Food Fighters




Adam Richman, host of the new show Food Fighters on NBC has finally found himself a respectable job. Adam of Man vs Food show, the gluttonous, eating pig-out contest (see Man vs Food on my blog )

 

Man v. Food (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

record-breaking, heart attack making show was in one word, disgusting. It was Adam, a lot heavier, breaking stupid records  for example if  someone had eaten  15 triple cheeseburgers in a row, Adam, of course, would have to top it and eat 16. Ugh. It was not a pretty sight.

 

Ninety-nine percent of the time, he took the title which is why his weight probably ballooned up, I guess the restaurant has to win once in a while. Apparently now a thinner, but nastier Adam is in a Twitter/Instagram (?) fight about remarks he made to some fans which were really distasteful, ugly and insensitive. Not smooth Adam, not good for Public Relations. Your manager is probably eating themselves up in cronuts right about now.

 

I love this show Food Fighters which puts together talented home chefs against professional chefs to cook a meal. Of course, if you are like me, you are always rooting for the home chef to win and to wipe the smug grins of the celebrity chefs right off their faces.

 

Tonight’s episode featured a home cook that really seemed to need the money and I was rooting for her. She beat every single professional chef that was on the show winning a total of $100,000. I had tears in my eyes when she won. She had come from a bad place, was unemployed and really needed a new start. I’m not positive but I thought she said she was living and cooking for her brother and family.  This win, gave her the opportunity to start over.

Aside from identifying too much with the contestant (which I did ) she was a woman you just wanted to cheer for. Her name was Elisha and the only thing I missed was a seat at the dinner table to taste her food and that of the celebrity chefs.

I LOVE THIS SHOW. I haven’t been this excited about a new show in a long time. Thank goodness for this, it’s the little things that make me happy, like the tiny sliver (okay big) slice of chocolate mousse cake

 

#182385638 / gettyimages.com

 

that I stole from my daughter’s birthday cake. Heaven. Moist, creamy, fudge-like icing, my husband was aghast with horror. “Since when have you walked over to the dark side?” What happened to Vanilla Girl?” he asked. I didn’t think it required an answer because basically I was eating the frosting and did not intend to distract myself with an answer.

As many of you know I tend to be VERY flexible when it comes to dessert. I like many different types of dessert and I will have a slice of cake over a scoop of ice cream any day. I eat ice cream, of course, but it has to be in warm weather, outside of Ben & Jerry’s, seated in their cow couch outside licking a cone with rainbow sprinkles. Rainbow sprinkles

 

#125742091 / gettyimages.com

 

make me incredibly happy. To me, they are what dreams are made of, my husband will only eat chocolate sprinkles or jimmies as they called them in Massachusetts.

It’s a particularly hard world out there now and very difficult for our family as well as many families that I know. We do what we can to cope with our situations but if an ice cream cone or a good cup of coffee, once in a while, makes you happy, I say, go for it. It might very well (no pun intended) perk you right up.

 

Just one blogger's thoughts. Allegedly.


I Miss You, Ann Curry (Pop Cop)

Ann, Ann, Ann. I miss you on the news and I think you got screwed, pardon the language. You were, to me, the only reason to watch the show (I admit to being a big fan of the WABC, Good Morning America). I won’t ever watch Matt Lauer and the gang again. Ann, I am on your side. Look how nice WABC is to their hosts/correspondents?!)  They feel like a solid family and not some feuding teenagers in your angry-sabotage-siblings show. Between us gals, who is  the new “host?” Where did she come from? Why?

Does no one believe in loyalty anymore? I don’t think this would have happened many years ago and I don’t like it. It certainly would not have happened on my favorite channel WABC-TV. You worked so hard and you were able to show your love and concern for people and their stories without being melodramatic. You were the perfect combination of sophistication and heart. What is it these days with people replacing others on a whim? They should have least polled their (now dwindling) viewing audience before letting you go because I know you would have gotten the popular vote.

The new woman, (what’s her name?) I think it’s something like Samantha Sunshine but I really don’t care enough to research it. I don’t LIKE her, I feel like she is the evil step- sister and you are Cinderella. Does WNBC know that people love a Cinderella ending? Who would watch movies if the evil step-sister ended up with the prince? It is simply wrong, all wrong.

Matt Lauer, what the hell is up with you? You have become arrogant, incredibly arrogant and it shows. Do you wield that much power?  You should have stood up for Ann Curry with a gallant “if she goes I go” but somehow I don’t think that is your style, actually I would bet money on it. You really wanted Ann out didn’t you? Just admit it. What did you have against Ann? Dude, you have issues, major issues.

I’m sticking with loyalty. Bigwigs at WNBC NY, you messed up. Badly. Letting Ann Curry go for seemingly no reason at all (did I hear you didn’t like her clothing?!!) was wrong. Why don’t you do something and try to reinvent yourself based on good morals and good people. I hope your ratings go down (oh wait, they have) maybe then you will appreciate Ann Curry and her work. Fans like loyalty. You blew it. Big time. Want to watch a quality show? Turn the channel to the WABC, Good Morning America FAMILY. Learn from them.

P.S  Al Roker….you stare scared me today but at least you are giving Matt Lauer attitude. You rock, stick up for Ann, someone should….

