the today show clip that sprouted legs
Last Wednesday I went on the Today Show to demonstrate a couple of recipes from The Love Diet. When we were writing the book, JC and I were fantasizing about yummy segments like this one in which we could share our collaboration (and, frankly, have a lot of fun). Yes, normal people fantasize about winning the lottery, driving fast cars or being 21 again. Cookbook authors, however, simply dream of landing morning tv spots.
But I have to be honest, I went to the Today Show with a heavy heart and a touch of anxiety. I spent the entire trip to NYC thinking about my co-author and feeling like an opportunist for going on the Today Show, in part, because he was locked in a prison cell. By the morning of the show, I was so stressed that I was going to cry on air that I practically forgot my recipes.
Right before the segment, which was hosted by Hoda Kotbe and Kathy Lee Gifford, the ladies (who I, incidentally, liked very much) actually suggested to the producers that maybe we shouldn’t bring up JC and just cook. But the producers felt that his incarceration was newsworthy and needed to be pursued, should the Today Show otherwise look neglectful of this golden nugget of information.
So right at the top, Hoda asked about Juan-Carlos. Here it was. And suddenly, I felt like I was swimming in jello and heard myself speaking at about the same pace. What do you say on national television when the co-author of the book you love so much is in prison and the case is still in the investigation stage but you know more about the situation than has been released to the general public? Oh yeah, and you’ve got a lump the size of a softball lodged in your throat? You find some way to tell them why the heck you worked with this guy in the first place!
And then Kathy Lee (who talked privately to you about your co-worker before the segment) has to add that he is your friend and you care about him very much but hey by the way, we have to cook this food that’s burning in the pan over here.
And what now infamous little gem comes flying out of my mouth? I promised I wouldn’t cry. I thought my fiance would have my hide for that stupid little sidebar. His comment about the segment was, “Don’t use a cliche! Next time just cry!” (Yes, he is a cold, hardened tv professional, but a wise one at that.)
I know in the part of my brain that understands good television that he was right but I was there to cook and gosh darn it I was determined to do just that! So I smothered the rising tears with truffle salt and made my lasagna like a good guest. And, I am happy to report that they loved the Love Diet food. No-they really loved it! What the audience didn’t see was that cast and crew stayed and finished the whole pan, and some cocktails, after the segment ended.
All would have ended on a high note except that The Soup decided to pick up the clip as one of their oh-so-funny moments of pop culture. (Really? It must have been a slow week!) The clip was meant to aim jabs at both the hosts for asking me about the case and then expecting me to demo recipes like any chipper cooking guest and at me for trying to give props to a man who’s in jail for allegedly committing a pretty horrible crime.
Ok, I can live through 2 minutes of The Soup getting their jollies. Except that the show airs about 20 times throughout the week. Seriously, does E! have so little programming that they need to put the half hour of pseudo pop psychology on at regular intervals?
As if that weren’t enough, Eater, one of the country’s most prominent food blogs picked up and picked apart The Soup piece as their regular feature yesterday. Oh come on! This is supposed to be a legit source of national food news. There are Americans starving in cities across the nation, cows being tortured in slaughter houses with illegal practices, small farmers being run out of business and all Eater can find to write is a rehashing, with incorrect interpretation I might add, of my The Soup clip.
But you know what? How often do you see a food-related clip on The Soup (and I’m not talking “Chat Stew”). So you go ahead food website editors and celebrate food on mainstream, popular tv-even if you feel the need to do it with your snarky attitude. Because I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing. And even if it winds up as the punch line to a joke, you know what? I am still getting good, quality, interesting food out their to a more broad audience than you could ever hope of reaching!