Anthony Bourdain Attack on Paula Deen, Other Food Network Stars Unwarranted

COMMENTARY | Several Food Network Stars, including Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, and Guy Fieri, were subjected to a bizarre attack by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain according to TV Guide. Bourdain was especially caustic about Dean’s style of cooking.

“The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she’s proud of the fact that her food is … bad for you. If I were on at seven at night and loved by millions of people at every age, I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it’s OK to eat food that is killing us. Plus, her food sucks.”

Bourdain also attacked Fieri, who has a cooking show as well as a hit TV show, “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” which feature restaurants that feature food such as burgers, pizza, barbeque, and ethnic cooking. Ray came under assault for allegedly being a bad cook.

It is unknown whether Bourdain has actually tasted the cooking of Deen, Fieri, Ray, and Sandra Lee, who also came into some ire.

Deen, whose cooking style is distinctly Southern, was equally caustic in her response, according to “On the Red Carpet.” She said, “I don’t know if it was a publicity thing of if someone had just peed in his bowl of cereal that morning and he was mad.” Deen went on to describe her charitable works, which includes providing food for the impoverished.

Bourdain’s main gripe against Food Network stars such as Dean is that he thinks that the food they cook is unhealthy. Certainly fried chicken and other buttery cuisine the Deen whips up on her show are not thinks to be consumed in excess. However Deen has never claimed that her style of food is inordinately healthy, so one wonders what Bourdain’s beef is (so to speak.)

There is the issue of free choice involved in this controversy. Some food is eaten because it tastes great and gives one a warm sense of satisfaction afterwards. Eaten in moderation, there is nothing wrong with fried chicken, pizza, or barbeque ribs. If one is concerned about one’s heart, besides moderation, a good, cardiovascular workout might be indicated once dinner has settled.

A steady died of oat bran and celery, or whatever it is that Bourdain thinks is healthy, might make one live longer than someone who munches on southern fried food and barbeque brisket. But without eating for pleasure, from time to time, is it really a life worth living? Bourdain should tout the sort of food he finds agreeable on his show, and let others do the same without the caustic comments.

Sources: Anthony Bourdain’s Celebrity Chef Smackdown! Ingela Ratledge, TV Guide, August 18, 2011

Paula Deen responds to diss, wonders if someone peed in Anthony Bourdain’s cereal, Olivia Allin, On the Red Carpet, August 19, 2011


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *