Latest Post by Liz Tobias
As a self-proclaimed TV junkie and foodie, I think my heart skipped a beat when, last week, I attempted to tune into Paula Deen and, instead, was confronted with a chipper voice reading aloud Cablevision’s statement against Scripps network for choosing to pull Food Network and HGTV from its lineup.
After self-medicating in a half-gallon of Edy’s Peppermint Chip and a piece of leftover pumpkin pie, I started flipping through channels, angry and annoyed that I no longer had a connection to my beloved Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, and that cute little Giada DeLaurentis. What was I going to do?
But… well… I’m learning to adjust.
As I flipped through the channels, I started to realize that there were more than a handful of ways to get my food fix. I didn’t need a network devoted to it – I could catch food shows on practically every other channel. Here’s my current list of non-Food food favs:
- Travel Channel (which is owned by Scripps but miraculously is still on the air) could moonlight as Food Network, with seemingly endless marathons of MAN VS FOOD, BIZARRE FOODS, ANTHONY BOURDAIN, and that super catchy CHOWDOWN COUNTDOWN special.
- TLC doesn’t always focus on food, but they sure do focus on the repercussions of eating too much of it.
- Bravo’s created a new brand with TOP CHEF – unfortunately, there’s so much fashion on the channel that it turns me off from eating any of the delicious recipes
- Lifetime – I swear, everytime I turn that channel on, I’m watching some made-for-tv movie about eating disorders, so that totally counts.
- WE – Hello, you can’t have a great wedding without some amazing food! Can you zoom in again on those shrimp cocktail, please?
And that’s just the beginning – it’s very clear that food is a genre that permeates across all genres and all demographics. But… there is something that’s just so comforting about a cold day, warm blanket, and Paula Deen deep-frying her butter. So, while I know I can survive, I have one message for Cablevision and Scripps: Can’t we all just get along?
