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The Decline and Fall of the Food Network

spqr

By spqr
in Food Media & Arts

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Deacon

Deacon

Posted
Posted
Thank god she doesn't host Ready, Set, Cook anymore or I might have to climb to the roof of a building and start shooting people with an automatic weapon.

See, this is the kind of non-PC comment that really burns me up. Any one who shoots his enemies from the roof of a building instead of actually going inside the school and shooting them face-to-face is a coward. Probably a Commie as well. Unless you're shooting Gordon Elliott. Or Elzar. Oh, and Bobby Gay Homosexual.

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rozrapp

rozrapp

Posted
Posted

SobaAddict70 posted on Jul 15 2002, 03:53 PM

Ainsley Harriot

I know who Captain James Tiberius Kirk is.

I dunno about this bozo.

hmmm...anyone at all able to enlighten me?

SA, He's a tall, bald black British bloke. (Pardon my alliteration here, but I can't be p.c. and call him an "African American" since he isn't; I do hope that calling him a "bloke" is o.k.) He is a chef. And, if memory serves, he at one time starred as an ultra irascible chef in a British sit-com series that used to air on PBS. So, in a little twist on the usual expression, one might say that he is a chef in real life and he also played one on t.v.

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Jason Perlow

Jason Perlow

Posted
Posted

No, no, no. The PBS series stars Lenny Henry, who is a VERY funny British comedian and also had his own SNL-like comedy show. Ainsley Harriot is just plain annoying and hyper-animated.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted
jason:  seek therapy.

liza:  spunk is good.

Did Liza offer Lou Grant as her answer? All I saw was the edit note

Tommy - you may have one-upped me. Was the Lou Grant quote for perky or spunky?

It was, "You've got spunk."

"Well...... :blush: "

"I hate spunk."

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Aurora

Aurora

Posted
Posted
... Now they just need to add Ainsley Harriot and you'll have to put me in therapy.

QUOTE (SobbaAddict70 @ Jul 15 2002, 01:53 PM)  

Ainsley Harriot  

I know who Captain James Tiberius Kirk is.

I dunno about this bozo.

hmmm...anyone at all able to enlighten me? Buehler?

=P

SA

WHO is Ainsley Harriot? "Bozo" doesn't quite sum it up.

Ainsley Harriot is a disgustingly annoying, unfortunately ubiquitous television chef on BBC. He's a dancing, grinning, wide-eyed Muppet in human form.

Take the persona of your least favorite TV celebrity chef and turn that into a caricature--voila!--AINSLEY HARRIOT. If they turned his show into a half-hour animated children's cartoon, it would be much easier for me to watch. Then, I wouldn't have to struggle with the fact that Harriot is for real.

I saw his show for the first time while in London. I am also not a violent person, but I wanted to kick the television off its stand when I couldn't find the remote. It was one of those rare times when one is embarrassed while watching television; even when alone. He's borderline offensive.

Listen to Jason P. If Harriot "pops up" (he literally pops up), look away. Surf to the first rerun of Star Trek that you can find. You don't want to know any more about Ainsley Harriot than what you have been told.

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Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted

What's wrong with Food TV?

As far as I am concerned, the number one reason I rarely watch is also the number one reason they should change the name.

"All Emeril, All the Time"

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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ngatti

ngatti

Posted
Posted
tv1.gif

Nerdy? Cerebral? :rolleyes:

AltonSalt.jpg

Alton is great. He'll do an hour or more of Q&A at book signings, does frequent web chats (hint, hint), and makes subtle information obvious and memorable.

Don't talk trash about Alton. :angry:

:laugh:  :laugh:

I agree Jin,

I think that he's the only worthwhile thing on the Food Network.

I like the Discovery channel reruns of the various PBS Great Chefs series.

I never got to see them all and they pop up on weekday afternoons on my days off.

I rarely watch the food network. Well.. Bourdains show, when I can catch it, and Alton Brown if he's on while I'm surfin'. Otherwise no. I've heard certain publications refered to as food porn. I'm not sure what that means yet. But if my take on that term is accurate, then I'd have to classify the food network as 'food anime porn'.

Just my take. YMMV

Nick :smile:

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ngatti

ngatti

Posted
Posted
i mean, i can't tell you how many times i've been called a "straight-middle-class-white-guy-from-the-suburbs".

