"Is It Cake?" Answers a Question Nobody Asked

Spinoff opportunities abound.

My two grandsons are big fans of the Netflix show, Is It Cake? If you haven’t seen the show, allow me to describe it for you: The contestants are cake designers who spend eight hours baking and decorating cakes, which are constructed to resemble everyday objects, such as the mouthwatering cheeseburger pictured above, and which are then perched on stools fifteen feet or so away from the judges, along with four real versions of the everyday objects; the judges are charged with identifying the “cake” version of the object from amongst the five options; Mikey Day, the host of the show then theatrically attempts to cut the cake (which is not always a cake), surfacing the winner, who is the contestant who is able to fool the judges, and who then pockets $5,000 in winnings.

The attraction of the show is attributed to the pure artistry of the cake designers, who are able to replicate objects in remarkable detail. Many of these creations could qualify to be exhibited in the Louvre, were it not for the fact that they are constructed entirely of cake and frosting, and, would likely disintegrate fairly rapidly; it is perhaps for this very reason that da Vinci, whose work is well represented in the Louvre, declined to dabble in the cake designing medium.

Given that Is It Cake? appears to be a successful show, it is likely that Netflix is considering potential spinoffs from the show, leveraging its strengths, extending its brand and minimizing the cost attached to developing new programming. This is a proven strategy in developing TV programming, as well as in the film industry; there have been eighteen Batman franchise movies produced; 27 James Bond films; and a whopping 34 movies featured beneath the Marvel Cinematic Universe umbrella. If you think that there is nothing new playing at the local cineplex, you’re right.

In the television world, spinoffs have also been popular. Cheers is credited with producing three offspring, Frasier among them, but, I cannot in good conscience consider either The Tortellis (low ratings, and only 13 episodes aired) or Wings (tangential connection, at best) to be true spinoffs. All in the Family’s credentials are a bit more sound: its seven spinoffs included: Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Archie Bunker’s Place and a few lesser-known siblings. The grand champion, of course, is Star Trek, which claims twelve spinoffs - it beats spending time and money developing fresh content.

So, as Is It Cake? seeks inevitable spinoff ideas, Rule of Three’s Spinoff Development division has been busy honing its pitch; its concepts, which are currently in various stages of development, include:

• Is It Mud? - according to Rule of Three’s extensive market research (you know, we discussed Is It Cake? with the two grandsons), the show has tremendous appeal with pre-teen boys, and, what has more appeal to pre-teen boys than mud? The vision for this show is that contestants would construct replicas of everyday objects entirely out of mud, and once the competition had been completed, and a winner declared, a mud fight would ensue amongst the competitors, judges and the studio audience - now that’s just good, clean fun!

• Is It Pasta? - if you have watched way too much TV, as I have, you will recall the Seinfeld episode in which Kramer crafts a “fusilli Jerry,” a Jerry Seinfeld statuette made entirely of fusilli pasta. You may also recall that there is an unfortunate incident involving Frank Costanza (George’s father), in which the “fusilli Jerry” becomes lodged in an unlikely place, and the services of a proctologist are required. But, the problem with the “fusilli Jerry” is that the pasta was uncooked - had it been cooked, there would not have been a problem. In any event, this show would enable competitors to utilize all types of cooked pasta, including: angel hair, elbow macaroni, farfalle (the “bow ties”), fettucine, fusilli (homage to Seinfeld), jumbo shells, orzo, penne, linguine, pappardelle, rigatoni, spaghetti, ziti and bunches of other kinds, the names of which are likely to be mispronounced. Pasta is indeed a versatile ingredient, and artisans with ample imagination could really shine on this stage.

• Is It Bees? - admittedly, this incarnation comes with more operational hurdles and overhead cost (you know, you’re going to have to hire beekeepers). And, there might be an occasional bee sting to contend with, but, imagine the spectacle that a master beekeeper could construct in eight hours - the mind boggles!

It’s a shame that these media were not available during da Vinci’s time; the Mona Lisa is nice, but what he could have done with mud, pasta and bees? Just. . .wow!

Perhaps there are other media which you believe the producers of Is It Cake? should consider as they entertain spinoff pitches? Please share those thoughts in the comments section below.

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