Comments on: Mmmm!

Mmmm!

rxrfrx — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:13:29 -0800

[Quicktime]

By: growabrain

growabrain — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:28:38 -0800

* disappointed * wrong money

By: IronLizard

IronLizard — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:29:36 -0800

Hah. Food porn.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:32:53 -0800

I hate Rachel Ray with a passion that burns like the hearts of a thousand suns.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:53:26 -0800

This thread might as well be archived and closed to new comments.

By: bhouston

bhouston — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:54:31 -0800

Appears someone has a Rachael Ray fetish... She's sort of hot, but I know nothing about her. For more artistic effect, one could have grouped together closer the "ah"s so that there were no gaps. You could even edit it such that it comes across as one long ah with a bunch of nods by matching up the sounds and progression properly -- probably would cut the 30 or so clips up smaller and reuse them resulting in a final 200 or so separate snippets lined up together.

By: LMGM

LMGM — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:56:56 -0800

Funny you should say that, dirtynumb. I just used that phrase in an email forwarding this link to a set of friends. I have a rather conflicted relationship with her. I'm interested in what sorts of restaurants she digs up in each locale, and I appreciate that her "30 minutes" show provides recipes that even my brother could accomplish...but every time she says "yummo," I have to kick a puppy.

By: GavinR

GavinR — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:58:54 -0800

I'd hit it Yeah, with a crowbar until it was dead, dead, dead.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:02:45 -0800

Crowbar is too good for her. Chainsaw. And that's leaving aside the fact that the whole $40/day thing is total garbage. She routinely stiffs waitstaff on tips, and as far as I can recall they don't include taxes.

By: cortex

cortex — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:10:40 -0800

Oh, it's a TV show. She also has a freakin' research staff and never gets shitty service.

By: ericb

ericb — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:13:15 -0800

aaargh...scratching my eyes out and whacking my ears. Mmm ... mmm ... mmm-hum ... mmm ... mmm. No! No! No!

By: fenriq

fenriq — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:14:15 -0800

Hey, food tastes good. Who knew? Thanks Rachel Ray for letting me know via your taste buds that food tastes good.

By: ericb

ericb — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:14:43 -0800

Rachael Ray Sucks!

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:18:25 -0800

Hope you're having fun, villagers...because I can see jonmc walking up the hill, and he looks pissed.

By: edgeways

edgeways — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:20:39 -0800

so.. she spends the rest of her time in the gym? Seriously? At least these food critics LOOK like they really eat and enjoy it took. RR? I'd bet money she stops eating as soon as the camera is off.

By: bhnyc

bhnyc — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:21:26 -0800

seems like someone did a video like this a few months ago

By: maryh

maryh — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:23:40 -0800

I like to imagine the moment after the camera stops running: She violently gacks the last mouthful into her water glass, then contemptuously splashes the contents into the waitresses' face while screaming at her crew to Get me the Hell out of this filthy craphole!! Then she flings her still brimming plate at an innocent busboy as she morphs into a raging She-Hulk. Children cry, gentle souls everywhere weep, the waitstaff meekly gather the pennies and pocket crust she's strewn on the floor as a tip. It's the only way I can bear those painful moments before Good Eats.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:26:26 -0800

*watches* I need a moment. (I have this recurring idea that Racel approaches sex the same way she approaches cuisine. I can just see her with some naked dude going 'look at this penis! so plump and juicy! Yummo!' and then they slather eachother in EVOO and party up.)

By: Aloysius Bear

Aloysius Bear — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:26:37 -0800

A second-rate Nigella Lawson.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:29:27 -0800

I'll be in my bunk.

By: LMGM

LMGM — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:29:33 -0800

Aloysius, do NOT drag my Nigella into this. I don't even want to sully her with the comparison. If I wasn't so fond of men, I'd totally do her. Since I can't, I worship Nigella's ability to cook with her nails on and her hair did.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:33:58 -0800

I would so do Nigella. Partly because she'd make amazing breakfast in bed.

By: hojoki

hojoki — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:35:22 -0800

I've already done her. In my mind

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:36:54 -0800

Faking like that won't encourage the chef to try harder.

