Well, it looks as though either my blog has been read by Fool Network execs or there are more people out there wondering where the diversity has been on the station (NOTE: There are alot of other blogs discussing how homogeneous TFN has become, not only me). Starting at the beginning of February (Feb. 2nd, 11AM EST), Food Network fans will have the opportunity to see black people on the channel. I know, I know… simmer down people, it seemed unbelievable to me too. I did a double take, rubbed my eyes and then pinched myself to see if I was actually awake. Not since Curtis Aikens has the Food Network broadcasted a cooking show hosted by someone black. Oh, wait… does that Bryant Gumble look-alike that hosted that horrible ‘Top 5 list’ count? I’m not too sure myself. OHHH, and wait, what about that guy who used to bake? I think his show only lasted a few months. But, I must congratulate (for the first time ever), TFN for finally showing some diversity. This show, “Down Home with the Neely’s” is also being promoted as much as that stupid Sandra Lee show, too, which is a big step. This may be a show I end up watching – as long as the cute Neely couple don’t get corrupted by the station to start acting like everyone else on the Food Network. I hope they just remain who they are. They have a very cute story – the four Neely brothers started a BBQ restaurant out of a small space in Memphis in 1988. They kicked some butt with great food and good service. Soon the business expanded to new locations so the brother’s needed extra help and recruited their mother and Patrick’s wife, Gina, to help out. Now they are the BBQ masters of Tennessee. Patrick and Gina did some contests and won and have been on many TV shows over the years. I wish them luck doing well on the Food Network.
Not to be stingy (I’ll take what I can get) but wouldn’t it be great to have a Thai or Indian chef on there, too? Maybe a Mexican chef doing regional cuisine ala Rick Bayless? Why not give Morimoto his own show? Oh, that’s right, maybe it’s because he’s too Asian? TFN completely degrades him every time he’s on Iron Chef by dubbing some dudes voice over his own. HE IS SPEAKING ENGLISH WHEN YOU DUB OVER HIM WITH ENGLISH!!!! I understand he has a strong accent, but at least let us hear the master speak. For fuck’s sake, degrade him a bit less by using subtitles. I wonder if this pisses him off?
Speaking of black cooks/chefs, I have been wanting to write a post on someone I am in
love with – G. Garvin. Has anyone watched him on TV One? I’m so happy he is on TV – he’s intelligent, funny and is a fresh face/voice in the culinary TV world. He actually enlightens us with his knowledge of different foods and the recipe, doing it all with humor and not loosing sense of his real personality. The Food Network should have swooped him up before TV One did. I love him… he looks like LL Cool J and has a personality to match his looks. His catchphrase is “holla at ya boy” and he makes a sound when he’s grinding pepper (nothing like the loud, obnoxious BAM!). Here’s a few quotes I wrote down from G. while watching his show a few weeks ago:
“If you ain’t got no wooden spoon, you probably ain’t got no TV!” – G. Garvin
“If you ain’t got an oven, go holla at ya neighbor! Tell ‘em ya got dropped biscuits for your b-baby-baby!” - G. Garvin during a segment making ‘Dropped Biscuits’
I hope the new show on TFN is a good one. I really hope the Neely’s survive on the network because it will prove to me that the audience as well as the execs are not afraid of a bit of diversity! Good luck, Neely’s! I’m sure I’ll be giving my opinion on this here blog as soon as I see it! I’d love to hear your opinion too.
Funny how no one left a comment! Hmmm. Thank you for posting this… I may have to bite a bit if you don’t mind. I’m a fan of FN but I always wonder the same thing.. how come no one looks like me? And I cover two groups!!! Amazing how single minded they are!! And audience obviously too!
A good friend here in ATL is good friends with the Neely’s so I’m very happy for them and can’t wait to see them! They’re going to be so much fun!
