Giada De Laurentiis Gives Birth to Baby Girl
Sunday, March 30, 2008 | posted by Mike
Hey, you know it's good news when People includes an exclamation point in its headline.Yep, the magazine is reporting that Giada De Laurentiis and husband Todd gave birth (although I'm guessing Giada did most of the work...rimshot!) to a 5lb, 13 oz baby girl named Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson.
If I remember correctly, this is pretty much on target for the due-date, so that's good news. I'm long gone for work by the time she's showing up on Today, so I'm not sure how long she's been out.
We here at TVFF would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to the happy family and note that it is with much regret that we don't know where they are registered. So, in lieu of a gift, we'll be making a donation to an extremely worthy cause (i.e. the TVFF beer fund).
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
How Did I Miss This?
Thursday, March 13, 2008 | posted by Mike
I have to hand it to our friends at Pages, Pucks and Pantry who, in a recent roundup, included a link to a site that I have to admit I've never seen before...and I just don't know how I could have possibly missed this.Yes, it's a site dedicated to chronicling the ups and downs of Giada De Laurentiis' neckline.
The site is called -- appropriately enough -- Giada's Cleavage, and it looks like they update it with recaps of her recent apparel. I do suppose that the posts do have some culinary value as they also include links to the recipes used in the episode.
Regular readers here know that, while we focus on the written word on this site, we like to throw up photos in order to keep the site from looking a little to bland. Well, as you would expect, the folks at GC also employ images to illustrate their points and for "documentary purposes." Want to see what Giada's cleavage looked like in a particular episode? Well there it is! And they've even gone to the trouble of editing out distracting objects like her head and arms. How nice of them!
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada Behind the Scenes
Thursday, November 29, 2007 | posted by Mike
I'm sure you all remember TVFF New York Bureau Chief Jessica's eventful visit to the taping of Today. She managed to get some face time and some up-close-views of Giada De Laurentiis. Well, as promised, she sent along a couple of photos of Giada getting ready for the shoot. You can click them for the larger versions.
Jessica wanted me to let you know that she was actually there for a good cause. It's hard to tell from the image we posted at the time, but she was holding a sign promoting Inspired by Diabetes.
Children, people with diabetes and their family members and friends are encouraged to enter the contest. Health care professionals are also invited to enter. Grand prize winners will be selected for both the U.S. and global contests for each participant category (see below), with the winners (excluding health care professionals) receiving a trip to attend a media briefing and formal exhibition of the winning entries.
Participants from the United States will also have their submissions entered into a separate U.S. contest with a chance to win both the global and national competitions. U.S. grand prize winners will also receive tickets and backstage passes to attend an Elliott Yamin concert in 2008. The entry deadline for the contest is March 31, 2008. For all rules and regulations, go to www.inspiredbydiabetes.com
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
An Iron Chef America Holiday Extravaganza!
Monday, November 26, 2007 | posted by Mike
'Tis the season, apparently.
I really hope you had a chance to tune in for the big holiday-themed desert battle on Iron Chef America. It was, in all likelihood, the funniest thing that I've ever seen on the Food Network. And I'm pretty sure that at least half of that humor was intentional...
I mean, Martial Arts Santa (see the remarkably accurate approximation at left) and the Elfin Sous Chef were certainly there to elicit a chuckle. The histrionics and maniacal cackling of Paula Deen? Well, I'm guessing that was just an unexpected bonus!
Yeah, I have to say I was pretty much right on with my guess a few weeks back. Paula wasn't really doing anything you or I couldn't do, so I'm hoping Cat got paid overtime for putting in all the extra work.
I'm not sure when it's on again, but do yourself a favor and check it out if you can.
Another thing: Have you seen those new promos for the holiday season with the various personalities as pseudo-Rankin/Bass characters? Am I the only person who thinks they didn't do Giada any favors by making her body so small? I mean, people already make fun of her for having a big head. But they got the smile spot on.
Labels: Cat Cora, Giada De Laurentiis, Iron Chef America, Paula Deen
Close Encounters of the Giada Kind
Friday, November 16, 2007 | posted by Mike
Hey, remember Jessica? She was the one who bumped into Bobby Flay on the streets of New York and who spotted the plane carrying the advertisement over Central New Jersey. We love running Jessica's scoops, but she demands a promotion every time she gives us something. Usually, we'd drive a hard bargain with her, but the fact that she now has a day job that brings her into the Big Apple on a daly basis, we're happy to announce that Jessica is now officially the TVFF New York Bureau Chief.
And what could she possibly do to warrant such a promotion? Well, she decided to show a bit of initiative. No longer content to just wander the streets of Gotham hoping to bump into a food celebrity, she has now taken it upon herself to seek them out. Have a good look at the photo below, taken from an episode of Today featuring Giada De Laurentiis.
See the woman in the background directly between Giada and the guest? The one "smiling like a fool?" (Her words, not mine.) That's Jessica!
Unfortunately, the video of the piece seems to have disappeared from the site. It's a shame, becuse seeing her hold up her sign and smile each time the camera started filming her added so much to the experience. I do feel confident, however, that this video capture manages to do justice to the whole appearance.
Actually, she wasn't there on officail TVFF business. She was there to help promote some product or service, which was advertised on the sign. We'd tell you what it was, but (a) we can't remember what she told us -- I was drinking at the time...sorry -- and (b) TVFF doesn't give away free advertising! You can e-mail me for reasonable rates...
There are apparently some additional photos, but we haven't received them yet. We'll be sure to run them if and when we do.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada Baby Watch - Day 2: Food Metaphor Edition
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 | posted by Mike
OK. I know I've kinda made fun of the Celebrity Baby Blog (here, here and here, for example) from time to time. But, as you would expect, they're all over the Giada situation.Their post includes a bunch of quotes that have been popping up all over the net, including this one, where she describes her sonograms:
When I had my first one, it looked like a little lima bean. The second, I think looked a little bit like a lemon. But today -- fingers and toes; I saw ears and lips. It brings tears to your eyes.Hmmm...I appreciate the food-themed comparisons, but somehow I thought Giada would have gone for cannellini instead of lima beans.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada Pregnancy Video
Monday, November 05, 2007 | posted by Mike
Adam over at GiadaFan has tracked down the video and was good enough to pass along the link to us.Here you go.
(h/t GiadaFan)
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada De Laurentiis Pregnant - Baby Due in April
First off, let me extend a warm welcome to all of the new folks who are dropping by for the first time. If you're a fan of food TV, you found the right spot. Check out our home page, take a look around and please bookmark us or subscribe to our feed...you'll want to come back often!If you've been watching NBC or any of the NBC/Universal channels, you know that they're "going green" for the week. I guess the morning sickness would have Giada a bit green, too. Way to get in the spirit!
She's a very busy lady (not Rachael-busy, mind you), so expect things to slow down a little bit. Also, expect the obligatory "follow the pregnancy" features on Today that they seem to do for every pregnant news personality.
People has the official announcement.
Ed. Note: Title changed after I remembered how much I hate the word "preggers."
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
I'm Confused...
Monday, July 23, 2007 | posted by Mike
...Did Giada De Laurentiis get sprayed by a skunk or something?
Nope...just Esquire having some fun.
h/t to Slashfood
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
A Smörgåsbord of Information!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 | posted by Mike
Admittedly, that title might be a bit much, but I really wanted to use the ö and å. It also reminds me that I need to make a trip to IKEA.
Don't know about you, but we're just about ready to begin the post-JAG era. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that it appears as though JAG didn't take the honorable way out after all. According to the Military Times, who was the driving force in investigating the situation:
In a bid to preserve his shot at a six-episode Food Network series deal, Garcia revealed in those interviews that he was one of the final two contestants. Military Times did not include this claim in previous stories because it was not clear whether this was another lie, and to protect the integrity of the show. Garcia even offered to trade the name of the other finalist — a big reality television no-no — in exchange for keeping his background a secret.
“I’ll tell you if you help me out with this,” he said in June.
Also in that article...if you look right below the paragraph we just quoted...we found out that TVFF is a "popular" blog. Who knew!?! Seriously, though, the mention is greatly appreciated!
The folks at Food Network sent around a note saying that last Sunday's episode was the highest-rated and most watched show in network history. Congrats for that.
Anyway, Broadcasting & Cable (whose blog has excellent taste...OK, enough with the self-promotion) has a cover story profile of the Food Network and its plans for future growth and profitability. This is an interesting point as they now have near ubiquitous presence on cable systems around the country. So, if you can't add that many new viewers, you have to figure out new ways to be profitable. The profile points out how they're doing that by pursuing other marketing and branding options, and the article spends a lot of time talking about the Kohl's product line. The author seems to like the looks of the products.
If you're in to the dollars and cents, check it out.
The article also had a couple of bits of programming info that we hadn't heard before, including:
...De Laurentiis is looking far beyond Food to expand the reach of her name. Come September, she says, she will co-host the new fourth hour of NBC's Today show for one week each month under a one-year contract. Already a contributing correspondent for the show, De Laurentiis will become one of a rotating roster of co-hosts for all of the hour's segments.
We knew that Giada was doing the Today thing and that they were looking to make it a more "permanent" gig, but I guess you can now count on her to be there for a week at a time.
The story also features a sidebar stating that there are plans for 13 new shows next year, and it appears that The Next Iron Chef is going to be one of the tent poles. It also mentions one show that was unfamiliar to us, Zane's World:
While trying to expand its brand, the Food Network hasn't lessened its focus on broadening its television programming, continuing its successful strategy of instructional fare during the day and entertainment-based shows at night. The network plans at least 13 new series this year, including The Next Iron Chef, a reality competition to find a new regular pressure cooker for its highly successful Iron Chef America showdown.
...
Other shows in the works include Cater Dudes (working title), debuting Aug. 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET, which profiles two young, L.A.-based caterers; Zane's World, Sept. 3 at 10:30 p.m., covering the weekly travels to food destinations around the world by comic Zane Lamprey; and America's Best Recipe, wherein everyday cooks will compete to have their concoction crowned the best in a variety of categories.
Labels: Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis
A Giada/Lidia Coincidence
Monday, May 21, 2007 | posted by Mike
If you watch enough TV food programming (or any kind of programming, for that matter), you're bound to come across little coincidences. For me, it usually comes in the form of something I've never heard of before being mentioned and explained and then hearing that same thing again shortly thereafter. I'm never sure if I've actually heard of it before but never noticed (as in the case below) or if it is just a strange coincidence that the first two times I've heard of it occurred in the span of a couple of days. For some reason, this seems to happen quite a bit with Jeopardy! answers that I get wrong and then are referenced somewhere else. It's a pretty strange feeling.
Well, I had one of them this weekend. Now, for something to be mentioned by both Giada De Laurentiis and Lidia Bastianich isn't that much of a stretch, considering they're both Italian chefs. But I managed to catch the rerun (must have been daydreaming the first time) of the Giada's Weekend Getaways in South Beach and Lidia's show on the Puglia region, both of which included a burrata.
What is a burrata? Well, it's basically a sack made of cheese...with cheese inside. If you're thinking what I'm thinking ("How do I get my hands on a cheese-bag that holds more cheese?!?!"), you should know that the recommendation is that you get one that is extremely fresh. Giada got hers at a restaurant called Casa Tua, which is apparently is Italian for "hard to find because we don't have signage." Lidia recommends one actually made in Puglia.
Her son, Joe (who is MUCH more knowledgeable than some second-generation food TV personalities we could mention...) made an excellent point in relation to these water balloons of creamy goodness. He contends that the one factor that has changed the way we eat more than anything else has been the ability to transport fresh food quickly thanks to overnight and air shipping. It is the availability of these authentic ingredients that makes all the difference, and the ability to actually get those types of (particularly fresh) ingredients at your local store -- no matter where you are -- has improved dramatically in recent years. Lidia herself mentions having to make puttanesca with black olives from a can when she started her restaurant. Yuck.
