Michelle Obama Politicizes the Food Network
by James HudnallI have a confession to make. I hate politics. That’s why I write about it, because I enjoy making fun of it. And one of the reasons I write for Big Hollywood is I am sick of other people’s politics being jammed down my throat through alleged “entertainment.”
So for many years I found escape on TV in the Food Network, because aside from the fact I like food and cooking, I loved that it was a politics-free zone. There was no angry Bush bashing, no digs at Cheney and Rumsfeld. No moral equivalency. No screaming about the 2000 election. It was all about the joy of food and cooking and how it brings people together.
In a world so divided, it was a reminder that we can all get along if we can find some common ground.
I’m sure the chefs and personalities on the network have their political views. The fact that so many of them are based in New York would suggest most lean Democrat. But the beauty of that network is never, ever does anyone let on where their politics lie. We don’t need to know who they voted for because that has nothing to do with food. It’s not relevant. And that made it a refreshing place to be.
Notice I say “made.” Someone has sullied the garden and brought their politics in, and turned a popular show into an infomercial for one of her causes.
Michelle Obama, perhaps jealous of her husband’s constant face time on TV, has decided to start injecting herself in other people’s shows. First it was the Biggest Loser which aired the night Dems got their teeth kicked in in some major races. (irony ahoy)
Now she’s about to appear on the Food Network. And not just any show, the most popular show. Iron Chef America. And not just appear, nope. I’ll let the NY Times explain it.
In a collision of politics, cooking and popular culture, Michelle Obama will reveal the secret ingredient that the chefs must use in their televised cook-off: anything that grows in the White House garden (no further spoilers here, though). Mrs. Obama will also talk about her crusade to reduce childhood obesity through better school lunches, community gardens, farmers’ markets and exercise, which around the White House has the working title Healthy Kids Initiative.
The first lady’s cameo on “Iron Chef” is the latest example of her willingness to get her message across to the public in ways few of her predecessors would have considered.
Now, I can understand how she might want to be first ladylike and push her pet agenda, just as previous first ladies tackled such things as literacy and drug abuse. I also can’t blame the Food Network for wanting to have the First Lady on their show. It has to be good for ratings (or maybe it would have been six months ago, this airs in January. Oops!). The problem is, the Food Network is the last place I expected to see scolds talking about taking away snack from kids and making them broccoli. This is the place that celebrates pork fat, butter and sugar. It’s a haven from the Food Nazis who want us all to live on a diet of rice cakes and rain water.
The Obama Administration has been hostile to agriculture. From refusing to send water to California’s San Joaquin valley farmers to bills that would limit your rights as a home gardener. This while they are promoting “organic gardening.”
The Obamas love to stick their face everywhere, I’m sure the Cartoon Network and the Fishing Channel are next. The one place we probably won’t see them is the Military Channel. He’ll probably need more time to think about that.
Anyway, as a citizen I am lodging my protest. I don’t want the Food Network politicized. I don’t want the Obama administration starting to dictate diets to people there. What’s next, they put Paula Dean on a soy and rice milk diet? Enough!
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158 Comments
I totally agree! I used to run to Food Network when I needed a breather from the daily left leaning programming of the "other" networks! It seems the days of using the Food Network as peaceful haven are over! Alas!
Well, the Obamas have a perfect "right" to tell us how to eat. After all, they're nice enough to "doctor" us when we get sick. It seems ungrateful of us that so many refuse the dressings-down and beratings that we all so richly deserve.
Energy and healthcare — If the Dims can control those two areas, that will give them iron-fisted control over every aspect of our daily lives, from waking all the way through sleeping again. These people are the worst individuals ever to head our government.
Big suprise. As Nordlinger over at NR says , there are no safe zones. The Dem's love to politicize (and ruin) everything. This is the biggest reason that I mainly watch old cartoons!!
Big Hollywood should have a 'thumbs up' thing for each article. In lieu of that though, both of my thumbs are up about this one, Mr. Hudnall. Part of the key to The Food Network's success is that it doesn't offend 50% of the world with its political views. Let's face it, you can't mention politics without offending one 50% or the other.
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Eat your peas and carrots… and while your at it, watch for the new infomercials on where to get your new low cost, government inspired health insurance. Courtesy of the the new and Obama improved food network.
I am in total agreement.
Hopefully the Obamas will show up on HGTV's Househunters in a few years.
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One of the few places I thought I could escape from the Obamas was The Food Network. What's next? Is she going to be a judge on Project Runway? How about a guest therapist on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew? Is there no escape from these people (wait I already know the answer to that one).
