Chef Mario Batali has been chopped from TV's Food Network

[Connonym]

"Chef Mario Batali has been chopped from TV's Food Network, the influential cooking channel that made him a household name.

Sources said that network executives told the spotlight-loving chef last month his multiple shows, which includes the long-running "Molto Mario," would not be renewed and that he would no longer be competing in the popular "Iron Chef America" series. "

source http://www.nypost.com/seven/09052007/news/nationalnews/food_net_chef_mario_flames_out.htm

[vi5]

1. I haven't seen him on there in a while...

Honestly, to me he was always the least appealing and most uninteresting of all their "personalities".

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Shit, does this mean another goddamn Rachel Ray show?!

Outside of Alton Brown, he was by far the best they had. Ugh.

[Connonym]

3. I think they should give Rachel her own network

it will be easier to avoid her then

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. That would make the V-Chip a gift from heaven!

But she could ONLY be on that network.

[RebelOne]

9. What exactly is your problem with Rachel Raye?

I think her show is great.

[Connonym]

10. I don't like perky people

She seems entirely fake, her catch phrases annoy me, her moaning when she eats her food makes me a little ill, I don't think her recipes are terribly good. I think that cooking shows are way more about the personality of the host than the actual food. I don't like her personality. It's an entirely subjective thing and some of it I can't articulate. On top of all that, I think she's on too often. It seems like every time I turn on the TV she's there. In smaller doses I might be able to tolerate her but I feel like I need an insulin shot every time I'm exposed to her saccharine personality.

[RebelOne]

18. Well, everyone has their own opinion.

Personally, I look forward to her shows. And my son is madly in love with her "perky" personality.

[Connonym]

20. as my mom always says, if we were all the same it'd be pretty boring

clearly there are a lot of people who like her or she wouldn't be on so much. I'm just not one of those people.

[WinkyDink]

33. "EVOO" gets on my last nerve.

[DrDan]

38. it is not so much the "EVOO" myself. . . it is that she has to

tell us what it means . . . "EVOO - extra-virgin olive oil . . . . "

[Connonym]

41. no kidding, what's the effin' point?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

57. I HATE HER

She makes me scream with her cutsie crap and her EVOO and her carrying all of the ingredients in one dumb trip...

She is a total freak of nature... No one can be THAT happy about making a plate of nachos.

BTW -- I love Alton Brown -- Feasting on Asphalt 2 River Run --- It rocks!

[acmavm]

69. EVOO isn't HALF as bad as "schtoup, thicker than a soup, thinner

than a stew" or whatever it is.

[asthmaticeog]

5. That sucks, "Molto Mario" is really helpful and informative.

That network has gotten to be such crap, and here's another coffin nail. I wonder if Alton Brown'll jump ship one of these days.

[madinmaryland]

12. If Alton Brown leaves, then thats it for me.

I can handle Emeril once a month or so, but that's it.

[Connonym]

15. that's how I feel

I love Alton and his is the only show that I make a point of watching. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for nerdy men.

[WinkyDink]

34. I used to like AB, until I realized how much he goes, "Uh, uh, uh", like a kid in freshman Speech.

[Left Is Write]

72. I still do like Alton, but his frequent use of "uh" DOES drive me up the wall.

I mentioned it to my husband (for probably the 100th time) while we were watching Feasting On Asphalt last night.

[grace0418]

35. Alton *should* leave. Who wants to be associated with idiots like Sandra Lee

and Ms. EVOO? At least then he wouldn't have to pretend to enjoy those stupid staged "holiday dinners" where the only thing Sandra Lee has to offer is her sloshed ass and a butt-ugly "tablescape." Mario and Alton are the only ones who give that network any credibility, and they just shot that to hell. Giada and Emeril at least know how to cook, so their probably next. Unless they just force Giada to do her show in a bikini or something.

[Shakespeare]

6. Emeril will be next.

All of the "real" chefs are being booted, gradually, in favor of generic half-talents like Rachel Ray. Sad. Really sad.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. And the MTV-ification of Food Network continues. Of course they're chopping the chefs.

They want entertainers.

Just like MTV got rid of intelligent DJs and musicians so they could fill up with entertainers.

[Tektonik]

8. Makes sense they terminate the only real chef left on the network

I don't think I'll watch the channel anymore.

[Lex]

11. WTF - he seemed like the real deal.

I liked that guy.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Yes, only busty women can be hosts now on Food Network

Like that new woman who looks more whore than chef.

[Beausoir]

23. Buttered nipples in garlic sauce...next on Giaada!

[underpants]

32. The Latino one or the English one?

The English, while fully buxom, has more camera tricks done to hide her hips that they do for pregnant sitcom stars. Also they shoot her whole show like the camera is a stalker who has made it into her apartment.

That being said I like watching boobies swaying around if I have to sit and watch food that I am not going to be eating prepared. Okay lets face it I like boobies swaying around in almost any context...well aside from Malto Mario

[HamdenRice]

48. Nigella -- she invented the genre called "food porn"

It's called "food porn" (see down thread). Nigella pioneered this several years ago, then disapppeared from tv. Now she's back with the same style, which has pretty much taken over the network.

