Rachael Ray

[lesfen]

I just noticed this thread.

The first time i saw RR  ...i could only watch her for about 10 minutes.

The woman comes off as SUCH an IDOIT that i couldnt even concentrate on the food!

The facial expressions and the tone of voice are like friggin NAILS on a BLACKBOARD!!!

Honestly... does this woman really SEE herself???? 

Can't she see how BAD things are???

AND the constant GIGGLING!!!!!   I mean WHATS THAT all about???

It was like watching some kiddie show....plus all the dumb comments.

Can this woman REALLY be THAT STUPID that she doesnt see what kind of crap this is !

She may be a good cook....who knows?

I , for one, cant get past HER to find OUT!!!

I have been in the broadcasting business for almost 30 years..and her stuff ranks as  some of the WORST shows I have EVER seen!......ALL of them....ESPECIALLY $40/ day !

But hey.... thats just my opinion.

What do i know....... I like Nigella!

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Indeed... the GIGGLING is ANNOYING. But the FOOD looks DELICIOUS and she makes me feel CONFIDENT that I TOO can make this HEALTHY meal in 30 MINUTES. Even tho' I'm a working mother and team mom, I DON'T have to bow down to the ALMIGHTY HAMBURGER HELPER to put a meal on the table. I have purchased her BOOKS and I find them extremely HELPFUL.

$40 a day? Not practical for me. I'm not SINGLE and never have the opportunity to GO anywhere ALONE for half an hour, much less a day (I can dream tho'). $40 would BARELY get me out of a diner in the morning.

ANYWAY... Is she a little GRATING? Absolutely. Does SHE know HOW to BRING home THE bacon AND fry IT up IN the PAN? YUP.

Edited August 3, 2005 by lesfen (log)

[Jaymes]

Must say I've never seen $40 a day. I like 30 Minute Meals, but can take just so much.

And also have never seen Sandra Lee, but have read a few of her recipes (linked to here on eG). They seem so ghastly as to be inedible.

I may need to tune in just for the 'train wreck' factor.

[OnlyTheBest]

I have been in the broadcasting business for almost 30 years..and her stuff ranks as  some of the WORST shows I have EVER seen!......ALL of them....ESPECIALLY $40/ day !

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i find it odd that someone in the broadcasting business for that long would characterize someone as successful as Rachael Ray as "stupid".

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Uh.... you're kidding me...right?

Are you gonna tell me that stupid people DON'T manage it make it onto TV programs?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

YEAH!!!! laugh laugh laugh !!!!

The airwaves are FULL of morons!!!

I think her programs are sucessful by default....and YUP it might seem odd to YOU that that someone thats been around the business as long as I have would say that. But... let me tell you something.... i am NOT the only one that thinks so....i am just the only one thats saying so. I have seen this all before...this is nothing new.

I do have the reputation of not keeping my mouth SHUT.....but i dont care.

its my opinion.....and it is shared by MORE people in my business than you think.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Thanks for the laugh!

[rich]

I have been in the broadcasting business for almost 30 years..and her stuff ranks as  some of the WORST shows I have EVER seen!......ALL of them....ESPECIALLY $40/ day !

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i find it odd that someone in the broadcasting business for that long would characterize someone as successful as Rachael Ray as "stupid".

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Uh.... you're kidding me...right?

Are you gonna tell me that stupid people DON'T manage it make it onto TV programs?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

YEAH!!!! laugh laugh laugh !!!!

The airwaves are FULL of morons!!!

I think her programs are sucessful by default....and YUP it might seem odd to YOU that that someone thats been around the business as long as I have would say that. But... let me tell you something.... i am NOT the only one that thinks so....i am just the only one thats saying so. I have seen this all before...this is nothing new.

I do have the reputation of not keeping my mouth SHUT.....but i dont care.

its my opinion.....and it is shared by MORE people in my business than you think.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Thanks for the laugh!

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I wouldn't hold back so much. This is a very open forum, please feel free to say what's on your mind.

