Snark Talk: Home, Home on the (De) Ranged

[Yolo]

1 hour ago, Lura said:

I like to think that we caught a glimpse of the real Ree when Ladd told her that Alex was hoping for a car for her 18th birthday.  Ree dropped her party face just long enough to look disgusted and somewhat angry as she hissed back, (Paraphrased)  "She's not getting any car for her birthday!!!"  Yes, ma'am!  It was worlds different from her usual nauseating, sing-song "Hi, girls!  How are you?" when they enter the room.

 

Look, Ree, there's nothing wrong with being a cheerful sort of person who creases her dimple with constant smiles, but I've sat through more than enough episodes about every aspect (including the rest rooms) of the Merc and all of its wares while you grin like a Cheshire cat, and I know a fake when I see one.  PAY FOR YOUR OWN COMMERCIALS, and get back to cooking a good recipe!

Spot on! I must say there is something dark about Ree, creepy almost. Lol

IMO

[film noire]

On 4/9/2017 at 6:29 PM, Gam2 said:

 If people continue to watch her show, they should know what they're getting and stop complaining that she's "not real"

A fake remains a fake, regardless of whether you knew it ten years ago or yesterday, and for many, the snark just never runs dry  (Plus -- god bless that big ol' phony -- she slops out new levels of fakery every year!)

On 4/9/2017 at 4:20 PM, Fostersmom said:

Why would she need to mention she was in a sorority? 

Because she did a show about treats for her daughter at college, and blogged about Alex on Sorority Bid Day -- all without mentioning her own sorority history, almost as if she didn't want her audience to know -- that'd be my guess ; )

Edited April 11, 2017 by film noire

[cathy]

Sororities have a reputation for snobbishness, justified or not.  She was probably afraid of alienating some of her viewers.

[Hildegard802]

Quote

Has it ever occurred to Ree that Ladd Drummond chose her because she's tall and strongly built and could handle ranch chores fairly easily, that she could cook Mexican for the ranch hands, that she probably could procreate any number of little Drummonds for working the ranch, that she could swallow an entire basket of rolls by herself (or whatever she devoured on their first date), and that she had some money?  Does she really believe that it was all sex appeal? 

I will never believe Ree has ever done any real work on that ranch.  She is NOT the type.  She married for money.  She started developing a long-range plan for "fame and fortune" years ago.  She pretended to make three meals plus snacks every day for untold number of people, plus single-handedly homeschooling, running her blog, "devloping HER recipes (all stolen and unoriginal), writing books, book tours . . . blah blah blah,  then remodeling and pushing the wares that she single-handedly *designs* at Walmart and her box store.  Her entire persona is nothing but one big lie.  And apparently millions of people believe it all.  

[grisgris]

I don't fault anybody for having big dreams and making them happen but what bothers me is that there is zero acknowledgement of any of those who helped pave the way for Ree. I don't know how many times I've seen Ina lovingly acknowledge/include her team at BC or Jeffrey. She also graciously gives credit to those whose recipes have inspired her (Anna Pump comes to mind.) Sandra Lee also worked her butt off and credits her sister, Kimber, for never wavering in her support throughout the journey.

The smug, "I do it all," attitude is what I dislike the most about Ree. There's not much to be done about the lowest common denominator of taste/quality in food by the average American who follows Ree, I guess, thus reflected in her recipes. At least she is making sense as a marketer/business woman by catering to her target audience. Just own it!

[Lura]

You make an exceptionally good point, Grisgris, IMHO, and I couldn't agree with you more.  It all falls under the category of gracious," which Ree is not.  Gracious comes from the word "grace," one of the attributes missing in Ree's persona (not counting her mother, mother-in-law and a friend

with the perfect pie crust.)  There is no shame in accepting help along the way.  It's one way we all learn.  But Ree's insistence on giving the impression that she's Wonder Woman reincarnated, that she's achieved her status entirely on her own, is not only unbelievable but smug and self-serving.  A little bit of humility goes a long way, a lesson that Ree has yet to learn.

[ariel]

The deal with Ree is unlike Ina, she didn't have real mentors.  She just threw the Drummond money at people to make it happen.  Wasn't there a time  in the early days when Ree  just happened to have lots of spare gift cards rattling around in her desk to give to followers of her blog?