[philosophie_en_rose]

14. For what? More Sandra Lee?

:scared:

Seriously, it must be money or something. If they can find a spot for Sandra Lee, they have space for Mario Batali.

[Gold Metal Flake]

16. All Bobby Flay, all the time.

[Shakespeare]

61. Nah, I don't look for him to be around much longer, either. n/t

[triguy46]

17. I guess there wasn't room for him and Giada's head.

He is prob best chef on TV, but they buried his show of late. IMHO, a lot of the show seemed more about food as a concept, cooking techniques, than the "here's how you make XXXXX in 20 minutes," which has a place, but is not the be all end all of cooking. Without the cleavage of Giada, or the perkiness of Rachel, he was doomed. Too bad.

[asthmaticeog]

21. To be fair, he probably does have cleavage.

[triguy46]

25. Yeah, probably has a Mansierre (tm)

[Connonym]

26. no,no a Bro!

[Connonym]

24. lol

I like shows that are more than a recipe. I can read that from a book. I like learning about why certain things work together or the scientific principle behind what makes xyz happen with cooking. As a kid I was wild about the Galloping Gourmet. I'm a foodie I guess. There are obviously people who love the Sandra Lee or RR kind of show -- they wouldn't air them otherwise. It's just not my style.

[supernova]

19. My sister finds Mario

"too preachy" and "lecturing," whatever that means.

I adore my sister, but she's way more conventional a than me and I sometimes use her to sound out how more conservative people think.

I like Mario in that I like when he talks about what different regions do what kinds of food and how dishes vary from one region to another. That's all interesting to me.

[Beausoir]

22. I heard Bill Buford, author of Heat, on NPR about this. He says FoodNetwork

has made a decision to "dumb-down" their programming. Mario was too intelligent for them, so they will be introducing more idiots like Shamdra Lee with her copious cocktails and tacky tablescapes.

Shame, because I love Mario and especially love him on Iron Chef.

[TreasonousBastard]

29. Now that really sucks! I kinda like some of the...

road shows, challenges, and all, but to have NO place for serious foodies on the network just seems wrong.

Mario goes, but they're still gonna show pizza tossing competitions, eh?

I guess it's back to PBS where the spirit of Julia still lives in some of the cooking shows.

[Connonym]

30. ever watch America's Test Kitchen?

I really like that show on PBS

[grace0418]

36. Great show. And I looooooooove their cookbook.

It's fantastic.

[TreasonousBastard]

39. Havn''t noticed on local PBS stations, but I'll look for it. n/t

[Connonym]

40. It's good nuts and bolts cooking

with stuff that helps beginners as well as long-time cooks. http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

[TreasonousBastard]

44. Just did the search and it's mostly on digital cable. Oh well.

[AlCzervik]

68. i love that show, especially the equipment corner.

[Arkansas Granny]

71. That's a great show. They not only show you what to do, they

tell you why to do it. Very informative.

[deucemagnet]

73. I got some great recipes from America's Test Kitchen and Lidia's Kitchen.

PBS needs to get Jacques Pepin another show. I really enjoyed the one he did with his daughter.

[grace0418]

27. He couldn't compete with the genius of Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray?!

Looks like I got rid of cable just in time. What a bunch of idiots at the Food Network.

[VenusRising]

28. That sucks.

He's such a great chef, and I learned a lot from watching his show.

I can't stand half the stuff they play on Food Network anymore. I watch Good Eats, Ace of Cakes, and the Food Network Challenges. I can't stand seeing Rachel Ray 20 times a freaking day, Bobby Flay getting his butt creamed in every Throwdown, or Sandra Lee chugging down a cocktail.

They(network execs) are ruining what used to be a very good channel, IMHO.

[xchrom]

31. what a drag -- cause i love mario.

and now there are a slew of shows on that network i don't particularly like.

i also miss that gal who is the executive chef at gourmet mag.

i forget her name.

oh well -- i guess they won't miss me.

[BuddhaGirl]

37. Sara Moulten

"Sara's Secrets" - I really liked that show!

[TreasonousBastard]

42. She's still around, but at odd hours now. And I like her...

a lot. She doesn't show some of the heavy expertise of some of the other real chefs, but she does have the basics down pat and has some really interesting guests on.

Speaking of "real chefs," I just remembered that Sandra Lee went to Cordon Bleu. If she finsished there, that would make her a "real chef" too. :scared:

[BuddhaGirl]

51. I didn't know Sandra Lee went to Cordon Bleu!!!

OMG that's sad. Giada went there too, but at least she cooks *real* food!!

[Connonym]

58. maybe Sandra Lee imbibes too many of her cocktails to remember anything she learned

or maybe she was too busy doing keg parties with awesome tablescapes to learn it in the first place

[xchrom]

43. yeah -- that's it! -- that was a great show. oh well -- things go up -- and things go down.

