By Anne Brodie
Canadian celebrity chef and actor Matty Matheson’s YouTube channel is a hit and now he’s landed a cooking series on Netflix. However, Just a Dash is the only cooking show that made me lose my appetite. He feeds the public in twelve restaurants and NEVER WASHES HIS HANDS., even after using the loo, proudly stating that bacteria “endorse” a person. I know of him from The Bear; he’s funny and idiosyncratic but his persona here is purposely out of control. Episode 1 begins as he and his crew set up to shoot the series in his home kitchen. Results in a screaming match with his wife; she orders him out of the house so theyre forced to use another kitchen, aboard a moving bus. He attends a public-school career day; the kids want Gordon Ramsay but its MM; he insists the children eat chicken skin and liver after promising them chocolate; one girl retches while the others refuse to eat and holler. Clearly, he arranged this on purpose to add drama, and a kind of casual cruelty. They call him out. Somewhat sobered, he admits he’s “done lots of drugs in my life but not in ten years…” Now he’s fueled by energy drinks, downing a can he’s bitten open in one long slurp. Sure, he’s under pressure upping his rep and cooking under strict crew guidelines, as he slips before our eyes. He confesses he’s rude, acting out, and blames the jet fuel. During a discussion with staff about digestive issues he says he wants a fan to give him a colonic. Its the ultimate shock reality TV – acting out, feeding bad food to people for his own entertainment. It’s exhausting, and at times gross. Chaos TV. I don’t want any of the food that he slaps, tears and manhandles with those unwashed hands. So, is this a persona or the real Matty? Pretty sure the whole thing’s a set up. I want to talk to his wife. He owns a bunch of restaurants and he’s a lot richer than I am. Streaming now.