[OnlyTheBest]

I have been in the broadcasting business for almost 30 years..and her stuff ranks as  some of the WORST shows I have EVER seen!......ALL of them....ESPECIALLY $40/ day !

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i find it odd that someone in the broadcasting business for that long would characterize someone as successful as Rachael Ray as "stupid".

←

Uh.... you're kidding me...right?

Are you gonna tell me that stupid people DON'T manage it make it onto TV programs?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

YEAH!!!! laugh laugh laugh !!!!

The airwaves are FULL of morons!!!

I think her programs are sucessful by default....and YUP it might seem odd to YOU that that someone thats been around the business as long as I have would say that. But... let me tell you something.... i am NOT the only one that thinks so....i am just the only one thats saying so. I have seen this all before...this is nothing new.

I do have the reputation of not keeping my mouth SHUT.....but i dont care.

its my opinion.....and it is shared by MORE people in my business than you think.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Thanks for the laugh!

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I wouldn't hold back so much. This is a very open forum, please feel free to say what's on your mind.

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Yes Rich.... i think so.

Look.... RR may be a good cook.... i dont know... like i said... i cant get past HER to see what she is making. Everytime i try to watch the show ...her presentation is SOOOO annoying... i cant go any further with it...and i am not EVEN gonna get started on $40/day !

But hey.... we are all here to share our opinions. I know it's very PC these days to keep your mouth shut about things but forums like this invite comment....and i have never been one to shut up.

If i hadnt seen this thread... i would have never said anything....but... i came accross it and it really struck a nerve.

We all have the right to our opinions....and anyone can like or dislike anything they choose. I will defend ANYONE thats chooses to like something i dont.

Thats up to them.. isn't it...to each his own.

So... if you like RR... good for you. i am VERY jealous i dont have a stronger stomach for it. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

[MHarney]

Article link: Rachael Ray the new Rosie O'Donnell?

Article synopsis: Rachael Ray, newly self-styled magazine publishing expert, giggles creepily as new magazine's editor, design director resign before first issue is published; plans to smile maniacally on cover of each issue; swelling of cranium said to be chronic, untreatable.

[Jaymes]

Article link: Rachael Ray the new Rosie O'Donnell? Article synopsis: Rachael Ray, newly self-styled magazine publishing expert, giggles creepily as new magazine's editor, design director resign before first issue is published; plans to smile maniacally on cover of each issue; swelling of cranium said to be chronic, untreatable.

I've subscribed. Silly me, but I thought I'd wait until I've read a few issues to make up my mind what I think of it.

[Megan Blocker]

Article link: Rachael Ray the new Rosie O'Donnell? Article synopsis: Rachael Ray, newly self-styled magazine publishing expert, giggles creepily as new magazine's editor, design director resign before first issue is published; plans to smile maniacally on cover of each issue; swelling of cranium said to be chronic, untreatable.

I've subscribed. Silly me, but I thought I'd wait until I've read a few issues to make up my mind what I think of it.

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Well, the magazine didn't work out too well for Rosie.

Not everyone can model themselves on Oprah and get away with it (i.e., achieve global dominance on the same level).

My instinct, though, is that if Rachael is anything, she's the new Martha. And just as we're getting the original back, too.

Edited September 1, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[foodie52]

Did you really subscribe, Jaymes????

Awwwww......................

[srhcb]

Okay, so I'm watching Rachael Ray, and she mentions her "husband John"!

Well, you could knock me over with a feather!

My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail?

{On September 24, 2005 the bride donned a Alicia Mughetti gown to wed John Cusimano, her beau of three years and the vocalist and guitarist for indie rock group The Cringe. The wedding took place in a castle setting in Montalcino, Italy.}

Edited May 1, 2006 by srhcb (log)

[mywhitedevil]

Okay, so I'm watching Rachael Ray, and she mentions her "husband John"!

Well, you could knock me over with a feather!

My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail? 