[supernova]

56. I liked Sara Moulton too

:hi:

When I first got cable, I'd watch FN all the time, now I barely watch it. Every time I tune in, I'm guaranteed to see:

Rachel Ray
Sandra Lee
Bobby Flay.

Repetition, repetition, repitition. Arrgh! No wonder Tony Bourdain left. He's way to creative for them.

And yeah, I"ve gone back to the cooking shows on PBS, where I started out when I was a kid. :-)

I also have the hots for Rick Bayless! :blush:

[xchrom]

67. i LOVE the pbs cooking shows on saturdays!

you can't drag me away from tose.

there's so much interesting that's going on there.

and i really love america's home kitchens on then -- testing of products and tested recipes -- excellent.

[AlCzervik]

45. Food network has really strayed from what it once was, very disappointing.

[HamdenRice]

46. The typical Food Network viewer is a 20-something male who never cooks!

There was a very informative piece about the network in the New Yorker Magazine a year or so ago. One of the shocking things the article mentioned is that the typical viewer actually is a 20 something unmarried male who rarely cooks.

In other words, Food Network shows are to cooking what video footbaal games are to actual football -- a kind of inter-passivity.

Once you understand that fact, you understand the shift in their programming from "instructional" cooking to Giada having food induced orgasms, Rachel Ray showing off her butt by constantly going to the fridge or rear oven, Alton playing with gadgets while making inedible dog food dishes, to the utterly repulsive, inedible slop produced on Guy's Big Bite, and so on.

Mario was one of the last "instructional" cooking shows.

The New Yorker called the new style "food porn."

[Starbucks Anarchist]

47. I fail to see the problem here.

:hide:

[HamdenRice]

50. LOL!

Hi Starbucks!

It's cool as long as you don't actually want to learn how to cook anything.

I hate to admit this, but the very first time I saw Giaada on tv, my very first thought was, and this is the honest truth, "gosh, with a mouth like that she must give great ..."

[Connonym]

52. ...

:spank:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

54. Hell, I barely have food in my fridge!

:rofl:

[LSK]

49. Rachael Ray needs more airtime

:hide:

[democracyindanger]

53. Bourdain on Food Network

For those unlucky enough not to have read this before:

I actually WATCH Food Network now and again, more often than not drawn in by the progressive horrors on screen. I find myself riveted by its awfulness, like watching a multi-car accident in slow motion...Some thoughts on the Newer, Younger, More Male-Oriented, More Dumb-Ass Food Network:...

MARIO!
Oh, Mario! Oh great one! They shut down Molto Mario--only the smartest and best of the stand-up cooking shows. Is there any more egregiously under-used, criminally mishandled, dismissively treated chef on television? Relegated to the circus of Iron Chef America, where--like a great, toothless lion, fouling his cage, he hangs on--and on--a major draw (and often the only reason to watch the show). How I would like to see him unchained, free to make the television shows he’s capable of, the Real Mario--in all his Rabelasian brilliance. How I would love to hear the snapping bones of his cruel FN ringmasters, crunching between his mighty jaws! Let us see the cloven hooves beneath those cheery clogs! Let Mario be Mario!

The whole thing is worth the read.

[AllegroRondo]

66. Alton Brown is the only one left worth watching

Who will they get to replace him on Iron Chef?
Rachel Ray? EWWW!

[Left Is Write]

74. I like Guy's Big Bite.

Guy is a natural on camera, and he actually cooks.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

55. Nooooooo!

Say it aint so!

I love my Mario!

[southpaw]

59. Not telegenic enough for the Rachel Ray crowd?

Between Bobby Flay's enormous ego and a growing mountain of clevage, there's just no room left for real culinary talent.

Do you think the Food Network execs have told Ina Garten to lose weight or be cut from the lineup?

[AlCzervik]

60. Bobby Flay, i cannot stand him, the second i hear his voice i change the channel.

what an arrogant fucker he is.

[HamdenRice]

62. NY Chefs had a joke: When Rocco came to NY, this made Bobby Flay very happy

because after Rocco arrived, Flay became only the second most hated chef in NYC.

[AlCzervik]

63. Love it!

[ThomCat]

64. I stopped watching food network 6-7 months ago.

It seemed like every time I turned on the tv, it was more fluff programming and no serious cooking shows anymore. :wtf:

They're shooting themselves. Some other network is going to see a market and start scooping up the real chefs for real cooking shows.

[Akoto]

65. I went to email a complaint, but ...

Food Network makes it surprisingly difficult to find methods of contacting them! Anyone know an email address?

[Reciprocity]

76. Here is the email address.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sp/text/0,1976,FOOD_9994_8657,00.html

[Reciprocity]

70. The Food Network is going for looks over substance.

They don't care how bad the food is as long as you look good. Even Paula Dean has gone Hollywood with her looks. If your a women on the Food Network you had better show off your cleavage.

[Left Is Write]

75. Bring back The Galloping Gourmet and The French Chef!

Dammit!