Edited April 13, 2017 by ariel

[Missy Vixen]

On 4/2/2017 at 10:16 AM, Lura said:

GOOD GRIEF, REE!  Lay off the heat you add!  

 

We've made the Spicy Pop Pulled Pork several times. (I know there's probably a better recipe, but the husband loves the stuff.) We get the smallest can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and use a couple of teaspoons of the sauce and dice up a pepper or two. The recipe calls for a 16 oz can of the stuff. I realize we're food wimps, but we couldn't eat it if we added anywhere near that amount.

[Natalie68]

On 4/4/2017 at 3:41 PM, cathy said:

Ree is such a phony.  There is so much they don't tell us about, like that she smoked pot in college, she belonged to a sorority, and her family owns a bank, a museum, a pharmaceutical company (Golden pharmacueticals in Colorado) that made the diet drug "Phen-fen" which killed 46 people and got them 46 lawsuits.  I wonder what her zombie followers would say of her pot-head ways

Frankly this is really the only thing about her I find somewhat interesting!  It was new info to me!

[Lura]

Cathy, I'd like to know where you got that information.  I'm not challenging you, but I think if you're going to post rather damaging allegations on a public forum, you need to tell people who the source is.  I'd like to read that for myself.  Please let us know -- and thanks.  :)

Edited April 15, 2017 by Lura
addresed to wrong name

[Missy Vixen]

22 hours ago, Lura said:

Missy Vixen, I'd like to know where you got that information.  I'm not challenging you, but I think if you're going to post rather damaging allegations on a public forum, you need to tell people who the source is.  I'd like to read that for myself.  Please let us know -- and thanks.  :)

 

What "damaging allegations" are those? The fact that 16 oz of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is too hot for our family to eat? I think you've mixed my comments up with someone else's. You might want to check on that.

[Lura]

3 hours ago, Missy Vixen said:

You might want to check on that.

Missy Vixen, color my face purple with embarrassment over a stupid mistake.  I scrolled to the top of your post and copied and pasted your name by accident.  I have limited vision and also have to take three kinds of pain meds for another problem, and the meds sometimes confuse me.   Nevertheless, I take full responsibility for upsetting you.  I am terribly sorry and hope that you will forgive me.

[cathy]

Hi Lura, I read all of those things online.  One article about the pharmaceutical company is "Is the pioneer woman a bit sacrilegious?"  As far as sorority I think she was Pi Beta.  There is a post from 2007 where she talks about being in a sorority, which I just found, so I apologize, she has spoken about it.  I put a few links to a few articles/ comments in articles.  Everything I know of her I have read on the internet.  I will try to get more links, flesh out my arguments a bit more. 

[Lura]

Quote

 

Did anybody happen to see Ree's Easter show a couple of days ago?  I think it may have been a re-run.  Ree made baskets of homemade hot cross buns for her friends.  With each delivery to the front door, Ree wished each of her friends a "Happy Good Friday."  HUH?  We were taught that Good Friday symbolizes the day that Jesus died, which was not considered to be a happy one!  She could have said, "Have a good day, and Happy Easter" or just "Happy Easter," which she did as she left, but "Happy Good Friday" didn't quite cut it and had me laughing.  It's a little bit like the news anchor today who announced that today is the 4th anniversary of the marathon bombing in Boston and that Bostonians will "celebrate" with a day of volunteerism!  Celebrate?  I doubt it.   I think that some people flunked  6th grade vocabulary!

[ariel]

2 hours ago, Lura said:

Did anybody happen to see Ree's Easter show a couple of days ago?  I think it may have been a re-run.  Ree made baskets of homemade hot cross buns for her friends.  With each delivery to the front door, Ree wished each of her friends a "Happy Good Friday."  HUH?  We were taught that Good Friday symbolizes the day that Jesus died, which was not considered to be a happy one! 

Ree claims to be a devote Christian, but seems to be totally clueless about the teachings of Jesus Christ.

[Lura]

Ariel, my husband cracked up when Ree asked the old man if he knew what the story was on hot cross buns.  When the poor guy didn't, Ree gave him a mini-mini-sermonette on how they stood for friendship, which meant (she said) that he was stuck with her for one year.  He had nothing to say!  He should have asked her the meaning of Good Friday!  Heaven only knows what she would have answered!

