Four New Shows on the Food Network

[tan319]

It seems that most of what needed saying on this topic has been said.  I would just add; Sissy Biggers was more attractive before she had the breast reduction and Jill Cordes has to spit the food out of her mouth that she test tastes.  The woman could care less about food.

when did she have a reduction?

I never thought she was extremely endowed.

Not flat but not top heavy either.

[beans]

elyse:

What does my expectation of a entire nation (whatever that would be as I myself haven't conjured that up as of yet) have to do with the disappointment I am expressing with regard to FTV lining up crummy entertainment and not inspirational program hosts or anything worth cooking?

Now that's *ridiculous* !

Bleh, I guess the joke's on me as I do pay to receive its broadcast signal into my very own home and it is spewing out a woman that cooks hamburgers and boxed cake mixes, and I was dumb enough to suffer through the episode. I need not litter up this forum and expound upon my thoughts on the garbage produced by How to Boil Water, Lighten Up, Date Plate or Food Fight.

[elyse]

Because there are millions of people in the US who don't know how to cook a fucking THING. That's why we have a swillion Denny's, Mc Donnald's, Dunkin Donuts, etc. etc. etc., and the shows on FN are TRYING to get these fat asses out of the drive through and cook a fucking burger! You are the minority in the area of culinary expertise. Let a person watch a lame show teaching them what you learned at age three. Not everyone is so lucky. For you to expect everyone to be at your level... is rediculous. Am I not being clear? Or are we going to go around the pole again?

[beans]

elyse:

Oh brother!

How is my opinion of the sucky shows they are offering up of late translating to your attributed so called "my level of expertise" ??? Whatev. But my esteemed elyse, methinks you have lost the frame of my intent. I'm not offering up gross, sweeping generalizations to support it either. It's me little, wee opinion. What do you care anyhoo? Take a peep at those aforementioned FN fan[atic] forums/message boards. The negative outcry of disappointment is overwhelming in response to said new programming. So, it would be my summation FN has egg on their face.

As I said, I have better expectations in my food entertainment as I do pay for it. It in no way translates by any means to expectations of others, as you have listed, the general "fat ass" public patronizing McD's and the like.

[elyse]

Well, it does look to me like some sweeping generalizations have been made. Here:

Hi y'all.

wounds inflicted by all of those budget minded mommies that are all in blind admiration for Ms. Paula Deen's show and will beat you to a pulp should you point out one little vile observation of the woman's poor kitchen manners or what she deems as cooking. 

And here:

What do they think they are accomplishing with those insulting shows as How to Boil Water, Cookworks, Date Plate, Lighten Up, Food Fight?  And the new bevie of hotties!  Oh for heavens sake that tiny Giada is stirring up all of those frumpy women to cast their Cheetos stained fingers at discrediting her for not being a "real" chef and worry if she eats what she cooks on her show!

And here:

communisitic propaganda, self serving, message boards.  (Well socialistic at the very least!)  Deletions of posts are inconsistent, at best and a weak attempt to overinflate a particular show or program hosts' popularity.  Boak.  Reveling in the joys of an open air market with the freshest, seasonal and most regionalised representations in produce, one is subjected to yet more sniping insults for being a snob.  Snob?  Okay, I'll accept that.

And here:

At least I'm not a show host demonstrating how to cook something as pedestrian as hamburgers or making a "salad" out of disgusting Ramen Pride noodles. 

I'm sorry, but it seems to me you're talking about what's good for an awful lot of people who have not had the advantages that were so unusual in your family. Be a snob. Be the best snob you can be! The rest of the nation will NEVER know of the culinary advantages the people here have had. And it's unfair to expect them to live at our standards. And again, totally unrealistic.

[beans]

elyse,

You have a real *problem* with taking on a personal stance to my dislike of FN's new shows. Do I care? Nope. The do-I-give-a-fuck-ometer needle hasn't moved. I mean why should you care what I like or don't like anyhoo? Quite the deconstructionist you are, so why waste so much cut and paste time and energy? Okay on the sweeping generalisations thing, but at least I wasn't offensive about it.

Do you watch Ms. Paula Deen and are a fan of a cooking show of a woman that is practially reading a suggested recipe off of a store bought boxed premixed product? Where is the "teaching" or entertainment in that? And why pay to watch that? The woman tells you to mix this or that and doesn't tap into the hows or whys, probably because she herself doesn't know! Not to mention the consistency/reliability issues I have with her! What she "cooks" on her show never matches the menu she provided FN on their website. Then while on the show, the measurements of what she is preparing also never matches the typed recipes on the website either. Hmmmmm. Not to mention the woman never washes her hands after handling raw meats cross contaminating everything in sight! And she is a restauranteur who *should* know better. Boak.

I don't think your "getting" I am not expecting anyone to live up any level of "standards." Just providing an opinion to what appears to be the sell out and disappointment expressed by many at FN about FN. Go to their forums and read it for yourself. They just deleted a very non mudsliging thread that was dry matter of fact about her Marthaness and the SEC boo boos of late she is experiencing because it isn't good PR.

I think you just have issues with me, but who cares? Your electronic almost anonymous opinion of me matters, well, zip.

Nuf said. Give it a rest.

[tommy]

The negative outcry of disappointment is overwhelming in response to said new programming.  So, it would be my summation FN has egg on their face.

"negative" is almost always louder than "positive."

throwing shit on something gets a lot more attention than throwing flowers. if you don't believe me, try it.

