Tyler Florence »
I Love @TylerFlorence Twitter T-Shirt
Published on: July 30, 2009 – 10:04 am by Jillian Madison 
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Just when I thought I’d seen all there was to see in the world of lame Food Network apparel, THIS t-shirt reared its ugly little head. Lock your doors, Tyler. Lock your doors.
You’re looking at a custom made “I Love Tyler Florence” t-shirt, made by a Twitter user named JustWonderingIf. The @ symbol in the middle is a nod to Tyler’s Twitter account, and the diarrhea-colored circles on the bottom represent the number of times Tyler says “off the charts” every minute.
The t-shirt creator only made one shirt, and it’s not being sold in stores or online. And might I say THANK GOD. It’s one thing to like Tyler and to think it’s cute, but it’s totally another to be so moved by him that you feel the need to declare your unwavering love for his Twitter account on your chest. Unless you’re the 4 year old offspring of Tyler Florence, or someone he once rescued from a burning building, you really have no business wearing this shirt.
Maybe you’re one of the Tyler fans out there saying, “Oh come on. This t-shirt isn’t that bad.” Perhaps you’ll find this a little scarier: a Twitter user by the name of CookinNana purchased a “Don’t wake me, I’m dreaming about Tyler Florence” pillowcase from eBay. No such pillowcases are on eBay now, but the fact that such a horror once existed shakes me to my very core.
<Begin miniature non-food related rant>
I’ve never understood the public’s ridiculous obsession with celebrities. I know several of them, and I can tell you they’re all flawed people just like you and I, but with one major exception: they’re used to people fawning over them. Telling a celebrity “I LOVE YOU” is just like telling them “THE SKY IS BLUE.” Of course they appreciate their fans, but after awhile, the adoration just becomes part of their daily routine and it stops having any sort of impact on them. They think absolutely nothing of it. Having said that, I’d like to take this opportunity to send a quick note to the people out there making Tyler Florence t-shirts and Tyler Florence pillowcases: You don’t “love” Tyler Florence. You’ve never even met him. You’ve simply developed an attachment to him while watching him prepare lamb chops on TV. Unfortunately, that attachment seems to have developed into an abnormal parasocial relationship, which is manifesting itself as the unhealthy obsession with him that you’re mistakenly calling “love.” (And by the way, t-shirt creator, you’re married. If you’re into homemade t-shirts, shouldn’t you be wearing one with your husband’s name on it?)
<End miniature non-food related rant>
This week, Tyler Florence t-shirts and pillowcases. Next week, his used tissues and toilet paper on eBay. It’s a slippery slope!
Other posts on Food Network Humor:
---We Love You Too, Tyler---Twitter Users Sick Of Tyler Florence – Are You?
---Tyler Florence Should Have Someone Proofread His Twitter
---Someone Stole Tyler Florence’s Fork
---Tyler Florence’s Brownies Taste Like Dead People!
I’d leave that on the shelf if I saw it at the store, but if I see any of these I am so snapping them up:
“I love Korea.” @DebbieHotDogQueen
“I love garish clothing, mannerisms and jewelry.” @guyfierri
“I love Cocktails.” @AuntSandy
Some of these kooks and superfans have way too much time on their hands. Obviously something lacking in their lives.
Wait, so you mean you won’t be impressed if I send you a photo of my brand-spanking-new “I LOVE JILLIAN MADISON” t-shirt?? I’m heartbroken.
This is a cry for help!
Your non food related rant is perfect. I have been highly annoyed over people who obsess over celebs. It seems unhealthy to me, and no one seems to understand it.
Could somebody hand Jillian a couple Midol before she hurts something? ;)
Gee. The first thing I thought of when I saw this t-shirt was it was a perfect bullseye for some sharp shooter.
I would totally use it for target practice. High-caliber at that.
@Byrdie and Kittykitty: All the better if Tyler Florence was wearing it. He seems so smug to me, I just want to punch him in the face.
You can easily remove Tyler’s name out of that and somehow insert another person’s Twitter name, and it’d be the same effect.
It’s like how Robert Pattinson got HIT BY A TAXI (weeks ago( in NYC trying to run away from crazy fans. His bodyguard yelled at them.
Cool, you know celebrities! I absolutely love them. Can you get me some autographs?
John Lennon’s and Rebecca Schaeffer’s families can tell you: Celebrity obsession is no laughing matter.
Well said, Jillian.
this is tyler florence we’re talking about. some dude who has one lame cooking show on television. its sort of sad that someone was enamored enough by him to make this t-shirt. whoever made it, i’m laughing at you, not with you!
an i love FNH t-shirt, now that i would totally wear.
Jillycakes, that rant was freakin hilarious. It sounds like everything I’m learning in freshman psych! You know your shht, eh?
I love my girlfriend but I’d rather die than wear a shirt that says so. Because thats just ridiculous.
Anybody notice how fat Tyler has gotten? Seriously he makes Debbie from the next Food network star look petite!
Tyler Florence linked to this post from his Twitter account and said “Don’t worry about FNH, they kid because they love.” I always thought he came off as sort of a jerk, but he’s earning major points in my book for being cool and just getting it.
It’s nice to know he has a sense of humor about this. I’ve always found celebrity obsession to be fairly creepy. This shirt just screams it.
Maybe it’s just the designer’s opportunity to put a bullseye on Tyler Florence’s chest.
Tyler Florence’s line of organic baby food called “Sprout” (get it? Hahhahaha GET IT!!!!???) is on sale at my local store for 2/99 cents. I thought maybe the empty shelves meant no more Sprout, but they restocked and the sale is still on. Humm. They come in (of all things) pouches.
All of you people talking shitttt up here. I am from Italy and we are always laughing at you Americans who shout from the mountain tops “I love this one and I love that one ” Here comes some kid who says she loves Tyler Florence and you morons jump all over her .Here is a link that show all you stupid Americans participate in the same behavior ! That’s why your economy is in so much trouble you whine whine whine and bitch and complain about everyone else yet you have time to beat down this poor kid. Instead of posting hateful comments go get a life .!Here is the link to show you how stupid you all are ! http://www.shirtcity.com/us/index.php
Hey Sophie…if you think our economy is in the toilet, Italy’s was already flushed down. Because of the Global economic crisis, tourists aren’t flocking for your bowls of overpriced pasta and rotting buildings. It’s been the mighty US dollar that has been feeding Italy’s economy for decades. The US rebuilt Italy from the ashes after Mussolini destroyed it. It was the US soldiers that gave your grandma chocolate and bread, you stupid ignorant turd! It was the US that accepted your flea-bitten, smelly relatives at Ellis Island so they could escape the poverty and lack of opportunities in your precious Italy. They got tired of having no meat, instead frying breadcrumbs and putting that on top of the meager strands of broken pasta. When our economy recovers then Italy will again be grabbing up those US dollars from the “Stupid Americans” that visit the old boot. Put that in your Ragu, you dumb cow.
“I’ve never understood the public’s ridiculous obsession with celebrities.”
After reading statements like that and finding the FNH and the Hate on Idol sites to be the funniest on the web, Jillian I think I’m in love. What do I do???