[Westiepeach]

6 hours ago, Lura said:

Did anybody happen to see Ree's Easter show a couple of days ago?  I think it may have been a re-run.  Ree made baskets of homemade hot cross buns for her friends.  With each delivery to the front door, Ree wished each of her friends a "Happy Good Friday."  HUH?  We were taught that Good Friday symbolizes the day that Jesus died, which was not considered to be a happy one!  She could have said, "Have a good day, and Happy Easter" or just "Happy Easter," which she did as she left, but "Happy Good Friday" didn't quite cut it and had me laughing.  It's a little bit like the news anchor today who announced that today is the 4th anniversary of the marathon bombing in Boston and that Bostonians will "celebrate" with a day of volunteerism!  Celebrate?  I doubt it.   I think that some people flunked  6th grade vocabulary!

I remember watching that and thinking "WTF?"

I also remember a long time ago one of our local news anchors got skewered because she wished everybody a "Happy Good Friday" on the air!

[film noire]

On 4/16/2017 at 1:34 PM, Lura said:

  Ree made baskets of homemade hot cross buns for her friends.  With each delivery to the front door, Ree wished each of her friends a "Happy Good Friday."  HUH?  We were taught that Good Friday symbolizes the day that Jesus died, which was not considered to be a happy one!  She could have said, "Have a good day, and Happy Easter" or just "Happy Easter," which she did as she left, but "Happy Good Friday" didn't quite cut it and had me laughing.  

I agree, it's a bizarre way to handle Good Friday, Lura -- "Happy Dying on the Cross Day! Have some Bestie buns!"  -- so off putting.

[grisgris]

I came across this article. I don't know how old (or credible) it is but it mentions the recent Asian wings debacle. It sort of looks like an article that was written some time ago and keeps being updated. http://www.thelist.com/53047/untold-truth-pioneer-woman/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1669998

Interesting points: Ree realizes that blogging and writing doesn't always "translate well" to TV (understatement) and insists that she didn't market her blog whatsoever and that FN approached her about the show. The claim that she "does it all" stands firm although she admits to having help in areas like website design. Hmmm ...

Lastly, is a movie still in the works? That tall tale has been circulating for years now and I've never heard another word about it. Reese Witherspoon seems like an odd choice to portray Ree. For starters, she's about a foot too short!

[ariel]

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 2:10 PM, film noire said:

I agree, it's a bizarre way to handle Good Friday, Lura -- "Happy Dying on the Cross Day! Have some Bestie buns!"  -- so off putting.

She's trying to appeal to fundies & is failing bad at it.  She does get some credit with them because she claims "she" homeschooled her kids.  I think a private tutor ( or two)  was hired. 

[Lura]

Quote

 I think a private tutor ( or two)  was hired. 

I hope Ladd hired a tooter of 6th grade English -- for Ree.

[cathy]

On the website "people.com" there is an article written 3 days ago stating that she is opening up her ranch to the public this summer.  One can visit the Lodge during the day, but you must stop at the Mercantile first to ask for directions!!  "The Pioneer woman Ree Drummond is opening up her ranch to visitors this summer" is the title, I believe.  The article also states that the deli/store averages about 6,000 visitors per day, and sometimes gets 15,000 per day.  I think that was true when it first opened in the fall, the first week I'm sure, when her stupid brainwashed fans had to go there to see their idol, but I can't imagine that is true now.  Pawhuska is a very isolated place.  It is a long drive from most places.  There is very little else around it to make it worth the drive.  Maybe go there as a side trip while you are going somewhere else.  The store has been open since last Halloween, so it has been 6 months, multiple that by 30, about 18,000 people total, driving in winter, on the bad roads.  I know she has a lot of fans, but I doubt that 6,000 people go there every day.  That is a hell of a lot of people going through such a small town, and in the middle of no-where.  I think that business is slowing down, maybe it is no longer making a profit, the novelty has worn off.  I'm sure some of her fans are older, senior, shut in types, who can't travel.  Or low income types with no education who are taken in by the fantasy, can't travel there either.   Even in a country as big as ours, there can't be enough fans willing to do the long drive to add up to 6,000-15,000 per day.  Especially in December, January and February.  I assume the roads are bad even in Oklahoma??  (not sure only guessing) That figure has to be a lie concocted by her PR people to make her seem more successful than she really is.  Perception is reality, as they say!! And the snobbish elite Drummonds would never allow the unwashed masses on their property unless they had to, to prop up a failing business.  On a different note, I saw online that Hyacinth does a radio show called something like Two edged talk.  It is a religious Catholic show.  She seems way too intelligent to be Ree's best friend.  Ree is well educated, but I don't believe she has any real sincere religious feelings.  Maybe she goes to church, but it would be just for show, so she can put it on TV and attract middle American religious housewives, to sell them stuff, and buy her crappy books.  Ree putting pictures of her husband's derriere in her COOKBOOKS and writing "swoon" and putting childish comments next to the picture is embarrassing, juvenile, and tells you about her mental level.  I wonder why the serious and smart HY bothers with Ree?  The whole Pioneer woman schtick is a lie, and I wonder how long it can be propped up?

