Monday, June 11, 2007
Why We Love Kathy Griffin
I Love Kathy Griffin.
I can watch Comedy Central performers for hours and not crack a smile. Kathy Griffin has me laughing out loud within 5 minutes.
While watching her newest special, "Everyone Can Suck It," I realized what it was.
She is a non-celebrity in a celebrity world. She has a niche audience. Celeb gossip junkies like me who love to hear the inside story from someone who is just like us. It's not like hearing "sources." She was there when it happened.
She interacts with celebrities, so we get to hear how they really treat people. Not like when they're doing publicity, and are polite to Matt Lauer, or trying to convince Tyra Banks that they aren't anorexic.
She's pretty down-to-earth, and her reality show makes you feel like you know her personally anyway. Her stories about her D-List life elicit some sympathy, although, if you see her mansion, cars, assistants, and all the swag she manages to score, she ain't living a tough life.
She's desperate for publicity, but the papparazzi don't think she's worth their time. She even tripped getting out of a limo for publicity. In her act, she told the story of her leaving Club Hyde, (you should have heard of it by now) and the papparazzo dropping his camera upon the realization it was "just her."
She's funny. She's brash. She doesn't care. She knows she can get away with anything. And she does. Her performances seem natural and non-chalant, and you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend. A very informed friend.
I don't know if it reflects badly or well on her, but I've thought of similar jokes from time to time.
I can watch Comedy Central performers for hours and not crack a smile. Kathy Griffin has me laughing out loud within 5 minutes.
While watching her newest special, "Everyone Can Suck It," I realized what it was.
She is a non-celebrity in a celebrity world. She has a niche audience. Celeb gossip junkies like me who love to hear the inside story from someone who is just like us. It's not like hearing "sources." She was there when it happened.
She interacts with celebrities, so we get to hear how they really treat people. Not like when they're doing publicity, and are polite to Matt Lauer, or trying to convince Tyra Banks that they aren't anorexic.
She's pretty down-to-earth, and her reality show makes you feel like you know her personally anyway. Her stories about her D-List life elicit some sympathy, although, if you see her mansion, cars, assistants, and all the swag she manages to score, she ain't living a tough life.
She's desperate for publicity, but the papparazzi don't think she's worth their time. She even tripped getting out of a limo for publicity. In her act, she told the story of her leaving Club Hyde, (you should have heard of it by now) and the papparazzo dropping his camera upon the realization it was "just her."
She's funny. She's brash. She doesn't care. She knows she can get away with anything. And she does. Her performances seem natural and non-chalant, and you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend. A very informed friend.
I don't know if it reflects badly or well on her, but I've thought of similar jokes from time to time.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Food Network Stars
I was into Food Network way before Rachael Ray was the world's superstar. Before "Emeril Live," and in the days of "Cooking Live with Sara Moulton."
I've seen at least a few minutes of many of the famous chefs on the channel, and am trying to understand their appeal.
Alton Brown is just offbeat and strange. He can't be "down to earth" because he's from another planet. He probably has a lot of friends. I don't enjoy Good Eats because of all the weird camera angles. He's also the host of Iron Chef America, and I like him on that.
Bobby Flay just seems a little full of himself. He and Tyler Florence are kind of similar, so I confuse them sometimes in my mind. But I do know that Tyler is more down to earth patient. Like when he does Tyler's Ultimate and goes to other people's kitchens, he isn't a know-it-all. Bobby isn't a bad guys, he's just a little aloof.
Emeril kind of makes me think of John Ritter-the non-celebrity celebrity. He knows all the people on his staff by name, and seems to spend actual time with them. Not sure if it's because he wants to know them, or just wants to make sure he has a great show. He's a nice guy, though. He's also pretty talented to be able to do Emeril Live so frequently. I mean, he has the kitchen staff on hand, but he's still running the show. His schtick is slightly less annoying than Rachael Ray's. BAM! Another Notch!
Don't get me wrong, I think both chefs, Emeril and Rachael, have a sincere enthusiasm for food and cooking, but there's something that makes his less annoying.
I've written about Rachael and Giada, so I won't bother to repeat myself.
Then there's Sandra Lee, who's extremely distant. She's kind of cold, and you can tell she's trying to make believe she cares. She does nice work on Semi-Homemade, but she seems so unapproachable. She had her niece and nephew on the show, and like didn't let them do ANYTHING. She was a perfectionist and control freak with these kids. And that bothered me.