I was wondering why it took so long for anyone to comment too. I thought this would stir up some, ANY emotions in people. But we still live in racist America and it’s still a taboo subject. I touch more on issues w/ the Food Network in an earlier posting (sorry, I do knock alot of TFN personalities, so don’t read if you’re sensitive to it). Check it out: http://neverfull.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/rachel-ray-maybe-hate-is-a-strong-word/
but that you for commenting!!
I like the fact that FN has attempted to make their hosts more diverse, however I have a feeling this show might not be around long. The Neely’s are excellent entrepeneurs and great cooks, however it appears that food network is having them (or they are doing it on their own) play up how “Urban” they are. The stereotypes people have of African Americans is displayed frequently in the episodes. Mrs. Neely uses the “Hey Girl”, “Girl” , and “Girlfriend” lingo to a point where it is obnoxious. Her use of these catch phrases, loud laugh, and over the top “actions” does not help the show. Now, Mr. Neely breaks down the stereotypes by being well spoken, well dressed, and extremely knowledgeable about his cooking. I enjoy the style of cooking they do, but Mrs. Neely is going to have to tone it down if this show is going to become a success.
Interesting point, FN Fan. I kind of agree with you that Mrs. Neely needs to tone it down a bit, but I think that she is a firecracker kind of personality. She reminds me of a Black Paula Deen, who also needs to tone it down. I can’t watch her at all b/c she is too full-on with her southern personality, it annoys me. BUT, I do not think that Mrs. Neely needs to not be herself. I think the Food Network sucks b/c they try to make every one of their hosts to turn their personality up to 10, gesticulate wildly and try too hard. That’s the problem with EVERY food network show… not just the Neelys. And I’m a bit offended that you think she needs to turn down her personality b/c you think she’s being too black. Yeah, it may seem cliched or stereotypical, but maybe she’s really just being herself. It may be good for white people (especially the ones who are making this horrible network keep boring people like Ina Garten, Sandra Lee, Ellie Kreiger and that other snore-fest bore who makes meals for a week? They are the WHITEST people on earth. Maybe they need to be less white?) to be a bit more exposed to this couple just being who they are. But, thank you so much for the comment … it really made me think about this whole thing again. And, I hate to say it, it reminded me as to why the Food Network was avoiding diversifying their lineup for this long. – amy
Amy, I enjoyed reading your response until you mentioned the fact that you were offended. Did you read your response? You stated that all of the food network hosts are “made” to turn their personalities up to a 10, then you said you dont think that Mrs. Neeley should not be “herself”. So which is it? Is FN making her turn up her personality or is she just being “herself”. It is also interesting that you took my post and immediately turned it into a race issue, using phrases such as “WHITEST people on earth, and EVERY food network show, and the “white people” at the food network. Have you researched who is in charge of development and recruitment of talent at the network? It is extremely irresponsible of anyone to immediately play the race card when that is the easy answer. Its a shame, and before you call me a racist and an ignorant WHITE person….I am bi-racial and honestly blown away by your reasoning.
Hi, FN Fan. Thanks again for the comment. It takes some balls to write about this subject and I still think it’s important to talk about this stuff! I do just want to state that never once did I call you a racist. That is important to note. What I was thinking was, to me, your comment about Mrs. Neely needing to ‘tone down her cliched blackness’ represented the beliefs of alot of other people in this country. You may have mentioned this, not because you personally believe this, but, as a Food Network viewer, you were just giving ‘constructive criticism’ to Mrs. Neely that if she’s gonna make it, unfortunately, she may need to tone it down. You may not wish that for her yourself, maybe you were just thinking about her potential success on a channel that is extremely one-dimensional and decided to help her out. I’m not sure, cause I couldn’t tell from your original comment.
Anyways, I actually waited to write you back until Down Home w/ the Neely’s was on again so I could watch it with your view in mind. So, here I am 11.25 on a Saturday morning… just finished watching it. I have to, again, just completely disagree with you. I really do not think that Mrs. Neely is off the charts annoying or cliched. I just don’t. I don’t think she’s trying to be ‘extra Black’ or whatever because either she thinks she needs to, wants to shock people or whatever other reason you think she would ‘choose’ to do something like this (except if the weird execs at the FN told her to do this, which I can not imagine). I really believe this is who she is, with maybe a little extra sass for the camera.
