Intuition

I have always noticed that Melissa never seemed too popular on the boards. Interesting because I think she is the closest thing to what most people seem to want - A decent non-car salesman type person who can cook and has a real instructive cooking show. She is arguably the most successful FN Star so far after Guy given the 6 or 7 seasons her cooking show was on the air, then another show on the Cooking Channel and most recently as a judge on Guy's Grocery Games. I feel sorry for her that people tend to see her as stuck up. I never did, I just think she is an introvert and not the type of introvert to know how to open herself up enough to connect with people the way extroverts can do in their sleep. If she were more extraverted like Rachael Ray I think she'd have made it really big, and Rachael is even more bitchy and stuck up to some people, just more adept at putting on that fake facade that pulls people in - Go figure how Rachael got so popular what with a Livejournal chat board for people who hate her. I agree with whoever said above that Melissa was too limited by the $10 concept. I liked her much better in that Good Housekeeping show on the Cooking Channel, but even that was a little formulaic. I watched (and still watch repeats) her $10 Dinners show because I have gotten a lot of really good recipes from it that are keepers. A little stuck up or distant I can handle for some good food. At least she doesn't offend me with bitchiness or loud, slimy car salesman-like fake personality like some of the others to come out of FN, and now add vulgar misogynistic Lenny to the pile, too.

LOL! Perish the thought! Julia would roll over in her grave.... I was so jealous last night because my husband actually went to Tyler's restaurant last night with a business associate and got to watch the screening of "Beat Bobby Flay" along with Tyler and the rest of the restaurant staff. They served everyone a sample of the New England style clam chowder that Tyler made on the show. I didn't even know he was going there! When he got home I told him he should have called me and I would have come right over, but you know how these things go.....At least he brought me back dessert.

"The Brasier" just posted a piece on Lenny, complete with a copy of the deleted video if anyone who hasn't seen it wants to watch it. And yes, I am the "tipster": http://www.thebraiser.com/lenny-mcnab-video/ Given the way FN pushes some pretty obnoxious people, I think the President, the Pope and the Dalai Lama would be easier to avoid..... I remember back when people used to tell those who hated Rachael Ray to "just change the channel" but for a while it didn't matter where you went, you couldn't get away from her. And given how FN has become the "Guy Fieri Channel", and given the comparisons being made between Lenny and Guy, I think there is cause to worry that if given free reign and enough of an audience, FN will go the same route with him. Now, OK, I suppose I could "just change the channel" but I really don't want to have to do that. I do still watch a few FN shows and even seeing Lenny's demented mug on a promo. would make me want to hurl. ETA: This is a little OT, but I'm all excited because tomorrow night I'm going to a dinner in honor of Julia Child's 101st birthday at Tyler Anderson's restaurant in CT - The meal is going to consist of authentic reproductions of her recipes. Tyler was just on "Beat Bobby Flay" tonight. The show put me in an up mood because IMO it is more like what I think FN should be about.

Major Woody, I wonder if you would you defend Paula Deen as much as you have Lenny. After all, she was accused of a lot of things and used a certain racially offensive word, which supposedly is what caused her to be dropped by Food Network. But after all, she is not supposed to be a "moral guidepost", so then why did all her sponsors suddently drop her? There have been many entertainers of late who have suffered similar fates as Paula for much less. So why is Lenny getting such a pass? I really don't get it. I don't look to these people to be my moral guideposts either, but FN has been displaying him as authentically the caricature he is playing on their show. There are thousands of people (especially young people and children) who have bought into his "golly gee shucks, ma'am" image hook line and sinker and have posted to Facebook showing themselves to be seriously taken in by this charlatan. Don't you think it's pretty nasty of FN to fool people like that just to make themselves some dinero? I am sure that most of these people, if they had their noses rubbed in the truth, would not also feel as you do about him, but feel fooled and scammed. I have seen more of them online than I can shake a stick at who upon finding out the real Lenny become angry and upset. Is that the way FN should treat its audience? I really don't see any justification for doing this to people, especially children. I have been saying this for years now, but I really think FN hates its audience. I couldn't agree with you more - Many of us here have been saying the same things over and over. All of my background in dealing with people plus degrees in Psychology are telling me exactly the same thing. FN is going to get what they deserve with this clown.

The reason Lenny won over Luca IMO was Nicole. I fully believe that had it been between Lenny and Luca, Luca would have won hands down. The poll over at Food Network Gossip has a flawless track record of being able to predict the winner and it had Lenny ahead of Luca by only 3% of the votes (I think Luca had 39% to Lenny's 42%). I believe that a lot of the Nicole votes would have gone to Luca over Lenny given that so many people who voted for her thought she was like the anti-Lenny and liked that. I liked Nicole too but I'm just saying that her being in the running took votes away from Luca, unfortunately.

