Low-cut tops. Am I alone on this?
I honestly don't want to be mean, but why do you think the food network allows Giada to show so much up top? I became uncomfortable when my 11-year old daughter asked me why Giada always wears low cut blouses.I don't think it's appropriate for a cooking show which appears in the afternoon. Several other female chefs have worn some low cut tops, but none are as low and revealing as Giada's. Am I alone on this?
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Comments are closed: 33 Comments:
You're not alone. I haven't watched Giada for about a year because of her lack of judgement regarding her attire. Of course, I don't really like her cooking either. I am Italian (I came to the United States when I was five years old), and I make authentic Italian food (as does my mother). Giada's recipes are basically American with a bit of oregano or basil thrown in so she can call them Italian.
Do you just love Giada's phony Italian accent when she talks about an Italian food? That's the only time she has an accent. It got so annoying to me that I had to turn it off. But, yes, the tops are way too revealing for a day time TV cooking show.
vb at 4:30PM on 10/22/07
i think she wears them to distract from her pumpkin-sized head.
ceforrester at 4:38PM on 10/22/07
I have also not watched her in a very long time. Her cooking is something any child could do, and it's not true Italian cooking. She always calls it "my version" of the Italian dish. That's because her version isn't Italian at all. I would honestly like to see some real Italian cooking like Mario did. I miss him!
Giada's accent when saying Italian foods is so phony, it truly makes us laugh. But, yes, I believe Giada is very insecure and she thinks she can hide her lack of talent and looks with the low-cut sweaters and blouses. If any of the food network people are reading this, please bring us some real Italian cooking and forget the food porn. If we wanted porn, we'd go out and get it.
elpida at 5:08PM on 10/22/07
Little big head has a smallish chest in my opinion. But if you put something in the front window you can sell it (complete with wonder bra). Her cooking is not all that stellar to me being italian. I look at the recipes and say, "so???" But I can tell you this, my male foodie friends LOVE her. This does not justify her taking a bath in tomatoes.
http://www.esquire.com/women/women-we-love/delaurentiis0807#img
that is for you to decide.
She comes from a wealthy, glamourous background (her grandmother was one of the most beautiful italian people ever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvana_Mangano) , so I imagine she has resources to market herself.
Newsflash people the "Formerly about Food" Network's programming is crap. I started watching it on day one in 1993 and the last 7 years have been less than pleasant to watch. If I were a cookbook author/chef I would steer clear of the shlock. You should read the United States of Arugula by David Kemp. He explains what happened and why it is so hip and cool to be food interested now. Food for thought at least.
JerzeeTomato at 5:21PM on 10/22/07
It's called RATINGS, people. Personally, as a male, I find her, uh, hypnotic. And yes, her Italian is a bit over dramatic, but at least she pronounces the words correctly and doesn't butcher the language.
I am sensing a lot of player hating here, so, just to remind you all, dont hate the player, hate the game. It's the Food Network. If you're looking for quality cooking instruction on TV, you're in the wrong place to begin with, and that's nobody's fault but your own. (hint: PBS)
seyo at 5:49PM on 10/22/07
Her chest is not the issue with her show....it's her cooking folks.
I don't see a problem with it, as much as I wouldn't wear those tops myself. Her chest is not showing, it's not pornographic....if this was a issue then, People would get kicked off their shows for a multitude of things...It's silly in my mind to pick at such a little thing when I look at other shows filled with voilence, drugs, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I don't watch her...talent is necessary for me to watch a show. I find she always says "Isn't it pretty??!!" About as annoying as YUM-O ;)
Lilartist at 6:45PM on 10/22/07
As a man, I have to agree with just about everyone above. There is a time and place to show off the boobs, and a day time cooking program is not the place. I am in my 30s and I have small children who question everything, including bobbling boobies. While there is nothing about breasts to be ashamed of, I believe a cooking show is not the place.
Frankly, men who find her hypnotic need a real woman in their lives. Trust me, I know the type. I have a few friends like that. Anything with boobs is hypnotic to them.
