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Just saw the first RR Dunkin commercial. She said nothing of the donuts, never even mentioned the brand name. All she did was take an iced coffee from one of her assistants.
Not offensive. Not obnoxious. She barely said anything. I guess the whole idea is that she's a star and is happy with coffee from DD, so all her fans should be too.
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In my opinion I don't care what RR has to say, DD makes a good old fashioned plain donut. That's the only donut I eat and I don't need any FN star to sell it. Last year I traveled over 1000 miles to visit family and made a point to go to DD to get a good old fashioned donut and a cup o' joe. The coffee was awful but that donut sure was good! What time is it? It's time to make the donuts!
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Beach Chick
May 11, 2007 10:23 AM
I have been a guest on the Rachael Ray Show and she is a wonderful person and much prettier in person and not as annoying as I thought she would be..
I wish her all the best!›1 Reply -
Interesting. RR was in the NY Times last weekend (or was it the weekend before?) in a pic with former Prez Bill Clinton on her show, since they are launching some kind of healthy eating for kids campaign. I haven't been to a DD in years, but I venture to guess that they haven't started peddling in vegetables and foresaking high fructose corn syrup. This pairing -- RR + DD -- so close to her signing on to Clinton's project makes her look like a not so nice form of opportunist, even if that isn't the idea. (And yes, I know, donuts can be part of a balanced diet, everything in moderation and all that, but give me a break. A donut *chain*?)
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re: Foodie in Friedberg
Withnail42
May 9, 2007 06:08 AM
Isn't her thing is that she's not a chef just an very day person. Now she's and expert.
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re: Withnail42
No where in the article does it say she is an "expert."
From the article: "Rachael's philosophy of creating quality meals quickly without pretense for busy people with busy lives is the same driving force behind the Dunkin' Donuts brand."
It seems to me that most responses here are based on the title of this thread and not the facts in the article. Put personal feelings about Ray's expertise and/or annoying factor aside, and read the article!
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re: Foodie in Friedberg
resipsaloquitor
May 9, 2007 09:44 AM
Has anyone ever been more overexposed than this woman? Take heart. Two years from now, no one will remember who she was.
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re: ccbweb
choctastic
May 10, 2007 09:24 AM
On some tv show about Rachel Ray, I finally saw the woman behind the rachel ray sucks website. The woman was completely unattractive, wore somehting that looked like a housedress, and talked in a very flat monotone between grim red lips. I watched her talk about how she couldn't stand Rachel Ray's voice, look etc, and frankly I thought it was a bit rich coming from her.
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jfood
May 7, 2007 01:38 PM
Listening to RR is like nails on a chalkboard but she is inspiring people who believe that it takes days to cook a hamburger how to get a meal on the table quickly. For that jfood thinks she is great. But as stated her voice and speed on speech is truly annoying.
It would not sway jfood one way or the other about DD's. If they are available for a coffee and coffee roll, jfood is there in force, if it's not convenient, then onward the voyage.
I'm waiting for Steinbrenner to sign her to a contract as an announcer. Man that would be great.
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Wow!! is dunkin donuts still open?!?#??!@#? what a crappy product. who is This rachael ray chick everyone alwys talks about?
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re: aurora50
Funny, I didn't get that impression at all from reading the People magazine article. I found her to be blunt and honest and admirable that she addressed all the rumors head-on. She is inspring in that she forged an empire out of the most ordinary, humble beginnings. I was especially surprised to hear how she got held up--then beat up--by the robber in her apartment building in Queens because I've never heard about that up to this point. As to others who think she is overexposed--hello--what celebrity chef isn't overexposed now? Batali wrote a NASCAR cookbook, for goodness sake!
I admire RR's happiness, fortune, drive and ability to deflect all criticism. Talk about having the last laugh at all her critics.
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re: gloriousfood
Phaedrus
May 8, 2007 07:43 AM
I think the negativity comes from a belief in a meritocracy.
The point being that there are so many more people that are more talented than she is in the kitchen and do their jobs and get their intrinsic satisfaction out of what they do and here she is, not having that kind of chops, so to speak, and rolling in fame and money. It really offends those who believe that the cream will rise to the top and that being really good at your craft will ultimately reward you. Hers is a case of being really good at something other than cooking, i.e. PR, promotion, dumbing the skills down, and personality triumphing over chops in the kitchen.
I say more power to her if she can get paid that kind of cash from the multinationals for doing what she is obviously very good at, because that is the free market economy, but don't go off calling yourself an expert or speak as an authority on anything culinary.
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re: Phaedrus
As mojoeater wrote, RR has never claimed to be a chef or an expert. In fact, she would be the first to agree with you that she's no expert or authority. In the interviews I read with her, there is always this sense from her of "how in the heck did this happen to me because I certainly never had any formal training," so she seems to be in the dark just as you are!
But she didn't get to where she is without a significant fan base--certainly way more than those who do not like her for varoius reasons. And the multinationals would not be paying her what they do if it weren't for the same fan base eating up everything she puts out. So if there is anyone to "point the finger" at her rise to the top, perhaps it's the public, not RR herself.
And while I have not tried any of her dishes myself (and admittedly, some of them seem less-than-appetizing to me), I think that to say she "dumbs down" cooking is an insult to those who do use her recipes and find them enjoyable. I would never presume that just because I might use better ingredients or have better techniques than someone else that my cooking is superior to others.
And anyone who takes any chef's "word on technique as the gospel" is foolish. And RR would be the last person to project that impression.
Lastly, I agree with you that much of the negativity comes from the belief in meriocracy. But I also believe that just as much of it comes from the sheer pleasure many people get from taking down someone once they've reached the top.
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re: gloriousfood
wleatherette
May 8, 2007 12:27 PM
i'm so tired of the idea that criticizing rr means that you're somehow looking down on the honest, salt of earth general public. i think it's more insulting to assume that people need to be baby-talked and plied with crap.
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re: wleatherette
ccbweb
May 8, 2007 12:32 PM
Isn't that really the whole point of the entire advertising industry? Plying people with crap?
I went through a stretch of really disliking Ms. Ray but I've come around to realizing that she clearly fills a niche. She's not claiming to be anything other than what she is. I don't enjoy her shows so I don't watch them. Many people do like her, so what's the harm?
And, hey, if she can make some money advertising Dunkin' Donuts, more power to her.
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re: ccbweb
wleatherette
May 8, 2007 12:49 PM
i really don't care what she claims or doesn't claim to be, and the fact that so many people like her is their own business. what i really have a problem with is the argument that not liking her is elitist.
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re: wleatherette
ccbweb
May 8, 2007 12:54 PM
Fair enough. Though I also see where that argument comes from because many people base their dislike and voice their dislike in terms of her being inferior and, by extension, the criticizer being "elite." But simply disliking her shouldn't be cause for any accusation of elitism.
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re: gloriousfood
Phaedrus
May 8, 2007 02:04 PM
Um, yeah, I agree that no one should take any chef's word, but FN certainly makes a great effort to project that kind of authority on their program hosts while at the same time claiming:"do what you want!!"
A more honest approach would be: here is what I do, I think its good but you may think it sucks but thats OK because I am getting paid the big bucks giving you a headache.
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re: Phaedrus
Maybe you get that impression from the FN--I certainly don't. But I do get a sense of that from the PBS cooking shows: American Test Kitchen, Lidia's Family Table, etc. Actually, I think your "honest approach" is exactly what RR projects to me: "this is how I do what I do: laugh at me, laugh with me--whatever--just keep on laughing, because I'm laughing all the way to the bank."
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re: gloriousfood
Withnail42
May 8, 2007 03:35 PM
1) I think it's safe to say no celebrity chef comes close to having the kind of exposure as she enjoys
2) Your point about Batali writing a NASCAR cookbook is moot. Regardless of ones feelings towards the sport he got to write it after years of hard work. Yes he put himself out there and self promoted as needed. Most importantly he had the background and expertise to back him self up. Ray was more or less chosen by FN’s powers that be and made her a star. From out of nowhere this one trick pony suddenly had four shows. I think that people resent her mediocrity constantly being shoved up on us.