Is that PC-speak for "honky"? :unsure:

Mr. johnson.

I'd ask you to remember that this is a food site.

The proper term is NOT honky. I'ts...Cracker. :biggrin:

Nick

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chopjwu12

chopjwu12

Posted
Posted

soba is right about the bobby gay comment and i have sent him an apology. it just went well with flay and i forget sometimes where i am and what i should and shouldn't say. but he is 100% correct on his request and i will trynot to offend to many people anymore :wacko:

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
soba is right about the bobby gay comment and i have sent him an apology. it just went well with flay and i forget sometimes where i am and what i should and shouldn't say. but he is 100% correct on his request and i will trynot to offend to many people anymore  :wacko:

chop, baby, from now on, try this: "booby flay". i think it works quite well, and you only risk offending chicks with big horns. so, you know, it's cool. :blink:

edit: hehehe, i typed "booby play"...hehehehehhehehe :biggrin:

tommy:eats.com
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swissmiss

swissmiss

Posted
Posted

From the FoodTV newsletter:

>>Here's your chance to become a television star! Food Network is planning a new show based on your home videos. Whether you're shopping, slicing, dicing, cooking, overcooking, serving, dining, digesting, or indigesting, we want to see your kitchen bloopers and great moments in culinary history. <<

Doesn't look like the level of programming will be raised any time soon.

Anne E. McBride

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted

swissmiss, Gah. yuck.jpg

And welcome.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Miss J

Miss J

Posted
Posted
well we never want to offend the chicks with big horns tommy. We like the chicks with big horns :biggrin:

Interestingly, in English slang "horn" indicates an entirely different (male) body part. So when I first read the "chicks with big horns" comment, I thought you were talking about hermaphrodites. :wacko:

Miss J

(Edit disclosure: removed catch phrase that would only make sense to those who've watched The Fast Show.)

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Degustation

Degustation

Posted
Posted

It's been a painful process watching the evolution of the Canadian version of Food Network. If you think Ainsley's bad, you should see Ken Kostick in action - blech. It's now a mish-mash of Canadian, American, and British shows (Nigella and Jamie - no more Two Fat Ladies - sex sells? :blink: ). Hopefully it can only improve.

I barely recognize the original Food Network - a lot of the changes seem to be more gameshow/lifestyle type fluff. Maybe they need two versions -Food Network Light and Food Network Pro - works for software.

Here are the links listing the shows for both Networks.

Food Network Canada

Food Network

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted

Degustation, I agree about FN Canada.

However, at least they are showing the episodes of Bourdain's A Cook's Tour that were thought to be too extreme for the US.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted

Off the top of my head, the 2nd Portugese episode with the pig slaughter. Bourdain was pleased someone would see it after all. I think one of the episodes involving Cambodia too, but I forget.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted

Exactement.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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chopjwu12

chopjwu12

Posted
Posted

does anyone else hate that show 40$ and under or whatever its called. This girl ate in las vegas leaving a 25 cent tip for dinner. I think she may have been escorted out of las vegas for doing something like that. The show is just so unrealistic to me.

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
does anyone else hate that show 40$ and under or whatever its called. This girl ate in las vegas leaving a 25 cent tip for dinner. I think she may have been escorted out of las vegas for doing something like that. The show is just so unrealistic to me.

first off, the woman annoys me, and i'm not easily annoyed. her mannerisms rub me the wrong way. i watched that part of the stupid las vegas show, and thought "why the hell is anyone trying to pinch pennies in vegas?" i can actually understand NYC, or Boston, or wherever, but c'mon, if you're going to vegas, spending a few bucks on food during the day is the least of your worries.

tommy:eats.com
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swissmiss

swissmiss

Posted
Posted

She really annoys me too. Her other show, 30-minute meals, is alright, even if too simplistic at times. But in this one she has reached new heights in bubliness that I didn't know existed... She sounds like a kindergarten teacher and that's not what I'm looking for when watching a food or food-related show. And chopjwu12 is right to point out that she never tips anyone more than a few cents. If eating for under $40/day means shortchanging others, let's stay home! Anyway, does that show really have a purpose? Hopefully it won't be renewed (I find myself saying that about more and more shows these days).

Anne E. McBride

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