Why I Don't Like Rachel Ray
RACHEL RAY is a television personality and author of several cookbooks. In addition to a talk show, she hosts several shows which air regularly on the FOOD NETWORK cable channel. Her most popular food related show is 30 Minute Meals on which she prepares a dinner menu that she claims can be prepared in 30 minutes.
My list of complaints with Rachel Ray begins with the over-the-top perkiness with which she bombards the viewers of her shows. It almost has a bizarre similarity to the run amok good vibes of Marlo Thomas on the old That Girl television show. I, for one, can only take this sort of thing in very short doses. If I watch her shows for any extended period of time, my eyes begin to glaze over as I dream of moving to a country that does not have cable tv service.
I also find the title of Ray's show, 30 Minute Meals, to be a misnomer; all of the recipes she presents on this show require more than the specified 30 minutes to prepare. Anyone who cooks on a regular basis realizes that to prepare a full meal requires a bit more time than that. The spacious kitchen in her tv studio is far removed from the smaller spaces in which the ordinary cook works in on a daily basis. This alone adds more time to the preparation of any given dish.
On the show, $40 a Day, Rachel Ray visits various cities across the country and somehow manages to eat various meals on a budget of $40. The types of places she dines in are not shacks by the side of the road, they're pretty nice restaurants. I've done a bit of traveling myself and find it hard to believe that a person can eat three meals in a nice restaurant on $40 a day. To the seasoned eye of a restaurant owner (which I was for over 20 years), it's obvious where she's saving a great deal of money in this enterprise; she leaves lousy tips!
What bothers me the most when I'm watching Rachel Ray's shows is her reliance on well rehearsed phrases and mannerisms. Her use of cutesy phrases such as "yum-o" and "so delish" sound like something you might have heard from one of the kids on the Father Knows Best tv show from the 1950's. My personal pet peeve is her tried and true reaction whenever she tastes something; she tilts her head back, grins slightly and lets out a sigh. This happens every time sticks some food in her mouth! It's almost like watching a non-stop food commercial. The marketing strategy behind all of this is fairly obvious. Can Rachel Ray's own line of 30 Minute Meal Frozen Entrees be far behind?
There is one quality I do enjoy about Rachel Ray. She takes a flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach to preparing food which is a quality I think one needs to have if you're teaching people how to relax and enjoy their time cooking in their home kitchens.
In today's celebrity driven culture, it's no suprise that such a personality as Rachel Ray exists. She is to food what Bob Vila, the original host of the This Old House tv show, was to home renovation; a kind face floating on a tv screen that makes the viewer feel like they can do anything. In theory, that's not such a bad thing. However, when pumped full of the golly-gosh-gee-isms of Rachel Ray, it's unbearable. Check please!
J.P. Gelinas
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I happen to adore Rachel Ray and your compliants are so stupid
Shame on YOU! miserble person. Find something meaningful to keep your life great. STOP frowned upon other people success.
you know you like her when she has that giggle and says EVOO!
i AGREE, RACHEL RAY IS ANNOYING. I WATCH HER SHOWS HERE AND THERE, BUT I THINK SHE ACTS LIKE A CHILD. SHE'S TOO BUBBLY, AND LAUGHS AT HER OWN CHEESY JOKES. WHENEVER SHE HAS A GUEST ON THE SHOW AND THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING, SHE INTERUPTS AND TELLS A STORY ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENED TO HER AND TAKES OVER THE WHOLE CONVERSATIONS. LIKE I SAID, I DO ENJOY HER SHOWS, BUT SHE ISN'T A REAL CHEF, SHE COOKS MEALS THAT THE EVERYDAY PERSON COOKS, ALL SHE DOES IS ADD A FEW MORE INGREDIENTS. COME ON NOW, I COULD HAVE A SHOW.
I believe that rachel ray is a great cook and that someone like me who dose make her recipes in 30 min. she is just well orginized in her kitchen. that is how her audience makes her recipes. and we all love her perkines in my house hold, to those who dont like her drink some coffee and cheer up.