Some people find Paula Deen to be fake. I don't. I've never made any of her recipes, but she seems fun to hang out with. She's had relatives cook with her, and she's so much more chilled than Sandra Lee.
Ina Garten is the type that could be aloof, but she isn't. She's not like Paula Deen, who kind of makes her viewers feel like family, but maybe by showing her have friends over on every episode of Barefoot Contessa you get a picture of how she is socially. But on the show she's cordial, but not totally approachable.
Speaking of unapproachable, Sara Moulton, is it just me, or does anyone see this ego going on with her? She tries to cover it up, but I just get nervous from it. She's condescending a lot of the time. Like when she had the live show, she seriously talked to the callers as if they were 5. That bothered me. So I don't really watch Sara's Secrets.
The first show I watched that got me into Food Network was Sweet Dreams with Gale Gand. Yes, I know your son Gio loves this...I think she's a nice person, but just a little annoying. She would say "there ya go," seemingly to avoid dead air. (Which is ok on TV, not radio.) And she didn't shut up about her son. Like, I get it. I think she's off the air. She's a nice person. Like she seems like she'd help anyone in need, but she's the most appealing personality for TV.
Oh, and FYI-Marc Summers-host of Unwrapped, one of my favorites---seems to have written a book about overcoming OCD--saw it outside Strand for a buck a few months ago.
So I kind of think Food Network's search for the next star is foolish. I didn't like last year's winners either. They should just let it happen like it has the last few years.
I've seen at least a few minutes of many of the famous chefs on the channel, and am trying to understand their appeal.
Alton Brown is just offbeat and strange. He can't be "down to earth" because he's from another planet. He probably has a lot of friends. I don't enjoy Good Eats because of all the weird camera angles. He's also the host of Iron Chef America, and I like him on that.
Bobby Flay just seems a little full of himself. He and Tyler Florence are kind of similar, so I confuse them sometimes in my mind. But I do know that Tyler is more down to earth patient. Like when he does Tyler's Ultimate and goes to other people's kitchens, he isn't a know-it-all. Bobby isn't a bad guys, he's just a little aloof.
Emeril kind of makes me think of John Ritter-the non-celebrity celebrity. He knows all the people on his staff by name, and seems to spend actual time with them. Not sure if it's because he wants to know them, or just wants to make sure he has a great show. He's a nice guy, though. He's also pretty talented to be able to do Emeril Live so frequently. I mean, he has the kitchen staff on hand, but he's still running the show. His schtick is slightly less annoying than Rachael Ray's. BAM! Another Notch!
Don't get me wrong, I think both chefs, Emeril and Rachael, have a sincere enthusiasm for food and cooking, but there's something that makes his less annoying.
I've written about Rachael and Giada, so I won't bother to repeat myself.
Then there's Sandra Lee, who's extremely distant. She's kind of cold, and you can tell she's trying to make believe she cares. She does nice work on Semi-Homemade, but she seems so unapproachable. She had her niece and nephew on the show, and like didn't let them do ANYTHING. She was a perfectionist and control freak with these kids. And that bothered me.
Some people find Paula Deen to be fake. I don't. I've never made any of her recipes, but she seems fun to hang out with. She's had relatives cook with her, and she's so much more chilled than Sandra Lee.
Ina Garten is the type that could be aloof, but she isn't. She's not like Paula Deen, who kind of makes her viewers feel like family, but maybe by showing her have friends over on every episode of Barefoot Contessa you get a picture of how she is socially. But on the show she's cordial, but not totally approachable.
Speaking of unapproachable, Sara Moulton, is it just me, or does anyone see this ego going on with her? She tries to cover it up, but I just get nervous from it. She's condescending a lot of the time. Like when she had the live show, she seriously talked to the callers as if they were 5. That bothered me. So I don't really watch Sara's Secrets.
The first show I watched that got me into Food Network was Sweet Dreams with Gale Gand. Yes, I know your son Gio loves this...I think she's a nice person, but just a little annoying. She would say "there ya go," seemingly to avoid dead air. (Which is ok on TV, not radio.) And she didn't shut up about her son. Like, I get it. I think she's off the air. She's a nice person. Like she seems like she'd help anyone in need, but she's the most appealing personality for TV.
Oh, and FYI-Marc Summers-host of Unwrapped, one of my favorites---seems to have written a book about overcoming OCD--saw it outside Strand for a buck a few months ago.
So I kind of think Food Network's search for the next star is foolish. I didn't like last year's winners either. They should just let it happen like it has the last few years.
