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

post #1 of 23
12/11/05 at 9:45am
Thread Starter 
I feel it is a responsibility to entertain with the skills and safety measures necessary in the kitchen. This morning I was scared for one of the cooks (don't want to mention names) because her long hair, although beautiful, was a little close to the mixer action. I was just waiting for it to wind up and scalp her.

But that's just me. I think many of the show hosts are very talented, some I think are not. Regardless, they are teachers, whether they realize it or not. What they say and do has an effect on many people, and like I said, they have a responsibility.

On a positive note, so far the holiday shows have been festive and fun!

B
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post #2 of 23
12/11/05 at 6:52pm
the same reason that the CSI TV series all the lady investigators have their hair waving all over the place in the crime scene...
RATINGS!!

so many of us (me 2 guilty of it at times) look at a certain shows only for their eye-candy potential...

and yes, if you notice foodtv is moving away from teaching fast and its becoming more of a ratings ruled show biz channel
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post #3 of 23
12/18/05 at 5:08am
and thats exactly why rachel ray is on tv at 6 in the afternoon and wolfgang puck is on at 4 in the morning
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post #4 of 23
12/27/05 at 5:28pm
I used to watch FTV often, buy it got so every time I turned it on, it was Rachel Ray or Emeril and his Bamming and back up band :mad: . I hardly have time to watch tv anymore, but if I do watch a cooking show, I'd prefer public tv. We've downgraded our cable and I haven't seen FTV in 2 years. It seems that RR is everywhere, though, these days. Someone must like her.
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post #5 of 23
12/29/05 at 12:48pm
What do you mean Emeril is everywhere? I mean, c'mon. He only has two shows on FTV that are constantly repeated throughout the day about every-other hour or so....not to mention any holiday shows that he may be a part of....not to mention the toothpaste advertisements...wait. What was my point again?
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post #6 of 23
12/29/05 at 6:33pm
And don't forget his face smiling out at you from the "essence" jars in the spice aisle.
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post #7 of 23
12/30/05 at 3:18am
Thread Starter 
Wow, this post took an interesting turn. It was not my intention to start an FN bash, but I guess I did.

I happen to like Rachel very much. She is a sweet gal and has done very well for herself -- more power to her! (and I recognize that I am a pretty grouchy critic ;-) Not too keen on E after he had Rosy on -- which I am sad about, because he is quite an entertaining fellow.

(I will qualify the Rosy thing -- we happen to own guns and are republicans, which she doesn't seem to like with a verbal vengance)

Just a few late night thoughts... (actually another 3am husband snoring can't sleep so tuning into cheftalk thing LOL)
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post #8 of 23
12/30/05 at 4:48am
RR is fine. Emeril is fine. It's just too bad FN has saturated it's programming with them. There are some fine chefs out there who could use the exposure, and have something to teach without all the cutesiness as in RR's case, or the showmanship as in EL's case, AS far as the guns and republicans go, without turning this into a political discussion, I'll admit that those issues would be better served (both pro and con) in another venue. I want to learn from a cooking show- I'll get my politics elsewhere.

I'd seen RR's new mag on the stands for the last month or so and turned my nose up at it every time. Yesterday, I picked it up and sneaked a peek before I snuck it in my cart. It has some nice ideas in it; some I will use at home after a long day at work, and some I may be able to incorporate into my retail business. The woman who works with me sat for an hour and copied recipes out of it- she HATES to cook, but RR's recipes are simple and interesting enough for her to want to try. I was explaining what deglazing was and what the it meant to reduce. So, thanks to RR, this woman learned 2 new techniques and gained a new interest in cooking. I guess that's why she started doing her show in the first place.
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post #9 of 23
12/30/05 at 12:34pm
think most of us are not upset with Emeril or Rachel Ray in particular. we all have had our moments in seeing them.

I know when I first started watching FTV it was Emeril's Bam that caught my attention along with Alton Brown's unorthodox method of teaching cooking. But the whole thing with showbiz that they are going into - the competition shows taking primetime spots - instead of more cooking learning type ones like those of Sara Moulton, etc.

I think its a case of too much frosting not enough cake
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post #10 of 23
12/30/05 at 3:33pm
Very well put.
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post #11 of 23
12/30/05 at 7:06pm
To me...Emeril is really getting annoying. He pulls out his Bams...followed by a pause until he gets some applause, after he simply says "garlic". Now he's making these weird "bllippp bllipp" noises. I miss the old quiet Emeril.

I remember when I used to watch the weather channel. Both for the weather and the small mix of educational programs on all things weather related. Soon...the weather channel has turned into nothing but these programs. I can remember several times that we had some tornado warnings out. So I turn on the weather channel and low and behold...nothing but these specialty programs. No local weather reports like they used to do.

I was actually quite thankful when I our cable company finaly offered two more local weather channels that actually show you the weather! Imagine that.

Anyway...I'm getting the same feeling about the Food Network. There's just too much fluff and not enough of the actual cooking programs that they used to offer. I'd love to see some competition.

frustrated in Ill.

dan
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post #12 of 23
1/5/06 at 11:36am

Great Chefs

I like that the Food Network exists, but I find that "Good Eats" is the only show I try to catch.

PBS occasionally runs episodes of the "Great Chefs" series, which is far more informative and interesting than much of what I've found on Food Network. For those who haven't seen it, "Great Chefs" is about 30 minutes long, during which time we see 3 different cooks prepare 3 courses (almost always a starter, an entree, and a desert). There is little chit-chat. Only the cook explaining what he or she is doing, and an off-camera narrator who (back in the production studio) provides missing information that might help the viewer, such as measurements or how to find rare ingredients. The show is quiet.

The camera is still, and always shows the cooks' technique.

For the professionals here, "Great Chefs" might be nothing new. For hobbyists like myself, it's wonderful.
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post #13 of 23
1/5/06 at 4:56pm
Here, here! Well put! The food channel would do well to buy and run the great chef series. They were by far more informative and entertaining than most anything on the food channel.
If only the food channel were run by and for us! It might not make any money, but boy would it be good!!!
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post #14 of 23
1/6/06 at 4:37am
Thread Starter 
I used to watch Great Chefs. Good series.

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.

I would like to see more lessons on the FN -- they have a terrific venue, and they should take advantage of it! What a wonderful opportunity! I credit some of them so much though -- it is one thing to have a conversation with someone about a recipe, and another to stand in front of a camera and teach.

Do they realize they are teachers? I know some of them do.
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post #15 of 23
1/6/06 at 12:22pm
It's on the Discovery Home Channel quite a bit still if you get it on your cable.
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post #16 of 23
1/6/06 at 12:45pm
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...
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post #17 of 23
1/7/06 at 2:06pm
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!
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post #18 of 23
1/12/06 at 9:24am
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.)
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post #19 of 23
1/12/06 at 10:15am
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!
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post #20 of 23
1/12/06 at 11:35am
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.
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post #21 of 23
1/12/06 at 1:59pm
However you feel about Rachael Ray or Giada DiLaurentis besides how cute they are :rolleyes: :lol: 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. :eek: 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. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
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post #22 of 23
1/12/06 at 6:44pm
Suzanne, I knew I could count on you!
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post #23 of 23
1/12/06 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 
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 :crazy:

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