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re: Withnail42
ccbweb
May 8, 2007 03:39 PM
Amazingly, though, she's not being set down in your kitchen and forcing you to listen to her. Her television shows are easily avoided and her magazine is suprisingly easy to not buy. I don't like her shows but I don't get the unending vitriol launched at her simply for being successful.
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re: ccbweb
Withnail42
May 8, 2007 04:14 PM
Points well taken. But when I did watch FN I didn't like seeing her all the time. She was probably the tipping point for me not watching. Nor do I want to see her on my Triscit box, smiling down from me atop the fridge.(so yes she in my kitchen) I can't help but see (or hear) her adverts or the promos for her talk show. Then there is her magazine front row of the rack. Apparently she can't be avoided. She is in fact everywhere.
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re: aurora50
Withnail42
May 8, 2007 06:31 PM
I'll have to try that. Perhap reshelve them somewhere other than the food section.
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re: Withnail42
starlady
May 12, 2007 04:11 PM
I'm down with that. I don't watch any of her shows and when a commercial comes on with her in it I change the channel. Although I think we don't have as much of her here in CDN as you do in the states, I still find her quite annoying.
That said whenever I am searching for a recipe on Food Netowrk. If I think she has an interesting recipe I will read it, although to date have never tried any of her recipes because I have always found one that sounded better!
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re: Withnail42
ccbweb
May 8, 2007 04:48 PM
I agree that the number of shows she had on FN was the tipping point for me, too. But it wasn't just her...Semi Homemade, Paula Deen (who I adore as a person but can't stand the food) etc are all things I have no interest in. Now I just tivo Good Eats and Iron Chef and leave it at that.
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RR is the queen of self promotion....she has made herself a food network queen 3 shows now? ...and now a harpo queen with the talk show...promoting Ritz crackers, her own Olive Oil....t-shirts...you name it....but she is overexposed at this point....the EVOO, stoup, sammy, DE-lish...has gotten old.....r e a l o l d.....
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markp
Mar 17, 2007 01:58 PM
RR has an Upstate NY accent. I know. I live here. That honk is ubiquitous from Albany to Buffalo.
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I like Rachael Ray. I've made several of her recipes and have always been pleased with the results. And I credit her cookbook with giving me confidence in my skills and some great 'weeknight' recipes that I used to convince my guy to become more adventurous in the long run.
Haven't eaten at Dunkin' Donuts in years, though, if ever, now that I think of it.
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re: dietfoodie
amkirkland
Mar 17, 2007 05:26 PM
Thanks for sharing that. I used to be a RR basher, and although she annoys me, if she inspires you to cook more, then that's awesome. Just make sure you branch out past the chicken breast : )
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re: amkirkland
No worries, I'm having a blast trying all the different things I read here. I recently bought a vegetarian cookbook by Deborah Madison -- great cookbook even for us omnivores -- and a tagine, of all things. It was on heavy discount, and I knew what it was and to snap it up thanks to you all!
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re: ML8000
amkirkland
Mar 17, 2007 05:18 PM
funny stuff, BUT, if they came up with an EVOO donut in the vain of lemon olive oil cake I'd be there.
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ttriche
Mar 16, 2007 12:33 PM
Thoroughly agree with their sentiments.
Although I have to give Rachael Ray credit for, some time ago, providing a recipe to some newspaper in Spokane that wrote an article on flatiron steaks. It was a great piece that I stumbled across via an Internet search, and her recipe was the best of the lot. Dubious, I prepared a green sauce with anchovies, peppers, and garlic, then had it with the steaks, pan-seared, without significant departures from her suggested quantities. It was quite tasty. I doubt she would do this on her show (no anchovy sponsors -- that would be New Scandinavian) but credit where credit is due, I thought the Vietnamese were the only folks who combined anchovies and seared beef. Not sure why I didn't think of it before, it's not like I've never had bo bay mon, but she was the spark this time.
Back to the hating, though -- I doubt I would have made the dish if her voice were part of the package. I literally cannot stand that Lawn Guyland drawl. It just kills me. Bourdain sounds similar, yet I can stomach his affect. I do not know why this is.
She is certainly making the most of her 15 minutes, more power to her.
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