if food is the new rock'n'roll, Jamie O. is Elvis

Gifted Gourmet · October 15, 2004

Oliver is the most unlikely evangelist for British food since Fanny Cradock . Yet in the space of eight years he has attained the sort of status Robert Carrier or Albert Roux spent a lifetime of flambéing and burning their fingers to achieve.... a unique phenomenon, bridging generation, class, ethnicity and gender divides. Oliver is one of the most switched-on, professional chefs working in Britain today. His recipes work, they are accessible and he is a genuine innovator. Top chefs have nothing but respect for Oliver....
* the thing that has given him substance and credibility in a business that is often vainglorious and extravagant is his entrepreneurial philanthropy...
* Oliver is halfway through filming Jamie’s School Dinners
* Fifteen, became one of the first in London to completely ban smoking four months ago.
* He is responsible for the kind of reality television of which we could happily consume more, be it transforming the lives of unskilled youths or the contents of the nation’s lunch boxes

Seems he is quite innovative :biggrin: .. from his taking on the British school meals to smoking bans ....More to the cheeky lad than originally met the eye it seems .... :rolleyes: and other notables have paid attention to him in a variety of ways. Quite a "loverly" article, if I do say so myself!

arielle · October 15, 2004

I hope you don't mean that he is thrusting his pelvis into his dishes!

Eeww! :wink:

StudentChefEclipse · October 15, 2004

We've had smoking bans in the US for awhile now, so I am not sure people here realize what a total smoking ban in a London restaurant actually means. With the exception of two people, my whole contingent of Brit friends all smoke like active volcanos... eeep!

Good on Jamie O.!

Mayhaw Man · October 15, 2004

Elvis. I think not.

No matter what one thinks of the popular culture phenomenon that is "The Cult of Elvis", there are no comparisons to be made along those lines (not any valid ones, anyway).

Elvis Presley was, for an entire generation of young people, the guy who provided the catalyst to explore and expand American music by making the music of Black America available to everyone else in a way that if not favored or understood, was at least palatable to their parents. Elvis was, in fact, from a hard scrabble background-unlike Jamie Oliver. Born in a row house in Mississippi and later moving to Memphis, at town which at that point was just a large Delta farming community. Hardly a center of culture that, in any way, is comparable to London-where Jamie Oliver has, among other things, access to all the world press coverage he could ever want.

Elvis Presley and the music that he presented to the world over a very short period of time, became someone who had worldwide impact on both music and music related popular culture- no Elvis, no Beatles. Jamie runs a couple of nice places in London and is moderately popular on some cable channels with small audiences and foodies who follow this sort of story like an important sports match. Elvis was, undeniably, someone who in a short period of time gained a notoriety and justified fame that Jamie Oliver can only dream of in his wildest dreams.

And, just to keep it on food, Elvis though that haute cuisine was Grilled Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Jamie Oliver is eons away from that goop. The guy can really cook, apparently.

FoodMan · October 15, 2004

Thanks for posting the article link Melissa, Oliver is one of my favorite Chefs/Food personalities and I agree with everything the article notes about him, dysleixa :smile: and all.

Everytime I walk into my local megamart and walk through the "ethnic" section I thank Oliver. A couple of years ago no one had even heard of "Digestive Cookies", Golden Syrup or Devon Custard cans. I used to have to go to specialty stores to get these. The ethnic section basically had some Hispanic and Indian items. A couple of months after Mr. Oliver became a regular on FoodTV, one or two shelves started getting stocked with these items, now a whole section of shelves has Custard (powder and canned), A couple of brands of syrup and treacle,an array of English cookies....it has become what I call the Jamie Oliver section.

Elie

FoodMan · October 15, 2004

If food is the new rock’n’roll, Oliver is its Elvis Presley

Brooks I really do not think the writer meant that Oliver and Presley are in the same league. Basically Oliver's influence on what people, everyday people, think of food and cooking is comparable to what Elvis did to music. I think it is valid.

Elie

Mayhaw Man · October 15, 2004

I understand completely. I am only saying, that in terms of scope and interest to a large cross culture of the world populace, that there is really no comparison.

And just for the record, with the exception of an appreciation for his effect on popular culture and his Sun recordings made before he went into the Army, I am not even much of a fan. Although I will be the first to say that Graceland is one of the more surreal touring experiences available on Planet Earth.

FistFullaRoux · October 15, 2004

Then would that make Tony Bourdain the equivelant of Johnny Cash? Emeril = Jerry Lee Lewis?

Who is Carl Perkins?

And is Food Network the Louisiana Hayride, American Bandstand, or The Grand Ole Opry?