By: LMGM

LMGM — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:41:05 -0800

Precisely, Burhanistan. Part of what infuriates me about her $40/day show is that she seems to have a toe-curling orgasm every time she puts something in her mouth. While I understand that this may be a sexual fantasy certain men have, it's no way to critique food.

By: 23skidoo

23skidoo — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:42:06 -0800

This is good. I like Rachel Ray. Not because she has quality shows, or makes quality food, or does anything of quality. There are other people who do all those things better. I like her because she is cute, and makes theatric sex noises when she eats food.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:42:08 -0800

I have this recurring idea that Racel approaches sex the same way she approaches cuisine. It's either that or she's like that chick from Animal House who gives a handjob wearing a surgical glove. I don't think there's an in between on this.

By: LMGM

LMGM — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:44:42 -0800

Strangely enough, I don't mind it when Nigella Lawson gives us a close-up oral penetration shot and then moans. Perhaps it's because she's eating her own food and moaning. Dang. That's pretty !@#$ed up, when you think about it. I still love her

By: rtha

rtha — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:49:40 -0800

mmm...Nigella...

By: uni verse

uni verse — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:57:57 -0800

Yoda says, " Yum yum! Eat, I will!"

By: Tube

Tube — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:02:57 -0800

Mmmm.... mastication....

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:03:28 -0800

I want her chipmunk face off of my Triscuit box. The woman's about to do commercials for Dunkin' Donuts for Christ's sake. WTF?

By: nola

nola — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:10:40 -0800

Oh for God sake, you know what she does , you know she is no julia childs. Why must you point out the obvious? Her show is not amazing, and she is not all that? No shit.

By: konolia

konolia — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:14:33 -0800

Doesn't she have some kinda talk show on now? I cannot watch more than ten seconds of it. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

By: cortex

cortex — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:20:03 -0800

Aw, she's just a cute friendly drunk. You haters are gators.

By: squidfartz

squidfartz — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:33:54 -0800

That gave me a boner.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:38:30 -0800

I always thought Sara Moulton was a hottie and that's no lie.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:50:28 -0800

Never seen the show. However, I'm curious if she's ever not iked something. I assume that these restaurants pay her to eat there and that the answer is no.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:51:44 -0800

For more artistic effect, one could have grouped together closer the "ah"s so that there were no gaps. Or someone could take the soundtrack and match it up with some sex porn clips.

By: FormlessOne

FormlessOne — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:57:18 -0800

I'd just be happy if I didn't have to look at her creepy grin every time I cracked open a box of Triscuits. I've actually avoided buying Triscuits because I don't want to give them the impression that I somehow approve of her visage pasted onto their product. Now, if only Morton could sign AB for advertising their kosher salt...

By: jefbla

jefbla — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:58:39 -0800

You could pretty much do a clip montage like this with just about all of the Food Network show hosts, with the exception of Alton Brown and maybe that Ace of Cakes guy. An Emiril montage would probably be pretty funny (lots of "oh yeahs" and "woohoos"). A Paula Deen montage would be the most horrific thing ever put on video.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:59:34 -0800

Nobody hated on Emeril quite like this when he was the top foodnetworkbrandwhore. It seriously creeps me out how such a "normal" woman with a playful, assertive air gets so much flack for her personality not being to the liking of her non-audience. My feminist hackles.. they tingle. It's certainly no coincidence that even in this thread, a comparison between her attitude toward food and sex is made. Again, did Emeril, or Martin Yan ever bring that to mind? I think this montage has merit due to its relationship to that backlash. If it weren't her vocalized pleasure compiled onscreen, but another focused curation of her words or gestures, as in the other example, it wouldn't wind up being such an uncomfortable and mildly political work. Feminine pleasure for its own sake is still relatively taboo in visual media. Having just taught a class in found footage filmmaking, and viewing the final projects with a mixture of awe and disappointment: awe at the univerally apt reconfiguration of texts, disappointment at the meager political interaction with them... in other words they skewed away from the avant and toward "very good fan mashups," I can assess this work as a standout.

