www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall FoodTV hits ten

It is refreshing how sex and violence are not the �ingredients� for success, even for TV/cable shows. Below are a few quotes from a recent news article on the tenth anniversary of the Food Network. In the ongoing cultural war battles, it�s even nice to know that R-rated movies aren�t the biggest money-makers in Hollywood. I remember reading a study done on the downfall of the R-rated movie. Nobody is going to see them that much anymore. The sex pimps and violence pushers are not doing too well. I guess this factoid is a reflection of where most of the people are really at. In all, it is �substantial� living and the basic staples of life itself that attract today�s media hungry people. It�s not someone getting stabbed twenty times, or a �reality� show depicting a day-to-day experience of police work that outdoes any military battle.

Here are parts of the recent article that can be found at:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/leisure_foodnetwork_dc

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When New York-based FN began in November 1993 it reached 6.5 million homes. Now as it celebrates its 10th birthday, that figure exceeds 80 million as viewers in far-flung places like Iceland and Singapore and even aboard some U.S. Navy ships tune in to watch celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse.

According to Nielsen Media Research, FN was the fastest growing ad-supported cable network in 2002. Strong performances by FN and its sister Home & Garden network have boosted profits at the networks' parent, newspaper publisher E.W. Scripps Co, despite a drop in print advertising.

"It just draws everyone," said Judy Girard, network president. "We didn't expect that ... and we didn't expect it to come out 60 percent women and 40 percent men."

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Girard said that part of FN's success stems from a winning recipe that mixes two networks into one. One "network" offers instructional cooking shows during the day and early evening. The other is made up of prime-time entertainment programs that celebrate food through a variety of shows �

While FN knows what ingredients to put in its eclectic mix, it also knows what to omit: DRAMA, SEX AND VIOLENCE [emphasis mine].

"It's not what viewers come to us to see," Girard said.

"Nobody is getting bombed or beaten up. But it's good primal stuff," said Archer. "It's an escape ... but it's an escape that's attainable."

Dr. John Lucas, a psychiatrist at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, said it's no surprise that stressed-out professionals would chose to watch a candy maker transform pink goo into gumballs rather than kick up their frayed nerves with a sex crime show. He explained that to some viewers watching FN has the same calming effect as watching a log burn in a fireplace.

"Instead of heat, it provides the nurturance of seeing someone else cook," Lucas said.

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How many at-home chefs do we have out there? Do you find yourself watching more FoodTV and/or HGTV these days?

God bless,
Joe Thur

I confess I even watch food network during a fast season

Theodore,

Uh, oh. I hope this doesn't conflict with some 5th century rule about watching food shows on TV.

Wait a minute! They didn't have food shows on TV back then. :rolleyes:

Anything mentioned in the Rudder about this?

I must say, there is plenty of violence on that network. It is amlost unbearable between Emeril's "BAM!" and the Iron Chef

And who said they didn't have sex? Have you ever SEEN some of those ladies they have hosting... whew!

Seriously, though, the Food Network is great. Even some Orthodox churches have been featured, like a couple Greek Orthodox churches and their festivals, and St. Mary's OCA Church in Coaldale making holupki!

Dave

I miss the "Two Fat Ladies" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watching the Food Network during a fast is canonically permissible provided you are learning to cook dishes for after the fast and NOT longing for the food being cooked during the fast. The sixth canon of the council of (insert obscure Greek-named city here) says so.

D

I also confess-
I am hooked on the FN. I thought I was just getting old and soft,not choosing to surf to channels that offer repeated violence hour after hour. After a stressful day at the office my remote gravitates to the FN or HGTV gardening shows. It hasn't settled on Lifetime TV yet. If that happens I'll know I've lost it.
Yes, FN and HGTV ARE like watching a crackling fire to de-stress. I never made the connection (with the exception of that quilting show,which gets on my nerves!LOL)

Sam

Sam, age has nothing to do with it. My 11 year old nephew loves watching FN. If he has a choice, he usually turns to that...but his mom and dad watch it too. I enjoy it myself. Don

I agree. The top grossing movie for 2003 with over 300 million dollars gross receipts was a " G " rated movie titled " Finding Nemo ". Right behind that was "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Joe Prokopchak
archsinner

Back in early 2001, when Mark Silverstein and the "Best Of" were in Chicago filming at haunted eateries, my girlfriend and I were at our favorite pub, which just happened to be on the list. So, since she's very pale, she got recruited to play a ghost, and do lots of screaming, all of which was included in the episode when it was shown later that year.

Hey! What's up with no one mentioning the Iron Chef?

hal

Dear Friends,

I love Cajun cooking!

And I will confess to protesting to Emeril for saying that Kyiv is in Russia . . .

I wrote to him and told him differently.

When he wrote back to apologise, I told him he could take some garlic, put it on a map of Ukraine and say, yes, "BOM!"

And I visited one of his four N'Awlins restaurants when we were there.

It was just, well, "jammin'..."

(Is it true Eastern Catholics like to eat?)

Alex

Do the Romans have a Cheese Fare Sunday and a Meat Fare Sunday on their liturgical calendars?

Joe Prokopchak
archsinner

Simple answer to that is NO !

But we do have the tradition that on the day before Ash Wednesday [ when our Lent starts ] pancakes are made to use up all the butter,eggs , milk and sugar before Lent [ hence the name pancake/Shrove Tuesday ] We just start Lent with a bang so-to-speak - none of this easing into it.

Anhelyna