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Monday, July 21

Aaron's Got An Eating Disorder?

First chipotay and now this?


In case you missed it, Aaron introduced his buffet with a VERY awkward, uncomfortable presentation about eating disorders and carrying a large number of forks in his pocket.

I don't think we can trust this man in front of the camera on his own show.

(And his spot in the casino wasn't that great either. You have Bobby Flay practically walking you through every line and move, telling you what to say and do, and you still barely get through it?)

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35 Comments:

At 7/21/2008 12:21 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I did miss the part of the show where he joked about an eating disorder. It sounds like it must have been awful. How was it received?

 
At 7/21/2008 12:25 PM , Blogger sexyfemalemuscle said...

I, like the judges, like Aaron, but I would not be able to watch him if he had a show. The gentleman, for the most part, is horrific in front of the camera. IMHO the judges have been holding him up because they want him to win. He was the worst on several occasions, but he seemed to get passed on through.
I was also a little miffed that the Vegas contest seemed to be a waste. If no one was eliminated what was the actual point.
I was a Kelsy fan, but of the remaining bunch I am pulling for Adam. I think he will be able to follow in the footsteps of Guy and not only do a good cooking show, but host a lot of other programs.

 
At 7/21/2008 12:57 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree. Aaron was realy awkward. I was cringing whilst he was talking about his eating disorder. Ew. I want to root for him but I think he shot himself in the foot last night. I was surprised they didn't boot him off.

I have no flippin' idea who to root for now.

Lisa is a vulcan and Adam is a clown. I just can't see any of those three left having a successful show on the food network. I certainly won't watch a show with some tough as nails beyotch like Lisa. Ew.

 
At 7/21/2008 1:09 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Painful...just...painful.

 
At 7/21/2008 1:13 PM , Blogger Attila the Fun said...

Aaron's eating disorder was met with complete silence (at least according to the editing) and disbelief by several attendees. It was one of the most painfully awkward moments of the entire series to date.

I agree with Jacob that Bobby Flay gave Aaron that good 30-second spot, whereas Guy was criticizing Lisa and Adam and if nothing, making them more nervous! He sure had an attitude for a guy promoting some nasty TGI Fridays food!

 
At 7/21/2008 1:30 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think we are missing the point here. Aaron we know is horrible at impromptu speaking. However, as the promo he made with Flay showed, he can be "trained" to be made comfortable and actually produce a decent promo. And this is the piece of the puzzle that has been missing with Aaron - he can cook (even if his buffet was overall meh, they loved the crabcakes, it wasn't all disaster for him food wise).

It's like they said in the judging, all three of the finalists have good and bad. Aaron has good cooking skills, but is uncomfortable in front of the camera on his own.

Lisa, sure she can cook like a pro, but has a personality that runs hot and cold and tends to act like very pretentious, like she is "deigning" to share her knowledge with the unwashed masses. Does 30 minuntes of potential condescension from a host talking down to the viewers sound like good TV? (Note - it worked for David Rosengarten back in the late 90s, when FN was a niche channel, but that was a decade ago and a very different business environment for FN's corporate owners)

Adam is the weakest of the three - his cooking ability is weak, outside of smoked/barbecue (which makes sense considering his old restaurant was IIRC barcebue) and his onstage shtick is tiresome and smarmy. Adam got lucky this epi in that he got to cook in his comfort zone for the first time, but outside that comfort zone he seems just a culinary disaster.

So of the three, who's the one that would be least risky for FN? I'd say Aaron. Only took a few tries and he was able to pull off the promo, and while he had an off epi as far as cooking, it wasn't a disaster and he's already established his cooking cred with the judges earlier. In the end an Aaron win isn't about any sort of affrimative action, he's actually the one of the remaining three who will likely do the best job in terms of ratings and quality for a new FN show if he wins it. Lisa's persona is too polarizing and antagonistic to keep viewers watching her, and Adam isn't acceptably qualified in the kitchen and acts like a buffoon.

 
At 7/21/2008 1:35 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

"It's like they said in the judging, all three of the finalists have good and bad. Aaron has good cooking skills, but is uncomfortable in front of the camera on his own."

ETA as I forgot to complete this thought. Aaron is uncomfortable in front of the camera, but the promo test showed he can take direction, learn from it, and become comfortable. In other words, his limitation is relatively easy to fix. Compared to Dallas Diva's noblesse oblige condescending attitude and penchant for a menu that would be over the budget of most viewers (we have Ina for the splurge cooking, and Lisa will never hold a candle to Ina in terms of refinement of presentation) and Adam's lame Jerry Lewis-esque buffonery and penchant for serving raw food, Aaron has the fewest overall negatives.