[patty1h]

Blurgh.  I caught the episode where Ree and Paige do an afternoon tea menu.   I zoned out on it until the end, when my blood pressure shot up -- Ree and the girl were chatting and Ree joked what the menfolk would say if they were offered finger sandwiches and mini quiche.  WE GET IT!  Men in your family are macho and don't go for "girl food".  

I also caught some of the latest "16 Minute Meal" and spent most of the show imagining what would happen in the Drummond home if it came out that Todd and his buddy/football teammate had a "special friendship".  Ah, schadenfreude.

[ariel]

9 hours ago, cathy said:

Even in a country as big as ours, there can't be enough fans willing to do the long drive to add up to 6,000-15,000 per day.  Especially in December, January and February.  I assume the roads are bad even in Oklahoma?? 

Branson is flooded & the rubes are going to Ree's place.

[Lura]

On ‎5‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 6:34 AM, cathy said:

One can visit the Lodge during the day, but you must stop at the Mercantile first to ask for directions!! 

You have GOT to be kidding!  Why not just hold a gun to people's heads and growl, "This is a hold-up."  What is the big draw about the Lodge that makes people want to see it badly enough to pay for it?  Why not station little Todd at front door of the Merc holding a tin cup?  Are the Drummonds THAT hard up?

[cathy]

You don't have to pay to get into "The Lodge" and you don't have to buy anything at the merc, but they said in the article that you need to ask an employee at the deli/merc for directions.  They will make the money by assuming most people will buy some lunch at the deli, and browse the store, and buy a few things.  No admission fee to the lodge, but this is just a subtle way to get people to spend money.  I looked up the Branson flood, apparently it happened April 30 of this year, so I still kind of feel that the claim that 6,000-15,000 people visit each day is a wild exaggeration.  I doubt they would be opening up their ranch to the slobbering masses unless the merc wasn't doing well.  More phoniness from the queen of deception!

[cathy]

Also, don't forget that she is coming out with her "lifestyle" magazine this June.  More recipies and God knows what else?  Pictures of cows and her kids I guess.  She is trying to be the next Martha Stewart.  That is obvious.  Martha is a billionaire.  But Martha did it all herself, with her own brains and hard work.  Ree went after the town rich guy, managed to snare him, and used his money and connections to further her ambitions.

[cathy]

I just saw an article on reddit.com blogsnark titled "The pioneer woman is getting her own magazine."  Very good information!  Someone said that in the early days of her blog her cousin wrote in to the blog and said that he introduced her to Ladd, and got no thanks for it.  She scrubbed the comment a few hours later.  One person also commented that Ree has "dead eyes."  Dead eyes and a squishy mouth.  Does anyone agree with this?  I am not sure about that.  Lots of interesting comments on that site.  Ree is part of the 1% for sure, she and Ladd will be getting a huge tax cut under Trump. 

[cathy]

Also on this blog is that the company that makes her crookware in China has been found to have lead in the glaze of the products!  Money over quality and integrity.  Ree won't have her products made in the USA, but her stupid flag wav'in fans are not bothered by this.

