Some poorer Britons choose to eat "chips and cheese out of Stryrofoam containers" while sitting in a room with a "massive fucking TV", Jamie Oliver has said, adding that he cannot understand "modern-day poverty in Britain".
The celebrity chef made the remarks while promoting his next television project, which he hopes will encourage healthy eating by people on modest incomes. In an interview with the Radio Times, Oliver expressed bewilderment that poorer Britons would choose cheap fast food while spending their money elsewhere.I do, of course, have no objection to people spending their money where they choose, and if they prefer to gorge on chips that don't taste markedly different than the container, well, good luck to them.
But I do object when that then becomes an excuse for hectoring fakecharities to attempt to stick their hands even deeper into my pockets, or restrict my choice further for 'my own good'.
And yes, we all know he's spouting off to publicise his new cookery show, and he's hopelessly out of touch, as one revealing little nugget shows:
"One of the other things we look at in the series is going to your local market, which is cheaper anyway, but also they don't dictate size," Oliver said.
"From a supermarket you're going to buy a 200g bag of this or a 400g pack of that. If you're going past a market, you can just grab 10 mange tout for dinner that night, and you don't waste anything."Riiiiight... Because mange tout is often on the menu chez Wayne and Shaznay, I suppose?
But about the real truth of 'modern poverty'? Well, he's nailed that, hasn't he?
11 comments:
But some peoples fortunes rise and fall. When I was younger and had a windfall I would often buy a TV or a stereo so that in poorer times I had some cheap entertainment rather than letting the extra money just dribble away with nothing to show for it.
Given that the cost of a TV wouldn't get you many meals at an Oliver eatery and that Oliver owes much of his income and all of his fame to TV it's rather hypocritical of him to peer down his nose at it a la Malcolm Muggeridge.
Who cares what a TV celebrity chef has to say, it's only to garner publicity for their next TV show or book? For me the only one worth watching was Keith Floyd.
"Qu'ils mangent tous le mange tout", perhaps, although Marie Antoinette was certainly easier on the eye.
Anon, there is also the question of means-testing; in times of uncertain employment, any temporary cash surplus deposited in the bank could count against potential future benefit assessments.
As an aside, 'massive fucking TV' seems a particularly appropriate way to describe the thing in general, given the graphic content of some recent mainstream dramas.
(Roughly, "let them eat mangetout", but it works better in French.)
Whereupon I Upset Dick Puddlecote...
You realise he's on holiday, and so might have to wait a week of two before that bag of Dog Doo Doo arrives through your letterbox? ;-)
Yeah I'm with Jamie too on this one.
Gosh Mr Puddlecote doesn't like Jamie does he? I can sense the elevated blood pressure just reading. Perhaps Mr P should consider more wholesome subjects for the good of his health :-)
Hmmm, Jack Russells? It could well have been them that attacked the Staffie.
Yes, but who wants social commentary from a cook (and I typed that carefully)who hydrates his family?
I have learnt 2 things after the rant by jamie.
1. I now know what mange tout is according to wikipedia
2. That i will not set foot in a jamie oliver restuarant despite living close to one, i suppose he thinks that slagging off the English who will be the vast majority of his customers will be no problem for him because his food is so special is so so arrogant, a sort of Ratners jewellery style gaffe.
His man in the pub cheeky chappy style is whats made him famous, this self appointed spokesman for the World on food and nutrition position makes him look a pompous twat
There is no need to say sorry to Dick because you disagree with him, i'm sure you will still be in his bloglist, well as long as you don't cross the red line over smoking issues. lol
Mange tout are the stupidest vegatable ever,why not let them grow a bit then you can eat the nice juicy veg inside and not the tasteless,tough stringy case they come in.
its like eating a banana skin and leaving the nice bit.
"But some peoples fortunes rise and fall."
Yes, true. Does anyone think that's likely to be the case for ALL families?
"...although Marie Antoinette was certainly easier on the eye."
But look how she ended up... ;)
"You realise he's on holiday..."
Yeah, I'm, sure he's caught up by now, though :)
"I have learnt 2 things after the rant by jamie.
1. I now know what mange tout is according to wikipedia
"
As anon points out, they aren't all that, so you've not missed much! Good in a stir-fry or a salad though.
"its like eating a banana skin and leaving the nice bit."
Heh!
Post a Comment