Are you a Martha Stewart person or a Rachael Ray person?I don't know if it's on the par of Mac vs. PC or Coke vs. Pepsi, but when it comes to their TV shows, I think we lean towards either one or the other. They're on at the same time in the Boston area, and I've been watching them the past week to see what the differences are, what their strengths are, their weaknesses, etc. Here's my special investigative report.
Theme Song:
No contest. This one goes to Martha. She has sort of a classic pop instrumental-ish theme (sounds like that song that starts out "Why don't you stop...", can't remember the name of it), and it suits the show. Rachael's theme is a little more chaotic (like the host), and includes the growl, "ohhhh, Rachael Ray!" That's annoying.
Hosts: Today Rachael said at the start of the episode that it was "going to be a very loud show." As opposed to which episodes? She has a certain, um, energy? If you don't like someone who never stops and they scream and they jump up and down and race from one end of the kitchen, saying things like "Yum!" and "EVOO!" and laughing, then Rachael Ray isn't for you.
Martha Stewart is quite the opposite. She's opened up a little since her new daily syndicated show debuted, but she's still Martha. She's very precise and when something goes wrong she doesn't really go with the flow. Even though she laughs and smiles, you can still sense a bit of tension behind the smile, like when Andy Dick was on the show recently (an extreme example, I know, because most guests don't throw pillow stuffing around and tell penis jokes, but still).
Rachael will talk more about burgers and football more than Martha will. Martha will talk about wine and going to Paris for fashion.
Content:
Martha seems to concentrate on crafts a little bit more than food, and goes through each step carefully. Rachael concentrates more on food than Martha, but really runs through the recipes, dumping ingredients in, grabbing pans, grabbing dishes, telling you several times throughout the hour to "go to the web site for the recipe." Rachael also has more guests on her show, ordinary viewers that she helps with cooking or gets a cool household tip from or helps with some problem (today she helped a woman who was didn't like spending money, which I didn't realize was a problem). Martha seems to have a lot of celebs on (Rachael does too, but concentrates on viewers more). Personally, I'm a food guy much more than a crafts guy, so that part of Rachael's show interests me more than Martha, but when Martha does food she explains it better. This is a toss up for me, though I zone out when Rachael is talking to women about shoes or relationship issues.
Sets:
I'm not sure, but I think Rachael Ray had George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic come in and create her set. Not only is it large, the entire audience platform rotates to point toward whatever part of the stage Rachael is doing something in. Probably overkill, but cool. Martha's audience doesn't move, but her set is impressive. It's not even like a studio, it's like an extension of Martha's house, with a big kitchen backstage where the cooks prepare the food and seem to be working like Santa's Elves all day.
The winner? It's a toss up really. Rachael is more exhausting to watch than Martha, but I can probably relate to her better. But I can't choose. What say you?















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-27-2006 @ 10:49AM
Littleoldman said...
I'd compare the two of them by their apparent disorders.
Rachael - ADHD
Martha - OCD
So my choice is Rachael. What can I say? I'm a slob.
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10-27-2006 @ 12:06PM
Karen said...
I hate them both. What do I win?
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10-27-2006 @ 12:11PM
thisIsMyBrainOnDrugs said...
does Bob Sassone actually get paid for this?
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10-27-2006 @ 12:22PM
Chris W said...
#3 Do you get paid to read this during the day?
I have to watch both for work. I think Rachael Ray is a better host sound-byte wise, but often Martha is a better SHOW sound-byte wise. Rachael Ray is just nutty and says funny things, talks to food, and makes obscure movie/tv references. On Martha, it's funny to see celebrities "push the envelope" because Martha Stewart gets the jokes and, though she'll play right back, she is visibly uncomfortable; but that only works when she has nutty guests.
With Martha Stewart, it's the opposite effect of Stephen Colbert, where the show is funnier if the guest is a "straight man"; Martha herself is a good straight man. Rachael Ray is just a character in and of herself, and doesn't necessarily need guests to highlight that.
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10-27-2006 @ 12:26PM
Marthe said...
Who can sit and watch either show for an hour and be entertained?? I am usually multi-tasking with the t.v. on and Martha Stewart is articulate, and her projects are classy, so I end up viewing her segments more often. Rachel Ray is loud and obnoxious, and her projects are 3rd grade level ability. When the camera zooms in on the food in the pan she threw together, it always looks gross. There is alot of really good cooking, and home improvement shows on t.v., so Rachel Ray's show is stale in comparasion. But I guess if Jerry Springer's show lasted all these years, so will Rachel Ray's. Hey Rachel you or your hubby probably will be the next "Dancing With The Stars." You are one lucky girl in life!!!