Can anyone tell me if Michelle Obama ever planted a garden before she moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? I get that this is her pet project, and I applaud her encouraging children to eat better–I believe this is particularly a problem for inner-city kids. But does she have to come off as some hoity-toity expert? Would that at least one of the Obamas would find the capacity to show humility rather than hubris when addressing the public.
Also, am I the only one weirded out by the sight of the first African American First Lady "working in the fields"?
Sigh…..I remember watching the original Iron Chef. To see a Japanese man wearing a "chaqueta" was simply awesome, and the dishes were inspiring. I hated the panel, though….always smacked of cliquishness, if that is a word.
Then came Iron Chef America, and though not as beautifully flamboyant, it hooked me, because here was a place where I could dream!! I could use ANYTHING in my pantry, like olive oil, capers, kosher sea salt, and canned tuna, and by Jove, I was a CHEF!!! (No, never did make anything with those ingredients…..) But now, I can't see it in the same light as before. I have no quibble with Mrs. Obama's pet project. I'm glad she found one finally. But why not do a public service announcement like Mrs. Reagan did? This just ruins Iron Chef for me.
Hopefully the Obamas will show up on HGTV's Househunters in a few years.
Hopefully the international version, Kenya?
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeesh! MO behind is bigger than mine and the wife's put together and she's going to preach to us.
The audacity of dopes!
slap a sweaty do-rag on her head and let the satire begin!
Don't worry–except for a few minutes here and there for the paparazzi, the WH gardeners did all the "work in the field."
Contrast the story photo with the one at the top right of the page.
I'm sorry, but where have you been? The Food Network is what it is. How can you support a network that forces guys like Chef Bourdain to Bravo and the Travel Channel, yet prop up Rachel Ray on a pedestal? How many Flay shows can you take? And have you seen Next Food Network Star competition? It's a real look into who's behind this company, and what we see are two arrogant fools picking away people's faults. It's not about cooking or food, it's how much "you act like us"? Since I am not a tiny, angry, gay, Jewish man I'll never win such a high-esteemed competition. The best show of culinary skill is Top Chef– Not Iron Chef. In fact, you will notice many of the competitors on Iron Chef are wastoid losers from Top Chef.
When it comes to originality with food entertainment, the Food Network comes in last. To call it a haven from political correctness and state-control environments is ignorant at best. I agree with your article, but your complaint is way too little, and far too late. So why shouldn't the Obama's move over to the The Food Network? ABC is leaving their dock, unable to ignore the hypocrisy and downright arrogant destruction of American values. And by the way, aside from your favorite ditzy cable channel, how do you like your new healthcare? You all just bought it.
Another place you won't see them is Fox News. At least not as guests, anyway.
I won't watch Paula Deen because she had M. Obama on her show, and refuse to watch Rachel Ray because of how she gushed over Obama on her talk show. I also got tired of seeing the chubby redheaded chick on "Ace of Cakes" wearing her Obama t shirt.
Michelle's organic garden isn't so organic because of the toxic sludge the Clintons used for fertilizer.
Speaking of large behinds, here is Michelle and Barrack out for a Sunday drive http://twitpic.com/ovoqu
Contrast the story photo and content with the one at the top right of the page.
I agree with deadjournalism____ditto
Frankly, this is less about mrs. Obama and her allegedly green thumb and more about the political prejudices of the PRODUCERS of The Food Network and its management/ownership. Nobody's made the connection, but it makes me wonder if any of them were on the famous Yossi Sargeant call or similar "outreach" attempts by this administration to have "Hollywood" (which includes the NY-based Food Network/Scripps) help promote the Admin's agenda.
As for the "cliqueishness" of the original Japanese "Iron Chef" panel…folks, there's a lot on the web about how those shy-voice-dubbed Japanese "actresses" on the judging panel are basically softporn bimbos in Japanese films and TV, and the main announcer is a BASEBALL guy–imagine Vin Scully doing gourmet play-by-play. And don't get me started about "The artist Korn!" or that "fortune teller" woman, or the "lower House member" or the rest of the fakes. The Food Network's judges may be tired comedians and faux expert food writers, but at least they sometimes have SOME actual knowledge to share.
The Food Network is right there with the deceased Bob Ross on best Saturday sleeping programming. I’ll be in my favorite chair, on a delightful Saturday drifting off into to sweet slumber, not a worry in the world, then…BAM! …the Klingon appears disrupting my wonderful bliss, admonishing the little tubbies to eat their salad. Just wow!