And, how can I not “play the race card” (I hate that term btw)? You can’t ignore the fact that these two are the first Black hosts of a cooking show on TFN in a long time. I’ve written posts about Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee, Ina Garten, blah, blah blah and never once has anyone commented that they need to tone it down b/c they are being too cliched white… or too sterotypically southern. It’s just interesting that now that there is some diversity, there are reasons for this particular host to tone down her personality and ‘isms that sound too sterotypical Black.
If you haven’t noticed, there is still a problem in America with this attempt to ‘white wash’ celebs/hosts, etc – as if the way we (they) speak, act and look is better. When I see you write something like, “Now, Mr. Neely breaks down the stereotypes by being well spoken, well dressed, and extremely knowledgeable about his cooking”, all I can think is, HUH? Mrs. Neely is well-dressed, well-spoken and also talks about her food in a knowledgeable way. I just watched the show again just to make sure I wasn’t off here. Yeah, she throws in ‘girl, girlfriend, etc.’ often, but that, to me, doesn’t represent a person who is unknowledgable and not well-spoken. Maybe it’s my environment? I work in a school in Brooklyn with many extremely intelligent Black men and women and they use those sayings too. I don’t think they are unintelligent.
Lastly, I did just graduate from a grad school where you learn everything thru a multicultural lens. Maybe this subject is touchy for me? Regardless, I hope your wrong. I hope that Mrs. Neely can continue to use her ‘isms that some White people don’t like or get and still be as successful on the network as Paula Deen and Rachel Ray (which, for the life of me I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER understand why she’s popular, but that’s another story).
I hope this makes sense and you can understand why maybe I came off a bit strong in my last comment to you. Honestly, though, I thank you for having the balls to even post your opinion on this subject. – amy
I could not agree with you more, but you are missing the point. Nobody is questioning or denying the fact that the Neelys’ are intelligent, they have successful businesses, they are obviously intelligent. The other issue I have is with the absolutely untrue statements people make in order to “prove” their point. Amy, I hate to pick on you, but it seems as only you and I are able to discuss this topic. Everyone I have spoken with in other arenas have said the same things. There are numerous false statements surrounding the food network and these shows: 1) No black people on air (which you qualified as the “first” black hosts “in a long time”. TV depends on advertising, which is then based on number of viewers, which turns into ratings. Numerous black hosts and co-hosts have graced the food network air waves, but for some reason nobody watched. Call it whatever you want, but nobody watched. Emeri’s viewer ratings went in the toilet and and they pulled the plug. They have done the same on some other pilot shows with black hosts because nobody watched. 2) Still nobody will answer the question I pose as to who is responsible for talent development and recruitment on TFN. 3) These are just opinions, everyone is entitled to them, so why does discussing race immediately lead people to believe you are racist, or dont want black people to succeed or be on TV.
I enjoy the diversity, I just wish people did not make such a big deal about it. If there was not so much attention directed towards the “black show”, then people would not be picking every little thing they do apart, waiting on them to do something that will turn viewers off and eventually lead to the cancellation of the show. Like I said, I have nothing against them, I enjoy the show, it is just over the top. Are other shows over the top, absolutely, as you mentioned Rachael Ray. I personally think she is obnoxious, but just like everything else, there is a show on FN for everyone from pretentious rich folks Barefoot Contessa to simple southern Paula Deen. If this was not the case, then they would have on person on there all day long.
Oh boy… how come I’m just now tuning BACK in to this touchy debate.
Amy, I don’t know you other than you’re white. FN Fan, I don’t know you either, but you make some unreasonable arguments and rather inconsistent.
Before I go forward with my lengthy response, I’d like to know what two races you come from. It will be important in me addressing your points, accordingly.
In short, for now, I find all of this very interesting and so welcome the continued conversation on race, something that is sadly still a factor in making corporate decisions!