RayK at 6:46PM on 10/22/07
I work in the food industry where I teach cooking at a first-rate cooking school. I studied in France and Italy, and I began my career cooking in the most expensive and highly rated restaurant in Paris. I can tell you first hand that most chefs understand that the food network does not have extremely talented chefs. It's mostly for entertainment. Of course, there are some exceptions and I think we all know who they are.
Giada, quite simply, is laughed at by all. First-year chefs know quite a bit more than she demonstrates, and they don't need to distract anyone with phony accents, excessive arm and hand movements, breasts, etc. She is simply the food network's porn star. If that's what makes her feel good about herself, she needs some help. Yes, it's about the cooking. Unfortunately, that's where she is lacking.
viv at 7:02PM on 10/22/07
Sex sells.
I just think that Giada should stop selling herself. If her cooking was as epic as her cleavage, she'd have nothing to worry about.
StudentStomach at 7:16PM on 10/22/07
I can't make it past her freakishly large head.
mojay at 7:53PM on 10/22/07
If you think Giada's blouses pass for porn you need to get out to the movies more often.
But phony accent? Big head?
Geez, you guys are harsh! If you don't like it, don't watch it. But being an average cook -- lets face it, she's not really awful, I've never seen her haul out any cheese whiz or taco seasoning -- since when is that a capital crime? These personal attacks are not really called for.
kjgibson at 8:51PM on 10/22/07
yeah, player haters, all the same. like the dipstick above who makes the presumptuous assumption that i dont have a woman in my life because i find giada's cleavage pleasantly hypnotic. methinks he has TOO MUCH woman in his life to be making such a domesticated statement. not to mention the completely illogical reasoning about there being nothing wrong with them (the boobs), yet saying they shouldnt be on TV, lest his oh-so-impressionable children be somehow twisted into an irrecoverably sinful lifestyle because of the mere sight of a jiggling breast. YOUR KIDS DONT CARE, DUDE. it's always the same, these people who moan "think of the children" using them as the scapegoat for their own insecurities.
and what are they doing watching TV in the middle of the day anyway? if you care about them so much shouldnt you be playing with them, or if you dont have time, shouldnt you enroll them in some sort of sports or chess club instead of making snarky off base remarks about whether or not i have women in my life? last time i checked, having a girlfriend and finding giada's boobs alluring arent mutually exclusive.
seyo at 9:34PM on 10/22/07
I've heard these arguments before. I don't think she sucks, and in fact, I kind of like her. Never realized I was in the minority and don't have any issue with her wardrobe on the show.
Anybody else ok with Giada?
Kerosena at 10:12PM on 10/22/07
@Viv,
You show me first year chef's making good italian food. I want to see that.
Took me decades of cooking under my grandmothers to even be good at it. Now Giada is a caterer, and she trained as a chef (studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris) but she is cooking her ethnic food. She better be good at it. Cooking italian food is not rocket science but it does take fresh ingredients and make them into good food. Not everyone can do that which is why people buy Ragu in a jar. I am not sticking up for her but I am saying this, I am not wowed by her cookbooks or cooking because on any day, and at any time I can do the same or better and without recipes. But I am of italian ethnic heritage and that is my home base.
People she is there not to make cooking history but to teach people how to make simple italian food. If her "shtick" is to show some skin well thats what the "formerly about food" network wants, it sells advertising dollars from Bertoli and a host of italian sounding food products. I do not want this thread to become an attack on italian food just because someone has cleveage and a cooking show. Capito e Basta!
JerzeeTomato at 11:06PM on 10/22/07
If you look at Giada's early shows she wore a lot of turtlenecks and there was hardly any cleavage. One has to wonder if she modified her style over time because of her own choices or at the urging of the evil empire. I lean towards the idea that it was a suggestion made to her by FN in order to gain higher ratings = more advertising dollars.
The cleavage bothers me too, and I agree it isn't really appropriate for a cooking show. There's nothing really special or educational about her cooking either, but in spite of both of these things I would take her over Rachael or Sandra Lee any day. Her recipes may be simple, but they are miles above the mostly unhealthy 30-minute gloop or the Cool Whip laden crap (complete with vomit-inducing tablescapes!) that these other women on FN serve up.