By: phaedon

phaedon — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:00:20 -0800

warning: may result in boner

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:02:51 -0800

Again, did Emeril, or Martin Yan ever bring that to mind? Yeah. I can see emeril yelling 'Bam!' when he screws a groupie.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:05:23 -0800

I love what Anthony Bourdain wrote about RR: Complain all you want. It’s like railing against the pounding surf. She only grows stronger and more powerful. Her ear-shattering tones louder and louder. We KNOW she can’t cook. She shrewdly tells us so. So...what is she selling us? Really? She’s selling us satisfaction, the smug reassurance that mediocrity is quite enough. She’s a friendly, familiar face who appears regularly on our screens to tell us that “Even your dumb, lazy ass can cook this!” Wallowing in your own crapulence on your Cheeto-littered couch you watch her and think, “Hell…I could do that. I ain’t gonna…but I could--if I wanted! Now where’s my damn jug a Diet Pepsi?” Where the saintly Julia Child sought to raise expectations, to enlighten us, make us better--teach us--and in fact, did, Rachael uses her strange and terrible powers to narcotize her public with her hypnotic mantra of Yummo and Evoo and Sammys. “You’re doing just fine. You don’t even have to chop an onion--you can buy it already chopped. Aspire to nothing…Just sit there. Have another Triscuit…Sleep….sleep…."

By: surplus

surplus — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:14:15 -0800

I have one thing to say about that movie: MMmmmmmmmm. ---- No, wait. I'd also say I don't ever think I or any combination of electrical appliances in my house could make her happier than she is in those excerpts.

By: lysdexic

lysdexic — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:17:55 -0800

I don't get basic "extended" cable (make whatever jokes you will) so I had no idea who this woman was. So this was my first exposure in any way shape or form. I understand she has a proto-Empire now, so she's showing up on the basic-basic cable commercials. Cute looking, laughing, no more than three seconds screen time. I didn't even know about "yummo" til this thread. Still don't care, just like I never cared about Emeril or Martha Stewart. Oprah rocks, though. And dammit Ambrosia, I hadn't even thought of the femm. angle (tm). You've got a point there. Mine? I'm supposed to have point? Well, I thought the Something Awful treatment was hilarious, even out of context.

By: 23skidoo

23skidoo — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:19:42 -0800

I love what Anthony Bourdain wrote about RR: OMG Are there really people who watch cooking shows to find recipes that they can make? How terrible! Don't they know that you don't watch them for recipes, you watch them to raise your expectations, to enlighten yourself, to better yourself. Gawd, it's not about making food you might actually eat.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:21:34 -0800

Has anyone here actually made any of her recipes? I mean seriously... tell me these sirloin hot dog nachos don't look like barf. Go ahead. I won't believe you.

By: maryh

maryh — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:23:35 -0800

Again, did Emeril, or Martin Yan ever bring that to mind? I've only recently started watching the Food Network, but the few times I've seen Emeril's show, the expression of helpless surrender on the studio audience's collective face in response to Em's chopping (christ, you'd think these people had never seen an onion minced before) was pretty unnerving. Such adoration of banality- a guy who chops vegtables, a woman moaning orgasmically over the local family-style restaurant... I love that Alton Brown, tho'. He's my kinda geek.

By: edgeways

edgeways — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:27:54 -0800

You bring up an interesting point Ambrosia Voyeur, I wonder though if some of RR's act is intentionally sexualizing the experience. There has been quite a bit of talk about the "food porn" aspect of her show for months now, and to think that RR and whomever else is involved in her production was not aware of it long before other people started to catch on would be naive at best. My only problem with the whole situation is not a self satisfying woman, but an individual intentionally using sex in a situation that isn't sexual inofitself to market the unrelated product, it's a form of manipulation. I like to think I would have the same response to whomever did such a thing, male, or female.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:30:08 -0800

OK everybody be like me: Stop watching television and rely on Melt-a-Fritter for all of your entertaingement. To me, this video was a nice dash of absurdity with no context whatsoever, and I grinned a toothy grin. Also, stop being attracted to women -- When you don't have to worry about your boner, they are freaking hilariously GAY.

