I spend a lot of time watching the Food Network, and Bravo too, come to that, and any number of streaming-only shows on NetFlix, Amazon and YouTube. You might suggest that I get a life, but I cook a lot, eat and enjoy it.
Sure, I might get cooking show overload. Let's face it, there are only so many 4lb cheeseburgers or 6lb burritos I can watch Casey Webb try to eat.
But something always brings me back to the Food Network. The network is almost old enough to have earned "distinguished" or "venerable" accolades. It launched some great names, some great shows.
Sadly the network has gone to hell in a handbasket. Every time I turn on the TV, it's Guy Fieri, who apparently must have a 50% stake in the channel, or it's "Chopped" in one of its many various guises, or it's another re-tread of another competition show.
With the same six people.
I challenge you to turn on the Food Network at any time of day or night, and if within 15 minutes you have not name-checked at least two of Alex Guarnascelli, Guy Fieri, Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag and Geoffrey Zakarian, or indeed all of them on the same show. If you've missed all six then I'll deep-fry my hat and eat it.
So let's get down to it - why is Maneet Chauhan so mean and insecure? She's just not a nice person.
Every show she is judging is always the same - she's the one who will start the sentence with "But ..." and then start trashing.
It's never "but" in a good way - "But, that was a great dish". Oh no.
No, you get "But - the sauce was too sweet, I can't believe you put that on my plate", "But, you ruined the vegetables". "But - why you didn't use [some random ingredient]. I can't understand what you weren't thinking."
She is so negative, and so insecure. Even on the Chopped "Beat the Judge" episode where she was cooking, she couldn't resist the opportunity to trash-talk the contestant and crow over her when she'd won. We all know the series is a sad fix anyway, but to see Maneet brushing herself on the shoulders made me sick.
[On a side note, I'd like to know where the $10, 000 prize money goes if the "judge" wins the challenge. That's never talked about. Why is that?]
Moving on, we can all agree that "Guy's Grocery Games" is a fun show. Fieri might not be able to cook too well (that's a subject for another blog), but he's a magnificent host on that show. It's fun, and yes, it's serious money for the contestants, but the vibe is ... fun.
But Maneet has one gear - "I'm better than you and I'll tell you that while I hate your food". She misses the point of Triple-G - she is so focused on telling the contestants why their food sucks that she completely ruins the show. It's not Iron Chef, it's Guy Fieri's fun show, but there she is, not able to pass up an opportunity to tell everyone how wonderful she is and how everyone else sucks.
It's now to the point that if I turn on "Chopped", "Triple-G" or any other show (too many to count, she's on the network almost as much as Guy) that I turn it off. I can't stand her negativity, her unearned superiority complex and her ego.
I'm very curious to hear anyone else's opinion. I think you can see where I stand. Comments are open and unmoderated and will always be so.
Coming up soon - Alex Guarnascelli and how is she now on every Food Network show (?) why Anne Burrell can't take criticism, and why isn't Bobby Flay on the network 24/7?
Be safe out there.
Sure, I might get cooking show overload. Let's face it, there are only so many 4lb cheeseburgers or 6lb burritos I can watch Casey Webb try to eat.
But something always brings me back to the Food Network. The network is almost old enough to have earned "distinguished" or "venerable" accolades. It launched some great names, some great shows.
Sadly the network has gone to hell in a handbasket. Every time I turn on the TV, it's Guy Fieri, who apparently must have a 50% stake in the channel, or it's "Chopped" in one of its many various guises, or it's another re-tread of another competition show.
With the same six people.
I challenge you to turn on the Food Network at any time of day or night, and if within 15 minutes you have not name-checked at least two of Alex Guarnascelli, Guy Fieri, Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag and Geoffrey Zakarian, or indeed all of them on the same show. If you've missed all six then I'll deep-fry my hat and eat it.
So let's get down to it - why is Maneet Chauhan so mean and insecure? She's just not a nice person.
Every show she is judging is always the same - she's the one who will start the sentence with "But ..." and then start trashing.
It's never "but" in a good way - "But, that was a great dish". Oh no.
No, you get "But - the sauce was too sweet, I can't believe you put that on my plate", "But, you ruined the vegetables". "But - why you didn't use [some random ingredient]. I can't understand what you weren't thinking."
She is so negative, and so insecure. Even on the Chopped "Beat the Judge" episode where she was cooking, she couldn't resist the opportunity to trash-talk the contestant and crow over her when she'd won. We all know the series is a sad fix anyway, but to see Maneet brushing herself on the shoulders made me sick.
[On a side note, I'd like to know where the $10, 000 prize money goes if the "judge" wins the challenge. That's never talked about. Why is that?]
Moving on, we can all agree that "Guy's Grocery Games" is a fun show. Fieri might not be able to cook too well (that's a subject for another blog), but he's a magnificent host on that show. It's fun, and yes, it's serious money for the contestants, but the vibe is ... fun.
But Maneet has one gear - "I'm better than you and I'll tell you that while I hate your food". She misses the point of Triple-G - she is so focused on telling the contestants why their food sucks that she completely ruins the show. It's not Iron Chef, it's Guy Fieri's fun show, but there she is, not able to pass up an opportunity to tell everyone how wonderful she is and how everyone else sucks.
It's now to the point that if I turn on "Chopped", "Triple-G" or any other show (too many to count, she's on the network almost as much as Guy) that I turn it off. I can't stand her negativity, her unearned superiority complex and her ego.
I'm very curious to hear anyone else's opinion. I think you can see where I stand. Comments are open and unmoderated and will always be so.
Coming up soon - Alex Guarnascelli and how is she now on every Food Network show (?) why Anne Burrell can't take criticism, and why isn't Bobby Flay on the network 24/7?
Be safe out there.