 
At 7/21/2008 1:39 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd love to have Aaron come over to cook at a family barbeque; however, to watch him on camera is sheer pain. I've had near-misses with deer on the road that have had more self-confident, self-assured, and authoritative demeanor that Aaron does on-screen. He exudes an uncomfortableness that makes one squirm in their seat. He doesn't seem capable of doing anything un-scripted or spontaneous - and - he gets flummoxed when he needs to memorize a script. Aaron needs a cooking show an a local cable access channel - not TFN.

Garza is the Frau Blucher of the show (Young Frankenstein fans know where I'm coming from....) Couldn't, wouldn't, and won't watch anything she does. She's as warm and inviting to me as major kidney surgery. Plus...how many shows do you think she can do on haricot vert? Do you think she regularly works at the local soup kitchen feeding the homeless her famous cassoulet? If I was a Brownie, I'd tell her to stick her horseradish sauce in her chinoise!

Adam, unfortuanately, won't win. Flay seems to dislike him like they're part of some Hatfield-McCoy blood feud. The judges are constantly talking smack about him - even when he excels. I was appalled at Flay's comment to Bob T. (as noted in Bob's blog) - I guess no matter how well he does, he ain't getting the brass ring.

On-screen Adam is, by far, the most natural and likeable - IMHO. A bit goofy? Yes - but watchable. I really think he would develop and mature as an on-screen talent given the chance. Food-wise, Adam has had some stellar moments - the RR challenge, the lobster mac & cheese, and the "Smoke-tacular". I think he can cook and can communicate to an audience; however, it isn't in the cards for poor Adam. Sad thing is, I'd watch him - certainly over La Cucaracha (that's what I call the Simply Delicioso maven of cleavage - I've never made it through a whole show...Simply Malo).

Bob T seems enamored with Garza; how many times will he tell us that she has a warm, cuddly, friendly side? And Flay can't stand Adam. They all seem to want Aaron to succeed (could Flay have coached or pulled him through that TV challenge any more - without doing it himself?). If Aaron dodn't go home after his debacle in Vegas - 4 mediocre pastas dishes an a presentation that bombed - he never will.

My only hope is that, if Garza or Aaron wins, TFN puts their short-lived show in some overnight time slot that I don't watch anyway....

 
At 7/21/2008 1:39 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can we send them all home and start over?

 
At 7/21/2008 2:06 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think Adam will win. He knows food even if he can't always cook it (we'll never know it's TV not a restaurant). He's the best on camera and that's what it's really all about. Food is second (on FN anyway). I wanted Shane and I also liked Kelsey but I couldn't watch her on her own show.

 
At 7/21/2008 2:07 PM , Blogger sexyfemalemuscle said...

I think Bobby Flay forgets how lucky he actually was. He was on the food network when no one was watching it. He was able to refine both his cooking skills and on air persona when only 4 people in the country were watching. I saw some of his earlier stuff on a special, and Adam is leaps and bounds ahead of where he was at the beginning as far as an on air presence goes. I wonder if Bobby just doesn't want someone else on the air who can do barbque...did anyone notice how uncomfortable or how begrudgingly Bobby Flay admitted that Adam's food was good...

 
At 7/21/2008 2:10 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think I would ever watch Aaron if he had his own show. I'm sorry, but he comes across as not very knowledgable and not very smart, these are two reasons I can't stand watching Sandra Lee. And I'd have to say I'd be more likely to watch Lisa than Giada. I can't stand Giada's prissiness, Lisa may be a little off-putting but she's not prissy or stupid.

 
At 7/21/2008 2:16 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like Bobby and I like Giada but I will not watch Aunt Sandy. I just can't. I like Aaron. Seems like a nice guy but he shouldn't win and won't win. It will be Adam for one season and then we could do it again next year.

 
At 7/21/2008 3:25 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cooking for TV simply isn't Aaron's strength and that has been evident throughout this competition. He's a nice guy and I can see why the judges favor him for his likability, but that doesn't ever seem to translate on-camera. I am surprised the judges praised his Flay-coached promo, because I could barely understand what he was saying probably because he was nervous! And for a network that expects its talent to hit the road like at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, it's hard to imagine he's really up for that.

