TV Chefs Be Fightin’
08.19.11
A little while back, TV chef and host of “No Reservations” Anthony Bourdain really went after some Food Network hosts in TV Guide. Specifically, he said Paula Deen was “the worst, most dangerous person to America” because of how unhealthy her food is, Rachael Ray “doesn’t even cook anymore” and “to her credit, she never said she was good at it”, and, of Guy Fieri, “I look at [him] and I just think, ‘Jesus, I’m glad that’s not me.’” Well now Paula Deen is firing back:
“My good friends Rachael, Guy and Sandra are the most generous charitable folks I know. They give so much of their time and money to help the food-deprived, sick children and abandoned animals. I have no idea what Anthony has done to contribute besides being irritable.”
Deen continued, “You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills . . . It wasn’t that long ago that I was struggling to feed my family, too.”
Good lord, I’m so conflicted. On one hand, I usually like Bourdain, and no one — NO ONE — takes more shots at Guy Fieri than me. On the other hand, his comments here seemed to cross from outspoken critic to douchey bully snob. Is Guy Fieri a tool? Sure. Could eating Paula Deen’s recipes give you a coronary? Of course. Do you need to be a smug, condescending prick about it in a national publication like your name is King Reginald von Foodnstuff? No. No you do not.
Also, as you probably figured out, I only did a post on this because it allowed me to make that banner pic. I could have a child who’s a doctor, Olympian and astronaut, and I wouldn’t be as proud of him as I am of that dumb MS Paint.
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As snobby as it sounds I’d rather hang out with Bourdain than any of those Food network people. Maybe I’m just a snobby bastard.
You know, he could have said something about Ina Garten too. That would have been fine with me.
He’s King Reginald van Foodstuff if King Reginald van Foodstuff hung out with Queens of the Stone Age.
please tell me more about priest.
As much as I like Bordain, he’s a snob. On The Layover he ate at some Rome patio eatery and waxed poetic about ‘how exquisite, la-ti-da…’ practically bragging about the fact that he is not going to disclose the name of the place or even hint at where it is, because then the American tourists will ruin it…blah, blah, blah, blah-blah. What’s the point of the show then? To show how cool and exclusive you are?
Her response is that she and her friends are kind to animals and small children? Well bully, I guess I should be thankful she isn’t eating them.
I know it was mean spirited, but Bourdain has always had The Mouth. Why does everybody always have to be nice? If he doesn’t like them, he doesn’t. Tony without his sass mouth is like Paula without her buhhder. (ps- Rachael Ray is my personal poison – ugh)
She has no neck. There, I’m done.
Before you get all weepy about poor victim Paula, in Savannah, her “Paula Deen tour” costs 65 bucks and ends with a shitty meal in her uncle’s restaurant — not her’s, because she can reel in more money that way. She’s just taking advantage of those poor schmucks and doesn’t have an iota of the talent Bourdain does.
Smothering a greasy pork sandwich served inside an ash tray in gravy is not feeding reg’lar families.
Of course, neither is traveling to the fucking arctic to eat seal meat.
Eh. I’m with Bourdain. He’s a prick, but he’s a prick I could aim to be.
Fieri is friends with Matthew Mcaugneghegeghey so he can’t be that bad, right?
Go Tony!!
Bourdain hates on these people because they’re all ridiculous cultural caricatures that replaced actual chefs on a network that’s supposed to be about food, and not how many times someone can scream Y’AWLL in a 1/2 hour.
That is one fine image you’ve created, Danger.
Anthony is just a culinary school snob who has no idea how people who work 9-5, or more like 7:30-6:00 do to prepare food. That’s why people like Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee.
Yes, if you ate Paula’s food for every meal 365 days a year, your doctor wouldn’t be happy. Yet, that is how people in the South eat. Good grief, my great-grandfather’s favorite breakfast was friend potatoes and apple pie, and my great-grandmother used lard, because vegetable hadn’t been invented. He ate that breakfast probably 4 days out of 7 and only lived to 94. I’m sure Anthony would have found something wrong with her pie recipie, since she didn’t take home ec. in high school.
As for Guy, I’ve actually gone to restaurants that have appeared on D3. My wife has eaten at Tex Wasabi’s in Scaramento. She thought it was so good that she took her boss, who is a bit of a food snob. Her boss liked it.
Someone at Scripps Television needs to tell Anthony to stop insulting fellow chefs Food Network. Both Travel Channel and Food Network are owned by Scripps Television.
This reminds me of the time a Pontiac salesman was telling me how bad the Olds Intrigue was and how the Grand Prix was so much better. Guess what? Both cars were built from the same platform, had the same engine, and were built at the same GM factory. I wound up buying the Olds.
All Anthony does with his trash talking is make it that less likely that I watch his show.
Chuck,
Bourdain was an in-the-trenches chef for over 20 years. He worked prep, grill, dish, broiler, sous, you name it – in some nice places and a few shitholes – and his cooking career as Executive Chef at Les Halles in NYC. He worked the 7:30 – 6:00 shift you mentioned… and then some. This “culinary school snob” has actually worked more real jobs than Ray and Fieri combined.
Simply put, he’s earned the right to criticize these personalities that are created by Food Network to sell dipshits who watch their “exclusive” lines of cookware and other junk to lines the pockets of the Food Network upper brass.
Bourdain is simply speaking his mind, expressing his honest opinion of people in his profession. He is also the first to humble himself when in the presence of greats like Eric Ripert or Thomas Keller. So, yeah, he’s a snob. But he’s a snob who knows what truly good food is.
Different strokes for different folks, but, in the end, it WAS just a TV Guide interview. Bourdain probably figured, what the hell, I’ll just be honest in my opinion. I, for one, find that refreshing and I will continue to watch his shows.
Paula Deen is not a Chef.
Bourdain is spot on with Paul Deen, Rachel Ray and others. They are commercial sellouts.
Too bad Paula Deen has Type 2 Diabetes, but her “announcement” is like a lifelong smoker announcing in amazement that hey have lung cancer.
Speaking of commercial sellouts, it is no surprise to hear Paula Deen has “partnered” with Novartis to “market” drugs for Type 2 Diabetes. This all the while Deen says she’s not going to change her eating habits. Score 5 of the 7 deadly sins for Paula Deen: Pride, Sloth, Acedia, Greed and Gluttony.