# What happened to the Food Network? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820 "2009-02-07T18:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/1 "2009-02-07T18:30:48Z")
It seems to me that their line up of chefs has really gone down the hill. Is this just my opinion or do others think the same? I miss Sara Moulton, Tyler Florence, Ming Tsai, and many others. Even those I didn’t like much like Emeril or Wolfang Puck had a lot more cooking chops than the current crop of half baked chefs. It seems that all they have now is either these totally entry level cooks (the Neelys, et al) or these jocks-wannabes doing stunt shows (Guy Fieri, et al). Where did the good ones go? Is there another Network that my cable doesn’t have and is siphoning them? ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/2 "2009-02-07T19:32:38Z")
A lot of old Food Network shows seem to be popping up on Fine Living, but I’m not sure if there are any new episodes, or if they’re just repeats. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/3 "2009-02-07T19:34:38Z")
The Food Network is catering (heh) to the audience that will provide them with the most income. Look at the commercials that the Food Network shows; you can draw your own conclusions about how challenged their viewers want to be. Mario Batali said something along these lines as well a while back (I think it was in an interview about the “Molto Mario” show), but I can’t find the quote right now. Essentially, he claimed not to have hard feelings about it, but the network was aiming at a different audience than what he wanted to provide material for. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/4 "2009-02-07T19:43:08Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > It seems that all they have now is either these totally entry level cooks (the Neelys, et al) or these jocks-wannabes doing stunt shows (Guy Fieri, et al). You mean Guy Ferry? I’ve always wanted to punch that guy right in the lame beard, but the desire “kicked up a notch” when I found out he changed his last name for increased douche-effect. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/5 "2009-02-07T20:17:19Z")
Its the same thing that happened to the [del]Hitler[/del] History Channel, AMC, TLC, A&E, and other cable networks. The Suits decided that they wanted to make more money, so they changed the programming to match that of other channels. Thus proving what one SubGenius right when he said, “Television is the giant butter knife that spreads the poison of a smooth, homogenius peanut butter across the US.” ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/6 "2009-02-07T20:26:35Z")
Florence is still there, doing _Tyler’s Ultimate_. I know the Neely’s own a few BBQ restaurants throughout Memphis that a lot of peopel rant and rave about, but I guess when you can’t do a show about just BBQ, they have to add some filler. I feel the same way about some of the other chefs though… But in reality, I take Alton Brown’s approach that he mentioned (I think) in his book, “I’m Just Here for the Food.” He states that he doesn’t want to cook Bobby Flay’s food, he wants _Bobby Flay_ to cook Bobby Flay’s food. He just wants to eat it. Many of the dishes they make, while are probably quite tasty, are never going to get made by a majority of people who watch Food Network because they’re too complicated or require too many specialized ingredients that mostly restaurant chefs are going to know about. Hence the reason I think they started to get more non-foodies involved. But blame Rachel Ray for starting the chain of events. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/7 "2009-02-07T20:38:27Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > But blame Rachel Ray for starting the chain of events. 🙂 I’m good w/ blaming Rachel for much of what is wrong w/the world. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/8 "2009-02-07T20:42:10Z")
Alton Brown…mmmmm. Geeky, smart and funny, just the way I like 'em. ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/9 "2009-02-07T22:49:30Z")
Love Alton. As for the rest, they all seem to have practiced and perfected that “gonna stick my fork in this and roll my eyes back in an orgasmic swoon” schtick when they present their completed dish to the camera. Of course, that’s the main problem with cooking shows: we have no idea how the food actually tastes, so we’re left to their acting and emoting. Or, in the case of one large-headed Food Network Star, gratuitous displays of boobage. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/10 "2009-02-07T23:01:15Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > But blame Rachel Ray for starting the chain of events. 🙂 [nitpick]It’s Rachael Ray, not Rachel Ray[/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/11 "2009-02-08T02:22:19Z")