I'd also rather Giada pronounce words correctly in Italian (even if it sounds exaggerated when she switches from English) than butcher the terminology. She IS Italian, after all. Sandy says MARS-CA-pone and it drives me crazy because there's only one "R" in mascarpone and it's not where she puts it!
Jeana at 2:17AM on 10/23/07
I live in Europe so don't get the food network, and I've never seen Giada, but it strikes me as a bit tawdry, not to mention vaguely misogynistic, to be devoting an entire thread to the issue of her cleavage.
If you don't like her cooking that's one thing, but the vicious personal attacks are more disquieting than her push-up bras ever could be.
caley at 6:34AM on 10/23/07
I call it the cleavage network.
I like the recipes on "Simply Deliciouso" with Ingrid Hoffman. But she does the cleavage thing too. I think it's the network giving the direction.
mrsadm at 6:39AM on 10/23/07
Oh my God! Think of the children... we can't have them seeing boobies!
Grow up people.
deeoh1 at 8:01AM on 10/23/07
Wow! There's a lot to absorb here. I love to cook and I've watched the food network. I've also seen Giada, and quite frankly, I always thought she was quite the little actress. She does come off as being phony, and I can't really say that I like her or her cooking.
The reason I'm writing is because I have a good friend who came to this country from Italy ten years ago with his wife. He is now 35 years old. I talked with him last night, and I mentioned Giada to him. He and his wife also love to cook, and I've had many wonderful Italian meals at their home. He knows of Giada, and he told me that her recipes are not, in any way, authentic Italian. He also tells me that her accent, while sounding Italian, is as phony as they come. Either you have an Italian accent or you don't. You don't just select the words you want to place the accent on at any given time. We all, of course, agree that the Food Network is simply for entertainment and should not be taken seriously, so Giada's attempt to cook Italian food is strictly for entertainment.
As far as her breasts are concerned, I would have no problem with the showing of cleavage every so often. However, because she and the network feel it's absolutely necessary to show the cleavage on every single episode, I believe it's a strong statement about her lack of any other talent.
RK at 8:50AM on 10/23/07
I like Giada's show. I think she has a great personality and is enthusiastic about her food. She went to culinary school and knows what she is doing.I'd much rather watch her than that Stepford wife-like Sandra Lee. If she shows cleavage that's icing on the cake so to speak.
chazmo at 9:42AM on 10/23/07
Caley, welcome to the pathological repressiveness of American puritanical culture. And yes, you are right, it is completely misogynistic. We publicly celebrate violence and ostentatious displays of wealth here, sensuality (or what is perceived as such) is for sluts with no talent, class, or brains.
Personally, I'm sick of it. I'm seriously considering moving to Europe, where they celebrate art, food and sex instead of violence, money and power.
seyo at 11:04AM on 10/23/07
Wow.
Lots of passion over Giadas cleavage.
Isn't this a food website?
Parents: If you feel it's inappropriate, don't let your kids watch the show. TV is bad (especially for kids under the age of 3.) Grab a cookbook and help your kids make a meal. If they do have questions about something they see on TV, answer them honestly.
Ah crap. I guess I have to add fuel to the snarky, snarky fire. Apparently Serious eats isn't the only website devoting bandwidth to the topic of Giadas cleavage. I just found this:
www.giadascleavage.com.
ajeys at 11:14AM on 10/23/07
Because her personality isn't the only thing that's perky.
This in no way is to be construed as a culinary slur. She obviously knows her way around the Italian kitchen. I love her food and think she's one of the few remaining valid reasons to watch TVFN at all.
chiff0nade at 11:19AM on 10/23/07
Now, honestly, let Giada do the cleavage and leave the Italian cooking to Mario. Imagine if we reversed it! Mario's cleavage-- now that's something to send the kiddies running screaming from the room!
