Why I love the Great British Bake Off

Our family loves watching the Great British Bake Off. I personally like to have the t.v. on in the background while I work anyway; it's a habit I picked up from my mom who used to have QVC on while she would sew. Now I can happily have GBBO play all day long while I work in my living room. There's just something magical about that show that resonates with me, and I think I've figured out why.

My two youngest take turns kneading dough for me. (Oh jeez, disregard the mess in the background!)

First, I'm just an anglophile. I love everything British about the British (except colonialism - don't get me started). I love having my hot tea with milk and sugar almost every afternoon with my husband and kids. I love everything about Jane Austen and have read probably a dozen history books on her life and time period. I love Doctor Who, Monty Python, Derry Girls, Still Game, Extras, and the Graham Norton Show. I love the wry sense of humor and the way they can both hang on to dignity and not take themselves too seriously at the same time.

But GBBO is special. They invite completely normal human beings to apply. Each competitor must already be a heck of a good baker just to make it onto the show, so even if they're eliminated in the first round, they're already permanently part of a very special group. But what I love most is that it's reality t.v. without the crassness of American reality t.v. The show isn't trying to create drama out of thin air. They're not trying to film gotcha moments to humiliate anyone. I can't bear watching any of the cooking or baking shows made in the U.S. because they've just never been able to create that kind of magic. It's like watching the incredible chemistry in Marvel movies, and then having to watch the flat, awkward relationships in DC movies. (Sorry, DC Trinity. I still love you, Wonder Woman.)

In GBBO, everyone is treated with dignity and genuine affection. Everyone - from the unseen crew, to the competitors, to the judges, to the hosts - all go out of their way to be kind, and out of that spirit of camaraderie bloom genuine lifelong friendships. Men aren't afraid of hugging other men and showing a full range of emotions. Women aren't treated as if they aren't as talented or intelligent as men. Not a single person is catty and everyone has a great sense of (sophomoric) humor. Yes, they're competing against one another, but they're also pushing each other forward and holding each other up. It's beautiful. Some of my favorite moments are when a mother wins Star Baker and talks about how much it means to her because she's used to putting aside her own ambitions, wants, and needs in order to be a fully engaged mom who's doing everything possible for her family. She always talks about how amazing it feels to be seen and rewarded for something that belongs only to her. It's both wonderful and heartbreaking - especially to hear so many mothers on that show talk about that. Every single baker grows and improves as they move from one week to the next, and the judges, as harsh as they sometimes are, never fail to remind each competitor of how far they've come. Shouldn't we all be treating each other like this every day? I hope they never lose that magic.