And how many thousands of taxpayer dollars go for paying these government gardeners?
Oh, come on, James, don't you want to observe original Klingon recipes being prepared?
She should go on THE PRICE IS RIGHT and attempt to guess the cost of her mate's bungling to the American people.
I don't want to be carped at by a slightly overweight,humongous assed Klingon telling me what I should and should not eat. Mrs. Obama needs to get another cause. Like maybe teaching little girls in the Ghetto not to have babies at 13.
They're invited anytime; just too chicken to go. They like their egos stroked. Fox might stroke their egos but not with velvet or fur gloves.
Like the Clintons the Obamas suffer from inferiority complexity compulsion disorder. It's evidenced by their constant desire to stay relevant lest people's 'out of sight, out of mind' mechanism replace them with more important things like, oh, I don't know, getting on with their lives, maybe. It's also an effective means of 'brainwashing' the masses, constantly bombarding them with images and slogans designed to cut off all other sensory input and stunt intellectual growth. This is by design, folks. Common sense ideas sell themselves. These two and their ilk must push their agenda (and ain't it a big one) with the aid of propganda organs like MSNBC, CNN, Hollywood etc) to dull the senses and inure the populace with mendacious, meddlesome, mindlessness to subjugate them into the zeitgeist of the now. It's not a partisan issue but rather one the liberals play well as they've figured out that most people are morons and will believe anything they're told, especially if it means something for nothing. God help us.
The Food Network has morphed into a program full of people eating strange food, slinging things around the kitchen but NOT ala Julia Child. Most of the programs are dull and while I was an early devotee, I watch very seldom. And all it would take for me to get an ulcer would be to see Michelle handing out advice.
Dammit, Hudnall. I'm blaming you if anyone named Obama shows up on "Lock 'N Load with R. Lee Ermey" for suggesting they won't show up on military programming. You're going to jinx things.
But yeah, the Food Network doesn't need to be politicized and considering some of the things I see them going on about it's hardly the channel to be lecturing people on healthy eating.
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I believe that the Food Network is owned by the usual libtards…..and, therefore, Mochelle will be treated like their evil queen. Mario Batalli is a HUGE libtard…in more ways than one….and he will be one of the chefs competing. Anyway….the Food Network just ain't what she used to be….now she just bows down to the altar of the old gray mule. Not to mention the fact that the Food Network is just plain boring.
Better to tell the kiddies to eat their salad, as opposed to "tossing" it…..
Aunt Jemima Revisted !
Jemimi surrender
I'm gonna give it to you
Ain't no pretender
Wanna see my tattoo?
During the 08 campaign, Gale Gand posted this on Huff Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gale-gand/blame-it-...
She's a contributor there and mostly stays fairly even-handed with her commentary. That piece annoyed me b/c she specifically did it to pile onto the McCain criticisms at the time and took advantage of her star power to do it.
Honestly, I never watch her anymore, in part b/c of her Huff Post postings (why can't "stars" just stay in their narrowly defined societal role, for crying out loud?
) but also b/c she's stuck on high calorie, high fat, unhealthy desserts, too!
James can you not see that Mrs. O is just being "neighborly" ? Wouldn't you tell your fat neighbor how to eat right?
Putting their noses into the most mundane of our lives seems to be the Obamas forte.
Food Network has become more and more political over the last year or two and it's sad. I too used to watch for the escape from all things politic but alas it does seep through. Emeril has been known to pimp his views from time to time. Alton Brown certainly has an agenda.
Now Michelle Obozo is going to enlighten us with her "Secret Ingredient". She needs to get fat backside onto the treadmill before lecturing anybody about what they eat. As far as I'm concerned she can choke on all her husband's lies and broken promises. The Obamas will not be missed after 2012.
Alton Brown is the best thing on Food Network
then the food competitions theme cakes, blown sugar sculptures, giddy up
What is the appeal of Rachel Ray? she annoys the crap out of me
Not so fast. Project Runway isn't over and I wouldn't bet against Michelle appearing as one of the judges at Fashion Week. Heidi didn't hold back on bashing Bush over the years and gushing over Obama.
Sadly, the exact same situation happened witht he Weather Channel a few years ago. Suddenly they had AGW Nazis like Al Gore and Heidi Cullen opreaching their hateful and deceitful gospels.
Who cares what Michelle thinks?
