CLASSIC! Thanks for the laugh. How did I put myself in the “good American” category and anyone in the “bad American” category? I never once said that anyone was a bad American… in fact the word American doesn’t exist in that post. So please don’t try and put words in my mouth (or words on my post?) I didn’t say that Rachel Ray doesn’t/didn’t work hard for where she is today – I do have problems with what she delivers to America. It’s my opinion. It was my opinion, actually. I wrote that post almost 2 years ago. At that time I felt very confused about why she was on a list of “top 5 riches chefs” when she isn’t a chef. And I felt a bit frustrated that the chefs that there was such a huge disparity between what she made and what everyone else on the list made. I personally feel that it should be a bit more even on the playing field. RR doesn’t call herself a chef – can the media please stop!? She’s a TV personality who tries to cook. To some it may seem like stupid semantics but to me (and many who are trained chefs who worked endless hours getting their ass whooped on the line, sweating their way up to become head chef) it’s more than that.

And I don’t watch her. At all. But in 2008 (when this post was written), it was difficult to get away. In fact, I’d think Rachel herself would say that ‘08 was the year of RR oversaturation. Maybe that’s why she made $18 mill?

anyways, i really appreciated your comment and we prob. have more in common than not. but please don’t bring in “good/bad American” crap into this! so irritating! (my point was that people in the school system should make WAY more for what they do-that was my point).

i agree w/ yan/tsai – that’s why PBS rocks.

There’s lots of room between Chef Sakai and Rachel Ray. What do they have in common (besides the fact that his mole is about the size of one of her breasts)? AFAIK, nobody gave them anything, and they both got to where they are due to a mixture of hard work, talent and luck.

I find RR’s affect abrasive too. But if she is too happy, what does that say about me? I am not so misanthropic as to recommend my condition to the human race at large. And yes, she takes shortcuts I do not like. But I am not seeing, on any of these shows, too much attention to things like saving the scraps for stock. Not glorious or camera-ready enough perhaps. But that is TV for you.

If you don’t like her, don’t watch her. Even among kitchen sluts there’s always Giada, or I suppose Lidia for the MILF crowd. And for the record, those crazy orange-handled Australian-made knives – they work!

Personally what I would like is more Martin Yan, Ming Tsai type stuff – how to manageably cook reasonably authentic Asian cuisine in one’s home. Guess I should whine and cry that they haven’t found a Chinese chef with boobs yet.

Rachel reheats a can of Chef Boyardee and people call her a chef.

It is no wonder she is number one in America….Americans do not know good food (Subway, Blimpies, Quiznos, Jimmy Johns, KFC, etc). Jesus

The only reason she is the wealthiest is because there are 300 million fat Americans who eat twice as much as any normal human…hence she makes more oney.

Get a clue !!

The appeal of these women is that they relate to people who are not chefs, and people who can’t really cook well. The trained Chefs would seem too “out of league” for the average soccer Mom who just wants to be able to cook something besides frozen pizza for her kids. The majority rules folks — the proof is in the viewers. If they sucked that bad, no one would watch, and they’d be fired. I get a good laugh at that Rachel Ray Sucks website because the people totally watch all of her shows and although they supposedly hate her, they seem almost like stalkers. I think it’s kind of pathetic actually, because if you had a life, you wouldn’t be so consumed with someone you don’t even “like.”

It does seem a bit odd to me that there is SO much hatred toward RR. I mean, she is just making the same kind of stuff our mothers made – homemade food. What is so wrong with it? Would it make a difference if she took some of her money and went to culinary school? If she had a piece of paper, would it make a difference? I seriously doubt it. It’s her laugh, it’s her evoo’s, her bubbly personality that people REALLY hate. But that is also why so many people like her. You can’t get rich off of making fool-ya-baise alone, it’s got to be the whole package, and whether “serious cooks” like it or not, she has the whole package.

Look at food blogs these days. People are making the exact same crap she is, and at the same time talking about how untalented she is. I actually think the whole thing is funny.

Whatever. It’s the same story in almost any industry. There will always be some successful person that others feel don’t deserve it.

And lastly, as much as I like Bourdain, and trust me, I’m a huge fan –it seems the only things he can cook are items from the menu of the Brasserie Les Halles. His gift is definitely in the entertaining way he presents on his travel shows. But he’d never win Iron Chef.

ICK

If you didn’t mention your wife (and my husband didn’t write on this blog) I’d ask you to marry me. You’re hilarious!!! I could feel the rant-vibe as I read! You mention some really smart, insightful things. And what I love most is that, in a country filled w/ too many place where “Olive Garden” is the ‘authentic’ norm, you are here to remind us that not everyone has bought into that hyped up, marketed bullshit. Keep keeping it real, Jon!!! Please, please, please, PLEASE stop by again!! We need more of your comments!

-amy

PS: Paula Deen IS drunk I think!! You hit the nail on the head. She must be fun to hang out with and prob. can put back a few wild turkey shots.

I must say I am not at all hurt that Bobby Flay is near the bottom of the list. He seems very arrogant and I love watching him lose the occasional times I catch him on that cook off show he has.

Paula ‘Queen of Butter’ Deen is annoying also but people like her. My wife thinks the sun shines out of her behind. She has that crazy, drunk, southern aunt charm going for her. Deep fried and coated in butter – how can that not be good?

I would like to see Batali further up the list as his food is amazing and different from Olive Garden Italian which seems to be the norm around my neck of the woods. And Ramsey, hell, I like him. Perhaps he can beat Ray-Ray to death or something.