{On September 24, 2005 the bride donned a Alicia Mughetti gown to wed John Cusimano, her beau of three years and the vocalist and guitarist for indie rock group The Cringe. The wedding took place in a castle setting in Montalcino, Italy.}

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Never heard of them. I wonder if they're called the Cringe because he cringes everytime she laugh/gigles or has a food orgasm. I know I do.

[mizducky]

Okay, so I'm watching Rachael Ray, and she mentions her "husband John"!

Well, you could knock me over with a feather!

My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail? 

{On September 24, 2005 the bride donned a Alicia Mughetti gown to wed John Cusimano, her beau of three years and the vocalist and guitarist for indie rock group The Cringe. The wedding took place in a castle setting in Montalcino, Italy.}

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Never heard of them. I wonder if they're called the Cringe because he cringes everytime she laugh/gigles or has a food orgasm. I know I do.

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Here's their webiste: click

Never heard of them before either, but to judge from the clip playing on their site, they don't sound half bad. If you're into that sorta punk-pop sound, that is.

[Gifted Gourmet]

from Time Magazine ... check this out!

Now everyone can stop laughing so hard at her .. this is really legit .. and she has earned it herself! Her husband is a lawyer, not just some singer ...

from Mario Batali:

In fewer than five years, Rachael Ray, 38, has radically changed the way America cooks dinner. Her perky-girl-next-door swagger, her catchphrases for techniques and her dinner ideology of simpler, less expensive and just in time have sold billions of books and placed her at the top of the talent love heap at the Food Network, which has changed its focus from information exchange to helpful encouragement.

[Grub]

...from Mario Batali:

In fewer than five years, Rachael Ray, 38, has radically changed the way America cooks dinner...

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Well, fuck me bugger me gosh, that's news to me! I didn't know that. Well done on Ms. Ray. Did I miss a memo? I'd hate being considered a culinary luddite or reactionary, so I guess I'm gonna just have to start cooking dinner left-handed from now on.

"...radically changed the way America cooks dinner..." I'm lost for words. All I can think of is, Wesley Snipes in Blade: "Motherfucker, have you lost your damn mind?!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Now everyone can stop laughing so hard at her .. this is really legit .. and she has earned it herself!  Her husband is a lawyer, not just some singer ...

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Maybe someone can explain to me what Mr. RachelRay's profession has to do with this.

I'm dense today,

F.

[slo_ted]

I heard on the radio at work yesterday that some person or group or entity (obviously I did not catch the lead-in) put out a list of the most influential people in the country. RR came in second to Oprah Winfrey in their ranking. I couldn't find any mention of this item in the paper today, and have heard no more about it.

[Megan Blocker]

I heard on the radio at work yesterday that some person or group or entity (obviously I did not catch the lead-in) put out a list of the most influential people in the country. RR came in second to Oprah Winfrey in their ranking.  I couldn't find any mention of this item in the paper today, and have heard no more about it.

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Time Magazine. See Melissa's link above! The rankings were grouped according to industry, sort of. I think Rachael was in Entertainers, while Oprah was in Leaders and Revolutionaries.

So far as I can tell from the website, they weren't ranked within the list (#1-#100), so I don't think RR could come in second to Oprah. But the print version could be organized differently, I suppose.

FYI, Mario Batali wrote the RR profile.

[Gigi4808]

First let me say that I also post on the Rachael_Ray_Sux LJ board. And before you start throwing knives or bottles of olive oil at me I would like to point out that yes, while you will see posts on that board discussing everything from the huge size of her head to the tiny size of her bust, there is a core group of us that have very good reasons for considering her to be the culinary Ant-Christ. The group I speak of is varied- and well spoken, we have a Chef, Lawyers, Stay at Home Mom's etc but what we all have in common is a love for good food and good chefs. In fact many of us have splintered off into a smaller group on our own board that is specially about the down fall of the Food Network and the dumbing down of the whole food experience as well as the things that we like and love about food.

