Tweet-Watching Reality: Top Chef Masters

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In it together

​Back in prehistoric times, you'd call up a friend and watch your favorite TV show together.  You'd laugh, maybe you'd both call out one of the characters for doing something stupid -- or each other for disagreeing on that assessment.  Maybe you'd give your undivided attention to the screen and save the commentary for commercial break.  Boy, have times changed with Twitter.

Tweet-watching, or to borrow the Twitter convention of spontaneous word-blending much to the shagrin of English majors the world over, "twatching," has come to a Tweet Deck near you.  Twatching can be a solo activity, where tweeters hurl out their status to the Twittersphere ("Twatching Al Roker deliver the weather report!)  But it's communal TV watching we're intrigued by, where Twitter's reach takes the once occasional cavemanish "conference call" to a whole new level of shared live event.  Now sure, there was chatting, which has probably been around for at least a decade in the mainstream, but how likely would it be for you to be able to "chat" with a contestant of the very reality show you were watching, personal relationships aside?

Because of twatching, shows like Miami Social become watchable.

Because of twatching, shows like Top Chef become more competitive, amusing and addictive.

Here are bleeps from tweeps twatching last night's episode of Top Chef Masters, the series spinoff featuring acclaimed chefs competing for their favorite charities, where Anissa's Anita Lo was voted off by the panel of restaurant critics.

@ktchntrvwr , who goes tonight on top chef?i take Keller, anyone else opinion? [@ergagit]

Just realized we don't get Bravo! at the hotel.... Oh well, tell me how it goes tweeps! [@RichardBlais]

Is there any question why Fabio was my favorite from Top Chef 5?? "I'm sweating like a mountain goat at the beach..." [@yangyangchan]

Is it me, or is Michael Chiarello (pronounced kee-ah-REH-lo) acting a bit like a jerk on Top Chef Masters? No wonder Dale yells at him. [@gogastronomy]

Rick Bayless said ranch dressing when he blind tasted hoisin sauce??? [@shopeatsleep]

@ktchntrvwr , you are the winner,@ Mango_lime,we lose again , try agin next week. [@ergagit]