I'm afraid the Gordon Ramsay's of our world are the product of our contemporary society, which seems to think it OK for people to behave and speak in a boorish and foul-mouthed manner so long as they exhibit some apparent redeeming factor, such as being able to cook a decent meal, or kick a football into a goal with some regularity, and grant them celebrity status as a result.

I for one would not cross the street to dine at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant's, even if you paid me, not because I think he is not a good chef, which he most probably is, but simply because if find his behaviour so offensive. A few years back someone of his temperament would have quickly been shown the door by the media, and his restaurant's would soon have been empty. Nowadays he gets a TV series. I think we've lost the plot somewhere, don't you?

Today it is not only trendy to be foul-mouthed (and I am sad to say, some Mudcat contributors are no exception), but if you want to get to the top of the heap (dung-heap though it is) it seems to be compulsory, and those who find this sort of behaviour offensive are ridiculed and laughed at.

Having said that, I'm sure that underneath the arrogance, bad language and lack of respect, the real Gordon Ramsay is screaming to get out. I wonder what went wrong.

I feel we are all to blame to some extent, and we all need to clean up our act, because if we don't the Gordon Ramsay's and their ilk will continue to prosper.