Meh, I won’t bother spelling her name right if she can’t bother to say “extra virgin olive oil” completely! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/12 "2009-02-08T02:32:14Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Meh, I won’t bother spelling her name right if she can’t bother to say “extra virgin olive oil” completely! Oh, but she does! Every. Single. Time. She says, “…eeveeohoh, that’s \*extra \*virgin \*olive \*oil…” _wink_. Her “abbreviation” adds no less than five syllables to the name. Makes us stabby, it does, Precious… ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/13 "2009-02-08T03:21:48Z")
I haven’t watched the food channel in quite some time, except for Good Eats, which never disappoints. Turned it on in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep and AGAIN Rachael Ray, yet ANOTHER show, this one her “vacation”. To some fabulous seaside California town, wonderful shopping, wonderful weather, fabulous food in several fabulous restaurants. I’d like to see that ninny visit beautiful Fulton, NY in January. “Right near beautiful Lake Ontario, Fulton NY gets snow at least six months a year. A popular tourist destination: the giant mountain of snow in the K-Mart parking lot,( courtesy of the DPW), that doesn’t melt until August! We’ll visit the Dollar General for some fabulous shopping; chat with the natives standing in line at the unemployment office; and stop at KFC for a snack…so bundle up in your grubby parkas and join me on …RayRay’s Vacation!”. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/14 "2009-02-08T03:31:29Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Oh, but she does! Every. Single. Time. She says, “…eeveeohoh, that’s \*extra \*virgin \*olive \*oil…” _wink_. Her “abbreviation” adds no less than five syllables to the name. You just sent a shiver up my spine. That reminds me that, even though I like her more, I want to kick my TV when I hear Giada over-enunciate Italian words, yes, yes, we know you`re descended from real Italians now knock it off!! > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > You mean Guy Ferry? I’ve always wanted to punch that guy right in the lame beard, but the desire “kicked up a notch” when I found out he changed his last name for increased douche-effect. I do too (now that I know that) On the Canadian Food Network there`s a show called Cook Like a Chef which is pretty good. Different chef each week, real chefs focusing on techniques and ingredients. I don`t know if the American channel has this too but it`s very good. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/15 "2009-02-08T06:01:02Z")
> [@Ataraxy](#): > > [nitpick]It’s Rachael Ray, not Rachel Ray[/nitpick] THANK you. 😃 As for me, I’m sick of it turning into the Challenge Network. I want to watch people cook, not compete. I do love Iron Chef, but the endless succession of wedding cakes and chocolate sculptures and timed competitions and blah blah blah is just boring as hell. I like to watch someone cook who makes me feel I could do it myself, even if I’m too lazy to do so. If they can teach me something about food in the meantime (thanks, Alton) that’s great too. But what do I get out of watching someone sweat over their sugar sculpture? The thing is, I don’t get why _anyone_ watches this crap. I also hated the live-audience cooking/talk shows (Emeril Live, Paula’s Party) so I’m honestly not sure which is worse. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/16 "2009-02-08T07:09:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Its the same thing that happened to the [del]Hitler[/del] History Channel, AMC, TLC, A&E, and other cable networks. The Suits decided that they wanted to make more money, so they changed the programming to match that of other channels. Thus proving what one SubGenius right when he said, “Television is the giant butter knife that spreads the poison of a smooth, homogenius peanut butter across the US.” Too, too true. Every specialized TV network eventually becomes the _same_ network. The shark was jumped when ESPN showed their first TV movie. A long time ago you could turn on the Food Network and be pretty sure that you’d see someone making food. My favorite early Food Network show was Taste with David Rosengarten. It was the most educational cooking show I’ve ever seen, more even than _Good Eats_. David would talk about a particular food, and show all the ways it would be made wrong. One very memorable show was about scrambled eggs. He showed three examples of terrible, typical scrambled eggs - “extended” with milk or other fillers, overcooked dry and tasteless, etc. Then he showed three amazing ways to make scrambled eggs - the French double-boiler, mixing in cream cheese and my favorite - cooking them very, very slowly so they turn orange and are almost like cheese. The production value of the show was non-existent. It was a stove and a counter top in a empty, white studio. Food made in the Featureless Void. But it was compelling television. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/17 "2009-02-08T07:23:19Z")
Everyone’s made really good points. Another thing that annoys me some about the Food Network is the sameness of the recipes they show. Lots of standard American stuff, some Mexican and Italian, very rarely a little Chinese, and nothing else. Never any recipes from any other cuisines. Ed ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/18 "2009-02-08T09:04:52Z")
