Hatred of Rachael Ray can be a powerful uniting force

bostonglobe ^ | November 26, 2006 | rob walker

[stainlessbanner]

Consumer culture and indeed popular culture revolve in large part around shared admiration, shared likes: Fandom, in a word, is a thing that can bring us together.

But what about shared dislikes? Can a community form around that? What is the opposite of a fan club? The answer is the Rachael Ray Sucks Community.

[irishtenor]

I like Rachel Ray.

[JennysCool]

Don't care a lot about Rachael Ray, but people creating "communities" to celebrate how anything "sucks" are for-sure idiots. And best ignored.

[HitmanLV]

She isn't bad, but the problem is that this is the Fall-Winter of Rachel Ray and that she has been pushed to the moon by the people who make those decisions. In 30 minute clips on Food Network, she is fine. When she has 4 or 5 shows on Food Network, that's too much. When she is on a couple of networks, several times a day, as well as on magazine racks and on boxes of crackers, her presence is ubiquitous and annoying.

Emeril is cool until they tried a similar, but less ambitious promotion of him as a personality. That failed, too. A little Emeril is good. A lot of Emeril and well, BAM! :-)

I think the best personality on Food Network is Alton Brown, personally. My fave chefs are Giada, Mario Batali, Alton Brown, Michael Chiarello. Truth is, I like almost all their shows and personalities - it's one of the best channels on tv.

[GSlob]

"...for-sure idiots. And best ignored."
"Clear them out of your life as the scandalous and evil-living lot they are"
Michelangelo Buonarroti
And clear the rachael rays out, too.

[irishtenor]

My niece, who is only 12, looks just like her.

I have always like RR because of her bubbly personality. And her smile.

Paula Dean talks the way I grew up down in Florida. I like her, also, but ALL of them use way too much oil in their cooking, and Paula is the worst of them.

[stainlessbanner]

I like Paula Dean, too. She has that old FL/GA accent I can listen to for hours.

[HitmanLV]

Paula's wonderful, and I would love to visit her restaurant someday!

Like i said, there isn't a Food Network personality I have any kind of dislike for. Ray is a low talent who was pushed to far, too fast. I don't think there is a chef on Food Network who isn't much better than her. Thats not to say she is bad - the gang in marketing decided she would be a great personality and ran with it.

They overplayed their hand with Rachel Ray. Still, it's difficult to hate her. I am just finding her increasingly ubiquitous presence annoying, and I'm not alone.

[HitmanLV]

Double R was never really thin vbut she had a nice build, but I saw one of her cracker commercials on tv and I initially didn't recognize her. She looks to have gained about 20lbs - which at her stature and frame is way, way too much.

[pandoraou812]

I like Mario Batali,Bobby Flay and Michael Chiarello most. Though I do like Food finds,Good Eats and Road Tasted. I also will watch the Iron Chefs at times. I really don't care too much for Rachel Ray. But I will watch her if I can't find anything else to watch. I like food network and I like HGTV more then most channels.

[irishtenor]

She puts is way too much "aauull" in her foods, including butter. But I bet it is good :>)

[irishtenor]

Right around the middle, I noticed it too.

[irishtenor]

I heard she was having husband trouble, also. That will put on the pounds if you don't watch it.

[endthematrix]

Yeah, in small doses, she's OK. I did get tired of the over use of "sammies" for sandwich, but she resonates far better to middle America IMO than most Bon Appetite culinary snobs.

[HitmanLV]

Honestly, there isn't anybody on that channel I am very negative about. I like Giada a lot, and her recipes are not only fantastic but tend to live up to the 'Easy' in her show's name. Mario Batali is awesome but they seemed to have rolled back his presence on the network, which is disappointing to me. Michael Chiarello is a super guy and I like him a lot, too.

Flay is a fantastic chef, but as you can tell I have a strong bias towards the Italian chefs and cuisine.

Iron Chef America is good but they under-use my babe, Cat Cora (I know, I know, Cat has no interest in being any man's 'babe'). Alton Brown is the funniest guy on the network and my favorite 'personality,' because I find him and his show hysterically funny. I like how he goes into the science of cooking, also - something the others don't really do.

If Food Network wanted to push someone to mainstream status, give Alton a sitcom. Then again, 'Good Eats' is kind-of a sitcom.

Food Network is a great channel bumper to bumper. I like it much more than most channels, also, and have it on in the background a lot especially when I am home on a weekend afternoon.

[HitmanLV]

I heard she was having husband trouble

I'm sorry to hear that. She has had so many projects in such a short amount of time, that would put a lot of stress on any relationship. Hope it works out.

[kittycatonline.com]

I used to like seeing her on Food network, but after seeing a few episodes of $40/day, I realized she just goes to a load of obvoiusly "in exchange for promotional considerations" dives, and fawns over what looks like typical lousy ripoff tourist food. Fake!

[america-rules]

Your right about Emeril.

I used to watch him several times per week but now can't stand to look at him.

He's on too much plus he's on QVC, Home Shopping and has a hundred products in all the stores now.

It was the same with Paula Dean but now I'm getting tired of seeing her as well !

[HitmanLV]

Double R doesn't have the talent to have as many shows on FN as she does, let alone all her other stuff. She isn't bad at all, but like you say, 'small doses.' She should have 30-Minute Meals and that's it.