Here are some of our problems with Rachael- I have tried to provide as many links as possible to back my statements up:

1. The constant stressing that whatever she is making is healthy when it in fact is not. Yes, she may start with some fresh ingredients but by the time she is done with the large amounts of full fat cheese and oil, not even taking into account that the vast majority of her "recipes"- the core of her program revolves around some form of mac & cheese, burger, hotdog or hideous combo of both( please review the follow recipe:chili dog bacon cheeseburgers ) and that recipe is not an exception to her regular menu's- that is the norm. And yes, if you view the episode she repeatedly proclaimes how healthy that meal is... will Food Network start paying for my Lipitor if I begin to follow the "heathly" dietary advice of they're little cash cow?. Hm don't think so. If that is what she chooses to make on the program fine- BUT how can you possibly push any of it as healthy?. Paula Deen it seems cannot get through a recipe with out 2 sticks of butter- but you don't hear her telling anyone how great it is for them and how much better off they would be eatting any given dish rather then say fast food- and this cannot be said of Ray.

2. Extra-virgin olive oil is not the best oil for every job- but you would not know that by listening to her. Dress a salad?- sure, drizzle on bread- great. Deep fry chicken- or better yet bacon? (which she has done on more then one show). Do I really need to explain to any of you why deep frying in Extra-virgin olive oil is a bad idea, a poor cooking method and a waste of money?. Considering she now sells her own olive oil: http://store.foodnetwork.com/shop/product....code=2&category are we surprised?. It may not help you out but I am sure her accountant loves it. Who needs vegetable, peanut or any other type of oil when you can just use EVOO.

3. Cross contamination. Did you ever see Julia or Sarah Moulton or insert TV-Chef HERE cook with their rings on, their hair loose, clothes dragging through food?. Using not washed- or- barely washed hands when handling raw foods/ and non raw foods?. Moving raw foods such as chicken IN the flour storage container- not a separate plate or other dredging method but INTO the actual storage container- with no mention that this should never be done. And let us not even get into the utensils, plates and pans.

For those of you who may be saying "but Gigi c'mon it's a tv show" it is, but it's a tv show that is claiming to teach people the correct way to cook. and if every other tv chef could properly do these things why can't she.

4. The relentless stupid abbreviations followed by saying the full name/description/etc of whatever was abbreviated followed by a story on why it was so much easier to abbreviate: witness "EVOOextravirginoliveoil" I won't even touch the de rigueur incessant giggle that follows this, but here a thought- if she could take the time to abbreviate, explain what it was she abbreviated and tell a story to go along with it- why couldn't she wash her hands after handling the raw chicken and before tearing pawing through the bag mix salad greens?.

5. The names for things that would make a five year old look at you like you were "special". If I invited any of my friends over for "Sammie's" they would probably call my doctor and tell him my brain tumor has taken a turn for the worse (please note I actually have one so I am not mocking those who do). "Stoup" as in it's not a soup and it's not a stew. This is used constantly but my favorite was when she made coffee mug chicken "pot pie stoup"... yeah it was pot pie alright with no pie- as in no pastry at all (but she did plop a tube biscuit on the top if you want to count that). Should I go on?, she has about a million of them...

6. She repeatedly suggests feeding onions to dogs.

She has done an episode dedicated to her now dead dog - the recipes contain- you guessed it onions and she has also printed recipes in her magazine for dogs that contain- you guessed it onions. Great advice to give America. On the other hand maybe she is secretly a cat person.

7. Will not measure anything- and does not explain what "eyeballing it" means. for the experienced cook this is not a big deal. But she does not cater to experienced cooks she caters to those who do not know better- hence why they watch her to begin with. We know she can't bake but is it really that difficult to tell people exactly how much a "palm" of something is- hand sizes do vary you know.

8. Her lack of tipping- thus encouraging people to tip badly in return. There are enough service people here to know that her "tipping" on $40.00 A Day is a joke. I realize that the show is for people on a budget but if you cannot properly tip then you should not be going to places where it is expected. Sorry the wait staff is not there to be your slave. How dare she refer to herself as a former waitress and treat wait staff as she does.

