Rumors swirled early September 2024 about celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay booting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz off “Hell’s Kitchen,” drawing widespread speculation and support online – particularly by The Patriots Network Facebook page which posted an meme alleging Ramsay removed Walz as Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate for 2024 Presidential elections and labeled him as an offensive individual known for being “woke.”
At press time, The Patriots Network/Facebook’s post had garnered 2,400 reactions and almost 800 comments, with users offering various insights into its political ramifications. Some users suggested voting for Trump/Vance2024 because “No matter who your vote goes with, your vote should go towards someone who will protect our Constitution!” while another stated “Gordon can go back home after making millions here; can’t cook an egg to save his life!”
SpacexMania published an article detailing this incident: Gordon Ramsay Labels Tim Walz As A “Woke Creep,” Discards Him From Hell’s Kitchen
Gordon Ramsay made headlines last night by quickly and dramatic evicting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz from Hell’s Kitchen after just one disastrous appearance, calling the politician “woke creep.” Ramsay, known for his no-nonsense approach and colorful language, wasted no time exiling Walz from competition after what many are considering one of its most bizarre cooking misadventures to ever take place on television.
Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and self-professed foodie, appeared as part of a special episode to raise awareness for local sourcing and sustainability of food production. Chef Ramsay thought it might be “interesting” to see how Tim would react under his chaotic kitchen environment and challenge him further by forcing Tim into one.
According to reports in Minnesota governor Tim Walz’s article on tofu Wellington cooking by Minnesota governor Minnesota governor Tim Walz’s cooking of tofu Wellington dish as his vegetarian take on traditional beef Wellington recipe was presented before Ramsay who immediately responded by shouting at Walz: “Enough with this “woke” crap! You cannot cook an edible version of Wellington but still want to talk about saving planet? Who are these creeps ruining my kitchen!”
However, this item was not an account of real events; rather it came from SpacexMania.com which prides itself in producing humorous or satirical material such as:
Please be aware that articles under the category of SATIRE are intended as humorous pieces and should not be taken too seriously; we make no claims or guarantees as to their veracity and accuracy.
[…]We recognize that some readers may be unfamiliar with satire and may misinterpret these articles as factual news; therefore it is the reader’s responsibility to discern its intent and realize they should not take them at face value.
At the bottom of The Patriots Network Facebook page where it appeared was also an additional disclaimer that read:
“This Patriots Network Network of Satire and Parody affiliated with SpacexMania.com.”
Not to be outdone by its predecessors, Facebook memes also featured prominent disclaimers that noted they should not be taken literally and featured a “Rated Satire” badge clearly visible at the top left of each meme post.
Google search of credible news outlets revealed no reports or coverage of Ramsay’s statements and event, further validating SpacexMania.com as having manufactured their story.
Snopes has addressed similar claims that Ramsay expelled people from his Hell’s Kitchen restaurants, such as former NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas and celebrity couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce from being excluded.
As background, here’s why we alert readers about rumors created by sources describing their output as either humorous or satirical:
