Mac_Guffin wrote:

mmmcheezy wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

I feel about Bizarre Foods the same way you feel about No Reservations.
I like Bourdain, though. I think he's kind of sexy for an oldish dude! There's something super bad-ass about him.

What's wrong with Andrew Zimmern? He seems like a nice guy.
Bourdain comes off as a jerkass... also a bit of a culture snob.

Andrew Zimmern seems awfully boorish. Plus, he takes far too much pleasure in eating the testicles of many animals.
Plus, I find that show gross.
And I think Bourdain's culture snobbishness is part of what I like about him. He's allowed to be like that, because he's cooked and eaten pretty much everywhere on the planet for years. He knows what he's talking about.

mmmcheezy wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:

mmmcheezy wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

I feel about Bizarre Foods the same way you feel about No Reservations.
I like Bourdain, though. I think he's kind of sexy for an oldish dude! There's something super bad-ass about him.

What's wrong with Andrew Zimmern? He seems like a nice guy.
Bourdain comes off as a jerkass... also a bit of a culture snob.

Andrew Zimmern seems awfully boorish. Plus, he takes far too much pleasure in eating the testicles of many animals.
Plus, I find that show gross.
And I think Bourdain's culture snobbishness is part of what I like about him. He's allowed to be like that, because he's cooked and eaten pretty much everywhere on the planet for years. He knows what he's talking about.

What makes you think he's boorish (I think I see what you're getting at, but I want to see if what you say matches what I'm thinking.)?
I can understand the gross-out factor, but many of the things actually look appetizing.

I don't think having knowledge and experience with something makes it okay to be snobbish. It reminds me of a child who just got a new belt at karate class and wants to show it off to every family member or friend of the family that visits. Yeah, they achieved something, but don't shove it in my face.

Mac_Guffin wrote:

What makes you think he's boorish (I think I see what you're getting at, but I want to see if what you say matches what I'm thinking.)?
I can understand the gross-out factor, but many of the things actually look appetizing.

I don't think having knowledge and experience with something makes it okay to be snobbish. It reminds me of a child who just got a new belt at karate class and wants to show it off to every family member or friend of the family that visits. Yeah, they achieved something, but don't shove it in my face.

He just seems really loud and obnoxious to me. Like he's always shouting at the camera. It's probably just my perception, but he just strikes me as really irritating.
As for Bourdain's snobbishness, I don't know any other way to put it: I happen to like art-snobs. I don't know what it is, or why I find their snobbishness acceptable, but not the political variety of snobbery [say like Dennis Miller, whom I LOATHE], but I just find that okay. Maybe I see a bit of me in him?
Plus I like his heavy drinking and smoking. Nobody smokes on TV anymore, so when I see someone who does, it makes me happy!

Plus I like his heavy drinking and smoking. Nobody smokes on TV anymore, so when I see someone who does, it makes me happy!

I'm with you

I have to tell you this about television shows before we had TV in South Africa (Jan 1976).
We had stores that rented out reel to reel 16mm film and projectors the same way that we have video stores today. If we wanted to see movies or tv shows at home, we used to go to these stores to rent a projector and films and then project them onto a sheet pinned to a wall. Of course people like my dad who was movie mad, owned their own projectors and used to buy films, so we had a collection of old Liberace and other TV shows that we watched over and over again. This was late 1960s and early 70s when the rest of you were watching I Love Lucy and Liberace on TV (Ok I know you didn't watch Liberace but my mom liked him and my dad was too innocent to realise that he was gay!).
And we used to go to the drive-in to see movies rather than the cinema which was expensive. The drive-ins charged per car, rather than per patron, so we'd fill up the car with people and put out deck chairs to sit outside the car with a picnic basket.

elettaria wrote:Bones, Burn Notice, True Blood, Dexter, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Ace of Cakes, and I think I am going to end up hooked on Caprica. I sort of drifted away from Heros...but am still a Lost whore. And I have Life on Mars on dvd, I'm embarrassed to tell how many times I've watched it. I almost know the dialogue by heart.

I keep thinking I've left something out....

I forgot House and Dexter.

Seriously, how could I have?

I urge anyone who hasn't seen them to try Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. They are superbly written and acted political sitcoms. I'm amazed by just how timeless they are, they deal with diplomatic incidents, government spin, basically everything that still happens today. They were made during the '80s, during the height of Thatcherism, and it makes you think politics never changes. One of the episodes I recently watched had direct parallels with the Mohammed teddy bear case. British teacher goes abroad and manages to offend the Muslim authorities. She is sentenced to a lashing. British diplomats manage to go overseas and secure her release. And this was written about 15 years before Gillian Gibbons even went to Sudan!

Zimmern is a bit boorish. He seems to make little effort to pick up any greetings or common phrases in other languages and what's worse, he frequently speaks English slowly as if he's speaking to a, well, a retard. I mean, if his host (or whoever) understands English, it's bad enough, and if they don't, it's still bad..... why would he do that just for the audience? At least Bourdain has interpreters express his sentiments for him.

And I don't know how you could call him a culture snob?! That's like the last thing he is. He's a bit bullish and stubborn on certain issues, and even to a fault and maybe ill informed about some things, but he isn't a snob.....