“MTV, Teen Cribs” ( or I Want To Throw Up)

I actually WATCHED a show on television  (I couldn’t make this up if I tried) where teens show off their, mega, opulent, oversized, disgustingly big rooms/suites. The suites are housed in super big houses, near billiard rooms, bowling alleys and ice skating rinks. Seriously. No joke.  I am both fascinated and nauseated by this show, mostly nauseated. Okay, definitely all nauseated and totally disgusted.

The viewer is welcomed into the homes of these super- rich teenage kids and their ridiculously over indulgent more rich than rich parents. I kid you not. I have never seen anything like this in my life and I hope never to see it again. Once, twice was enough; more than enough. Kids have aquariums based on the movie Finding Nemo; they have home theaters, fully stocked concession stands  arcades, spa rooms,  backyard jacuzzi spa and slide sections so that “even when it’s snowing we can still go in.”  They have their own grotto, in case you were worried. Oh look, how quaint, they are making home-made pizza in their own pizza oven outside situated next to more grills than I could count. We’re not talking English Muffin pizza’s here.

There were hockey rinks, soccer fields, a gym with a working scoreboard. What house is complete without one? They have their own performing studios, and an “every day is a holiday” theme so they can keep the Christmas tree up all year-long. I’ve seen a chair museum in place of a dining room table,  psychedelic, modern, artistic mansions, no MANSIONS. These homes are described by their parents as “having a place where we all feel comfortable.” Give me a break.

This disgusting show of über opulence is so crude that over the top does not quite describe it. Over the top is an understatement. I actually had to text my teenagers to see if this was a real show or if it was made up?  Apparently, it’s real. Real if you live in a fantasy land, on another universe, in another galaxy. After watching this show it seems that Michael Jackson’s Neverland was nothing more than a quaint and cozy little shack.

Is this the standard we want our children to aspire to? Does the plethora of material riches, I mean crap, make them any happier? Don’t even answer that! What are these parents THINKING?  I’d be embarrassed to show off a ridiculous  mega-mansion like any of those shown. I would be ashamed, and I should be. So should they.

Kick these families out of their glamour galaxies, show them the real world, where most of us can barely live, can barely make ends meet. As for the teens? Kick them out of their go carts, scooters, Segueways and disco ball rooms, and hand them a book. A book about the real world, unemployment, financial troubles, poverty. Real people.

After not being able to watch another second of this show, I was grateful to find  a show on NBC about how a community helped a special needs family and their mom. Which show would you want YOUR kids to watch? “MTV Teen Cribs” or “America Now, A Circle of Helping Hands?” You make the decision, you do the math.

After accepting that “MTV Teen Cribs” is going to stay on television, all I can seriously hope for is that these RICH families do a lot for charity. That they give to those less fortunate than themselves (which is probably 99.9 percent of the world), it may sound idealistic but it’s the only hope I’ve got.

Pop Cop: Jay Leno, I Used To Like You

Jay Leno was the man of the people. Down to earth.  Affable. A big lug.  Liked cars. Big, expensive cars. Tons of cars.  I used to trust Jay Leno but with all the press about him and Conan, I don’t anymore.  I thought Jay Leno’s interview with Oprah would somehow, some way, redeem him in my eyes and in the eyes of others.  She skewered him, lightly, with the gentle grace that only Oprah could pull off. Like a James Frey redo.  She asked questions in a fair, even way but somehow he couldn’t quite get his act together. He whined, he expressed NO remorse about Conan and said he never talked to Conan personally nor does he plan too.  He could have somehow come out of this mess a little less dirty, a little less oily but he didn’t.  The Oprah interview showed him as a cold-hearted celebrity, needing fame more than friendship; greed over greatness.

He COULD have stepped down and made way for Conan. I was never a big Conan fan to begin with but after this brouhaha he started looking a lot better. I watched Conan O’ Brien for the first time in my life; it was humbling. The show  portrayed Jay Leno as the rottweiler and Conan as the poor, abused, puppy. When I watched Conan I felt sad; when I watched Jay I felt angry. Here’s the reason why, according to Jay Leno “ratings” are what counts, according to Conan, life is about way more than that. I agree with Conan, there’s more to life than ratings. There’s kindness and doing the right thing.

Kudos to Jimmy Kimmel for appearing on Leno and “sucker-punching” Leno. Kimmel was straight and to the point and actually said to Jay Leno (and I am paraphrasing) what many of us were feeling. “You had your chance, you had the show for 16 years, it’s just you and Mavis and a lot of cars, you have 18 billion dollars. Conan and I are family guys, we have families. Leave us alone.” Those remarks made a direct hit to our hearts and seemed to bounce off Leno like a boomerang.

After that Jay Leno should have stopped, checked his incredibly large ego at the door and said good-bye to NBC and The Tonight Show. He should have left graciously instead of greedily. He wouldn’t give a little bit and I don’t think he’s the nice guy that he used to appear to be.

Have you learned nothing about the world? How many more billions will make you happier?  Doing the right thing may be very different than doing things for ratings. There’s kindness, there’s being a good man, and then, there’s karma.

I’ll stay with Letterman, who even if he is acerbic, is smart, quick and honest. Jay, I used to like you but I don’t anymore. If I could predict I would say that a lot of people are with me on this. Even when you go back to NBC to the time-slot of your choice, it may feel very, very different  and you deserve whatever you get. And then some.