[ariel]

2 hours ago, cathy said:

Also, don't forget that she is coming out with her "lifestyle" magazine this June. 

Ree is getting a "lifestyle" mag?  You couldn't pay me to want to live her "lifestyle", eat her food  or look like her.

[anneofcleves]

1 hour ago, ariel said:

Ree is getting a "lifestyle" mag?  You couldn't pay me to want to live her "lifestyle", eat her food  or look like her.

I had no idea she was pursuing a magazine, but of course she is.  She's the latest person to be plugged into the Food Network formula.  I may watch her stupid tv show because I pay for cable and the train wreck is there when I'm drinking coffee on a lazy Saturday, but there is no way I'd buy her magazine.  You know, this is where she'll actually hire chefs and food writers, and you may find some of her recipes become a little more interesting than stuffing packaged shit in a mass-marketed flour tortilla.  

Edited May 8, 2017 by anneofcleves

[grisgris]

Man, the writer in me is just dying to go to Pawhuska for the full-blown experience. I'd really be more interested in digging into the types of people who go to the Merc, etc.  I'd have a field day!

[peacheslatour]

4 hours ago, grisgris said:

Man, the writer in me is just dying to go to Pawhuska for the full-blown experience. I'd really be more interested in digging into the types of people who go to the Merc, etc.  I'd have a field day!

Do eet!

Quote

I doubt they would be opening up their ranch to the slobbering masses unless the merc wasn't doing well.

Ever been on The People of Wal Mart? Picture those drooling idiots riding around the lodge on their Rascal Scooters and you have the whole picture.

[cathy]

I just looked at her twitter and facebook.  She has a photo of her new magazine up.  A "lifestyle" magazine that is the same as all of her other products.  Recipies, "great ideas for home, beauty, fashion, and more" (yawn) easy step by step family dinners, and an article titled "Cowgirl boots, a buyers guide."  Milking the ranch for all it is worth.  This is just another woman's magazine.  I don't buy them anymore, I know how to cook, there is only so much decorating you can do.  All of the info you can get on the internet free. On the twitter page it links to a people.com article, where they mention it is one of a vast portfolio of business ventures.  They don't point out that most ranch wives have a wildly different life (of hard work).  Ree is not a pretty woman.  Her nose is very wide.  She will be on every cover, (I would bet the ranch on that one) just like Oprah is on hers.  I can't help but wonder if this magazine will succeed or fail.  It will be on sale at Walmart, of course!! There are so many woman's magazines out there.  And most are mediocre, they just give you the same old advice on "parenting" the same recipies and blah blah blah.  I bet our ambitious Ree is already plotting a series of "ranch" theme parks that will be in  every major city, a fashion line of shirtains, fast food junk drive throughs, oh, the possibilities are just endless!!  Where is the Marlboro woman.  I wish she would come back.  She was so funny.

[cathy]

Just saw more articles on this subject, all of them fawning.  The magazine will be edited by a food network editor.  What??!! Ree won't edit it in between churning butter, and slapping Ladd's blue jeans against rocks in the pond?  The picture in an article in Tulsa World online is weird.  Her eye whites are black. Maybe sweet devout christian Ree is possessed by a demon(s).  Only half kidding there.

[anneofcleves]

She looks weird on the cover.  She needs to hire Oprah's stylist, because she positively glows on her covers.

[peacheslatour]

48 minutes ago, cathy said:

Just saw more articles on this subject, all of them fawning.  The magazine will be edited by a food network editor.  What??!! Ree won't edit it in between churning butter, and slapping Ladd's blue jeans against rocks in the pond?  The picture in an article in Tulsa World online is weird.  Her eye whites are black. Maybe sweet devout christian Ree is possessed by a demon(s).  Only half kidding there.

Nah, that's just the black eyeliner she applies with a paint roller.

[ariel]

I'm wondering if Ree has any popularity north of the Mason-Dixson line?  Most of the people I know either put her in the same category as Sandra Lee (a joke) or don't know of her.

[peacheslatour]

10 minutes ago, ariel said:

I'm wondering if Ree has any popularity north of the Mason-Dixson line?  Most of the people I know either put her in the same category as Sandra Lee (a joke) or don't know of her.

