Rachael Ray Is Still Cooking, But Have People Stopped Caring?
News is that Rachael Ray may have spread herself too thin, and as a result her ratings for her daytime show are slipping:
An impeccable TV source told Page Six, “They are seriously talking about taking her off the air.”
The problem is Ray’s ratings. When she debuted two years ago, she had a meager 2.5 rating, which her syndicator, King World, nonetheless trumpeted as “The biggest syndicated debut since ‘Dr. Phil.’ ” In fact, one insider said, “They had hoped for more. ‘Dr. Phil’ beats ‘Oprah’ and gets like a 5.0 rating - and Rachael’s set is very expensive and elaborate; his is just chairs.” […]
In 2007, Ray’s syndicated show averaged a 2.2 Nielsen rating and has already dipped to 2.0 this year. An insider said, “Anything below a 2.0 is asking for trouble.”
Another bad indicator is that in 2007, the average age of a daytime “Rachael Ray” viewer was 53.4, with only 776,000 women between ages 18 and 49 (the show’s target demo) tuning in. In 2008, both numbers have taken a turn for the worse. The average-age viewer today is 55.1, with only 688,000 women between ages 18 and 49 tuning in.
Okay, wait. Rachael Ray has a daytime television show? Since when?
No, I’m serious. I didn’t know that she had a show. According to her official site:
Rachael Ray is an Emmy Award-winning, daily one-hour syndicated talk show and is among the top-ranked daytime programs on television. Now in her second season, Rachael continues to bring her warmth and no-fuss attitude into the homes of millions of viewers with her signature quick meals, celebrity surprises, provocative discussions, hot musical performances and groundbreaking features.
Well, wait a second. According to Wikipedia and IMDb, her daytime television show hasn’t won an Emmy, although Rachael has been nominated. It is actually her show “30 Minute Meals” which won an Emmy. Note that it doesn’t say that Rachael Ray, the person (non-italics) won an Emmy, but that Rachael Ray, the show (italicized) won an Emmy, indicating that the show won. Which, apparently, it didn’t.
[EDITED TO ADD: After extensive searching, I did finally find where her show won one Emmy, for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control. However, the wording on her site makes it sound like the entire show in itself won an Emmy, because when one reads it, that is the impression one gets. Winning one technical award does not make the premise of a show, its host, and the whole show in and of itself an “Emmy Award Winning” show, it just means one part of a show won.]
She has a contract through 2010, but everybody knows that contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, and anyone can be bought out.
My beef with her is this, plain and simple…she’s annoying. She grates on my nerves (and apparently the nerves of many other people). I have never liked her. That voice, that ditzy demeanor, the way she says things like “sammies” and “YUM-O!” Ugh. Do people really say “Yum-O”? I mean, people who aren’t trying to feed a baby mashed turnips, that is. Critics have slammed her cooking techniques and ”30 Minute Meals” show. Oh yeah, and there was that Dunkin’ Donuts coffee thing, where she called their coffee (which she’s supposed to be promoting) a name which I won’t repeat here but that rhymes with something her show isn’t.
Don’t even get me started on her cooking shows. Sorry, but it is just another indication of the “dumbing down” of Food Network, willing to pander to the lowest common denominator in their programs. Do programming executives really think the American woman is that stupid? To answer my own question…some women must be, since the powers-that-be gave her a show in the first place.
And seriously, I didn’t know she had a daytime television show. Guess that doesn’t say much for her program, huh?
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Wouldn’t the world suddenly seem like a much nicer place if she shut her mouth for two seconds?
I have no use for this woman. She’s annoying, self-serving, and about as appealing as a mosquito attached to my ass.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who dislikes her. Thank you for making me feel not so weird and lonely.
She’s scary. I wish she’d just go away.
Comment by Joanie — March 15, 2008 @ 5:15 am
Thanks for posting. I wonder if I can include this in Wikipedia…
Comment by awielek — March 15, 2008 @ 11:14 am
The Rachael Ray Show received one Emmy Award last year for camera work and technical direction.When one member of the team wins..they all win !
Comment by King of Comedy — March 15, 2008 @ 11:48 am
I am a faithful member of rrsux.com and for anyone who cares, here is my opinion of RR: She used to be likeable and her goofy personality seemed cute to me at one time. Fastfoward a few years later and she is now overexposed, annoying, has NO talent for cooking, often appears high on coke (not the soda, kids), her voice used to be feminine but is now husky and hoarse (related to heavy smoking and drug use perhaps?), and sells products that SUCK ($20 GB anyone?) No thanks RR!
Comment by Kelsey — March 15, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Looks like that lying Emmy page has been pulled. Thankfully for us, Google’s cache still has her ‘emmy award’ claim for me to read.
If I could, I’d love to give Rachael some advice.
“Rach,” you’re a chain-smoking, middle-aged, slightly chubby woman. At your age, it’s long past time to start dropping the cutesy habits you picked up at age thirteen, and start acting like a lady.