You must have missed the Paula Deen episode in which she cooked a meal for former president Jimmy Carter and his wife. Ahhh! Just when you think you can get away from politics–BAM! (sorry Emeril, just had to use it)
Wait. If the secret ingredient is "anything that grows in the White House garden", how is even a master chef like Mario Botali going to be able to cook with lies, record high unemployement, and lead-laced sewage sludge?
Good one. I was wondering when someone would "toss" that one in!
In all fairness–Paula Deen has appeared on FOX and Friends.
Homosexuals have a BIG HAND in running HDTV and The Food Network. It's been that way for quite some time.
That is too much and this has long been a complaint of mine. I watch the Food Network all of time with my family.
I ran into the same problem with Costco when they put Al "the planet has a fever" Gore on their cover.
http://www.framingthedialogue.com/archives/costco...
[...] Read it. [...]
i lost my appetite after saturday night!!! and if the food network wants to get political than have a nude carrie prejean cook banana's foster.
That's exactly why politicians are loathe to make clear cut absolutes on issues. Just keep it nice and muddy so no one knows exactly where they stand.
I stopped watching the Food network after Emeril Lagasse left for the Green network. So I guess I still dont have any reason to go back to FTV.
Now that's the show CIC needs to be on. He might learn something about the military.
I would seriously doubt it. I imagine the ground in Chicago isn't all that congenial to gardening, of course not including their multi-million dollar mansion.
She comes across to me as more the type of person who prefers to order people around rather than actually do the work themselves.
O's Not satisfied with preempting prime time TV, or maybe not so successful at it, now will force themselves into it.
Not satisfied with killing the economy, now wish to kill entertainment…
I'm thinkin the producer should have followed Reagan's advice(Nancy) Just Say No!!
Agreed, I'll take Bourdain and Guy Fieri any day. Personally I don't see why people even watch Iron Chef.
But hey, it's a free country. Far be it of me to claim I know better than the next person.
The so-called feud between the White House and FOX is pure political bull crap. Totally fabricated out of thin air.
Modern liberalism is based purely on emotion, facts, reason and logic need not apply. In order to pull that off, they need an opponent to berate constantly. If you don't keep liberal troops in a constant state of agitation, they might stop and think for themselves. And the dems can't have that.
Agreed, excellent analysis.
I certainly don't.
There are people I like specifically because of what they do and how they do it- very well.
Chef Flay, actor De Niro, poker star Negreanu and musician Sting immediately come to mind…
But increasingly, they and many others keep using their celebrity to proselytize…and that's a mistake.
What did she make for Carter, a nice juicy piece of Palestinian ass to suck on?
Food Network has gone downhill. I used to watch it all the time. Now finding something interesting is so sporadic, why bother. They've gone the way of MTV. Perhaps that fits their preferred demographic? Sadly, I still check the channel when I'm looking for something to watch but almost never tune in. Better to let it go like I did MTV.
Right back atcha
This isn't exactly "modern" liberalism, EdSki — I believe Orwell wrote about five minutes of hate in 1948 when he wrote "1984". You're right, tho'. Liberal leaders have to keep their tools greased and pointed in the right direction else the useful idiots who blindly follow and do what they're told take a breather, sit down and say (the smart ones, few and far between, I admit), "Hey, this doesn't make sense. Like look how the president came out saying the cop was wrong to handcuff the violent old black professor but hasn't got a comment on a Muslim gunning down a room full of soldiers." Or how the media immediately linked Tim McVeigh to Rush Limbaugh but can't link a committed religious Muslim to Islam." To be a liberal requires a certain degree of stupidity in the followers.
Get used to being dictating to. If Obama and his ilk win then we are all subjects to the state. Until then, fight with everything you can.
I just took a look at the pic for this thread.
It seems she is so good at gardening that she doen't even get her gloves dirty.
but wait until they get to the old cartoons w/ all those terrible racial stereotypes.. thats next !
How About wife swap
just put all the ingredients you mentioned into a bowl, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, mix, and eat on crackers!
Who knew that the first South Chicago French Fry Queen would turn up pushing turnips?
I know what you're saying about the next Food Network Star. Ray isn't as huge as she once was there, just like Emeril used to be all over it and is now barely there. That's the whims of TV and as for Top Chef, whatever. I think Alton Brown is awesome. I also like Chopped. Mainly because they throw insane combos of food at these chefs that they have to make appetizing. It's interesting. '
Food Network is a family type network which is why Bourdain didn't fit in there. They are genteel. I happen to like Gordon Ramsey myself.