9. And that brings us to her ever changing "back story". she has told so many versions she is constantly contradicting herself. Be it her love or dislike of beer, fast food or her family story. her job titles often change also. Anyone who has heard her speak for more then five minutes knows she was a fountain girl at 'HOJO's" but did you also know she was now a waitress and a line cook there as well?. Yeah that is this week's version.

10. Her main knowledge of food seems to be the fact that she chops various forms of it up and makes burgers out of it. While there are many examples, I think the best one would be the episode of "Inside Dish"- beyond showcasing her fine interviewing "skills" (talking over people is always good) she was with the wonderful Morgan Freeman and at the upscale of his two places in Mississippi they were sharing shrimp and she commented that she was amazed at how they got such fresh seafood since they are so far away from the ocean. Morgan looked at her like she had two heads and said something to the tune of "are you kidding?, the gulf of Mexico is like an hour away!" to which she giggled. Wow, I hope Tony Bourdain is watching his back because she just may wrestle away the Food God title from him yet... Ya know maybe know these things if you are doing shows on food...

You are probably thinking, for someone who dislikes her so strongly I sure know an awful a lot about her. And your right- but at this point unless you live under a rock it is impossible to escape her. Yes, we went through this with Emeril too but at least he IS a chef and he DOES know what he is talking about. I and many others have given up on Food Network because it is not about food anymore. It is about personalities and somewhere between the popularity contests, how to use cream-of-something-soup shows and circle jerks you may get to see a show with a chef and they may do something besides spew catch phrases but that is usually around 3:00 am when they are showing reruns from before the downfall.

I am sorry this became a novel but I hope that this has given you some insight as to why we feel the way we do. It's easy to point to the rabble rousing of making fun or her voice or her hair etc and miss the valid points we make but I hope that I have helped clear that up.

[Megan Blocker]

3. Cross contamination. Did you ever see Julia or Sarah Moulton or insert TV-Chef HERE cook with their rings on, their hair loose, clothes dragging through food?. Using not washed- or- barely washed hands when handling raw foods/ and non raw foods?. Moving raw foods such as chicken IN the flour storage container- not a separate plate or other dredging method but INTO the actual storage container- with no mention that this should never be done. And let us not even get into the utensils, plates and pans.

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I am not a huge RR fan, but I have to jump in on this point.

I just watched Sara Moulton the other day, and noticed that she was cooking with her rings (because I liked the engagement ring, so it stuck out to me). Not saying it makes the behavior better or worse (I don't see the huge deal of a home cook wearing her wedding ring), but it does make it not just RR's behavior.

Secondly, I've always noticed her good hygeine - she always washes her hands thoroughly after handling raw meat. I haven't seen otherwise. Can't recall her dredging anything in a storage container, but then I can't specifically recall any individual dredgings, so I can't speak to that one.

Also, as to the eyeballing thing - I agree, it doesn't seem targeted to her, well, target audience. But, to be fair, her written recipes do have actual measurements.

[Gigi4808]

I had not seen Moulton do that- but it would not be right for her either, I am actually surprised that she would do that because she is so by the book if you will. The issue is that you risk trapping bacteria on the jewelry and transfering it to other foods/surfaces etc. This was taught to those of us in a food handlers class 15 years ago so if there is a misconception here on that, anyone please point me in the right direction.

I will try to nail down the specific episode with the drudging also.

You are correct the written recipes do contain the actual measurements. Since I was commenting specificly of the on-air version of the recipe so quite honestly that had slipped my mind.

[Megan Blocker]

I had not seen Moulton do that- but it would not be right for her either, I am actually surprised that she would do that because she is so by the book if you will. The issue is that you risk trapping bacteria on the jewelry and transfering it to other foods/surfaces etc. This was taught to those of us in a food handlers class 15 years ago so if there is a misconception here on that, anyone please point me in the right direction.

I will try to nail down the specific episode with the drudging also.

