The Rachael Ray Problem

I have a confession to make. Tonight was the first night ever that I fully enjoyed watching Thirty Minute Meals with Rachael Ray. What's wrong with me?

You may understand why I hated her so much. I've heard of websites dedicated to bashing Rachael and her cutesy culinary skills, but I never contributed to them. My despising of Rachael stayed within the kitchen boundaries growing up, my family settled at our counter watching her cook at 6PM during dinner. "EVOO, extra virgin olive oil," she would clarify, and my brother and I would share a disapproving harumph and poo-poo of her abbreviation. "Why would she say EVOO if she just has to go and explain it right afterwards EVERY TIME?" I'd yell.
"She's wasting her 30 minutes by having to say that." Sprinkle in a few of her incredibly annoying giggles and anthropomorphizing of vegetables and meat ("Stick these guys [carrots] in with the others [fennel and onion] into the hot tub [aka boiling water]") and you have a recipe for a very irksome show. How could anybody take her seriously when clearly she takes her viewers to be children?

Well, since I have had much time as of late to do absolutely nothing substantive, I have found myself watching way too much FoodTV. Barefoot Contessa (Barefoot, as my family and I like to call it), Everyday Italian (Love Giada!), Iron Chef America (For a laugh), and anything with Paula Deen make my life worth living. I considered 30 Minute Meals to be blasphemy for a while. But I got sick of Ina Garten because every episode she was having a party for her Hampton girlfriends and gay artist aquaintances. Giada is great, but it can get kind of dull sometimes. I can't say anything bad about Iron Chef other than how much the judges always LOOOOVE Bobby Flay and his Southwestern flair. Paula Deen is untouchable.

So I decided to watch Rachael because I suddenly was curious; what made her so popular that she is on my boxes of Triscuits? And doing ads for Dunkin' Donuts? Why does she have a talkshow AND a magazine? Is she the cheery nouveau-Oprah?

I watched and realized that everything she says has good intentions on TV. It's all to make me feel comfortable. And I actually paid attention to what she was cooking, and it doesn't look half-bad. I have to respect a woman who can chop well, cook well, and present well and hasn't gone to chef school. It takes talent for anybody to be able to do her job.

The next thing is we need to find somebody new to be her stylist, because NOTHING she wears is flattering and she seems to have a different hairstyle every episode...

Thoughts?

Pet Peeves

1) Watching television and hearing people say "exspecially" instead of "especially." (Top Chef)

Jamie...

Flannel

Funny observation: shopping today, I noticed how many stores, like Urban Outfitters and Polo Ralph Lauren, sell flannel. The price ranges from in the 40's to over $100, and I have to pause and laugh. As somebody who hails from a cold climate, I'm used to seeing people, aka workers, walk around in their Carhaarts and flannels layered with thermals. I have an image of the guy stomping inside from chopping firewood and cracking open a beer wearing the thick shirts. I even picture my dad growing up wearing flannel shirts he's had for too long.

But now, I see young girls traipsing down Newbury donning those tartans and plaids wearing only black leggings underneath. At my store today, I helped a girl find a buffalo check shirt like 10 sizes too big. I mean, the darts didn't fit her in the back. The only way I believe oversize flannel is acceptable for a girl to wear is 1) borrowed from her boyfriend (OMG the boyfriend look?) or 2) stolen from a guy friend. At least it has sentimental value attached to it.

To be honest, I had a flannel phase this fall. I mean, it's so soft and comfy and easy to throw on when going to class. But I had to ask myself why we were going back to the ironic working-class chic. I went to the DMV yesterday and saw a working gear store where actual outdoor worker guys were perusing some magnificent flannel.

I think that Ralph Lauren is okay selling flannel because at least it's consistent with his entire line: an acknowledgement of an outdoorsy, New England culture. But Urban is just being silly selling boy's used shirts to girls. They're guilty of tricking consumers into wanting something that's actually junk. It's cute on the girls that have little boy's bodies, but is this representing some kind of class escapism? Is there something economic in it? Are we having a 90's grunge throwback, like something related to Bush-turnovers? Does it have to do with our current hard times, women dressing like workers?

Hello!

I follow several blogs associated with publications like New York Magazine and New York Times, so I decided it was time for me to start writing my own opinions down about popular culture topics like fashion, film, and television, with perhaps a sprinkling of music, too. As much as I plan to point out what I think is of particular interest, I also hope to provide a bit of humor and insight into culture. "Threads" refers to the connections I see between media and their reflection of society, the general trends I notice as a young adult. But enough with the goals and serious-sounding writing; it's time to start blogging.