By: maryh

maryh — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:31:46 -0800

Ugh, miss lynnster... that's vile, but it's still nowhere as soul-defeating as this nightmare from ericb's link above.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:49:23 -0800

Shiny food is scary.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:50:23 -0800

I pity the person who sat through 30 episodes to grab all that MMM'ing. I'll say this for Rachel Ray, she's predictable.

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:56:08 -0800

I don't mind Rachael Ray. She seems like she'd be fun to drink cheap Merlot with. That said, man, most of the stuff she "cooks" is pretty unappetizing, and just because something is relatively round and flat--and perhaps adorned with melted cheese--does not make it a "pizza."

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:01:56 -0800

My tapeworm loves her, though. I'll give her that.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:04:23 -0800

edgeways, without getting to deep into chicken/egg media theory, I believe demand leads supply, with television much more than other media, and such demand centers on sensationalism, is propelled by conflict. There's not too much credit to give to the actual actors or creators in a work. It's our own doing, and the great big focus group. In other words, I think you're right, except in saying food's not sexual. Ooooh I think it is, baby.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:25:19 -0800

Soooooo. Uh, what are you eating? Wearing. I meant wearing.

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:36:53 -0800

I don't get it... It doesn't sound particularly sexual, it does sound like fairly normal food appreciation noises, and she's on camera so she kind of has to do something - and she can't very well talk while she eats, can she? (Some of her responses were perhaps a little too fast - but who knows how many takes she'd just gone through, tasting that same thing over and over again.)

By: empath

empath — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 00:38:45 -0800

i would do dirty, dirty things to Rachel Ray. I'm not quite sure why, but she does it for me.

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:41:12 -0800

Ah the sweet joy of psuedonomously judging women along a hit it or kill it dimension. Goatse man was a prophet. The internet makes assholes bigger and more repulsive.

By: pax digita

pax digita — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:02:12 -0800

she seems to have a toe-curling orgasm every time she puts something in her mouth I really better get the hell out of this thread and get back to work...

By: lysdexic

lysdexic — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:02:04 -0800

Goatse man was a prophet. The internet makes assholes bigger and more repulsive. - srboisvert Oh, my dog that is SO going to be be my tagline! But probably not one emails to my mother. I already had to explain a "no snatch too tuff" bumper sticker to her /derail - tho it's not like this was going anywhere anyway

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:54:27 -0800

Wow, amazing... the SO and I were just talking about how absolutely annoying, even disturbingly disgusting it is to witness how television handles the "food reaction shot" after preparing something. It's always [chew so loud the mike can pick it up] "mmm!" [chew some more] "MMmm!" [chew some more, maybe some of the food is coming out the side of the mouth for emphasis] "MmmMmmMMMMm!" Fucking hell it makes me violent.

By: Ynoxas

Ynoxas — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 08:46:01 -0800

Perhaps it's because she's eating her own food and moaning. *blink* It's Monday Morning in the US for Christ's sake. Now what am I supposed to do? Rachel Ray is a perfectly good television host. Her show doesn't really have much to do with cooking, much in the way that Dr. Phil doesn't have much to do with psychoanalysis. They are television celebrities that fill an hour of the 24 with something some people find entertaining. What, exactly, is the problem here? She's also cute as a button, and has a very familiar folksy appeal. She seems genuine and approachable, which is exceedingly rare when you think of TV celebrities. Also, people who are SOOOO INTO the food channel crack me right the fuck up. Seriously, furries are embarrassed by foodies. Watching with rapt awe while someone shows you how to make caviar-injected grilled wrapped sirloin fajita cheddar melt tarts, which you will never, ever, ever make yourself, is just hilarious. So yeah, I can see how someone who maybe gives a recipe with 4 steps and doesn't require a trip out of the state to acquire esoteric ingredients should be dogpiled on and reviled for making stuff people actually eat. Me, I think *ALL* tv cooking shows are absurd. But it's not my bag. I also thought the oil painting shows with "happy little trees" were retarded too. Also "This Old House", where every renovation job seemed to have an unlimited budget. Basically, I treat television as ENTERTAINMENT not as EDUCATION. RR is entertaining to a lot of people, and she's arguably more successful in her field than any of the people in this thread are in theirs. Suck THAT, haters. *Disclaimer: I barely know who RR is, and honestly wouldn't care or even know if she was off TV tomorrow. I know who Emeril is/was, I've never heard of Anthony Boudoir or whatever.

