Ubiquitous wrote:
By Karen Heller
Inquirer Columnist

People like Rachael Ray because she's cute and perky - boy, is she perky
- and, if you're into this sort of thing, always happy. She's
nonthreatening, too, and every dish she's ever eaten is deelish, an
asset in a dinner guest but questionable in a tastemaker.

On the Food Network's $40 a Day, she's perpetually overjoyed at the
establishments she visits as long as they fit her budget and host her
camera crew. This is an absurd format for a television show when bad
food lurks potentially behind any counter. What we're looking for is an
expert with the authority to edit and select, not the ability to bless
every heap of mush.

The point of food shows since the great Julia Child was to learn
something from the masters, to be educated and enlightened by a skilled
and genial host, although clearly here I'm wrong, too.

People would rather watch someone who seems just like them - although
perkier and with better hair - and whose knowledge isn't vastly greater
than their own.

It's another example of the dumb-down effect, to say nothing of the
dull-down, even with all the attendant perkitude, that says much about
viewers' resistance to challenge or growth.

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

ravenlynne wrote:
I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

I'm not shocked.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
people.

-H. L. Mencken


T,

wrote:
ravenlynne wrote:
I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

I'm not shocked.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
people.

-H. L. Mencken


T,

I'm living proof. I go up and lick the screen every time Rachel is on!

"salgud" wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
ravenlynne wrote:
I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit
where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the
current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make
the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

I'm not shocked.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
people.

-H. L. Mencken


T,

I'm living proof. I go up and lick the screen every time Rachel is on!


Well your TV screen must be a slobbering mess, because she's on about 80
times a day. When I first started watching food network they had a more
varied program. They had Mexicans cooking Mexican food, Jamaicans cooking
Jamaican food etc. Now it's non stop Rachael Ray and Emeril filled in with
thirty min advertisements for corporate packaged food like Top Five and
Unwrapped all evening long, interspersed with commercials for happy cheese
comes from happy cows. WTF does that mean, Wisconsin cows are suicidal,
California cows eat a lot of ganja, what? Should we refuse to eat
California cheese, as it's laced with bovine tranquilizers?

Muddle wrote:
When I first started watching food network they had a more
varied program. They had Mexicans cooking Mexican food, Jamaicans cooking
Jamaican food etc. Now it's non stop Rachael Ray and Emeril filled in with
thirty min advertisements for corporate packaged food like Top Five and
Unwrapped all evening long, interspersed with commercials for happy cheese
comes from happy cows. WTF does that mean, Wisconsin cows are suicidal,
California cows eat a lot of ganja, what? Should we refuse to eat
California cheese, as it's laced with bovine tranquilizers?

Hmmm...ganja cheese. Ganja Yogurt...

Actually Food Network lost me when I watched the Next Food Network
Star competition. Geez, if it wasn't gay or blonde, perky and
Southern, it wasn't gonna win. (I actually thought the gay guys were
great, but resented the fake aspect of it all).

They've gone corporate, with their polls and focus groups, so we don't
get the enjoyment of watching real cooks demonstrating real cooking.
Julia Child, rest her soul, wouldn't get a pass from the suits at Food
Network. What's wrong with letting diverse cooks do their thing for a
while, and then moving on to someone fresh and new?

Who cares if they're not perky eye candy? You are only going to get one
Emeril out of a thousand, anyway, so why expect us to keep watching 200
episodes featuring the same handful of lesser mortals?

It's more fun when someone becomes irritating or boring, then gets
replaced by a new personality.

You listening, Food Network? Muddle has a point!

Muddle wrote:
"salgud" wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
ravenlynne wrote:
I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit
where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the
current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make
the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

I'm not shocked.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
people.

-H. L. Mencken


T,

I'm living proof. I go up and lick the screen every time Rachel is on!


Well your TV screen must be a slobbering mess, because she's on about 80
times a day.

Had a windshield wiper installed!


When I first started watching food network they had a more
varied program. They had Mexicans cooking Mexican food, Jamaicans cooking
Jamaican food etc. Now it's non stop Rachael Ray and Emeril filled in with
thirty min advertisements for corporate packaged food like Top Five and
Unwrapped all evening long, interspersed with commercials for happy cheese
comes from happy cows. WTF does that mean, Wisconsin cows are suicidal,
California cows eat a lot of ganja, what? Should we refuse to eat
California cheese, as it's laced with bovine tranquilizers?

"Ludmillia" wrote in message
ups.com...

Muddle wrote:
When I first started watching food network they had a more
varied program. They had Mexicans cooking Mexican food, Jamaicans
cooking
Jamaican food etc. Now it's non stop Rachael Ray and Emeril filled in
with
thirty min advertisements for corporate packaged food like Top Five and
Unwrapped all evening long, interspersed with commercials for happy
cheese
comes from happy cows. WTF does that mean, Wisconsin cows are suicidal,
California cows eat a lot of ganja, what? Should we refuse to eat
California cheese, as it's laced with bovine tranquilizers?

Hmmm...ganja cheese. Ganja Yogurt...

Actually Food Network lost me when I watched the Next Food Network
Star competition. Geez, if it wasn't gay or blonde, perky and
Southern, it wasn't gonna win. (I actually thought the gay guys were
great, but resented the fake aspect of it all).

