So let’s say you somehow make it on to Top Chef or Project Runway, elbowing past the thousands of other rivals seeking to fertilize the egg of an upcoming reality-TV-show season. And let’s say you even win the contest, getting crowned Top Chef or No. 1 designer: Shouldn’t that be enough to launch a career? You would think it would be, but as Jennifer Senior’s article from this week’s issue reveals, it often isn’t — a fact we hope our own Top Chef non-winners, like our friends Joey and Lia, will remember as they return to the kitchens they knew before fame came calling.

The Near-Fame Experience [NYM]

Related: Joey, Latest ‘Top Chef’ Non-Winner, on Why Rocco Is a Douche Bag
‘Top Chef’ Non-Winner Lia on What Went Wrong