(No offense to Mario, I love him)
Greyhoundgrrl at 11:23AM on 10/23/07
What a bunch of prudes. Unfortunately, I often have to see more skin on my morning commute on the 1 train, and they're not lookin' like Giada above the shoulders, either. Get out a little. She dresses no differently than other young women these days. If it's a distraction for you, you're the one with the issues. What is this, Qatar?
Sandro at 11:46AM on 10/23/07
Mario's cleveage hmmm (elevator music) (dead silence) (snorting) I wouldn't mind seeing that as long as he was holding a plate of that spaghetti al pomodoro. Hark do I hear a metaphor? Maybe
JerzeeTomato at 12:36PM on 10/23/07
I don't think the people here in support of the idea that GIada shows too much cleavage are misogynistic or prudes. I am a woman and am far from prudish. The question in my mind is really whether the cleavage is a ploy by Food Network to gain higher ratings and sell more ads. It is about why they are not putting on shows with hosts who can really cook and are not just a pretty face or cute personality. Food Network has strayed farther and farther from food and culinary education in the past few years and now leans heavily towards pure entertainment with food as the common demoninator. There are only a handful of shows I still watch.
If you see my previous post I'm actually one of the Giada supporters. She can actually cook, even if her recipes are fairly simple. And as far as daytime TV appropriate for kids, she certainly does not show any more cleavage than the soaps. But soaps are *supposed* to be about drama and sex; a cooking show is (ideally) supposed to be about food and it is sad that FN chooses to focus on her chest more than her skills in the kitchen.
Jeana at 2:22PM on 10/23/07
I'm not a chef, nor am I a prude. I love to cook and I wear low cut tops on occasion. I have cleavage and I see nothing wrong with showing it off at an appropriate time. A cooking show, however, is not the appropriate time or place. Yes, we do see more skin on the subway or train, and we also hear foul language in those places. Should we expect to hear it on a cooking show as well? I think not. Just because we see something on a train, doesn't make it right for television. I believe Sandro (above) made an accurate statement when she said that Giada "dresses no differently than other young women these days." That's the problem. I certainly would expect someone who holds herself in such high regards to dress better than the "standard" young woman.
Giada's cooking is okay...nothing to brag about and nothing to make for guests if you really want to impress them. It's okay for family night.
This site is about cooking, and the Food Network should also be about cooking, not about cleavage. Having said that, I must admit that I agree with the majority of people here who would rather have Giada cover up and make her program about the food, not about the sex. If that's what it takes to get the ratings, I honestly feel sorry for Giada. Her career on television will be quite short.
vb at 2:23PM on 10/23/07
Based on the rapid-fire 28 comments posted on this topic, on a site that is about cooking, I'd say that Giada has a long career on television ahead of her.
Goodness knows what would happen if she was given the "Dress for Success" book. Would her ratings improve?
Karen Resta at 3:19PM on 10/23/07
The NY T9imes talked about this several months ago:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/dining/27scoo.html
kitchenbea at 3:42PM on 10/23/07
Looks good from my angle. Chris Rock has this routine where he talks about his greatest duty as a father is to keep his daughter off the pole. If the food network makes parents' responsibility greater, that just means the challenges of parenthood are dynamic and challenging. And I can't help but be a little snarky because there's a lot worse out there than the FN. Seriously, just flip over to Lifetime. You'll go from low-cut top to anorexia. Super.
Really though, if you wrote a snail mail letter to the FN, I think they would take note.
foodinmouth at 3:53PM on 10/23/07
I may not have been clear. I think she looks fine, even in the context of a cooking show. She looks pretty normal, actually. I don't think it's Food Network's idea. I don't think it's a ratings ploy. She doesn't need the money, or the continued TV role. She wears what she's comfortable in, and it's what people are wearing. Do you all really think the show's more about "sex" than food because she shows the occasional 1.5" of cleavage? OK, fess up: which one of you is really John Ashcroft?
Sandro at 3:54PM on 10/23/07
OK folks, while this may be a topic many of us enjoy discussing, I don't think there's much more to say so we're closing comments now. Let's get back to discussing all things delicious.
Alaina Browne at 3:56PM on 10/23/07