Anyway, just thought that was interesting. Your food déjà vu experiences and strange coincidences are, as always, welcome in the comments below.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis, Lidia Bastianich
How Much Does "Today" Like Giada?
Monday, May 07, 2007 | posted by Mike
Enough to build her a new kitchen.
OK, maybe not. The kitchen in question will surely be used for a number of guest chefs and will host many demonstrations. But the fact that the folks at NBC poured some serious money into building a new kitchen studio sure seems to indicate that they're excited about having a regular contributor who is also a whiz in the kitchen. Of course, I'm sure they got a company discount on the GE appliances, so maybe the financial commitment wasn't too great.
Giada gave Today viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the old cooking arrangement as well as the construction of the new facility.
For years the TODAY team and chefs from around the world have whipped up amazing dishes in the show's main studio. Now, TODAY's got a whole new kitchen and TODAY contributor and chef Giada De Laurentiis was on the show to cook up a feast for the special unveiling.
Two thoughts on the video:
- Great job by the Today producer responsible for picking the music used in the piece. The Stones and Curtis Mayfield!?!?
- At one point, while pointing out some of the details of the new kitchen, Giada says about the lights: "I like how cylindrical they are." I may be parsing that sentence a bit too closely, but does "how cylindrical" mean that there are degrees of cylindrical-ness? I thought objects were either cylinders or they weren't. Apparently, I need to have a discussion with my 10th grade geometry teacher.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada to Host Fourth Hour of "Today?"
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 | posted by Mike
It's no surprise that the folks at the Peacock Network are thrilled with Giada De Laurentiis' appearances on Today. They initially brought her on for some food and lifestyle spots here and there, but she's quickly becoming more and more of a presence on the morning news show. But now, Page Six of the New York Post is saying that she might be the leading candidate for a hosting gig during the show's fourth hour. Specifically...
We hear that the leading candidate to co-host the fourth hour of the "Today" show in September with Tiki Barber is gorgeous Giada DeLaurentiis, the Roman-born chef from the Food Network.
Now, this is great new for Giada. It should, however, serve as a warning to any Today fans out there. Not because of Giada, but because of Tiki.
OK. As an Eagles fan, I'm not exactly the most unbiased judge of he former Giants running back. But the guy is a smug jackass.
Anyway, what would this mean for Giada, and for us as Food Network watchers? Well, I'm assuming that the show would be shot in New York, which would pose an interesting situation for the Los Angeles-based De Laurentiis. The early-morning responsibilities would conceivably keep her free to continue to work for the Food Network, as their Chelsea studios would be a short limo ride from Rockefeller Center.
After all, pulling double duty on Today and Food Network hasn't been a problem for Al Roker, so it hopefully won't prove to be an issue for Giada.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada in TVFF's Neighborhood
Friday, April 06, 2007 | posted by Mike
That's right...Ms. De Laurentiis was just a few miles away from TV Food Fan HQ and I wasn't there. I have a good excuse, though, as I was giving a talk at my alma mater, The College of New Jersey. Plus, I already did the "gawking at Giada" thing once and the massive crowd that she usually draws makes standing in line for an autograph an all day affair.
According to this story from the Asbury Park Press, the 800 people who showed up for autographs were happy to wait in line for the chance to meet the Food Network celebrity. As you probably know, she's out on tour promoting her new cookbook, Everyday Pasta, which you can conveniently purchase from the TV Food Fan Store by clicking on that image over on the right. (Sorry for the shameless plug!)
The comments from the folks who stood in line are of the usual "we love her food and she's so nice" variety, the second part of which I can vouch for personally after seeing how gracious she was to each and everyone she signed for last year.
Herman likes De Laurentiis' recipes because they are easy to prepare and appetizing. She likes her personality as well.