By: kosem

kosem — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:32:23 -0800

If ever I hear someone ask for "E.V.O.O." in my kitchen, they had better fucking pray I'm not holding a knife. But I'd almost rather have to hear that acronym used daily than watch a "Chefography." [embedded video!]

By: drstein

drstein — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:33:41 -0800

"I hate Rachel Ray with a passion that burns like the hearts of a thousand suns." Dude, switch to decaf. :P rxrfrx: Amusing video. Thanks. I chortled.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:38:33 -0800

Admirers of Ms. Ray might enjoy her cheesecake photos from FHM magazine.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:45:13 -0800

- and she can't very well talk while she eats, can she? Oh man, I just had a vision of what that would be like and it was hilarious. Imagine this show with a host that talked with their mouth full the whole time, and everybody was just too polite to mention it.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:50:39 -0800

I also thought the oil painting shows with "happy little trees" were retarded too. And that, my friend, is where you're wrong. Stoned, sure; so mellow as to be comatose, sure; but retarded, never.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:06:50 -0800

Anyone disrespecting the "Happy Little Trees" will not be given any cake. EVER. Bob Ross saved my life on more than one occasion and I miss him and I am not kidding.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:39:29 -0800

"You're welcome, dizzy." Side note: isn't that a housepainting brush? Who's painting sponge trees with that?

By: Ynoxas

Ynoxas — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:39:51 -0800

"retarded" was the wrong choice of words. I apologize. What I mean was it was clear he was able to do something that the people watching were NOT going to be able to replicate, and certainly not replicate in a half-hour. I think Ross was cool, and I lamented seeing him go. However, I think I would have enjoyed him more as a host of perhaps an art show where he visited working artists or small galleries or gave art history commentary or, well, basically anything else other than making "happy little trees" that were not replicable by his audience. It was just the wrong venue I guess is what I'm trying to say. Just like how someone is not REALLY going to learn how to make almond encrusted sea bass bisque in 30 minutes. But of course, I have to emphasize this stuff is lost on me. To me, the "perfect" meal is a large, thick piece of steak, grilled medium well, and a potato, either baked, mashed, or french-fried. That's it. So I admit completely I am not the target audience for this food silliness. However, I still am able to say that Rachel is simply scrumptious and adorable. I'll put it this way. There are two kinds of people in this world... the kind that would want to have Julia Childs in their house, or the kind that would prefer Rachel Ray. The way you answer that question pretty much reveals at least 75% of who you are as a person. Me? Rachel, I'll take a PB&J and spend the rest of the afternoon admiring you and that sundress. And I bet it'll be the best PB&J I ever had.

By: four panels

four panels — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:48:57 -0800

and it don't stop

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:01:11 -0800

So far no one has compared her to the Italian lady on the Food Network.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:16:40 -0800

Oooh. That german site didn't like me hotlinking above. They unleashed my governor on me. Here's the basic image I linked to.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:26:01 -0800

How obsessed does one have to be to watch umpteen hours of RR footage in search of every "ooh" and "ahh"? Too obsessed is the correct answer.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:39:54 -0800

Too obsessed is the correct answer. No, no: just obsessed enough. This is the font of great entertainment; this is the happy medium between well-balanced and unbalanced that yields bloggish delight and creative oddities. Too obsessed is shooting at the analogical Gipper to impress Rachel. This is just parlor-game obsession, and it is in it's own limited sense a thing of beauty.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:41:05 -0800

Ah, that is suspect coming from one afflicted with metafilter obsession.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:45:23 -0800

So far no one has compared her to the Italian lady on the Food Network. Wait thirty years. Mmm. MMMmm. MmmMMmMMMMM! MmmM! MY EARS ARE BLEEDING JUST CHEW YOUR FUCKING FOOD AND SWALLOW IT!