Let's not forget how at different times and places Lenny says he would f*ck Rhee Drummond up the ass, calls people f*ggots, a woman a c*nt, and makes references to jizz stained keyboards! Or when he sits on his toilet bare assed eating from his Advent calendar.....Not to mention how creepy he gets over a pot of creamed corn......Or the allegations by talk show host Fez from the Ron & Fez show (and some evidence I have seen for myself too) that Lenny was exhibiting stalking behavior towards him in 2009......Like the fact that he bugged Fez incessantly until he would meet him, then had a photo taken with Fez and later put it on everything from mugs to t shirts to calendars to plates, etc., and then sent the stuff to Fez! And later when Fez was creeped out Lenny didn't understand why because he was just a "devoted fan"? A photo of Lenny holding one of these items (a t shirt I think) has been removed from his photo sharing account. There's even more stalking evidence but I don't want to write a book here....

Nice Bill Murray movie quote there..... I have been following many blog post and FN site post comment trails, and pretty much every time a person comes along and says pretty much exactly what you just said they get told by about 5 people that they really, really need to see the offending stuff first hand before rendering an opinion about what so many others think about Lenny. Then suddenly, when they do, they come back like Roseanne Roseanadanna and say "Nevermind", or "Forget what I said, Lenny is a dirt bag, I wish I could take my votes back". But feel free to disagree, it's a free country. I probably would have agreed with much of what you say if I had not personally researched this Lenny situation extremely thoroughly.

I love Valerie, although 3 things struck me in this episode - 1st is that she slipped up when looking at the old book and said, "That's my 14th great grandmother". OK, so now we know she already knew that and was faking her surprise like she was just at that moment finding all of this out. Secondly, I checked my family tree (which is extensive) and found that I too descend from Edward I. I would imagine that when you go back that far half of Europe likely is, so I suppose if you're that into genealogy and know this stuff (like me) it kind of takes away from the "wow" factor. Thirdly, wow, I never got a load of Valerie's "old lady" hands before this - I'm 2 years older than she is and my hands don't come close to looking that bad! Last week's show also struck me as interesting to see things from a Canadian POV. The McAdams sisters were proud of their loyalist ancestors. Wow, coming from Mayflower roots on my Dad's side with scores of ancestors who fought on the separatist side in the Revolution and being quite proud of that, I found them fascinating.

Funny that you say that because Tamara reminds my husband and I of Katie Ann in Breaking Amish, although only in personality, not looks!

OK, I'll believe it's fake to some extent, but Q's insanity, I don't know about that. I don't think the producers are that sophisticated that they could manufacture a guy to act that out of his mind. The way Nuala reacted seemed totally genuine. I would have done the exact same thing in her shoes at her age. I agree that Irene wanted her 5 minutes of fame. NO WAY would she have gone on a second date with this guy after hearing what he did in real life. I don't know if I'll buy any future reconciliation between him and Nuala either, provided the whole situation wasn't staged in the first place. But like I say, it creeped me out so much I can't believe Q's attitude was staged. This guy is textbook.

I sent The Brasier the link to the "Food Network Gossip" site link this morning, then this afternoon this piece suddenly appears. Just doing my part. Too bad I was insanely busy at work today or I'd have sent it to other sites like "Eater", etc. Too bad about them closing down the "Gawker" comments, I would have loved to read them! Pass the popcorn!

This is third hand information so take it FWIW, but one of the comments I read on the Food Network Gossip site was from someone who said one of their friends was one of the contestants on the show, and that what wasn't shown on TV are all the inappropriate remarks and "out there" bits by Lenny behind the scenes that made the other contestants dislike him and wonder amongst themselves how FN could even include him in the competition. Come to think of it, they didn't show anything even remotely negative about Lenny coming from the other contestants in the finale.

Thanks, I'm glad somebody did it! I wanted to send it out but was too busy tonight - It should also be sent to Eater and The Brasier, the food TV and chef related gossip blogs. No, it wasn't that (heaven forbid), he just stirred the pot of corn over and over again and made some creepy comments to it like the next thing you know he was going to have sex with it. It was just really creepy, you had to see it. I saved the video to my computer but I hesitate to post it anywhere.

OMG, I didn't realize how the Lenny hate is spreading like wildfire over on the FN site - See here in the comments under an interview with Lenny - http://blog.foodnetwork.com/star-talk/2014/08/10/star-exclusive-watch-the-winners-first-interview-season-10/#idc-container I am busy at work today so I couldn't read through all of them, but in the comments someone made mention to a link that was posted somewhere in that response area to an article with links to all the offensive Lenny garbage - the videos, the chat board posts. People know all about the offensive comments to women and gays now, not just us, and boy are they mad! This thing may be picking up momentum! There may be a God after all, LOL! ETA: I just found a link to the article on "Food Network Gossip": http://www.foodnetworkgossip.com/2014/08/food-network-star-lenny-mcnab.html

Loreal needs to be introduced to a flat iron.

Didn't they used to include the final 4's families in the final challenges somehow? I seem to remember kids running out and being hugged or parents having to cook or something (my memory fails me on this somehow). I don't remember if they did that last year either come to think of it. They may not have. Lenny doesn't seem to have any significant other (he lists himself as single on Facebook) so perhaps they left it out so as not to make him look bad. It looks to me like they did everything possible to sway votes in his direction.

