My problems with him are:
- he's a major hypocrite. He's made a big deal about how stupid he thinks vegetarians are and he's mocked them for years. But as soon as he hits India, vegetarians are fine with him. Then, back in the USA, they're the scum of the culinary world. So he's fine with vegetarianism if you're doing it in a country that's not the USA and for religious reasons but if you're in the USA and vegetarian for compassionate or health reasons, then you're a jerk who isn't fit to be around his highness.
- he's one of those idiots who think everything revolves around New York city and what New Yorkers think and like. Yes, I know he travels outside of of NYC to other parts of this country, but more often than not he's doing it to tell us hicks and slack jawed yokels how we're doing it wrong and how much better it's done where he comes from.
- he's a misogynist, big time. He loves to slag chef Alice Waters, one of the leaders of the eat local and organic movement. He went so far as to do a show in her backyard, San Francisco, and say that no one should care if the food they get in restaurants is local or organic. He went on that awful NPR Splendid Table radio show recently and when asked about her he claimed she was out of touch and not worth paying attention to. However, you never ever hear him slam a male celebrity chef like that. Jamie Oliver, he's fine with him. Gordon Ramsay, loves the guy. Emeril? He practically French kissed the greasy little guy when he did his last show New Orleans show. But Alice Waters, well she's a woman and she can't or won't beat him up if he says shit about her so of course he's going to go off on her. I'm surprised he doesn't talk shit about Julia Child, after all she's a woman and she's dead, so nothing to worry about with her.
And yet, I still watch his show. So, really, how pathetic am I?
Wait. Don't answer that.
2 comments:
Maybe his point is that if everyone in third world countries is vegetarian, that's all the more meat for the first world omnivores. Culinary colonialism in the guise of a travel show. Who knows. So far as vegetarianism goes, I've always thought that choosing that path for health reasons seems far more logical than the myriad dietary restrictions that are based in religion.
Yes, he can be a snob. But there was one show which he did in Cleveland, and he was respectful to several restaurants and had a good talk with Harvey Pekar. So he's not always a New York snot.
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