"She comes across as somebody you'd want to have in your own kitchen," Herman said.
I was reading the article, just bopping along, and then I came across this gem:
"Her food is beautiful, as well as she is," Vansickle said. "She makes the Food Network that much more interesting."
When I read that first sentence, I cried a little bit for the New Jersey Education System. As comedian Lewis Black once said, "How do you diagram a sentence like that? I’ll tell you how. You take a pencil, put it in a sharpener, make sure it’s pointy, and then jab it in your eye!"
In non-food-related TVFF Birthday news, my gift from Mrs. TVFF was tickets to a reading in New Brunswick, NJ, by my favorite writer, David Sedaris
Actually...personal appearances in central New Jersey, quality writing and waiting in line for an autographed book...maybe my birthday story does have something to do with this post!
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Is Giada Branching Out?
Thursday, March 29, 2007 | posted by Mike
It wasn't a huge surprise when Giada De Laurentiis signed on as a correspondent for the Today show. After all, they occasionally run food pieces, and her guest spots during the Torino Olympics showed off the fact that she was more than just a "TV chef."
I have to admit that I haven't been following Giada's appearances on the NBC morning show, mostly because I'm out the door shortly after they finish the first round of weather updates. Not being around for the "features" sections means that I didn't notice that Giada has been co-hosting the 9:00 hour this week with Natalie Morales.
Giada's hosting duties have come up in two blog posts over the past few days. One, at mediabistro.com, is a short mention of Giada attending an industry event and a comment that "[s]he's doing great!"
The other mention is from AllDay, the official blog from the Today show. It's a piece about putting together a piece with Giada about the illness and passing of her brother Dino, who died a few years back from cancer. It's a nice post, and there is a link to the video of the piece, so you can check that out if you didn't see it.
So, what's the deal with Giada branching out and doing a little non-food hosting? After all, this was the gal who never dreamed of being on television. But with Rachael Ray and Paula Deen hosting talk shows now, you have to think that the prospects for someone as engaging and telegenic as Giada would be pretty good.
Weekend Getaways is almost more of a travel show than a food show, so Giada has already gone down the road of non-food entertainment television before. But one has to wonder how far she'll take the whole thing. With her, it's always seemed like it's about the food, so I can't imagine that she'd go too far afield.
Personally, I'm holding out for a Mario Batali talk show, complete with obscure references to medieval literature and that goofy guy from Mario Eats Italy in the Ed McMahon role.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Random Thoughts From the Chefography Marathon
Monday, March 26, 2007 | posted by Mike
Saturday was spent preparing the new TVFF HQ building for our big move, but Sunday was spent on the couch. Left alone and without a car (courtesy of the idiotic SUV driver who dinged my passenger side door outside the grocery store a few weeks back), I was able to kick back a bit and watch some culinary programming on Food Network (and PBS) in between loads of laundry.
As you probably know from having tuned in yourself over the past week or so, FN is busy getting its money's worth from the series Chefography. This week featured the debut of the second batch, and I was a little surprised that they didn't go back and recut the older episodes to include some of the new events in the lives of folks like Giada (there was no mention of Weekend Getaways). Having been sucked into marathons of other shows like Top Chef and various shows on MTV (which has been notorious for marathons of Real World and others), it was pretty easy to open up a bag of pretzels kick back and knock off a bunch of Chefographies.
Just a few comments...
Where's Alton? - Round 2 and still no Mr. Brown. We've heard that Alton is, in fact, a pretty private person when it comes to his personal life, so that might be why. I can't imagine why FN would skip over one of their most likable stars.
Giada - I don't think there is an episode as watchable as the Giada bio. I had seen it during the first run, but had no problem sitting through it again. It's probably because it's light on the manufactured drama that shows like that often rely upon. The only time it "goes serious" is when it talks about the illness and death of her brother. Still, it's a fun show, and you're left with the impression that her development into the celebrity we know today is complete and total chance. Although you might think that she was destined for television with her looks, it's a minor miracle that she has a show today. Those demo reels are bad...B-A-D. Hats off to Giada for letting them use the tapes.