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:49:12 -0800

“The internet makes assholes bigger and more repulsive.” posted by srboisvert Indeed. It’s that old saw about choosing the superpower - flight or invisibility. It’s a great metaphor for the net. You can see pretty clearly who’s chosen invisibility and who are the fliers. I find Rachael Ray attractive...which I think is why she’s on t.v. She is appealing. On the other hand I like to joke that I wouldn’t recognize her without a drink in her hand. Mostly I’m indifferent to her show, and cooking shows in general. But y’know, she’s on t.v. and I’m not. Think she cares that Smedley makes jokes about her? Of course, nastiness is nastiness. No one is going to like that. But I think the indifference/success dichotomy is greatly augmented there. I mean, some folks are going to hate anyone who is doing well, particularly if they’re not. Maybe criticism is warranted, maybe not. But again - it’s not like she invented the system in which she’s profiting. There are a lot of lousy movies out there f’rinstance. The people who star in them might be whores or they might be purists, but mostly they’re just looking for work. I suspect it’s a similar thing here. Everyone’s making money, so who cares what the quality is. (I don’t...but that’s only ‘cos I don’t really get into cooking shows.) And really - everything on t.v. is completely manipulated and staged. Phony- if you will allow me the Caulfieldism. A side effect is - you’re going to become a fetish. Whether your a guy, girl, whatever. You’re famous, people are going to take that image and do whatever with it. I think Danny Bonaduce said something along those lines (when he wasn’t stalking me). You decided to get into the entertainment biz, and fame is your business. Once you make that your business, you’ve invited people into you. It doesn’t give anyone the right to piss on you, but it’s part of the business that people are going to take you as the image you project - and they’re going to percieve that image differently. (S’why I never found that business appealing despite being interested in developing goofy ideas.) And I’ll second the ‘Bob Ross saved my life’ sentiment. That show put me in a nice mellow place. Great before a nap.

By: Belle O'Cosity

Belle O'Cosity — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:13:11 -0800

I love to watch cooking shows. I grew up with Julia Childs on pbs and when I found the food network I was overjoyed. I like to watch cooking shows to learn how to make new things and learn new techniques. I love watching Molto Mario for just that. I hear he will not be coming back next season. Unfortunately, to me it seems like the overall tone of the food network has changed from cooking to lifestyle. I think RR is really a symptom of that change. She is the perfect cross over product for the "middlebrow" market. Much more accessible than the Barefoot rich woman or Micheal vinyard dude. Just like Paula mayonaise and the blond chick with the boobs around her waist whose product is putting together mediocre 50s style food parties with her creepy "table-scapes." It's like saying you don't have to try and that is just as good. The funny thing to me is that even RR recipes have gotten worse, less like real food and more like hamburger helper recipes. And damn I hate the perky, cutesy bullshit. Gag.

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:50:11 -0800

Sweetie, don't try to talk with your mouth full...

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:05:16 -0800

I'd never heard of her before this post - but I'm gathering this Ray woman is all about the food porn without the food. As someone who doesn't speak food (my old flatmates asked me NOT to take my share of the cooking duties), I can only applaud this niche marketing tactic.

By: EarBucket

EarBucket — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:12:21 -0800

I was in a bookstore a few weeks ago with my eight-year-old. She spotted a life-size cardboard cutout of Rachel Ray, paused, frowned, and said: "She looks like someone's making her smile."

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:27:42 -0800

She'd make a great "Joker." If anyone is casting for the next Batman movie.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:36:47 -0800

Harley Quinn, surely.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:38:49 -0800

Too obsessed is shooting at the analogical Gipper to impress Rachel. Touché.

By: dozo

dozo — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 03:58:00 -0800

awesome, thx.

By: growabrain

growabrain — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:03:31 -0800

In a special surprise election held yesterday, TV food icon Rachael Ray was named President of the United States. This is really the most logical next step for Ray, who has 27 shows on Food Network, her own monthly magazine, a daily syndicated TV show, her face on various products in the supermarket, DVDs, a Christmas CD, cookware, a new endorsement deal with Dunkin' Donuts, and her own planet named after her. Ray has said that the first thing she plans to do as President is to add the word "awesome" to the Pledge of Allegience.