Dear Cash: Everyone is allowed their point of view --especially if it involves a certain amount of idiocy. Perhaps you could get a job as a recipe proofreader on Rachel's show? chefjp
I think perhaps you show a great deal of jealousy. Her ecipes CAN be made in 30 minutes. You do sound like a miserable person. If you don't like her show - shut it off!!! This America - you an watch what you like. It is a shame you exercise your freedom by tearing down someone who has helped many other people out there enjoy easy recipes and cooking.
Dear Bonnie: I find it hilarious that you and the gaggle of Rachel Ray supporters carry on when someone (like me) says something truthful about your Food Network goddess. This is indeed America and I'm having my "say"! chefjp
I personnally love Rachel Ray. She is very helpful in the kitchen and her personnality is perfect for her job. She cooks food for a living and that makes her happy, so why not share her happiness for food with the world. And if you could have your own cooking show then you would.. But guess what you don't and she does. SO GET OVER IT!!!!!! If you don't like her STOP WATCHING!!!!!!! If she was on TV depressed cooking you would have something to say about that. And yes you are entitled to your opinion but don't try to force your hateful evil ways on others. It's haters like you that make the world go round and the rich richer. So hate on baby hate on.So I say YUM-O RACHEL KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!! ROCK ON GIRL!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU HATE RACHAEL YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SAYS RACHEL IS NOT A CHEF, THAT IS TRUE. HOWEVER, SHE NEVER SAID SHE WAS, & IF YOU EVER SAW HER INTERVIEW YOU WOULD KNOW THAT. EMERIL SHOWS EXCITMENT ON HIS SHOW WITH BAM & LET'S KICK IT UP A NOTHCH! SO, SOME OF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YUM-O, GIVE ME A BREAK. YES, RACHEL COOKS EVERYDAY FOOD WHICH IS WHAT IT SHOULD BE. PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO PERPARING GREAT DISHES WITHOUT GOING TO CULINARY SCHOOL!
I obviously don't have life! Anyone who can take time out of there day to complain about Rachel Ray has to be the most unhappiest person ever. If you want to complain about things, complain about things that matter.
You said you own a resturant for almost 20 year, what's wrong did it shut down cause of your stupidy?! Get a life and leave God's good people along.......you are in my prayers!!!!
Ahhhhhhh! More concise comments from Rachel Ray's secret army of lunkheads! I love it! Keep it coming! chefjp
I happen to like Rachel Ray, but, I realize that not everyone does!! I don't however, think that it gives you the right to bash her! Who are we to judge? I can not take Emeril---not for very long anyway! And that is my right. My mom and I go back and forth on occassion about Rachel Ray, so, I realize, "To each his own"....I think she's great! And, by the way, I HAVE tried, and some of her meals CAN be made in 30 minutes, maybe not all of them, though. That doesn't mean I like her any less. Maybe that just means that she is more efficient than the rest of us!
I love Rachel Ray! She's a happy go lucky kind of person. We all wish we were like her, thats why we can't get enough of her. I always cook her meals in under 30 minutes. You just have to move a little faster which is no problem for me. I think you're a little envious.
Oy, did you hit a perky nerve!
I agree 100% with your views about her perkyness (and, you neglected "EVOO" a/k/a EEEE VVVV OH Oh).
Thank heavens there is more than one person in this world who feels like I do about Rachel Ray ~ or as she is known in our house "Ray-tard". Every time I hear her voice, I just shudder.
I just found your site. Really informative and the food sounds great!
Thank you! You said everything about Rachel Ray that I've always wanted to say. I absolutely cannot stand her. I can't watch any of her shows nor can I even think about making any of her recipes. To me, Rachel Ray is to cooking as MacDonalds is to restaurants.
Ok just wow. I agree with the stuff about Rachel Raye. The real question is, if you life her why are you reading an article about hating her? So you can be rude to the person that wrote it. We are all entitled to our opinions. But once our opinions start degrading people we've never met they've gone to far. To call someone stupid for an opinion that isn't shared by you is childish.