Emeril Shills

[srhcb]

Tonite Emeril's guest is fitness expert Jorge Cruise of "Three Hour Diet" fame.

I have nothing against healthy diets, fitness, or even shameless self promotion, but this lightweight didn't even know what beauchamel is!

I respect Emeril as a chef, businessman and entertainer, but when he introduced a lady in the studio audience who stood up and gave testimony how she's lost fifty pounds *cue applause* by following this guy's diet I wondered if maybe I was watching one of those self-impovement/home shopping channels?

Maybe I was? After all, Food Network's new advertising catch phrase is "More than just cooking".

SB (at least a Chris Cognac rerun is on later)

Edited January 3, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I don't really think it's that big of a surprise at this point that Food TV is in the process of transitioning into a lifestyle channel. All of their demographic research clearly indicates that focusing only on cooking -- and on viewers who know what bechamel means -- will bring a sure, swift death. Their money stars have been doing more and more outside the constraints of "cooking," and this guest seems tailor-made for the sorts of collateral opportunities for food (Wheat Thins), books (name it), and merchandise (NASCAR and NFL tie-ins) that support that expansion.

ETA: Steve, dude, if you're gonna crack on people for not knowing a sauce, I think you need to spell it right!

Edited January 3, 2007 by chrisamirault (log)

[srhcb]

I don't really think it's that big of a surprise at this point that Food TV is in the process of transitioning into a lifestyle channel. All of their demographic research clearly indicates that focusing only on cooking -- and on viewers who know what bechamel means -- will bring a sure, swift death. Their money stars have been doing more and more outside the constraints of "cooking," and this guest seems tailor-made for the sorts of collateral opportunities for food (Wheat Thins), books (name it), and merchandise (NASCAR and NFL tie-ins) that support that expansion.

I agree. I just felt bad seeing Emeril, who I've often defended on this board, being so compliant.

ETA: Steve, dude, if you're gonna crack on people for not knowing a sauce, I think you need to spell it right!

←

I was being facetous.

SB

[maggiethecat]

I read about an Emeril roast recently, and Bourdain's contribution was amusing. After discussing Batali's deal with NASCAR, the cookwear line etc. he said something like: "Mario's every man's dream: a whore who can cook."

I think Chris is right about the Lifestyle thing -- I watched TV for the first time this year in a couple of hotel rooms over Christmas. This crap made me yearn for the old reconstructed Martha Stewart -- people twitted her about Lifestyle, but she was actually about information. Gardening, rewireing chandeliers , cooking -- in retrospect, she wasn't about lifestyle nearly as much as Ina and Mario and Paula are.

[Catriona]

Over in the UK & Ireland forum, there was a thread recently about the Observer Food Monthly (food supplement to the Observer, a sunday newspaper) where a couple of people (me included) made a similar point about the OFM being celeb-focussed and lacking in solid, weighty articles. jayrayner defended the supplement admirably by taking chris's point above that it's not exactly targetted at us and for such a mainstream publication, it would be close to sales suicide to do so.

And then the new OFM issue came out and it was great anyway, featuring our very own TheBacchus and his resto in London.

[Porthos]

I have found myself watching less and less of the Food Network. However, there is for me at least one shining beacon of hope left - Alton Brown's Good Eats.

I have never cared for Mario B. (he seems - shall we say - not lacking for self-esteem) and if he went away I would never notice.

Being a dreamer/wanna-be (the way I mis-manage money a kitchen remodel is most likely never going to happen for me) I used to watch every episode of Ultimate Kitchens I could, watching them over and over. The re-edited version on Fine Living(?) isn't as appealing. Doing 2 kitchens per episode goes too quickly and glosses over decision-making details. (I'm an engineer and I LOVE details ). I've been following Jambalyle's remodel here and enjoying it.

The Food Network isn't the only cable network to have a major shift in programming. Court TV has revamped their lineup so much in the last 1/2 year as to be almost unrecognizable.

The only consolation I find in the changes is to remember something Harrison Ford said in an interview. Asked how he keeps his head on straight he said, "I never forget that show busisness is business."

I do have some Giada De Laurentiis DVDs and will most likely add Alton Brown to my collection this year.

Side note not about Food TV: I just finished reading Julia Child's My Time in France and it caused me to get out my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume I (received as a gift in 1979) and start a serious reading of it. I do have broadcasts of some episodes of The French Chef on VHS in my library.

Porthos Potwatcher

The Unrelenting Carnivore

edited to fix a typo. pp

Edited January 3, 2007 by Porthos (log)

[Sararwelch]

I don't think Emeril's exactly picking when it comes to shilling products. I heard he even has produce with his name on it.

I also watch less and less of the food network. I used to watch it all the time, I'm down to about an hour a week.

[fiftydollars]

...I heard he even has produce with his name on it....

←

Yes he does!!

I first saw "heirloom" tomatoes with his label then I started seeing all manner of questionable produce with his face on it.

The heirlooms were from Mexico, if I recall correctly, and they were the saddest, fugliest little tomatoes ever to be offered at $3.99/lb.

Edited January 8, 2007 by fiftydollars (log)

[Reefpimp]

Did anyone else notice, during the Batali/Ray/DeLaurentiis/Flay battle on Iron Chef that Mario was drunk as a Kennedy? You gotta love the size of the stones on the guy.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Reefpimp (log)