Cake Boss: "What Am I Gonna Do Now?!"

I've always had a soft spot for bakeries. And last summer, when I spent 35 hours a week working in one, I got to see more of what it was all about. The bakery I worked at was nationally-ranked and renowned, praised for both the mocha and the macaron. There was plenty of drama: there were fuck-ups, there were cakes dropped, missing orders, and nightmare customers--all things that Buddy the Boss deals with on a daily basis. But as a barista and retail worker, I was not in the "elite," the people who were responsible for the magic that was pastry creation. The realm of bakers was a whole different world...

Not only were they required to arrive at the bakery two hours before the rest of us (putting their clock-in time around 4 am), but they also stayed later, worked odd hours, worked special orders, and all the rest. When I was employed by the bakery, I definitely garnered an appreciation for the people "in back." Watching "Cake Boss," a reality show set at Carlo's Bake Shop in New Jersey, reaffirmed my veneration of the profession.

Whereas I usually veer far, far away from reality television, "Cake Boss" is sweet indulgence, and not remotely guilty. Though the episodes tend to get repetitive in their recurring themes of near-disasters, sibling rivalry, the incredible flexibility of fondant, as a viewer you have to recognize that this is what real life is. Let's just say Carlo's Bake Shop is lucky to experience the amount of excitement they do.

a roulette table cake that was obviously for a mafioso gathering masquerading as a 'social reunion'

Buddy's creations range from custom-orders for bridezillas, to flowerpots for family, to rotting flesh for zombie enthusiasts. Buddy's team shows remarkable deftness and skill in their ability to take on whatever is thrown at them. The scariest part, to me, is the delivery of every cake. You know it will be safe, but the tiered towers are each so painstakingly created that you feel as protective of them as do Buddy and his team. I appreciate the emphasis on the importance of family, as this adds a relatable element to the television show. Buddy lost his father at the age of 17 and since that day, his main mission in life is to make his father proud. And honestly, I think he's doing better than most of us...