You know I think the Food Network is entertaining but...

[liv4fud]

Originally Posted by Botanique

...I think the whole point to my initial post was that the network needs to realize that they are teaching, and what they are presenting is not always "the right thing." Call me conservative or whatever you want, but I believe that a person, organization, network... has a responsibility...

but thats like saying athletes are role-models, schools are not for profit organizations...

FN is a FOR-PROFIT business that is run based on ratings and getting in advertisement revenue. why would they show a repeat of the 100K chicken competition which they ran for quite a while about 8 or so months back?

also, have you noticed, that they have adjusted their capsules in such a way that the next program starts before any advt. and they try so very hard for you to continue watching.

I definitely agree that many of them teach and teach good. but they gotta make money too...

[viralmd]

The only show worth watching is, as above, 'Good Eats.' Emeril is a waste of oxygen. He throws seasoning around gratuitously, as entertainment, and IMHO he is only a passable chef. He is loud, annoying and completely without finesse.

Rachael Ray is hideous, I can't even listen to her voice, much less watch her cook.

Aside from 'Good Eats' FN is mere entertainment. Nothing more, and perhaps less!

[MrFlmbynt]

What's funny is that they're not even trying to hide their new direction. The new advertising campaign is about them coming out of the kitchen and geting more into entertaining. FN does still have good programs, but, not many great ones. And even then, the great ones seem to get lost in the shuffle. I think part of the problem is that the TV chefs become caricatures of themselves and we start to judge/like/loathe/etc. the caricature versus the chef themself. For a great example, look at the Emeril of "Emeril Live!" and the Emeril of "The (new)Essence of Emeril", they are for all practical purposes, two completely different people. And as many have mentioned, the FN is a business first and foremost and as they say I think the quad city corn & pig parts festival and the culinary circus that is Emeril Live, "plays better in Peoria" than cookworks or Taste with David Rosengarten(I LOVED that show, because while he came across as arrogant, smarmy and pompous, his love for food was genuine which I could relate to.)

[chrose]

Originally Posted by MrFlmbynt

Taste with David Rosengarten(I LOVED that show, because while he came across as arrogant, smarmy and pompous, his love for food was genuine which I could relate to.)

Oh I am so glad I'm not the only one that felt that way about him. There was just something that grated me the wrong way about him and you hit the nail on the head!

[Coolstr85]

someone above mentioned cookworks which i still believe comes on friday mornings every now and then. i love that show. on another note. at my parents house they have comquest digital cable and you can go to the interactive menu and they have a new "great chefs" come on like every week and you can pause and rewind and fastforward and everything. im really looking forward to summer break so i can watch it. so if any of you have digital cable you should look into the extras because it may be offered to you as well.

[Suzanne]

However you feel about Rachael Ray or Giada DiLaurentis besides how cute they are and how annoying Emeril can be, you've got to remember: They are getting people interested in cooking who otherwise would be getting takeout from KFC or ordering from Pizza Hut. Then maybe those folks will move on to Alton Brown or Mario Batali. They might even watch Iron Chef USA and wonder what some "strange" ingredient tastes like and seek it out. Now, that can't be all bad, can it?

Commercial television is NOT education; it's entertainment. Thank goodness for people like Alton and Mario who are very entertaining while teaching.

But I do wish Sandra Lee would get scalped by the mixer, if that was who you meant. That woman is truly an abomination; she is setting food in the US back by 50+ years.

[Mezzaluna]

Suzanne, I knew I could count on you!

[Botanique]

LOL

Suzanne -- I think we would get along very well in real life

Most are not "educators," and some are quite talented at providing education. However people watching them, especially those who have none or a minimal amount of education in the culinary arts and gastronomy, percieve and rely on all of them as teachers. All I was saying is they (we) have a responsibility... and I am sure you agree with me about that.

As for the scalping... I already did a review on her that was pretty harsh so I didn't want to cause any further damage. I really am quite a pleasant person, or maybe I just play one on tv

When I finally get to New York, lets have a glass of wine together.