And I would completely hang out with the couple she cooked for as a personal chef. They seem like a blast.
Tyler - I had a little bit of "inside info" when it comes to the Tyler episode, as I have a friend who used to work at one of the restaurants with Tyler. It's one of the spots shown in a montage illustrating the various places Tyler worked once he went to NYC. We talked about the episode and she recounted a couple of stories about the place (not about Tyler himself, but about that kitchen in general). She even recognized an ex-boyfriend in one of the pictures. He's now known as "Satan," so I'm guessing that she doesn't think back fondly on her time there.
Mario - Probably my favorite new episode for two reasons:
- Mario, as a teenager, looked completely deranged.
- They spent a solid three minutes on Stuff Yer Face, the New Brunswick stromboli place that has hosted a number of TVFF happy hours. One of the reasons that I love Mario is that he always says something good about his time at Stuff. When you think of a "respected" chef, you picture the kind of person who wouldn't want to talk about his or her time slumming in a pizza joint. But that's not Mario. He embraces it and the experience that he gained from it. Great stuff. Plus, they showed them making the chicken and broccoli boli, which is my favorite.
Sandra - Wow. I don't even know what to say. I could probably devote a whole post to it, dissecting it and analyzing it shot-by-shot, like I would if I were writing a paper about it back in one of my communications classes in school. I could do that...but I would probably shoot myself in the head.
This is about all I can muster:
What the hell was going on with those curtains?
Mary Hart and Florence Henderson?
At one point or another, she says something like criticism of her style of cooking (the semi-homemade thing) as being a slap in the face of women who work hard to put food on the table. Excuse me...there's a difference between cutting corners and using prepared ingredients and what is often shown on her show. Two words: Kwanzaa Cake.
I've taken a few shots at Sandra now and then, but I've never been as critical as some. But hiding behind working women to deflect criticism of goofy ideas is not cool.
Sandy, you just talked your way on to TVFF's Crap List.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis, Mario Batali, Sandra Lee, Tyler Florence
Is Giada De Laurentiis Coming to Your Town?
Monday, February 26, 2007 | posted by Mike
While I try to climb my way out of Google Purgatory...
We've mentioned that Giada De Laurentiis has a new cookbook, Everyday Pasta coming out soon (which you can pre-order from the TVFF store over there on the right!), and what is a book launch without an accompanying signing tour?
Thanks to our friends over at Giada Fan, we know that GDL will be making a number of appearances in the coming months, and that a few of them will be in the general vicinity of TVFF HQ. The appearances are set for the first two weeks of April and include bookstores in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Minnesota. For the full list, with dates and specific locations, check out the post.
Like I said, one or two of them are near me, but I'm not sure if Mrs. TVFF will let me go to a second GDL signing appearance. After all, I've already been allowed to go to one, which is what actually kicked off this whole food TV blogging thing. You can check that out in another post from last year over at Giada Fan .
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
News Flash: Giada De Laurentiis Likes to Wear Nice Clothes
Thursday, February 08, 2007 | posted by Mike
Food Network Chef/Resident Clotheshorse Giada De Laurentiis turned up today with a short profile in USA TODAY centering on her fashion sense and timed to coincide with her trip to New York for Fashion Week. More specifically, it deals with her love of designer Gilles Mendel and his J. Mendel line of clothing, which De Laurentiis says is one of her favorites. (Does Todd know this?!?!?)
Oh, and you ladies will love this part: Giada says that she has a lot of trouble finding clothes, claiming that, "I have a difficult time with clothes." Fortunately for her, J. Mendel fits her like a glove.
I have a hard time getting clothes that fit right, and for some reason the pieces I have from him, it's as if he sculpted them for me."
Mendel is modest. "I love to hear that," says the French clothier, who has dressed Heidi Klum, Laura Linney and Kyra Sedgwick.
