'Village Voice' Blogger Has No Love for 'Bizarre Foods'
From Seven Reasons Why I Hate Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: "Zimmern often visits poor countries, where people don't always have enough to eat. He visits people in their homes, eats their hard-won, homemade food, and explains to them that their food is bizarre, all the while making faces to indicate just how grossed out he is. It really makes you appreciate Anthony Bourdain, who, in similar situations, is unfailingly polite."
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20 Comments:
Zimmern isn't impolite. His show is just boring. You can only watch someone eat bugs and testicles so many times.
schmonsequences at 5:35PM on 04/15/09
Too bad Bizarre foods is a real entertaining show, and to take the guys critiques in such an eschewed perpsective is nothing short of lame. He is voicing his opinion from a general perspective/palette. By en large he represents a sense of taste that we the general audience can relate to. Perhaps he comes off as condescending because he is a person so well versed in Gastronomy! Huh imagine that, perhaps he has a lot to teach. He is always respectful of traditions you are just reading it wrong; furthermore I think he is able to describe food better than anyone on TV.
Timothyrows at 5:39PM on 04/15/09
I don't think that's true at all. It's like this guy has never even watched the show.
lo82070 at 5:56PM on 04/15/09
Agreed. If I had time to read the other 6 reasons, I might be able to give a better comment, but I actually think Zimmern does a good thing on his show. Can you imagine what an individual from the countries he visits thinks about American's eating habits? His show has definitely opened my eyes to cuisines of the world I would have never encountered (unless maybe I get rich and travel the world), can't say that about the majority of other food shows on TV. I think Zimmern showing us what other people enjoy about their cultures is fascinating and teaches us to appreciate and question our own customs.
charose at 6:01PM on 04/15/09
@charose - that's why I watch Bourdain, because does it right. He has enough tact to not be rude to his hosts even if he's inwardly disgusted by what is being served to him. The later voiceover usually explains this, but to the people who open their homes to him, he's gracious and will eat whatever they deem to share with him without a fuss.
Zimmerman just comes across as a loud-mouthed American barreling his way through the world - and yes, I've watched many an episode.
blogkitten at 6:43PM on 04/15/09
This show is like a car wreck. I find it gruesome, but every time I pass by it I end up watching.
Dish at 7:51PM on 04/15/09
@charose and @timothyrose: I am so glad to see both of you share sentiments regarding such an educational and beneficial production. I feel like a lot of people miss the huge potential of shows on travel channel--Bourdain and Zimmern-- Such a wealth of knowledge both these men possess, and like you both stated, have the tools to necessarily articulate, apply (to whatever culture and its conventions), and convey that knowledge to such a [typically oblivious] audience.
I am an ardent fan of both men and their work.
emilytaylor at 8:57PM on 04/15/09
Part of the charm of Andrew Zimmern, for me (and what distinguishes his show from Bourdain's) is that he does kind of play the role of the American tourist, and thus people are often surprised by his appreciation of their weird (non-American) food. I think most of the time on the show, people offer him food with the awareness that the item they are serving is unique and strange -- I mean, come on, dried rotted shark? -- and they are proud of that, and expect foreigners to have a reaction to it. The fact that Zimmern is always open to trying it (regardless of whether he makes a face at the initial smell or appearance) is positive. And if he ends up liking it and gushing enthusiastically about it, it's even more of a compliment. Yes, some of the shows where he visits poorer countries (see: Ethiopia) can sometimes be awkward, but in general I disagree with the original quoted article about him being buffoonish or condescending.
absentmindedprof at 10:17PM on 04/15/09
yeah but the shit that zimmerman eats is usually a lot more vile than what bordain stuffs in his face
southlake98 at 10:24PM on 04/15/09
I actually was one of the main consultants of the South Korea episode that'll air this coming Tuesday. You know, I didn't get that condescending vibe at all. Basically, the "bizarre" schtick is used to grab eyeballs. Then they work on ways on exploring the heart of a culture's food and why people eat what they do. Twenty, thirty years ago, Americans considered raw fish and whole cooked fish "bizarre." Ten years ago, Americans were squeamish about seeing someone eating snake or testicles on TV. Now it's all pedestrian thanks to shows like these that make the exotic more accepted.
Anyway, I'm gradually posting behind-the-scenes stories of the Korea show from pre-production onward on the ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal.
http://www.zenkimchi.com/FoodJournal/?p=585
Oh, and his name's Zimmern, not Zimmerman.
