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Gill Review of the Week


*Deborah*

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Slander should be left for the politicians

^ Slanderous? I noticed that she tactfully omitted the name of the restaurant that was apparently soliciting votes with c-note gift certificates, which is a lot kinder and gentler than outing them in print.

Edited by the g-man (log)
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This is being discussed over at Waiterforum, too.

I'm shocked that any restaurant would be so stupid as to send out a gift certificate to a food writer with a note attached saying please think of us when you judge.

I certainly didn't receive a note like that or a gift certificate. If I had, I would have called the restaurant and bitched to kingdom come. Gillster, did that really happen or are you using some license? If it is indeed true, can you please share with us (or me privately by PM) which restaurant this was so that I might call to complain.

Regrettably, food writers are often invited to dine, what you describe in your article is going too far.

Thank you for your candid take on the awards and for your amusing behaviour at the after party (for someone who thought they were garbage, you sure seemed to be having a swell time\!).

Also, I'm so sorry to hear your column in Van Mag was dumped shortly before you wrote your article. That kinda sucks. :sad:

Edited by Andrew Morrison (log)

Andrew Morrison

Food Columnist | The Westender

Editor & Publisher | Scout Magazine

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Again I think this is pushing the envelope of responsible journalism.  Slander should be left for the politicians.
What is slanderous in the above statement?

First off ... nothing was slanderous since the comments were written, not spoken. I think the word you're looking for Wes is libel.

That out of the way, I'm with Keith. Dictionary.com defines libel as "A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation." What she said, wasn't false, and she didn't identify anyone, so no libel.

Now, as an example of "yellow journalism", you may have a case. :rolleyes:

A.

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Yes, and I do not jump tall buildings in a single bound.

By Choice.

Edited.

Okay- too harsh- not shown herself fit to judge anything, IMHO.

Edited by annanstee (log)

The sea was angry that day my friends... like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

George Costanza

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This is being discussed over at Waiterforum, too.

Speaking of yellow journalism ... :laugh::laugh: (KIDDING!)

I'm shocked that any restaurant would be so stupid as to send out a gift certificate to a food writer with a note attached saying please think of us when you judge.

Are you honestly shocked Andrew? Really? 17 years of Van Mag awards and you're surprised that a restaurant might try to "influence" a judge? Because, that NEVER happens anywhere else. The Oscars, the Grammy's, The Gemini's (actually, nobody cares about the Gemini's :shock: ) ... all awards are squeaky clean right?

Sorry for the sarcasm Andrew, but that is either the most naiive thing you've eveer said, or you're grossly understating your thoughts on the matter. Of course that sort of thing takes place. It may not be as brazen as Ms. Gill's example (or as outright stupid) but rest assured it happens.

A.

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Don't be a ninny, Arne. :biggrin: I'm not that naive.

I received many, many invites to dine in the run up to the awards, and many more subtle queries from PR types checking to see if I had visited their charges over the last year. I may be new at this, but there's nothing new about the process. It's pretty easy to figure how restaurants want it to work, but desire and reality are two different things. In my experience, however, no one was has been so stupid and brazen as to say straight out (as Gill alludes) that they were looking to buy votes with a $100 gift certificate.

I want to know if this actually happened. Don't you?

As an unrelated aside, the notion that she "chooses" not to be a judge is priceless.

Edited by Andrew Morrison (log)

Andrew Morrison

Food Columnist | The Westender

Editor & Publisher | Scout Magazine

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Don't be a ninny, Arne.  :biggrin: I'm not that naive.
Silly me. When you said you were shocked, I took that to mean you were ... um ... shocked.
As an unrelated aside, the notion that she "chooses" not to be a judge was priceless.

Kinda like how Don Genova "opted out" of the awards. I'm pretty sure he wasn't able to participate because he moved to the Cowichan. (Then again, that could all be an elaborate cover up :shock: )

And both are great examples of my biggest problem with Ms. Gill's reviews; these apparent gaps in fact. Granted, if I were Joe 6-Pack and not connected to all these insiders through this site and others, I'd have no idea these gaps existed. That's when shoddy journalism gets dangersou.

A.

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As an unrelated aside, the notion that she "chooses" not to be a judge was priceless

Kinda like how Don Genova "opted out" of the awards.  I'm pretty sure he wasn't able to participate because he moved to the Cowichan.  (Then again, that could all be an elaborate cover up

And both are great examples of my biggest problem with Ms. Gill's reviews; these apparent gaps in fact.  Granted, if I were Joe 6-Pack and not connected to all these insiders through this site and others, I'd have no idea these gaps existed.  That's when shoddy journalism gets dangersou.