All of you Giada-philes out there will definitely want to check out the short piece, which also features a photo of Ms. De Laurentiis trying on some of the new duds. There is a reference to Giada's fashionable family heritage, but this time it doesn't refer to her grandfather Dino. Instead, Giada got her start in the world of fashion with her grandmother, actress Silvana Mangano.
"She was an Italian movie star, and she used to go to all the high-end ones, like YSL. She took me a couple of years in a row, and I must have been 10. We'd sit in the front row and pick things out. It's so chic and sophisticated. It's so elegant."
TVFF will actually be in NYC today and not too far from the Bryant Park location of the whole Fashion Week festivities. Although we aren't particularly hopeful, we'll keep our eyes out for a petite Italian chef in nicely-fitted clothing.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
Giada De Laurentiis Leads a Sheltered Life
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 | posted by Mike
Thanks to my efforts to get caught up on Rome (which I wholly recommend) before the second season debut this weekend, I didn't get to watch much of Giada's Weekend Getaways. In fact, I only caught a few minutes of it during a replay on Saturday. Thanks to that and some behind-the-scenes stuff going on here at TVFF.com (more on that later in the week), we regret to inform you that there will be no formal review of Giada's Weekend Getaways.
I did catch a little bit of the South Beach episode, though. It was pretty good. Giada was her usual perky self. They found some stylish and cool-looking locations. They ate food that looked delicious. She drove around in an absolutely adorable car. And, of course, all of the people she met along the way were beautiful.
Which brings me to my point: I don't think Giada knows any ugly people.
Seriously, have you ever seen her next to an ugly person? I haven't. In fact, I once saw her at a book signing near TVFF.com headquarters and I have to say it was a pretty attractive crowd.
We've all seen the friends and family that she invites over at the end of Everyday Italian...attractive. And those people she visited on her trip to Italy...attractive.
And then there's her husband, Todd. Have you seen him? TVFF.com is not at all afraid to say that he is a fantastic looking man. Oh, he's also a clothing designer for Anthropologie. For all of the guys out there, that would be like being married to a cheerleader who is also a massage therapist.
All of this is reinforced in Giada's Weekend Getaways. Friend after friend is better looking than the last. The funny thing is that it's not some fantasyland lifestyle that you see with someone like Martha Stewart, where everything is just so perfect and in its correct place. That always comes off as artificial. It's much more natural than that.
And maybe that's the scariest part. I honestly just think she doesn't know any unattractive people.
Giada can no longer go through life without being exposed to the ugliness of ugliness. Someone needs to stage an intervention.
I think it will go something like when those activists in The Truman Show keep trying to show Jim Carrey's character that his world is a facade. Someone will pop out from behind a bush and yell, "It's all a lie! Ugly people exist!!!!"
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
"Giada's Weekend Getaways" Premiers Tonight
Friday, January 12, 2007 | posted by Mike
The Food Network is kicking off the weekend by kicking off Weekend.
We made a mention of Giada's Weekend Getaways a little while back and the new program featuring GDL will make its debut this evening at 9:00 PM. It's a travel show with Giada going on a weekend getaway to one location or another, hitting the local scene and, no doubt, spending quite a bit of time sampling the cuisine.
I will say that the number one thing that people coming to TVFF.com want to know is what kind of car she's "driving" in the commercials. Not being a car guy, I didn't know. Someone over at Yahoo! Answers asked the question and judging by the picture on the page they link to, I'd say he might be right that it's a "Austin Healey either late 50's early 60's, the model I would guess is a 1959 3000 mark I." Credit to "red_drifter" for making the call.
The show itself is getting a bunch of notice in the press, listed in a number of publications' "What's New on TV" round-up and here in the Miami Herald, where they give a run-down of the local South Beach locations that Giada will be visiting on one of tonight's back-to-back episodes.
In other Giada news, Adam over at Giada Fan has a a couple of new posts up, so be sure to check it out when you get a chance.
Labels: Giada De Laurentiis
