Serious question about that viral crying prep chef video

I was scrolling through TikTok at 2am last week and landed on this video of a prep chef sobbing while chopping 50 pounds of onions. Half the comments said it's staged for views, the other half swore it's real because they've worked in a kitchen and done the same. So which is it? Is this a genuine breakdown we're laughing at, or just another skit for engagement bait? I've worked 3 years in a diner kitchen and never saw anyone that broken over mirepoix, but maybe I'm just lucky.

3 comments

3 Comments

tessap736d ago

I actually read an article about that video where they interviewed the chef. He said it was real and it's not the first time he's broken down like that. @brooke_taylor44 is right, it's almost NEVER about the onions themselves. I saw somewhere that restaurant kitchens are basically pressure cookers with no windows and no breaks. You got a manager screaming tickets while you haven't eaten or sat down in eight hours. Throw in a pile of onions you gotta chop for tomorrow's soup and something just cracks. That video was just a perfect storm of exhaustion, stress, and one stupid thing too many.

thea6026d ago

Yeah exactly. I clean houses for a living and I've had those days where you're on hour nine and someone's dog just threw up on the carpet you already cleaned. It's not about the dog. It's about everything else. You just gotta walk away for five minutes sometimes before you lose it.

brooke_taylor446d ago

My buddy worked at a fancy steakhouse for two years and said he saw a line cook legitimately weep over a pile of onions once. It was a Friday night rush with a short-staffed crew and the guy hadn't slept in like 30 hours. The crying was real, but it was more about exhaustion than the onions themselves.