ZenKimchi at 2:42AM on 04/16/09
One of the keys to enjoying various foods and food writings is that, as long as there is no malice intended (as discussed in the "food elitist" thread nearby), recognizing each others' differences in opinion is crucial to keeping these discussions light. Others simply aren't going to like the same foods, the same TV shows, the same cookbooks, the same cooking equipment I like, and vice-versa. And if you don't like it, too bad, you're welcome to your opnion. I really don't care if someone doesn't like Zimmern, and they don't have to watch him either. There are a couple big names (who I won't name here) whom I've met and enjoyed their company personally ... but I can't stand to watch their shows simply because the shows aren't well done whatsoever.
If you wanna watch, fine. If you don't, that's fine too. But I'll make up my own mind, thankyouverymuch.
LunaPierCook at 5:46AM on 04/16/09
Uh ... does anyone actually watch the show? He likes virtually everything he tries, unless it's completely spoiled, and even some of *that* he likes. It's a promotion of regional delicacies. If anything he's far too cloyingly positive.
NickP at 9:50AM on 04/16/09
i've watched my share of bizarre foods eps. and while i don't prefer his show over bourdain's, i think AZ does a pretty good job. he's not as bad as the blogger would make him seem. i've only seen him be outwardly rude to his host once and that was when he ate durian at the durian farm or forest or whatever. he spit it out, made faces, and talked about how it tasted like rotten onions. the only other time i've seen him completely disgusted with something was when he ate stinky tofu in the restaurant. in that one, he played it up for the camera, but was very gracious to the chef/owner.
mikeismora at 10:45AM on 04/16/09
The number one reason, "Zimmern chews with his mouth open." Yup, where's your mama?! Plus, he has one big tooth in front that kinda sticks out and he looks like a big baby with one front tooth. But I like his show for the benefit of seeing far away places in intimate settings. Gagged on the clotted blood in the premier this week, though. That was too much for me. Desensitize me!
lambowner at 10:56AM on 04/16/09
When the show first came on the air, I was turned off by the title. I mean, what is "bizarre" to one culture is normal food to another. Later, Zimmern added a voiceover to the opening or closing (I forget which) that attempts to say exactly that, as though it's going to make up for calling food "bizarre." It's a stupid title, unless one is willing to take it purely as entertainment, admit to it being a totally American-centric show, and embrace Zimmern's American tourist clownishness as part of the charm.
Also, isn't Bizarre Foods pretty much the same show as No Reservations? I mean, both Zimmern and Bourdain seem to visit the same places and eat (almost) the same food. Zimmern invariably eats it and grimaces. Bourdain says "I won't eat that shit." But really, it's the same food + travel show. Why not just merge the shows and have Zimmern join Bourdain as his goofy sidekick.
Lorenzo at 11:14AM on 04/16/09
You don't need seven reasons, just one: Zimmern isn't a very good host.
I don't agree with the Village Voice. The one or two episodes I've seen, Zimmern was fairly respectful, just not natural in front of the camera the way Bourdain or Batali are.
The show's production quality is good, and the writing is fine, but the host just doesn't thrill me.
In short: I think he'd be fine as someone's "sidekick", but he doesn't temper his goofiness enough, and he sounds like he's reading a script. Find someone who's more natural in front of the camera, and Bizarre Foods might be watchable.
onalark at 11:55AM on 04/16/09
i think az is respectful, but honest. plus, he tries everything with a good sense of humor. i like anthony too. particularly his voice.
gastronomeg at 2:04PM on 04/16/09
I like him fine. Zimmern is cute. The one I have problems with the is Man vs. Food dude. I thought that show was OK at first but after one Sunday marathon of watching him eat to the point of gluttony, the show lost its charm. Watching someone eat themselves sick is not entertainment to me.
aargh at 2:18PM on 04/16/09
This hits the nail on the head for me. I stopped watching because I got sick of watching his facial expressions and not-funny jokes about not liking the food. I'm always kind of touched by how appreciative Tony is of a home cooked meal.
aharste at 2:58PM on 04/16/09
I don't watch the show anymore. After one or two episodes, it got rather dull. I prefer watching shows about the food I like to eat.
'Three Sheets'. Now there is some high quality TV viewing right there.
Raiders757 at 7:38PM on 04/16/09