So, the Rachael Ray Show. I wanted to watch a few shows to get a feel for it and to see if it would improve at all, but I've yet to get through an entire episode. I can handle the cutesy phrases and manic hand movement, but the screaming is what makes it unbearable for me. That, and the fact that throughout interviews with Diane Sawyer, Dr. Phil, Emmitt Smith and Oprah herself, The Rach wouldn't let any of them finish a sentence1. I loathe this show with every fiber of my being and, if you pay any kind of attention to the body language of her guests, they do too.
The biggest revelation for me is that I always assumed that Rachael started out as a nice, humble cook and her increasing unlikeability was correlated to her increasing popularity. That is, the money and power turned her into a crazed person. Now I'm beginning to think that The Rach has always been a jerk, and she just had to play it cool for a few years in order to get her Food Network gigs.
Now that she's got the world by the cajones her authentic self has emerged and boy, it's not pretty. She is consistently petulant, shrill, self-absorbed, dismissive, and downright rude to the guests and audience on her show. It's one thing for her to harp on Oprah's cheese-spreading ability, it's another to throw a hissy fit when an audience member beats her in a good natured(?) game.
I'm not the only one who is hating on this show, and Rachael must have predicted this backlash when she penned this phony, faux-self-deprecating piece in Esquire.
Still, people can't get enough of her. Her show had the highest rated talk show debut since Dr. Phil, and according to Forbes she is the 2nd most trusted celebrity in America (behind Tom Hanks, but ahead of Michael J. Fox and Oprah). I don't even know what "trusting" a celebrity means; perhaps I'm just a cynic.
She'll also appear on Celebrity Jeopardy this fall2 and two Rachael-approved music compilations will be hitting stores next month.
I, on the other hand, have had enough of The Rach and I deleted her shows from my TiVo.
It's so peaceful in here now.
1She even interrupts newspaper reporters.
2Thanks to KitchenMage for the tip!
3This morning Adam Carolla had Perez Hilton (site semi-NSFW) on his radio show and they were talking a ton of smack about Rachael. This isn't surprising since Rachael once visited Adam's resturant on Inside Dish and there seemed to be no love lost between them.
5 comments:
Thanks for all the work you put into that. Great post.
I just don't. get. why. she. is. so. popular.
I have not been able to watch for longer than a few minutes. Why does she scream at everyone?
Might I also say that when she refers to her father as "daddy" it really bothers me.
i actually have an enormous amount of respect for rachel. she is clearly a driven business woman and while some may find her annoying, i think she comes across as very sincere. has anyone considered that she may be simply a nice, extrememly chatty person with tons of energy? she donates much of her proceeds to charity, loves her family and highlights the importance of family dinners and cooking with children....what is not to like? if you find her irritating, change the channel but the petty insults are completely catty!
To Dharlink05:
She is on tv cooking so she cannot have a lot of "quiet time". If you've ever watched the next food network star, they like the contestants who don't just talk through the dishes but those who keep the audience interested with stories, anecdotes, etc. Also, on her biography, her mother even said she was high energy as a baby, toddler, teen, etc. Finally, when did it become a crime to abbreviate? She usually says extra virgin olive oil after saying evoo for those who may not know (you know, new viewers). She has to repeat herself every so often, for those just tuning in or the aforementioned new viewers to her show.
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