 
At 7/21/2008 4:48 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

eh to all of them. i wouldn't watch any of them if they had a show. esp. not Lisa. talk about uptight.

someone give susie fogelson a show. i have a crush on her that won't quit :D

 
At 7/21/2008 5:11 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish that Shane could be brought back. He is the only one that I think can cook and he looks good on camera. I think that he could learn to relax and show a little more personality. I do not have much good to say about the final three.

 
At 7/21/2008 7:15 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aaron isn't terrible in front of the camera anymore (the hideous eating disorder routine aside). he is much more comfortable in front of the camera. The judges said how far he had come in that dept, and also said his "comedy" sucked.

 
At 7/21/2008 7:54 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lisa should not be allowed near sharp knives. Actually, someone please ban her from ALL knives. She needs to make some serious cuts in her caffeine consumption, and soon. I think Adam should win. He hasn't gotten AS emotional as Lisa or Aaron. They're supposed to win a FOOD show, right? Lisa cried over meeting Martha Stewart. I laughed so hard. I would not watch a show hosted by a person who thought Martha Stewart was some sort of role model. I was hoping Adam would make some jailhouse rock lobster sauce or something to commemorate Martha appearing on the show. Everyone is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too serious about this. The lesser of three emotionals would be Adam and some of his recipes actually sound really good. Go ADAM! Oh, and I also made the spock ears comment to my husband. This show is a HOOT!

 
At 7/21/2008 7:55 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with whomever wrote that Bobby doesn't like Adam. That makes sense that he would be future competition. That would suck massively if that were the reason Adam didn't win. In order to get through a show hosted by Lisa I would need dramamine or something. Watching and listening to her go at warp speed makes me queasy. Aaron's eating-disorder-disaster should have been cause for dismissal, I think.

 
At 7/21/2008 9:33 PM , Blogger Mark said...

It would've been a totally different outcome if Aaron was coached by Guy Fieri in the promo contest.

 
At 7/21/2008 10:14 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

At this point, I'm rooting for the only one that doesn't make me cringe or want to change the channel, and that's Adam.

 
At 7/22/2008 12:37 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

all I can say is WTF??? For real people..fire the dingbat who cast this show and start over!!!!! out of thousands of entries and nationwide searches this is the best of the best?? I think NOT!!!
please make it stop ..

 
At 7/22/2008 3:10 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only time Aaron seems comfortable in front of a camera is his little interview bits. Otherwise he's a sweaty, shifty-eyed mess. And his promo sucked. The expectations for him are so low that if he doesn't trip and break a bone, the judges heap praise upon him. This guy just doesn't seem right to host a TV show -- since last time I checked articulation and an ease with the camera are required.

But clearly they want him to win, and I guess he will. Bob said that he couldn't envision Kelsey ever being an authority figure -- well, the same can be said for Aaron.

 
At 7/22/2008 8:32 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Next Food Network Star probably shouldn't be somebody who jokes about an eating disorder. Isn't that sort of at odds with the Food Network's mission?


Pull yourself together Aaron! That joke was ridiculous and proves that his anxiety about public speaking causes him to do what many people do when they're nervous: say things that are INSANE. And with him, his version of insane means you can't trust what he'll say in public or on camera because he has no control over his mouth.

And I'm not sure what he meant when he kept saying he didn't feel comfortable in front of "these people" which he kept saying over and over again at the Vegas buffet. I'm guessing if you don't feel comfortable in front of a room of drag queens, actors and chefs that you are pretty much making it clear YOU'RE NOT the next Food Network star.

With the 3 variations of bland pasta and the inability to speak in front of people or even on camera, I cannot understand why the judges didn't send him home.

If I was Lisa or Adam I would be pissed, because it doesn't look like there's anything they can do to beat this guy when the judges are so clearly trying to find a way to let Aaron win.

 
At 7/22/2008 10:15 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Selection team for this show totally messed up and guessed wrong on just about every contestant's long term suitability.

You would think they would learn from past mistakes.
TOP CHEF, a real contest to find a real chef does things so different and as a result, kicks the crap outta FN in the ratings.

Well done Tuschwipe.

 
At 7/22/2008 10:40 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't beleive Aaron will win. I think they really want Adam. I can't get pass the raw eggs....

