STFU Jamie Oliver

In addition to writing cookbooks, shilling for various corporations, and doing TV shows that make him a fortune, Jamie Oliver has recently made time in his busy schedule to shame the poor.  He's pissed that they buy french fries and flat screen TV's instead of buying what he wants them to.  No.  Really.  He's worth millions of dollars, or pounds if you're reading this in the UK, so that qualifies him to speak out on what poor people should and should not be doing.

I usually like Oliver and his approach to cooking and I like his fight to make school lunches healthier.  But telling the poor not to buy flat screen TV's or eat precooked food? Fuck him.  He's never been poor.  Most of the time if you have no money, you stay at home and watch TV.  Flat screen TV's are the only TV's for sale anymore, but maybe Jamie hasn't been in an electronics store lately because he's too busy counting his millions of dollars or because he's too busy monitoring the activities of the poor.  Most all of the time, poor people eat the worst food for them because it's all they can afford.  And I know that from experience.  My family was on food stamps when I was a kid and I know what it's like to run out of food before you run out of month, so from that you learn to buy the stuff that's going to last you all month long, and most often that food is the worst shit in the supermarket.  It's food like Velveeta, ketchup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, ground meats, whatever is the cheapest.  With the low levels of assistance, people buy what they can afford, they don't buy what's best or most nutritious because that kind of food is far too expensive.

And honestly, who's to say poor people don't work hard and save their money for something nice every now and again?  Take it from me, a former wage slave, saving for something like a decent flat screen TV or a gaming system is a goal many poor people can achieve.  They may not ever achieve the goal of being a rich know it all celebrity asswipe restaurant owner and cookbook author, but they can set and achieve goals that make their lives somewhat better.

Also, let's not forget that Oliver has unquestionably benefited from being a white male.  His white skin and his gender gave him opportunities that are denied to millions of poor and working class people.  If he'd been black, his career would had been very very different.

So, seriously Oliver, shut the fuck up about shit you have no idea about.  Keep your condescending opinions to yourself and don't fucking act like you know better because you're a rich white male.  As that hot red head in Game of Thrones says, "You know nothing."