A talk show and magazine is way over her head.

I suspect the gang in marketing ran all sorts of studies and decided to give her the ball.

[endthematrix]

IIRC she the big O's (Oprah) blessing.

[HitmanLV]

Emeril is cool, but when I see him these days he seems distracted and unlike his old self. It's just a bit forced.

He was king of Food Network for a while and even had his own sitcom for a couple of weeks. Of course cooler heads should have prevailed and he shouldn't have been put in that position. He strikes me as anxious to regain his 'King' status but unsure how to do it. Rachel Ray is the new Queen, and until she gets knocked off, there's no vacancy at the top.

I like Emeril though. I hope he gets that 'edge' back.

[HitmanLV]

Yeah, I know. But Ray is in way over her head. Bad call by Oprah. And after all that success with her 'Dr Phil' project.

[Vicki]

I like Rachel Ray. She seems to be a hometown girl and down to earth. My favorite is Paula Dean. I watch a lot of the Food Network.

[stainlessbanner]

I think she was the product of the marketing department to put a new young face on cooking shows. She's being stretched too thin.

Marketing really does the full blitz on things nowadays. Almost to the point we get sick of seeing it. A little moderation in rachel ray would be nice, so would those Peyton Manning commercials and endless Chevy song commercials.

[pandoraou812]

I find it very relaxing to watch. I just wish I could bake like some of them do. I watch in awe when they do the cake bake offs and decorating. I have learned how to make dinners more interesting for sure.

[HitmanLV]

I know what you mean. I love to cook, but baking is something I seldom try. It's much more of an exact science than most cooking. FN is probably one of my three or four favorite cable channels!

I also loved when they used to run the original Japanese Iron Chef! AWESOME!

[Echo Talon]

my Oldest brother likes her... he says, "she's pretty hot" LOL
I guess that he would hit it.. ;)

[Echo Talon]

[cherry]

alton Brown no question is the most entertaining and fun and most watchable of all the shows........even my husband and kids like him......everyone I know likes him....

Rachel Ray has been stretched too thin, and I think Paula Deen is a bit overextended too.....

Bobby, Ina Garten, some Sara Mouton, some Emeril.......

I love the challenges and the Iron Chef contests are a hoot......

[cherry]

I forgot Mario.....like him alot just for his use of Italian......

[Jeff Chandler]

I also loved when they used to run the original Japanese Iron Chef! AWESOME!

I liked those, too. I could always tell who was going to lose: the contestant who made fish ice cream!

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

That's a bit mean. Ms. Ray seems to be a tad too bubbly, potentially purposefully, but still.

Martha Stewart would seem to be a more probable candidate, but even then it would be bit mean. Just don't watch them.

P.S. This was not directed at you, stainlessbanner.

[neb52]

The problem with baking is that every oven varies. You can't go by the measurements and thus you are compelled to make a few attempts before getting it right.

[Howlin]

but ALL of them use way too much oil in their cooking, and Paula is the worst of them.

It's the B U T T E R with Paula.

I love her, but since I found out she's a HUGE Jimmy Carter fan.....well, you know.

[Silly]

I love her, too! How about THAT?!

[ken5050]

Baking is very satisfying. Try bread. The aroma is wonderful.

[ken5050]

Sara Moulton is all reruns..they canned her a few years ago. She's off the network..

[meowmeow]

I like Emeril though. I hope he gets that 'edge' back.

His Orlando restaurant is awesome. We always plan our visit there as carefully as we plan our other Orlando excursions. Basically after you eat there, you're good for about 48 hours before you need to eat again. It is calorie intense.

[poobear]

My fave chefs are Giada, Mario Batali, Alton Brown, Michael Chiarello."

Michael is a bit of Napa Valley snob. His recipes are good though. Tyler Florence, now that's cooking!

[CTOCS]

I find Ray's delivery a bit forced. Way too bubbly.

My favorite is Giada DeLaurentis on "Every Day Italian." She's Oscar's grand daughter.

She is an absolute babe. Bunch of us older-guy cooks get together at our local watering hole in the afternoon to watch her. We call it "Cooking With Cleavage"

[pandoraou812]

lol Last time I made bread without my bread machine it was so hard that we used it as a door stop. Now I stick to the bread machine and it comes out good and smells great.

[DarthVader]

Her hubby was supposedly cavorting around with a Ho doing deviant sex acts.

[Always Right]

Rachel Ray is such a sweetie. Why not just start an "I hate Bambi Club"?

[TheBigB]

Dude! Check this out!

[Fierce Allegiance]

I like Rachel Ray, too, but like others have said, sometimes there is just way too much.

Pic for research purposes only:

[Constitution Day]

What the hell is wrong with these people?
I still love Rachael, but she is indeed reaching media saturation.

At any rate, I am much more partial to Nigella Lawson.

As someone on the link above says, "I challenge someone to find a hotter cook with a cookbook!"

[DarthVader]

Nigella Lawson is awesome!

[Fierce Allegiance]

My favorite: (What can I say, I'm on an italian chick kick lately?)

[zook]

Rachel, PLEASE tie your hair back. I'd be so afraid to find long hair in any dish she prepared.

[diamond6]

These people are bad apples and have too much time on their hands. People united against Sandra Lee too, and it just infuriates me.

Too much hate in this world.