What's wrong with Food Network

Here is a link to an article by Bill Buford from the New Yorker. It really does spell out what many of us have felt. The problems at Food Network are deliberately created by the management and have resulted in the Network increasing its worth to billions of dollars. There has been a definite push to change the nature of cooking TV. Mr Buford's article eloquently documents the time-line and effects of this push.

Link is here: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/a ... 002fa_fact

[Robin Garr]

Sounds interesting, Howard ... I think I'll wait for the print edition to get here, <I>The New Yorker</I> being one of those little indulgences that I still enjoy sitting back with and reading the old-fashioned way.

If I recall correctly, though, Buford had an extended section about Food Network in <I>Heat</i> that covered very similar ground. Bet a nickel this article is borrowed^H^H^H^H updated from that.

Yeah, there's not much we haven't beaten to death here. But a niche opportunity has opened up as they've abandoned Real Cooking, broadband makes distribution no longer subject to the same gatekeepers, and the scorned 15MM viewers are no small matter. if I were you, Robin, I'd be pounding at the doors of venture capitalists with a plan to build a multimedia cooking "channel" starting with those 15MM affluent "viewers."

[Robin Garr]

ame gatekeepers, and the scorned 15MM viewers are no small matter. if I were you, Robin, I'd be pounding at the doors of venture capitalists with a plan to build a multimedia cooking "channel" starting with those 15MM affluent "viewers."

I'm terrible at stuff like that. What I need is an agent. What's yer fee?

Never in our history as a species have we been so ignorant about our food.

Well that about says it all Thanks for posting the article. Food TV was my favorite channel early on, it and HGTV when they were both mostly "how to" and "why" programming. And while the personalities and sets are certainly prettier than they used to be, the shows are underdeveloped and garishly scripted. I still watch from time to time, but I often ponder that if I was a new aspiring home chef, I would still have no idea how to make that dish after watching Emeril...BAM!

[Jenise]

ame gatekeepers, and the scorned 15MM viewers are no small matter. if I were you, Robin, I'd be pounding at the doors of venture capitalists with a plan to build a multimedia cooking "channel" starting with those 15MM affluent "viewers."

I'm terrible at stuff like that. What I need is an agent. What's yer fee?

I wanna be a producer! Got yer first show: Chef on Fire. Has a certain ring to it, and Joseph can be as cranky as he wants--he'll still look like an angel next to Gordon Ramsey.

Damn, how'd I miss this!

Much better title for a show then the one one of my assistants came up with a few years ago.

I had these two evening assistants for my demonstration classes. They called each other "Dick." In fact, it wasn't either of their names.

The title?

Chef with Two Dicks

Howard, thanks for posting the link. Good article. I think most of us feel the same way -- that the network is now completely dumbed down to the point of being ridiculous. I enjoy a few shows--Ina's and Giada's, mainly.

Yesterday I had it on just for background noise and Sandra Dee was making something with chicken, and was wearing some ethereal white blouse with gaping butterfly sleeves that kept dragging onto the raw chicken. Yick! I found myself thinking -- a perfect example of the "form over substance" mentality that is now par for the course on the Food Network.

Ewww, Carrie! Now I am even more grateful I don't own a tv.

Wot, no tv. You are missing Rachael in the afternoons!!

Ask the question a different way - What's right with Food Network? - and you'll get an empty thread.

Ask the question a different way - What's right with Food Network? - and you'll get an empty thread.

I'd put Alton Brown in the "what's right" category but would have to stop there and he definitely could improve(a little too theatrical sometimes if you ask me).

I'd much rather watch Jacques Pepin on PBS - "Ahappy Coohking!" always makes me smile, I often learn something new, and he makes something that actually looks good to eat!

I just don't get it. The Food Network is a very popular TV channel. With whom? It can't be people who really love food. They wouldn't do that to their food. Doesn't it make you feel very removed from most of how America seem's to eat?

Ask the question a different way - What's right with Food Network? - and you'll get an empty thread.

I'd put Alton Brown in the "what's right" category but would have to stop there and he definitely could improve(a little too theatrical sometimes if you ask me).

I'd much rather watch Jacques Pepin on PBS - "Ahappy Coohking!" always makes me smile, I often learn something new, and he makes something that actually looks good to eat!

I just don't get it. The Food Network is a very popular TV channel. With whom? It can't be people who really love food. They wouldn't do that to their food. Doesn't it make you feel very removed from most of how America seem's to eat?

Yes.