[beans]

Hi Tommy:

I'm not sure on that, as that is a frenzied forum of people that can't wait to add to the litany of praises to their idolized show hosts. But the forum does serve a purpose even if the unseen administrator does delete at whim, the message has to be hitting some FN exec about the pulse of their viewers which in turn is a nice marketing tool to sell advertising time. Who want's to promote their product during expensive commercial air time while thousands upon thousands are changing the channel or turning the tv off?

[elyse]

Beans, you have missed about every point I have made. Writing a lot doesn't always mean a lot. If my opinion meant zip to you, you'd have dropped this long ago.

Why haven't I dropped it? Because I do hate gross, sweeping generalizations, and I speak up against people who make them. Always have, always will. I only stop when I figure the person AIN'T gonna get it, and I'm getting to that point. But not yet.

And don't get personal here. It doesn't gel.

[beans]

elyse:

Sure gross generalisations are just that, gross. But keep in mind I speak with some knowledge as I frequently have FN on the tube, try to watch some of this new programming and have been posting on their forum for a bit of time. As for any of the generalisations I may have offered up are a fairly accurate depiction. Go lurk there for awhile. I think I soapboxed enough to demonstrate my dislike for show host Paula Deen with some amount of validity.

I don't think either you or I will see eye to eye on much because you continually assert this value judgment packed words like "expertise" (debatable - hee hee) and "expectations." That's not what I'm getting at and perhaps are reading much further into it than there is.

Amitiés.

[tommy]

I'm not sure on that, as that is a frenzied forum of people that can't wait to add to the litany of praises to their idolized show hosts.

the opinions of "frienzied forums of people" are not what people look at when running a business. the reasons are so plenitiful that it would be fruitless to get into them here. there are lots of books on statistics, group-think, human nature, and business 101, that would explain them better than i ever could.

but to throw one out there: people love the "power" they feel when they're building something up. and they then enjoy the power of tearing it down even more. look at Pearl Jam for example. or egullet.

Edited May 20, 2003 by tommy (log)

[elyse]

elyse:

Sure gross generalisations are just that, gross.  But keep in mind I speak with some knowledge as I frequently have FN on the tube, try to watch some of this new programming and have been posting on their forum for a bit of time.  As for any of the generalisations I may have offered up are a fairly accurate depiction.  Go lurk there for awhile.  I think I soapboxed enough to demonstrate my dislike for show host Paula Deen with some amount of validity.

But you continue to watch her show. The point of that would be...?

I don't think either you or I will see eye to eye on much because you continually assert this value judgment packed words like "expertise" (debatable - hee hee) and "expectations."  That's not what I'm getting at and perhaps are reading much further into it than there is.

Are we debating semantics?

[beans]

elyse:

No, I don't watch it anymore. Actually, I've watched two of her shows. One with the now infamous hamburger with a fried egg and another with some sort of terrine chicken thingy that she placed fresh, unwashed basil plucked from her yard inbetween varied layers of raw chicken in an ecko nonstick bread loaf pan and topped it with a brick (ones used for building houses) and baked it to death in the oven.

I did try to give it a fair chance.

[elyse]

Well, glad to see you're not wasting time with that anymore.

[beans]

elyse:

Thanks! Tagential zetetics are fun. ;0)

[WHT]

Because there are millions of people in the US who don't know how to cook a fucking THING.

For some microwave popcorn is a challenge. Though I would love to wee more upscale programming, they do have to turn a profit. I don’t think that the market has developed that well. Though some of the new cable channels geared towards elegant living might be a better venue.

[Random Alias]

For some microwave popcorn is a challenge.

It is hard to strike that perfect balance between popping as many kernels as nuclearly possible while not scorching a single piece. The popping slows in frequency, you tilt your ear just so to hear every last pop while counting the seconds between. One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand...and then that first acrid whiff of burnt popcorn hits and you realized you pushed it just a little too far. One too many seconds waited; time for a new bag. In the end you play it safe and lay up on that second bag.

Then again I can't remember ever having finished an entire bag of microwave popcorn, so why can't I just play it safe with the first bag? I guess I just live for the challenge of it all.

[mstillman]

I am new to egullet, but i wanted to introduce myself to this thread. my name is matthew stillman. i was a former development executive at food network. food is close to my heart. anyway...

i developed iron chef, good eats, mario eats italy, my country my kitchen, bocuse d'or, and many other series and specials for the network.

i have seen all these talent on air for years and desperately fought the increasing blandness and banality that has overtaken the network which really could be amazing.

i am happy to offer you my insights on personalities on air and behind the scenes and some of the rationale behind corporate decisions made there.

hope i can be of help/use/entertainment.

best,

matthew stillman

[tommy]

welcome matthew!

[Jason Perlow]

Matthew, a very warm welcome indeed. Glad you found us!

[Andy Lynes]

Oooh, this should be good!

Welcome Matthew from the UK. There is a cable channel in Britain called UKFood TV whose output could similarly be described as bland and banal. It seems to go with the territory for some unknown reason, and it really shouldn't have to be that way.

[Lord Michael Lewis]

Any connection with Stillking in Prague?

[Jinmyo]

Matthew, welcome.

Those were some of the best programming on FN.

Please explain what happened.

[nightscotsman]

Welcome Matthew! And I agree, the shows you developed really were some of the best the channel offered. Will we at least see more Bocuse d'Or and other competition specials in the future?

[elyse]

Oooh, this should be good!

I'm waiting too! Welcome, Matthew.