 
At 7/22/2008 1:44 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

haha i laughed at aarons entrance at first watching it i thought it was funny. the only thing i would have changed was the eating disorder thing. i think that was kinda a trainwreck. but if he came out like he did for some other presentations with the whole forks thing i think it would have been 100% better

 
At 7/22/2008 2:57 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aaron seems like a great guy, but that seldom translates to the camera, where he seems nervous and awkward. Whichever judge opined "how to we kick him off for one bad week" hasn't watched the same show I have. I didn't think his promo was that impressive (his was the easiest) and I really didn't think his appearance on Rachel Ray that they raved about was anything special.
I like Bobby, but he's a prick where Adam is concerned. Everybody liked the food he made on Rachel's show, but Bobby kinda mumbled "it's ok." Adam's buffet was allegedly the favorite of the people eating it, but Bobby said "well, it's just because he got to smoke some meat". Adam is the most comfortable on camera and has the kind of easy demeanor required of the job, though I'll admit his stunts (tripping in front of the Coast Guard et al.) scream college improv.
I run hot and cold on Lisa. Personally, I don't think I'd really like the food she cooks that much as I'm a meat-and-taters sorta fellow whose culinary skills pretty much end at punching buttons on a microwave. Sometimes she seems likable, sometimes she comes off as a little stuck on herself and a bit elitist.
BTW, Guy sucks it out the turd furnace. He's like a chimp they shaved and taught to say "Money". He looks like the by-product of a one-nighter between Rosie O'Donnell and a porcupine.

 
At 7/22/2008 5:14 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some clever fellow said : " BTW, Guy sucks it out the turd furnace. He's like a chimp they shaved and taught to say "Money". He looks like the by-product of a one-nighter between Rosie O'Donnell and a porcupine."

I just freckled my underwear after reading that one. Classic.

Do you think the FN might invoke the "Dallas Clause" ? You know where they write off time by saying it was all a dream ? They could bring back some contestants that were booted off and convince the viewers it was all a dream . I think they thought these 3 might get stronger, but as it dragged on, it didn't. Shane or Kelsey might look pretty good now and would kick ass in a nationwide vote.

 
At 7/23/2008 5:01 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

My question to FN if these contestants were the best of all the thousands videos you reviewed, pity the reviewers. I agree with the blogger who wants the Dallas Clause. And I thought last season was bad.

 
At 7/24/2008 2:46 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said: "I like Bobby, but he's a prick where Adam is concerned."



Did you see Tuschman's blog? Apparently Bobby went back to his room before the Vegas votes were counted, then Tusch sent him a text message later that said that Adam's food was judged as being best overall. Bobby wrote back: "Don't even go there."

It's funny because I used to think Bobby was a prick before I watched this show, and TNFNS actually made me LIKE him. I started watching Throwdowns when I never could stand them before. But now it's like, maybe my first opinion of him wasn't wrong. I don't think Adam deserves to be hated just because he encroaches on Bobby's specialty. Grow up, Flay.

 
At 7/24/2008 3:34 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

No doubt Bobby Flay became a much bigger prick this season. I am surprised he took this turn.

Some of these FN personalities think their shit doesn't stink and have been real asshats to the contestants. For what reason ? To help further their suspect careers ?

Princess Proscuitto really was a doink. Paula Deen probably was loaded. Symon thinks he is the "future of food". Cat Cora turned on people.

That little androgenous man Tuschwipe, really likes to belittle people doesn't he ?

 
At 7/25/2008 9:35 AM , Blogger Bryan said...

You would think with their success they could offer a little constructive and positive criticism. But in the realty TV world they must act as you described.

 
At 7/25/2008 4:09 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Alec Smart has got it 100% right.

I have been appalled at how Giada, Paula, Bobby, and even Tyler (only a little) have acted toward the contestants.

Giada? So rude in her comments toward Kelsey. Paula? Handed Lisa's a** to her on a platter for no reason. Bobby? Let's not even go there. And Tyler (my boyfriend)? He put a couple of contestants on the spot, like when he asked one to suck (ap?) an oyster, knowing darn well they wouldn't be able to do it. I love ya Tyler but that was so unusual for you.

Makes me think Bob and Susie encouraged them to go for the jugular.

 
At 7/27/2008 12:13 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with you about Giada and Paula. I'm so fed up with Giada and her comments over the last seasons of TNFNS that I've quit watching her show. Paula is a low-class glutton and Giada is a spoiled bitch. She seems to forget that she got her show (tape unseen) because of her famous grandpa.

And WHY is Aaron still in the running? His performance AND food were dreadful. I can only surmise it's because the powers that be are looking for another African-American personality on the airwives of FN. Sad, really.

 

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