Nobody has mentioned the true horror (whore) of the Food Network–Sandra Lee. As long as **Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee** is on the air, basically nothing the FN does has a single bit of credibility to it. That woman is a menace. Literally, the “food” she makes is not only disgusting, unhealthy, and expensive, often times, I’m convinced she’s trying to kill her “guests.” She knows nothing about the science of cooking, she has no style or technical knowledge, and she is, I’m quite sure, insane. To give you an idea of how bad this woman is, the recipes are _edited_ before they are posted on the FN website. That means that you can see a recipe for mashed potatoes that involves frozen potatoes, a cup of cream, and a package of dry alfredo sauce on your television (her holiday special) and by the time it makes it on the website, it’s completely different (for the better, ie becomes something edible). God, I hate that bitch. To make matters worse, she now has her own fucking magazine. This magazine has many helpful hints, including a fewfor people who suffer from arthritis. My favorite is to buy vegetables prechopped at the store. What did people with arthritis do before she came along? [I believe (Fake) Gordon Ramsay said it best…](http://www.newsgroper.com/gordon-ramsay/2007/12/05/food-network-how-lazy-are-your-viewers) > [@](#): > > At first, I thought the Sandra Lee’s show was a fucking joke. You know, making fun of how obsessed you Americans are with convenience — especially culinary convenience. Then I realized it was real. Fucking bloody real. > > Maybe I should start my own show called “Half-Assing It with Gordon Fucking Ramsay.” Here are some of my show ideas: > > Now You’re Cookie-ing > Arrange Entenmann’s Original Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies on a platter in desired manner. I prefer the traditional dump-the-fucking-box method for a rustic presentation, though I’ve seen more ambitious “chefs” arrange the cookies in a fan shape. Drizzle with Hershey’s chocolate syrup and serve. > Time-saver Tip: Leave the fucking cookies in box they came in. Open top, drizzle with syrup and enjoy! In a pinch: Use a package of Keebler Fudge Stripes. No need to drizzle with syrup. > > We All Scream for Ice! > I came up with the recipes for my Half-Assed Diet Coke and Half-Assed Snapple because I know people don’t have three hours to pre-freeze water to chill the drinks. Today, liquor stores, supermarkets and even some drug stores, have large chests that hold bags of ice. Purchase ice at any of the above-mentioned locations. Bring ice home, cut bag open and drop desired amount of cubes into your glass. Top with soft drink of your desire. Cheers assholes! > Time-saver Tip: Ask store clerk to cut the bag of ice open for you. For more great Half-Assed drinks, see my book: “I’ll Drink to That! The Essential Half-Assed Beverage Recipe Collection.” > > Now that’s Italian-American > This spaghetti and meatball dish is simple and classic. And it’s always a hit with my family. My version waves arrivederci to having to wait for a huge fucking pot of water to come to a fucking boil. More and more weddings, banquets and other catered events are featuring pasta stations. Visit your nearest reception hall — preferably on a weekend night — and pilfer already cooked pasta from the pasta station. Bring a large serving bowl and sauce boat with you and tell the pasta station server to fill ‘em up (make sure he goes heavy on the meatballs. They’ll skimp on the meat if you let them.). Ask for grated Parmesan on the side. Wear a tuxedo or evening dress when picking up your pasta to avoid harassment from security. > > Custard is Cool! > Go to any Dairy Queen, hop behind the counter, and stick your face under the spout of the soft-serve dispenser and pull. Lazy fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/19 "2009-02-08T09:28:43Z")
That Gordon Ramsay quote is pure gold. So, what is this new audience that Food Network now caters to? People who dream of food but cannot cook to save their lives? As someone said, I liked the Food Network because it showed people cooking. When I was going to prepare dinner, I turned on the TV and had someone cooking along giving me ideas for tomorrow’s dinner. Now, I am lucky if I am late with dinner and catch Tyler on a rerun of Ultimate. Is Tyler still doing new shows? Bobby Flay I am starting to hate less. I don’t know if it is just the new lack of contrasting cooks or that he is genuinely toning it down. Still, it looks like he has 3 recipes that he keeps remixing. Other than that it is all competition or travel shows. I have a Travel Channel already (which is doing a lot of food shows, btw). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820/20 "2009-02-08T11:44:20Z")
Seems like the Travel channel has 80% of their shows about food. I guess it’s all about what gets ratings. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-food-network/484820.md?page=2)