They've gone corporate, with their polls and focus groups, so we don't
get the enjoyment of watching real cooks demonstrating real cooking.
Julia Child, rest her soul, wouldn't get a pass from the suits at Food
Network. What's wrong with letting diverse cooks do their thing for a
while, and then moving on to someone fresh and new?

Who cares if they're not perky eye candy? You are only going to get one
Emeril out of a thousand, anyway, so why expect us to keep watching 200
episodes featuring the same handful of lesser mortals?

It's more fun when someone becomes irritating or boring, then gets
replaced by a new personality.

You listening, Food Network? Muddle has a point!


Yeah, and what's with this Emeril worship. After you've watched all his
shows you soon learn he has the same lines and **** poor writers. Use your
Knob. I don't know where your whatever mainstay ingredient comes from but
mine don't come seasoned etc, so slap some of my especially prepare and
bottled spices on it. It's an hour long commercial for his restaurants,
spices and pre-packaged herbs... You can grow a plot of rosemary ten feet
long and three feet high for the price of one Emeril package of it.
His chubby cheeks are stamped on everything.
My guess is he an Rachael Ray now have a controlling interest in Food
Network.

says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.

Ubiquitous wrote:
says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.


Is that why Sara Moulton was all over their "All-Star" Thanksgiving Special?

"Bianca" wrote in message
...
Ubiquitous wrote:
says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.


Is that why Sara Moulton was all over their "All-Star" Thanksgiving
Special?

I believe that special was a few years old. Dean was cooking in G.Elliot's
New York kitchen and Tyler was 20lbs lighter.

Val

On Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:43:42 -0500, Bianca wrote:

Ubiquitous wrote:
says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.


Is that why Sara Moulton was all over their "All-Star" Thanksgiving Special?

It was a rerun.

--
See return address to reply by email

In article , wrote:
Ubiquitous wrote:
says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.

Is that why Sara Moulton was all over their "All-Star" Thanksgiving Special?

I believe that special was filmed a few years before they ditched her.

--
It is simply breathtaking to watch the glee and abandon with which
the liberal media and the Angry Left have been attempting to turn
our military victory in Iraq into a second Vietnam quagmire. Too bad
for them, it's failing.

"Ubiquitous" wrote in message
news
In article , wrote:
Ubiquitous wrote:
says...

I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

I've heard that's why FN got rid of Sarah Molton.

Is that why Sara Moulton was all over their "All-Star" Thanksgiving
Special?

I believe that special was filmed a few years before they ditched her.

--
It is simply breathtaking to watch the glee and abandon with which
the liberal media and the Angry Left have been attempting to turn
our military victory in Iraq into a second Vietnam quagmire. Too bad
for them, it's failing.


ahahahaha! Your sig completely negates anything reasonable there might
be in your post. The "Angry Left." Hahahahaha!

Muddle wrote:
"salgud" wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
ravenlynne wrote:
I'm about three-quarters through with HEAT (Bill Buford's account of
his "descent" into the cooking milieu) and there's a telling bit
where
he's discussing the FOOD Network. If my memory is correct, the
current
mover & shaker (responsible for Ray Ray) said they didn't want
technique demonstrated, they wanted personalities that would make
the
viewer want to crawl up to the tv and lick the screen.

Oof!

T.

That's hardly shocking...it's about ratings and viewership, not
education.

I'm not shocked.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
people.

-H. L. Mencken


T,

I'm living proof. I go up and lick the screen every time Rachel is on!


Well your TV screen must be a slobbering mess, because she's on about 80
times a day. When I first started watching food network they had a more
varied program. They had Mexicans cooking Mexican food, Jamaicans cooking
Jamaican food etc. Now it's non stop Rachael Ray and Emeril filled in with
thirty min advertisements for corporate packaged food like Top Five and
Unwrapped all evening long, interspersed with commercials for happy cheese
comes from happy cows. WTF does that mean, Wisconsin cows are suicidal,
California cows eat a lot of ganja, what? Should we refuse to eat
California cheese, as it's laced with bovine tranquilizers?

I agree with muddle- FN's programming has gone way down hill. Very
corporate plastic feel to the place these days. Now, I've always
enjoyed Guida. She and Alton are about all that's left worth watching.
Contessa is ok, too, but some of her recipes are straight from Betty
Crocker's cookbooks. That's fine, for the most part. There is a lot
more to producing a palatable meal than just the recipe. But the
majority of FN's recipes can be found on a can or box of something
these days.

I like Emeril's personality, but can't sit through 5 mins of either of
his shows. Rachel, again, is a pleasant person -- they're all nice
except maybe Bobby Flay... how has that man kept his job all these
years? Obviously the guy's got job security cuz he seems completely
immune to popular polls. YMMV LOL I will say I still love and use his
recipe for Lamb Chili. WTG Bobby. LOL

OK I gotta confess I did watch the Guida/Bobby-Rachel/Mario Iron Chef
LOL. Mario won it for Rachel. IMO. Guida and Bobby's dishes sounded
more appealing to me, but I guess it all comes down to how it tastes
and I'll have to trust the judges on that. I miss Mario. Wish he'd do
another show. At this point, I wish they'd play some reruns of not
only Mario, but Galloping Gourmet, and, if possible, some old PBS
series like Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking show from the early 80s. I
mean, FN doesn't even have an Asian cooking show anymore. They need
more variety.


Aloha!

Barb