I am right there with you. I follow and obsess over politics. The Food Network is my favorite cable network. I love to cook and enjoy all the various chef shows and the cooking competition reaity shows. A total escape for me from the grinding poitical debates of the issues. One favorite show is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, where the spikey-haired guy goes to the best greasy spoon restaurants and shows first hand how their totally politically incorrect specialties are made and were conceived, along with their patrons' opnions,
The infiltration of Obama and his left mentaility is subtly permiating all of our media. On The Office, we had to endure the clumsily tacked-on plot with the Obama message on "service" or whatever it was a few weeks ago. Same on other shows. So am I not going to watch these shows and penalize myself?
This should be "last straw" time. I hope everyone one makes a lot of noise about these insidious invasions in our life through our media.
I don't watch her. She is ok for about 5 minutes, then the remote becons
I clicked on the "limit your rights as a home gardener" link in the story and got my fifth or sixth sphincter-tightener of the day. The government is creating yet another federal agency to send scolds into our backyard gardens. We shouldn't take this anymore. Our government now exists solely to assure its own survival. It's time to get rid of them all. I'll be voting against every incumbent in 2010 — it's the only message they'll understand.
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He's talking about the Obamas
qagh is best served live…
Wish the Obama Husseins would STFU and GTHA
I would love to see them in a regular pricing game–they have to have zero clue about the cost of a loaf of bread or a bottle of laundry detergent.
My sentiments entirely about MO appearing on Paula Deen. It totally turned me off and I had been a big fan. Of course Jimmy Carter has also appeared on Paula's show, at least twice. That was a turn-off also.
Michelle Obama is going to gripe about obesity on Iron Chef? Has she ever watched this show? It's not exactly the Health Food Hour.
Ewwww… But perfect!
Oh—–my bad!
Secret ingredient is: Sludge
Probably why they had to buy more land: from the Suntimes.com – Obama paid Rezko's wife $104,500 for a strip of her land, so he could have a bigger yard.
ME 2.
When she tries to juggle all of her prep stuff instead of taking two trips? How annoying.
Aunt Esther needs to stay as far away from any FOOD until her butt size drops to normal proportions and quit telling us what to do.
2012 can't get here soon enough.
ME NEITHER.
Aunt Esther needs to keep her fat butt and utility belts out of my face.
Iron Chef America is actually the perfect show for the Obama's.
It's fake. Everything about it is fake. "The Chairman" is an actor pretending to be the nephew of "Chairman Kaga" of the original Japanese Iron Chef, who was also an actor pretending to be the leader of a fake cooking academy.
Get it? ICA's "leader" is an actor pretending to be the relative of a fictional character played by another actor from another fake cooking competition.
Michelle should be right at home with all the Food Network people who take her husband just as seriously as they take this bogus "competition".
Yeah, Aunt Esther complaining about obesity? She ought to look in a mirror, or two.
Ugh!! HANDS OFF MY FOOD NETWORK!!! I watch for the same reason you do – as an escape. All I can say is, she and the other Food Nazis better stay away from my Neelys!
I'm down with Bourdain on the Travel Channel. Great work if you can get it.
Concur with HUD though on Top Chef…whatever. Anything Weinstein you can keep.
Hi all. The Food Network has pretty well changed from a Network that highlited cooking to a network where most of the shows seem to be personality driven tours of restaurents or competitions. Sort of like changing PBS's "This Old House" to MTV's "Cribs". Kind of a shame really, but the network is there to make money and I guess that's what people want. As far as the wife of Dr. Utopia appearing on Iron Chef, I'm not going to get too hung up about that. As the author notes every first lady picks some topic/cause to champion and if hers' is nutrition then what better show to push her agenda (and we really should watch it to see whether she politicises the appearance, if she does then shame on Food Network). Besides, the only time I watch Iron Chef America is when the girls are on (yes, I'm a pig).
the new yorker cover got it right – which is the reason the hate America crowd went nuts about it
the last of the truth before msm went in the tank – now the food network wants to help in the support of the radicals
who would have though it.
hey, its not fox – so "not proud of America" michelle is good to go
thank God for Duke Wayne
Just one more thing the Democrats have ruined for me.
My respect for Alton Brown is gone.
obama liar on the international edition of househunters – the world can show America how much it luvs us and take him awwwwaaayyyyyyy !!!!!!!
They've already retrofitted a couple of my favorite old Looney Tunes.
msm would root for model status for "not proud of America" michelle
with her sleeveless fashions, toned arms, blah, blah, blah – she would win going away
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