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?

If Dunkin Donuts offered ME money to shill their crappy-ass coffee, well I’d drink that stuff until my pee was a regular automatic drip. But not Rachel Ray, NOOOOO, she’s too good to drink the coffee of the people who help pay her bills, and put frumpy clothes on her back.

I feel stupid even covering this story, because honestly there really ARE more important things in life than bratty celebs biting the hand that feeds them, but since Rachel Ray is so incredibly annoying, grating, irritating and dumpy, I gave in to my inner beeyotch and went for the easy target.

According to New York Magazine’s “Grub Street” sources caught Rachel having a celebesque moment:

So a friend of mine was on set last week as Rachael Ray filmed her latest Dunkin’ Donuts commercial. According to her, Rachael stormed onto the set and snapped at everyone. Not news, I know, everyone knows she’s actually a gigantic asshole. BUT! I am also told she took one sip of her Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, yelled “What is this shit? Get me MY coffee,” and would not continue until she was given “her” coffee — i.e., Starbucks.

The article also suggested perhaps it this type of “uppity” behavior which has lead to a mass exodus from her magazine, Everyday With Rachel Ray.

On a more personal note, if I want a damn donut I’ll go to Krispy Kreme to get my lard on, but everyone knows you don’t go to Dunkin’ Donuts for their coffee. Or the donuts I guess, but definitely NOT the coffee.

This is a perfect example of the lack of integrity within our advertising and marketing world. These celebs will whore themselves out for a buck, even if they don’t believe in/or use the product themselves. WTF?

Why is Rachel Ray famous? Can anyone explain this?