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

What?! Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? That dude is a complete douchebag!!!!! How can you watch that shit, and find fault with Tony Bourdain? No Reservations wouldn't be No Reservations if it weren't for him.

Also, I think we need to define "culture snob" as it's not entirely clear to me what you mean.

Cassamento's has good oysters.

ps- that Man vs. Food guy is a douchenozzle too. Fuck him.

Stephen wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

What?! Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? That dude is a complete douchebag!!!!! How can you watch that shit, and find fault with Tony Bourdain? No Reservations wouldn't be No Reservations if it weren't for him.

Also, I think we need to define "culture snob" as it's not entirely clear to me what you mean.

Cassamento's has good oysters.

ps- that Man vs. Food guy is a douchenozzle too. Fuck him.

To be honest, I was just "taking the piss", as our British friends would say. I can't defend what I said.
I just enjoy those shows, and I don't enjoy No Reservations.

Very much enjoying "Breaking Bad" at the moment.

Mac_Guffin wrote:

Stephen wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

What?! Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? That dude is a complete douchebag!!!!! How can you watch that shit, and find fault with Tony Bourdain? No Reservations wouldn't be No Reservations if it weren't for him.

Also, I think we need to define "culture snob" as it's not entirely clear to me what you mean.

Cassamento's has good oysters.

ps- that Man vs. Food guy is a douchenozzle too. Fuck him.

To be honest, I was just "taking the piss", as our British friends would say. I can't defend what I said.
I just enjoy those shows, and I don't enjoy No Reservations.

Why don't you enjoy it? It doesn't make sense. Those other shows are hammy, superficial and warranting of ridicule. No Reservations is very pithy with a thoughtful, decent narrator who's got years of experience cooking, eating and making television. It doesn't add up how a thinking person could like something made for the rabble like DD&D, and not enjoy No Reservations.... I just don't get it. Is it AB's 'machismo'? His voice? Have you read his books? Explain yourself.

Beatrice wrote:Very much enjoying "Breaking Bad" at the moment.

Breaking Bad is great!! I haven't seen it in awhile. There's just too much to keep up with.

It's all I can do to absorb a full season of Dexter and True Blood (my favorite running shows) once a year. I don't even know when Breaking Bad comes on........

Right now, The Blue Planet on The Science Channel. It's still an incredible series.

Stephen wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:

Stephen wrote:

Mac_Guffin wrote:I forgot to mention The Food Network and Travel Channel. My favorite of those 2 channels is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I even discovered a few places that aren't so far away from here (all in New Orleans). There was Creole Creamery in uptown, Cassamentos on Magazine st., and a few others I forget the name of.
I also watch a lot of Ace of Cakes on FN.
I'm a big fan of Bizarre Foods (and to a lesser extent, Bizarre World) and Man vs. Food on TC.

I would probably like No Reservations if Bourdain wasn't the host. There's something I really don't fucking like about him.

What?! Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? That dude is a complete douchebag!!!!! How can you watch that shit, and find fault with Tony Bourdain? No Reservations wouldn't be No Reservations if it weren't for him.

Also, I think we need to define "culture snob" as it's not entirely clear to me what you mean.

Cassamento's has good oysters.

ps- that Man vs. Food guy is a douchenozzle too. Fuck him.

To be honest, I was just "taking the piss", as our British friends would say. I can't defend what I said.
I just enjoy those shows, and I don't enjoy No Reservations.

Why don't you enjoy it? It doesn't make sense. Those other shows are hammy, superficial and warranting of ridicule. No Reservations is very pithy with a thoughtful, decent narrator who's got years of experience cooking, eating and making television. It doesn't add up how a thinking person could like something made for the rabble like DD&D, and not enjoy No Reservations.... I just don't get it. Is it AB's 'machismo'? His voice? Have you read his books? Explain yourself.

I don't know.

Sciwoman wrote:Right now, The Blue Planet on The Science Channel. It's still an incredible series.

Got the entire series on my Ipod.

Sciwoman wrote:Right now, The Blue Planet on The Science Channel. It's still an incredible series.

It is, except for the fucking sound effects. What were they thinking?


Jest went through the first two seasons of The Wire. Not bad.

Beatrice wrote:Very much enjoying "Breaking Bad" at the moment.

I'm excited the new season starts March 21.

Started watching Battlestar Galactica, just started on season 2, consensus so far: Too much talk about Gods and too much prayer -.-

Otherwise its fairly entertaining

Edit: Overuse of the word "frack"
Edit2: I am now rooting for the Cylons: "There is no God. Supernatural divinities are a primitive answer for why the sun goes down", they are geniuses

Matt H wrote:I urge anyone who hasn't seen them to try Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. They are superbly written and acted political sitcoms. I'm amazed by just how timeless they are, they deal with diplomatic incidents, government spin, basically everything that still happens today. They were made during the '80s, during the height of Thatcherism, and it makes you think politics never changes. One of the episodes I recently watched had direct parallels with the Mohammed teddy bear case. British teacher goes abroad and manages to offend the Muslim authorities. She is sentenced to a lashing. British diplomats manage to go overseas and secure her release. And this was written about 15 years before Gillian Gibbons even went to Sudan!