A.

That and how she assumes to know how the judge make their choices. Yeah, we all get together at Jamie's house and kibitz around and then vote. Sorry you weren't invited.

It's a ridiculous notion and makes me think she deliberately stir things up because that is her M.O. for her column.

Admitting that I'm riled up because of it is embarrasing so I'm going out for oxygen.

Adios.

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[Kinda like how Don Genova "opted out" of the awards.  I'm pretty sure he wasn't able to participate because he moved to the Cowichan.  (Then again, that could all be an elaborate cover up :shock:

Well it is possible that both are true: he couldn't participate because he moved and he would have chosen not to participate anyway. But then I don't have secret insider knowledge.

No one has denied the veracity of any of the other statements attributed to Don Genova - any insider comments there?

Edited by barolo (log)

Cheers,

Anne

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As Shelora wrote above...

...That and how she assumes to know how the judge make their choices. Yeah, we all get together at Jamie's house and kibitz around and then vote. Sorry you weren't invited.

There is nothing sinister in the voting process. As far as I know, the individual ballots were handled by an outside accountant for tabulation. It all seemed like a fair enough process to me.

Andrew Morrison

Food Columnist | The Westender

Editor & Publisher | Scout Magazine

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As Shelora wrote above...
...That and how she assumes to know how the judge make their choices. Yeah, we all get together at Jamie's house and kibitz around and then vote. Sorry you weren't invited.

There is nothing sinister in the voting process. As far as I know, the individual ballots were handled by an outside accountant for tabulation. It all seemed like a fair enough process to me.

Well I didn't read that she assumed to know anything about the voting process. However, she did attribute statements to Don Genova, who was a judge in the past, commenting on what had happened in the past. Let's face it, you can submit your votes to an accountant and still discuss them beforehand.

I am not suggesting that anything sinister happened, I just like to get factual information. Don Genova reportedly made a number of comments about how the voting worked in the past and I wonder if they are true. Even if they are, I don't assume they mean that voting is conducted that way now.

Cheers,

Anne

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As a guest at the awards on Tuesday, I'm convinced that Ms. Gill was walking around in a thick magenta wig - disguising herself as Lolita's Lila Gailie. I can't believe she wouldn't have noticed Tojo during the pre-awards mingle - nor when he appeared, post Viagra and supervitamins, onstage with his makeover look.

Memo

Ríate y el mundo ríe contigo. Ronques y duermes solito.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Snore, and you sleep alone.

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[it's Friday ... you need tequila, not air.

A.

And as it is Cinquo de Mayo, I suspect that that is just what she will be having. :wink:

The sea was angry that day my friends... like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

George Costanza

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But then again, I was not one of the judges on this year's panel and never have been -- by choice.

Yeah, that's same reason I don't play in the NHL. I choose not to.

I can relate.

When Iron Chef calls, I am going to tell them no.

:laugh::biggrin: Good one! :cool:

"If cookin' with tabasco makes me white trash, I don't wanna be recycled."

courtesy of jsolomon

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This is being discussed over at Waiterforum, too.

I'm shocked that any restaurant would be so stupid as to send out a gift certificate to a food writer with a note attached saying please think of us when you judge.

I certainly didn't receive a note like that or a gift certificate. If I had, I would have called the restaurant and bitched to kingdom come. Gillster, did that really happen or are you using some license? If it is indeed true, can you please share with us (or me privately by PM) which restaurant this was so that I might call to complain.

Regrettably, food writers are often invited to dine, what you describe in your article is going too far.

Thank you for your candid take on the awards and for your amusing behaviour at the after party (for someone who thought they were garbage, you sure seemed to be having a swell time\!).

Also, I'm so sorry to hear your column in Van Mag was dumped shortly before you wrote your article. That kinda sucks. :sad:

ouch! :raz:

"If cookin' with tabasco makes me white trash, I don't wanna be recycled."

courtesy of jsolomon

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I was just wondering. Of the restaurant people that involved in this topic. How many times have you had James Barber into you dining room? Not even for this year but for the last couple of years?

Edited by D. Peckham (log)
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I was just wondering.  Of the restaurant people that involved in this topic.  How many times have you had James Barber into you dining room? Not even for this year but for the last couple of years?

Wow, old James has a stalker!

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I was just wondering.  Of the restaurant people that involved in this topic.  How many times have you had James Barber into you dining room? Not even for this year but for the last couple of years?

I'm curious what this has to do with A. Gill's reviews. Did I miss something?

As to James Barber ... he's mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmarvelous.

A.

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