Obscure Box

I know MasterChef is popular but I'm thinking someone's cooking the numbers a bit too much on who's watching the Channel 10 series.

The Australian's Lara Sinclair tells in "MasterChef sparks Coles sales surge" (Monday 21 June 2010) of the shows success and the impact on sales for sponsors.

While advertising has boosted sales, it's the products and ingredients featured on the program that have famously caused runs on the goods. Sales of everything from rabbit to certain spices and even lamb brains have gone up after being featured on the program.

So who's watching the program?

Dr Huntley's research shows 70 per cent of Australians credit the show with making them more interested, experimental and enthusiastic about food, while the split of female to male viewers is surprisingly balanced at 64 per cent to 58 per cent.

Sorry? Run that by me again.

Dr Huntly is described as "Social researcher Rebecca Huntley, who conducts the annual Ipsos Mackay report into the mindset of Australians..."

I'd like to know more about the Australians she is studying. If 64 per cent of the audience is female and 58 per cent is male, that adds up to 122 per cent.

Uh?