I wouldn't put her in the same league as Aunt Sandy. Aunt Sandy was creative.

[ariel]

Aunt Sandy was fun with her own brand of creativity.  I still remember the Christmas tree decorated with booze glasses.

[MargeGunderson]

I could see hanging out with Aunt Sandy, getting tipsy on weird cocktails and eating bizarre food combinations. It would be fun! I don't think hanging out with Ree would be fun under any circumstances. I sense a control freak under that aw shuck exterior.

[grisgris]

I'll pass on the magazine. I did figure something out. I have an old friend/business associate who lives in TULSA!!  Actually, she is from here but moved to the KC area a long time ago to do her family practice residency and hung around for several more years. We lost touch and I decided to get back on to LinkedIn and thought about her. I figured that she'd eventually gone back home as she didn't seem very happy here.

If I can make the connection and we can sort of re-establish old ties, maybe I can arrange a trip to Tulsa to catch-up and I'll go on to Pawhuska. I know it's been a L-O-N-G time but I'll bet one thing about my friend hasn't changed. She had absolutely NO interest in cooking, decorating, etc. I am 100% certain she wouldn't be the Bernstein to my Woodward and do the PW tour.

[ariel]

Didn't Ree once claim on her blog that she was engaged to a young, good looking, high power attorney from LA that she dumped for Ladd?

Edited May 11, 2017 by ariel

[cathy]

I think he was an architect, not a lawyer.  I also thought she had a job there, dealing with celebrities?  Very murky.  She does not talk about any jobs she had while there.  She pretends she was going to go into "elder law."  That is a bad thing.  It is used to take control of an incompetent elderly person's finances, basically drain it dry in "fees" (for nothing) while keeping the old person drugged.  It is a terrible scam, and is allowed to happen in our country.  No wonder she was attracted to it.  I like Sandra Le, and I hope she wins her battle with breast cancer.

[maggiemae]

Good grief Ree - just stop with the black eye makeup - way too harsh.

[ariel]

1 hour ago, cathy said:

I like Sandra Le, and I hope she wins her battle with breast cancer.

I do too.  I saw her in the NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Parade  & she looked good.

[grisgris]

As far as I know, Sandra is fine now. She had DCIS which is ductal cell carcinoma in situ. My sister had that and what it is, is yes, a cancer diagnosis, but, the good thing is that it is a stage zero. My sister had a lumpectomy and did radiation and took tamoxifen for many years and now she doesn't have to take it and her mammograms are good. I know that Sandra did the bilateral mastectomy. I believe that she also became very ill with an infection from one of her surgeries that landed her back in the hospital. She is a fighter and I'm so happy that she bounced back. She was on the Halloween Baking Championship as a judge and got to wear her spectacular costumes again. I thought she looked great!

[Lura]

Grisgris, that is very good and hopeful news about your sister.  Stories like hers and Sandy's always remind me of the fortitude and courage it must take to get through treatments for serious diseases like this one.  I hope that your sister, Sandy, and all others afflicted can continue on the path to complete wellness and freedom from fear in the future.

[Lura]

I've been trying for more than two hours to link up with two or three articles about Ree and how she is deceiving her followers.  Sorry to say, the links refuse to work.  These articles appeared in Psychology Today and in the New Yorker magazine, both of which are pretty legitimate sources.  Essentially,, the claim is that Ree's home life is totally different from her TV portrayal -- that she invented the kind of life she wished she could lead and then made her blog, TV show and books/movie to sound like the real deal.  Why?  Because she can.  Sorry about the links, but you can google "articles about Ree Drummond" and read them.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Lura
links won't work

[peacheslatour]

8 hours ago, Lura said:

I've been trying for more than two hours to link up with two or three articles about Ree and how she is deceiving her followers.  Sorry to say, the links refuse to work.  These articles appeared in Psychology Today and in the New Yorker magazine, both of which are pretty legitimate sources.  Essentially,, the claim is that Ree's home life is totally different from her TV portrayal -- that she invented the kind of life she wished she could lead and then made her blog, TV show and books/movie to sound like the real deal.  Why?  Because she can.  Sorry about the links, but you can google "articles about Ree Drummond" and read them.

I read the New Yorker article. Interesting read, thanks Lura.