing I discovered there are lots of shows about cake, not just Cupcake Wars.

I did a little tally and I came up with eleven TV shows about cake: Last Cake Standing, Amazing Wedding Cakes, Cake Boss, Cupcake Wars, Ultimate Cake Off (what the hell is a "cake off"?), Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker, DC Cupcakes, Ace of Cakes, Wedding Cake Wars, The Cupcake Girls, and this one takes the cake, Sweet Avenger. All these shows appear on various cable outlets that cater to cooking and/or female demographics but Sweet Avenger is the exception.

Sweet Avenger is a cake show set to debut on Animal Planet this summer. Yes, Animal Planet is getting a flippin' cake show. It stars vegan baker Danielle Konya who has had boffo success dealing in cakes that lack butter and eggs. Apparently the show aims to prove that vegan wedding cakes will save the whales. Or the planet. I don't understand how a show about cupcakes fits into the lineup of the network that brings us Puppy Bowl and River Monsters.

Knowing all this leaves me feeling very guilty for ever enjoying Cupcake Wars. I'm living proof that "they" will make a TV show about anything and people (like me) will watch. I feel like a human cliché. Shoot, before you know it there will be a run on shows about pawn shops and storage units. Oh wait...

So while the US is whipping itself into an inflation frenzy and its military is protecting the empire in 150 foreign countries, Americans are distracting themselves with fondant and frills on cupcake TV. Eleven shows and counting.