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Barefoot Contessa: Beach Barbecue Photo Recap
Published on: May 30, 2009 – 10:39 pm by Jillian Madison 
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On today’s strange episode of Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten hosted a beach barbecue for 5 of her snootiest, whitest, sweater-over-the-shoulder wearin’ friends. Ina asked her old pal Michael (who never met a hydrangea that he didn’t like) to decorate the beach so she could focus on the food. The result? 30 minutes of Ralph Lauren polos, creepy blindfolds, grilled clams, fake giggling, and a gigantic disco ball made entirely out of shells.
god…i was looking forward to a post just like this! I swear it was one of the more awkward (and waspy) episodes I’ve seen…What WAS with shell-ball? why do you need pillars in hurricanes on a sunny day at the beach. Trust me…I’ve lived 10 minutes from the beach nearly my whole life… a campfire would suffice. but i love ina and the gays! i’ll let it go this time.
The implicit racism and social casteism of TFN is really bugs me.
“those bitches better not be having fun without me” HAHA so awesome
“The implicit racism and social casteism of TFN is really bugs me.”–Tatiana
Care to elaborate on this?
It’s just that I think TFN tends to stereotype their shows into very distinct and obvious demographic types. Fake high brow stuff like Ina or Giada with their privileged lifestyles ostentatiously displayed (in a way that Old Money never ever would), the lowbrow antics of Guy or Paula, or the fact that the only people of color on TFN are rather, well, stereotypical. I think it is insulting on the part of TFN to think that they need to box everyone into these tight little categories in order for a diverse audience to relate to their shows. Or maybe it’s just that they themselves can’t think outside their narrow-viewed box.
“It’s just that I think TFN tends to stereotype their shows into very distinct and obvious demographic types. Fake high brow stuff like Ina or Giada with their privileged lifestyles ostentatiously displayed (in a way that Old Money never ever would), the lowbrow antics of Guy or Paula, or the fact that the only people of color on TFN are rather, well, stereotypical. I think it is insulting on the part of TFN to think that they need to box everyone into these tight little categories in order for a diverse audience to relate to their shows. Or maybe it’s just that they themselves can’t think outside their narrow-viewed box.”–Tatiana
You say that non-Whites on Food Network (example: The Neelys) are sterotypical, but you imply that ONLY non-Whites are stereotyped. You then say that Ina and Giada are “fake”, “high-brow” and “privileged”, which is also a stereotype. And yes; old money plays into that as well. Then it would only be fair that Guy and Paula also play to a stereotype as well, that of borderline trailer-trash.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not so keen on Food Network lowering their standards to appeal to certain memes of American society, but public televison-style food programming is not what FN aims for now.
Stereotypes are real and that reality is what angers some people because they think it’s all a big construct. It’s not.
Agree with Tatiana 100%…for those of us that watch the Food Network alot (like me), these very carefully constructed shows, each designed to appeal to a particular demographic, seem rather strange and disjointed when run back to back. I am not complaining though, just agreeing with her that I see the same things she talked about.
LOL…actually, this is ironically what makes the FN “Specials” so unintentionally hillarious. Having Jamie Oliver work with Paula Deen on a “Spotted Dick” dish while over in Studio 2, you have Guy d’Faery, Ina Garten & the Squealy’s collaborating on their own opus magnus, a deep fried hamburger with squash blossoms, served on Krispy Kreme donuts with a hydrangea floral arrangement.
My biggest question is why she only prepared about 20 clams for six people? What’s up with that?!?
I ask because on today’s show, she prepares six hunky slices of Fettunta (bread) with proscuitto and mozzarella (not to mention a salad with MORE bread) and a whole chicken and ain’t nobody around but Ina. Just asking…
My bad. She ended up inviting a neighbor over for a piece of bread. And what’s with all the kissing and hugging all the time. Everytime her work assistant comes over, they are hugging and kissing, even if they just saw each other five minutes before. Maybe Jeffery needs to stay home a litte more often.
Oh I love me some Ina and all along I just knew that denim clad bitch was thinking those dirty things about Jeffrey.
50 years of good cooking my butt! – You just know those two are kinkier than a new perm on wash day!!
Yep, they are the whitest!! Does she have ANY ethnic friends? Giada does not count!!
“Yep, they are the whitest!! Does she have ANY ethnic friends? Giada does not count!!”-Margaret
Only if Ina was a shiksa would she be classified as “white”. And if Giada isn’t “ethnic” then I guess the Neelys aren’t either, right?
I know they’re looking at demographics, but I don’t WANT to see the food I ate growing up. I already know all about that. Paula’s cooking is pretty standard, and the Neeleys represent the area in which I grew up. I guess marketing says I’m supposed to identify with them, but I’d rather watch people who show me something at least a little different, like Ina or Giiiiaaahhhhdaaahhh. Guy Ferry doesn’t appeal to me on any level.
I could have SWORN that Jeffrey spelled his name “Geoffrey” because it seemed more snooty and gnomish.
Have you ever seen a Jewish couple try so hard not to be Jewish?
What is everyone talking about?
Can we just discuss the idiotic party prep with 50 mile-an-hour winds, with pillars and a big shell ball???
WTF????
I found the beach scenes very unnerving.
Isn’t is much nicer INSIDE the big beach house???
Can you imagine how long it would take two middle aged men to drag all of that shit down to the beach? Poor Jim had to dig a hole for the palm trees(?) for God sake. Do you think they just left it all there afterward? I would and send “I” the bill. How great is that?