You are correct the written recipes do contain the actual measurements. Since I was commenting specificly of the on-air version of the recipe so quite honestly that had slipped my mind.

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I would LOVE to see the drudging episode...that really is very bad.

As to the ring, I understand why it's an issue...but I just don't find it that grave a sin in the world of TV chefs. Michael Chiarello also frequently wears his wedding ring while cooking. Again, noticed because I didn't know he was married. I guess I'm saying it seems silly to single her out for this reason...not that it isn't an issue, but that it seems odd to have it high on your list of reasons for not liking her in particular.

Love that this is what I'm paying attention to (people's marital status and jewelry, not the issues you outlined above).

As for the recipes, I would think most beginners are going to rely on the written version of the recipe (though I could be wrong in this), so I don't see how it's so bad.

Edited May 3, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[chappie]

Gigi4808....

That was perhaps one of the best posts I've ever read on eGullet, and I was both nodding my head and laughing the whole time. Seriously, this line needs to be nominated for something:

"If I invited any of my friends over for "Sammie's" they would probably call my doctor and tell him my brain tumor has taken a turn for the worse (please note I actually have one so I am not mocking those who do)." Ouch!

As a little anal sidenote, I have seen where Rachel will touch the sink handle with her chickeny hand, use a splash of soap while her hands are under the water (which instantly washes off the soap), then touch said chickeny handle again. If you aren't going to do it right, do it off-camera.

As a second sidenote, my mom watches the hell out of all Food Network shows, prints the recipes and makes them. I had dinner with her last night: Rachel Ray's "Cowboy Spagetti." Not bad...

[tommy]

8. Her lack of tipping- thus encouraging people to tip badly in return. There are enough service people here to know that her "tipping" on $40.00 A Day is a joke. I realize that the show is for people on a budget but if you cannot properly tip then you should not be going to places where it is expected. Sorry the wait staff is not there to be your slave. How dare she refer to herself as a former waitress and treat wait staff as she does.

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firstly, i would love to see evidence that she has ever "tipped" (errr, it's not really a tip, folks, it's a TV show) anything less than 15%. i'm pretty good at math, and i see 15% across the board. how often do her detractors watch her show to begin with to even do the analysis? there's a thought out there: RR's detractors are more obsessed with her and watch her more than her fans do. and she thanks you.

secondly, do you really think the servers are servicing her table like any other table during their shift ("hi, may i take your order." "here's your food." "can i get you more coffee?")? of course not. they're likely not even working that day. they have the day off, or a few hours off, and get to be on TV. anyone who thinks otherwise clearly does not understand how a TV show is shot.

and how dare you suggest that you know how she treats servers. you simply have no idea. unless, of course, you're following her around. which i wouldn't put past some of her detractors.

Edited May 3, 2006 by tommy (log)

[Gigi4808]

Tommy,

Please remember that sales tax will vary from local to local AND the amount that is given when they tally up her totals for the meal is tax AND tip. I am not sure where you are getting your math from but if you take the amount given and figure out the sales tax, subtract that from the total and look at the remaining amount IF the server is lucky they will end up with 10%- and even that is rare. Normally she skirts between 5 and 7%.

Second, yes it is a TV show- but it is a show about showing people where to go and what $40.00 will get you- and when you go to any place that is full service you are expected to tip- right, wrong or otherwise that is the way that it is. Her creative accounting flirts over the issue of her near non-existents tipping, and that gives the impression to the viewer that it is acceptable for them to do the same. If she was indeed a former waitress then she would know how important proper tipping is to someone who's livelihood depends on it. She would know that servers as a rule in this country are paid less then half of minimum wage and are taxed as if every table has left them 15%- regardless of if this was the case or not- yes this does vary a bit from state to state but I am not about to sit here and quote each states pay structure. No she is not outright rude to them, but maybe it would be better if she was or if they showed her throwing plates at peoples heads- then the viewer could at least wonder if there was an actual reason for her lacking of tipping. but she IS doing them a disservice. Unfortunately to her lemming followers they are learning from her example and that example is that you tip the bare minimum regardless of the service you receive/total of the check and you will have more money at the end of the day- probably for one of those beers she either loves or hates depending on the story of the day. I implied it before but I will say it flat out now- if you are on such a tight budget that scrimping on the tip is that important to you then go to McDonalds, the Hometown Buffet etc, you do not belong in a real restaurant (even a low rent chain)- clearly you cannot afford it.