Ladies do not wear ill-fitting sports bras underneath T-shirts they’ve owned since Grade Twelve. Ladies do not use chatspeak (EVOO, anyone?), and they don’t make up words to describe food mistakes that they were too lazy to fix (it’s ’stoup’, not a stew that you just made incorrectly). Sammie may sound cute from a three year old. It doesn’t sound cute delivered by a zaftig woman with a New York, nicotine-laced voice. You are not cute, Rachael. The magic of Photoshop doesn’t work beyond the cover of your magazine.
Comment by Dereya — March 15, 2008 @ 11:59 am
I just love Rachel Ray! I love how I can walk into my grocery store and see her face on half of the products I buy! And I love how as soon as I turn on the t.v. I see her lovely face and hear her awesome voice! And when I go to the drug store, guess who is smiling at me from the magazine isle?! Yum-o! Also, her recipes are delish and healthful! I would also like for her to become president one day! As a matter of fact, I have begun douching in EVOO and vinegar! SWEET!
Comment by Ashley Lemming — March 15, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
I finally found where her show did indeed win an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control. But it took forever to find.
My beef is how it reads on her site. It makes it appear as though the entire show in and of itself won an Emmy, when it was one segment of the show. I mean, you see EMMY AWARD WINNING SHOW, and you think, “Cool, this must be a great show if it is award-winning.” But winning a technical award doesn’t help the host of the show to be any less annoying. And winning a technical award doesn’t make the entire premise and host of your show “Emmy Award Winning.”
Comment by k — March 15, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Never have I seen such an overexposed no talent person before in my life. I don’t care if people with
the IQ of a spoonula want to fill her bank account but
I do have a problem with her giving out advice for
which she has no training or schooling to do.
Still last week on her feeding pets show she still
said that garlic was “controversial” well she was told
by a Vet on her show no onions or garlic yet she still
does it, not carring that some who listen to her would
go with her opinion and not a Vet. And the further
she stays away from children the better it’s painful
to watch. Sorry I don’t like her much.
Comment by Liz — March 15, 2008 @ 12:29 pm
I, unlike many other people, am not converted. I never liked her. I didn’t like her when she first came on the scene. Even though she was not overbearing then, she still was an asswipe. She looked like an elf, with a pixie haircut and pug nose. Who couldn’t then, and certainly cannot now cook her way out of her GB.
But then came the highlights in her hair, and her snapcrotch shirts, and manic moves, sheesh, one would think that since she drools all over her MOMMY..mommy would have slapped her straight. Except for the fact that momma is riding her coattails that is.
And I agree with the column. Just because one has a contract, does not mean that the person or company who gave her thus, has to put up with her till 2010.
In many contracts, there are also rules and regulations. If one does not abide these rules, then that contract can become null and void.
I think the best example was when she had Gene Simmons on and told her viewers and audiance members that they are LOSERS!!!..if they didn’t watch his crapfest. In my opinion,that is a blanant a disregard of the rules.
If you are so lucky to be in the shoes that RR is in, you do not smack down the dumb worshippers that kiss her feet. I think that was her last and most fatal thing she did, and therefore, she is going to be long and for me, very much forgotten.
“BUH BY RAY RAY!!!!!!”
Comment by christine — March 15, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
The success of this slag can be credited to the gaping maw as seen in exhibition #2 supra. There is no other explanation for an average looking home cook to be on boxes of Triscuits and selling chicken stock and olive oil with her mug on it.
Not to worry, sites like rrsux.com (HOOHAH!) demonstrate the growing dislike for this fraud. She will drown in her EVOO soon enough.
Comment by potty mouth princess — March 15, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
Thanks for writing about the Emmy scandal/expose. Bitch will not flinch from misrepresenting herself, ever. Or over-representing herself.
Comment by Dr. L. — March 15, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
Wow, I thought that I was the only one who really wasn’t thrilled by her, even via her first low-toned show. Too bad that she has over-exposed and over-extended herself, so soon, so fast. I don’t understand how she has gotten louder and more brash with more TV experience. Usually one’s broadcasting experience gets more refined. But then again, there’s Paula. :-\
What really slam-dunked my dislike for her was when she had Gene Simmons on as a guest recently. She was pandering to him like a drooling groupie, and told the audience that if they didn’t watch his show they were losers. Huh?
Comment by Anon — March 15, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
Don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Paula Deen. If I heard that cleanin’-her-copper-pots-with-lemon-and-salt bit in Wal-Mart one more time, I was gonna go postal on a television screen.
The shows at FN have totally gone down the toilet. Bring back Iron Chef!
Comment by k — March 15, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
misty lane and greylady2 suck.
Comment by anon2 — March 16, 2008 @ 11:23 am
WOW… I’m not a lemming fan of Rachael Ray; can watch or not without much investment but you guys are really scary with all the hate and vitriol. Find something you do have some positive passion for then maybe you won’t have so much time to commit to hating someone that really doesn’t affect your life one way or the other. Don’t like her? Then forget she exists and get on with finding a life.
Damn, you people are scary AND sad.
Comment by Polly Stewart — March 17, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
loser cyberbully misty lane created rrsux and the really “scary” loser, greylady2, claims to be a teacher.
Comment by anon2 — March 19, 2008 @ 8:22 am
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