That's my bet. He already looked scared last night when he was shaking Bobby's hand (or Bob's) and said he hoped he would live up to everything they were expecting from him. I think he knows he doesn't have it in him. They may think they can work with him to make him into a star, but those crazy eyes tell me he'll mess it up somehow.

Uncle Benzene - I really don't know if the media is going to give a crap, nor is anyone else who has been taken with this idiot (perhaps unless bodily forced to watch the offensive videos and board posts over and over until they admit they're vile). Can you tell I've completely lost all faith in humanity that there's any decency left in the majority of the general Food Network audience? I would think the foodie gossip blogs like Eater would have latched onto it already. I personally think Lenny presents a moral issue. Would you let a guy like that alone with your children? Seriously. Adam Richman may be a nasty guy but again, he's not in the creepy category for me like Lenny is. Plus there's the matter of the offensive language to women and gays. I thought that in this PC era that stuff was strang verboten coming out of the mouth of a celebrity. Witness what happened with Gilbert Gottfried, etc. I guess all the conjecture that FN was ready to dump Paula Deen anyway or they wouldn't have canned her is true. Man, I'm generally cynical but that's even beyond what I thought. And a wet T shirt contest in a vat of creamed corn! No, but I'm sure I'm better off for not having seen it, LOL.

Any more freaked out than watching an old, fat, drunk, flatulent cajun dropping bowls and stirring with his fingers? Remember Justin Wilson? Hooowee! http://youtu.be/-YRtlWDHrBo

Two thoughts: I liked how Bobby Flay came out publicly to say he supported Nicole. I think there should be a Bobby Flay network. I think if Luca had not been sent off to "Star Salvation" early in the competition he may have developed more of a fan base. If so I think he would have beat Lenny. I'm figuring Star Salvation didn't do much to make him known and probably made him less known to the audience. Then again, that may have been part of the design.

Hah, I think he is both 1. and 2. above, LOL. I think we can only hope they will go the route of Justin Warner with him, i.e., put off a show for as long as they can, be difficult about what kind of show to give him, then air a sparsely advertised one hour special almost a year later after everyone's forgotten about him that falls flat, and only feature him at "Food and Wine" events, Buick commercials and blog posts (the guy is functionally illiterate so I don't know if they'll let him do the latter) before they let him ride into the sunset.

I've had the same thought. Perhaps it's because more of that audience is watching TV anymore? I suppose it's an "if you build it they will come" phenomenon - Those other reality shows have changed the average audience and FN is attempting to appeal to them by jumping on the bandwagon. The problem is the dumbing down seems to know no end. It's not just appealing to country folk, but idiot country folk (not that city folk can't be idiots too and that's what "Pah Stahl" was supposed to appeal to) and I think this Lenny character totally insults the intelligence of that audience. I mean, he's not even from the South or West goddammit. You would think his fans from those areas would notice and think he's a poser, but noooooo. I fear for the future, really I do. It's like the audience FN wants to appeal to is the rib eating, knuckle dragging, tooth missing Honey Boo Boo type families. And I even feel bad including Honey Boo Boo in that, LOL. I saved the video to my computer. Not that I would post it anywhere because I could probably get in trouble for that, no? But yeah, I can't believe how people are in denial. It's like they want to be schmoozed by a con artist. The chat board posts are still there unless someone goes in and deletes every one.

Nicole actually said something like "I grew up watching you guys", which is what Giada responded to. I thought it was very bitchy and inappropriate of Giada to react like that because she should have known that Nicole didn't mean it the way it sounded. I think it was designed to make Nicole look bad. I have been at the butt end of bitchy comments like that and I hate them! Giada's bitchiness this season was worse than ever, especially towards the female contestants. And her teeth were unbelievable tonight!! They were like a scary Halloween mask!

That's pretty much how I see it too. I don't see how the guy is going to learn any sense of appropriateness. He is probably going to end up pissing off more people on FN than he is worth. He is one of those people who is fun and charming for about 5 minutes and then is more like a sharp stab in the eye from then on. In the recap of the season they replayed the bit where Lenny touches Alton and Alton reminds him "no touching". Ugh. I think this shows signs of lack of judgment and boundary issues. I just can't believe FN would be so desperate for ratings that it would risk some loose cannon like this schmuck for it. I agree with whoever said he makes Guy look like Alistair Cooke. Geesh, he makes Guy look like Chris Kimball! I fully expect the earth to spin off its axis next. This is one of those things I file under "wasn't supposed to happen". There's an alternate timeline that split off from this one where Luca won. I'd personally be more interested in Italian anything for the 50th time than Lenny's fake cowboy act. BTW, judging from the poll over at "Food Network Gossip", the votes between Lenny and Luca were kind of close - only separated by around 2%. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Luca. He actually seems like a pretty neat guy.

Somehow I don't think Guy has anything to worry about. I still think Lenny is (to quote Louis Black) stone cold f*ck nuts.