And if you want to get into the issue that it is not really a tip- well with the same logic she really does not have a $40.00 budget then does she?. With your thinking then why should she even try to stay within the $40.00 range if it doesn't really matter?- and to be fair it seems like she could not do that or felt there was a need to show travel without the restrictions of $40.00 a day- hence the need for "Tasty Travels" (AKA $40.00 a day without the pesky budget). Yes, the servers on the show got the perk of being on TV- and your right they are not going through the motions of the normal service- however in the suspended reality of the show, the total cost of the meal is based on the "normal/real life" version that the viewers would experience- not the glossy 2 minutes of food porn that makes it into the show. It is not the server on the show I am concerned with but the server dealing with one of her lemmings in real life. You know the one who is probably getting the $1.10 tip on the $20.00 tab and is certainly not going to be on TV and DID go through the expected duties that full service entails. THAT is what I take issue with.

As for watching her, unfortunately I cannot avoid her no matter how hard I try. The food network is kept on in my office all day long. While yes I attempt to block it out she is on no less then 3 times (if not more) during my normal work day with her shows, perhaps others are better at just ignoring the distraction then I am but I do find my eyes drifting towards the tv several times a day- and lets not forget the many commercials for her shows I lost count of how many of those I hear screeching in my ear. I have no choice in what is kept on for customers so I have to live through that as well. My local bank branch keeps tuned to Food Network. 3 of my doctors offices keep it on in their waiting rooms- personally I have no idea what the local obsession with the Food Network is but is it ever active!. And if by some chance there is something that I want to watch on FN in my free time it is almost always sandwiched between one of her shows. She is popping up on non- Food Network tv more and more (sure to get worse with the new network talk show in the fall) and is all over the newsstand no I do not buy her rag but she is turning up in all of my normal purchases- even the pages of the cheesy gossip mags do I find her joker like grin staring up at me. Bookstores?- forget it. There may be a tiny patch of rain forest left I could go to escape her, but I haven't had all of my shots yet so I will have to get back to you on that.

And before someone pulls out the creme de la creme of all Rachael supporter comebacks: "your just jealous!" (can they ever do better then that?) I would like to ask of what?.

If her career is what I wanted that may have been a valid point, that is not the case so why would I be jealous?. I am sure that there are those who are in fact jealous of Our Lady Of Boxed Chicken Stock but I have a feeling that if they are it is surely not because of her dog poisoning, cross contaminating, poor tipping, artery hardening, incessantly giggling, baby talking, unmeasured, ignorant, EVOO drenched way... but I could be wrong.

[tommy]

Tommy,

Please remember that sales tax will vary from local to local AND the amount that is given when they tally up her totals for the meal is tax AND tip. I am not sure where you are getting your math from but if you take the amount given and figure out the sales tax, subtract that from the total and look at the remaining amount IF the server is lucky they will end up with 10%- and even that is rare. Normally she skirts between 5 and 7%.

they show the bill, the tip, and the tax. the tip is always 15% of the bill. that's where i get my math from. give me an example (or better yet, all of the examples that you claim exist) where this is not the case.

the sales tax is a red herring. they come up with 15% of the pre-tax bill.

i can assure you that no one (other than the producers who make sure it's 15%) is doing the math. that includes her detractors and all of those "lemmings" you think are doing exactly what Rachel does on her TV show. show me a person that is computing the math of those checks/totals for the 4 seconds they're on the screen and i'll show you a person who knows how to calculate 15%.

given that, the rest of your post loses meaning, from what i could gather from it.

edited because my math is better than my spelling.

Edited May 3, 2006 by tommy (log)