Gordon Ramsay Launches New Show, Idiot Sandwich, With Independent Magazine Sandwich
As Know Your Meme puts it, “An ‘idiot sandwich’ refers to Gordon Ramsay sandwiching talk show host Julie Chen’s head between two slices of bread while screaming at her.”
“Who are you?” Gordon Ramsay shouted. “An idiot sandwich.” “What an idiot sandwich?!” “An idiot sandwich, Chef Ramsay.” The rest, history.
Nine years after the idiot sandwich meme was born on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Gordon Ramsay decided to turn it into a new show. What’s more, he’s teamed up with the unsurprisingly titled “idiot sandwich himself” independent magazine Sandwich to promote the launch with a special edition.
Gordon is apparently a longtime fan of the magazine, having first come across the BBQ Brisket edition a few years ago. “I was struck by this fresh approach to food journalism that uses the humble sandwich as a lens into culture,” he said. “When my new show Idiot Sandwich was greenlit, we decided to partner with Sandwich magazine.”
The special will look at the evolution of the modern chef, Gordon’s relationship with meme culture, and his love of sandwiches in general. For example, Gordon asked some of the world’s top chefs, including Thomas Keller, Paul Ainsworth, Christina Tosi, and Grant Achatz, what kind of sandwich they make during their lunch breaks at work for the project.
The new show will be a sandwich competition series featuring social media creators. Three contestants will compete to create a sandwich they think “will go viral on the internet, in just 20 minutes — with the added pressure of being judged by Gordon,” a release said. It’s unclear whether the traditional Idiot Sandwich format, a goofy guy between two slices of bread, will be reprised in the show, or how many times it will be reprised in each episode.
The meme has seen lasting success since its inception in 2015, especially among younger fans. “Everywhere I go, there’s a kid who wants to be called an Idiot Sandwich,” Gordon recently told People.
“The Idiot Sandwich meme is ubiquitous in social media culture, so collaborating with Gordon to build a world around his new show is a dream,” said Simon Baker, managing director of TCO London, which publishes Sandwich. “As longtime fans of Gordon, we’re excited to use Sandwich’s unique voice to raise awareness of Idiot Sandwich in our community and beyond.”
Sandwich will be hosting an event to celebrate the partnership in early March in London. Idiot Sandwich will debut on Gordon’s YouTube channel from Wednesday 17 January.