(Is it getting deep in here, or is it just me?)

FoodMan · October 15, 2004

It's just you :smile:

there is no need to draw all kinds of conclusions/comparisons from this one article. All I'm saying is the writer has a point. Besides with all due respect, who heard of Emeril Lagasse outside of North America? Oliver has fans all over the world, from Tokyo to Brazil to Australia.

Elie

FistFullaRoux · October 15, 2004

It's just you
there is no need to draw all kinds of conclusions/comparisons from this one article. All I'm saying is the writer has a point. Besides with all due respect, who heard of Emeril Lagasse outside of North America? Oliver has fans all over the world, from Tokyo to Brazil to Australia.
Elie
←

I was just having a bit of fun (watching the clock move veeeerrrrryyyy slowly on a Friday afternoon)

I think Oliver's reach has more to do with the BBC than anything else. The BBC has far reaching agreements and partnerships all over the world, plus satellites. Food Network is cable only in the US and Canada. Scripps cannot compete with the BBC.

Minou · October 15, 2004

If food is the new rock’n’roll, Oliver is its Elvis Presley

Fine.

As long as he promises to O.D. on the toilet.

phlox · October 16, 2004

Ugh. Totally ridiculous comparison...

Gifted Gourmet · October 16, 2004

I don't think it was actually intended as a real comparison .. it was simply a clever, witty way of saying that the lad (who came from very humble origins) is immensely popular and has talents in many areas .. also true of Elvis ... just a fun thing really ... :laugh:

and I think that Elie (Food Man) said it even better than I did ... :wink:

Mayhaw Man · October 16, 2004

One must be very careful when bandying about the name of St. Elvis. :wink:

Gifted Gourmet · October 16, 2004

You are correct, Mayhaw Man, and I give it due respect .. but this title was too delicious not to share with eGullet!

Daddy-A · October 16, 2004

Then would that make Tony Bourdain the equivelant of Johnny Cash? Emeril = Jerry Lee Lewis?
Who is Carl Perkins?
And is Food Network the Louisiana Hayride, American Bandstand, or The Grand Ole Opry?

Bourdain would be Sid Viscious.

Emerill would be Barry Manilow.

Food Network? MTV of course. Or in musical terms, I'd buy the American Bandstand analogy. Which begs the question, who would be Dick Clark?

Jamie Oliver ... I feel about him the same as I feel about Emerill. You have to separate the person from the persona. I'm sure Jamie is a really nice guy and loves cooking and all. Just because his producers/handlers decide to portray him as a git doesn't mean he is one.

A.

FistFullaRoux · October 16, 2004

Food Network? MTV of course. Or in musical terms, I'd buy the American Bandstand analogy. Which begs the question, who would be Dick Clark?
←

Fukui-san from Iron Chef

And Bourdain as Sid Vicious? That's a bit of a stretch, even for him. Bourdain can be polite occasionally. I'd venture Gene Simmons, though. Bigger than life persona, all about the business, raconteur, etc and et al... :biggrin:

Daddy-A · October 16, 2004

And Bourdain as Sid Vicious? That's a bit of a stretch, even for him. Bourdain can be polite occasionally. I'd venture Gene Simmons, though. Bigger than life persona, all about the business, raconteur, etc and et al...

How about Mick Jones or Joe Strummer? I kinda want to keep the punk reference. :biggrin:

A.

Gifted Gourmet · October 16, 2004

Excuuuuse me, guys, but wasn't the topic of this thread s'posed to be about the one and only Jamie Oliver and his relation to cooking ... :rolleyes:

Now it has become a Rock'n'Roll Trip down Memory Lane ... :cool: :laugh: :cool:

Moopheus · October 16, 2004

And is Food Network the Louisiana Hayride, American Bandstand, or The Grand Ole Opry?
←

Hee Haw.

Gifted Gourmet · October 16, 2004

Don't make me stop this car, children! :angry:

Let's talk about the wunderkind of the BBC already ... :raz:

FistFullaRoux · October 16, 2004

He still sticks his thumb in his mouth way too much. And he always looks like he's constipated when he's mixing or squeezing a lemon.

Jinmyo · October 17, 2004

He still sticks his thumb in his mouth way too much. And he always looks like he's constipated when he's mixing or squeezing a lemon.
←

Uh. What does he squeeze the lemon with then?

Jinmyo · October 17, 2004

Don't make me stop this car, children!
Let's talk about the wunderkind of the BBC already ...
←

Okay.

Jamie's not the git one takes him for at first.

But his accent is still as authentic as Ali G's.

Moopheus · October 17, 2004

Don't make me stop this car, children!

Are we there yet?

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