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10-27-2006 @ 1:08PM
thisIsMyBrainOnDrugs said...
#4 "I have to watch both for work." and your job is inmate?
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10-27-2006 @ 1:21PM
Chris W said...
Corporate inmate :)
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10-28-2006 @ 10:21AM
MrsEldubya said...
I'm definitely a Rachael Ray person. I like that she doesn't measure stuff out and does alot of one pot dishes etc. I learned alot from her 30 min meals show because you see a dish from beginning to end and she explains why she uses certain tools, spices, etc. Now her show is a tad chaotic and I don't care for all the segments. I did make her Apple Cider Chicken a couple of weeks ago and it was fantastic! Martha is just too prim and proper for me, even when she's on the Today show for a few minutes, I can't take it.
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11-17-2006 @ 9:55PM
zoomy said...
Rachel has no class nor taste. Who wants MORE frenzy.
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10-30-2006 @ 2:46AM
TW said...
First and foremost, I think that the (zzzz )rachael ray 'enterprise' is irresponsible, class-less and utterly ... pointless! For starters, the woman has abhorrent manners. In fact, she is completely lacking in any social skills, whatsoever. I WOULD ask 'how the h*ell did this flake end up with her own tv show?', however, this IS America, and American T.V. is notoriously bad for the brain-just take a look at what the 'general populace' watches on a regular basis!!! No WONDER ignorance, violence, laziness and obesity is so pervasive within our culture!!!
As far as rr goes, I believe that she is simply a menace to society; she is influencing an alarmingly large demographic-- and THAT is faaaaar more frightening to me than even the prospect of 'the end of the world'. The fact that so many people are apparently blindly following her 'expert advice' is an extremely scary thought--just imagine the increase in food poisoning, obesity and terrible 'manners,' that her disturbingly popular influence will be the cause of! As if Americans weren't obnoxious enough, we now have THIS to represent us!!!
Case in point:
~ Her hygeine is nothing short of being VILE: she is incessantly scratching at some body part or another (mostly, scratching her unkempt hair and scalp, digging in her ears, rubbing her nose and fishing under her fingernails for gawd only knows what!) this scratching, digging and scraping is all occuring whilst she is preparing food and invading everyone's personal space. I can't even begin to keep track of how many times I've watched (in horror) as she scrapes at some body part and then sticks her unwashed hands into the food that she's preparing or touched a guest. That is just.... disgusting.
~When she DOES 'wash' her hands, she makes certain that everyone knows it ('just gotta wash my hands here') yet she does not use soap, nor does she even make an attempt at *pretending* to abide by the basic guidelines of 'universal precautions'--- she simply runs her chubby little mitts under the faucet for 2 seconds and them wipes them dry on a filthy dishrag, that she's used for swiping across raw chicken juice, ear wax, hair grease and whatever else she's managed to spill that day. She is simply UN hygenic.
~She shrieks like a monkey in heat; the woman is CONSTANTLY yelling. There is absolutey NO reason for *anyone* to be sooooo damn *loud*. And her voice is the most cacophonous , aurally offensive noise that I've ever had the misfortune to endure ---in fact, I'd like to file a class action LAWSUIT against this horrendous assault upon my senses.
~She is rude: she is abrasive, crude, snotty, condescending and glib towards EVERYONE that she speaks (down) to. I am amazed that no one has 'bitch slapped ' her , yet.
~she yammers on with her humongous mouth full of food: again, poooor manners! Chewing and flinging slobber all over the place (and her guests) with a huge mouthful of food (slop) is NOT , in any way, 'endearing'. In fact, it's outright 'trailer trash' behaviour. Gee, what a WONDERFUL example to set for our children!!!
~Her mouth: it is a black hole. If she opened it any wider, she'd swallow the entire planet. I don't know why the studio brass has not yet wired that cavernous yap of hers shut, yet. It's remniscent of an anaconda swallowing a small child.
~Her 'style' (or rather, lack thereof)The way this woman dresses reminds me of a child whose raided her mommy's closet.. who tells her that she can go out in PUBLIC like this???? And she claims to be a size '4'?? (ha!! more like a 4xxx)Sorry, but I do not want to be visually assaulted by a midget waddling around stage , pouring rolls of fat through too tight, loud and mismatched clothing. Again, she is influencing people to believe that it's 'ok' to wear clothing that accentuates your rolls of fat and cellulite and which takes a steamroller and 4 bottles of 'evoo' (that's extra virgin olive oil, dontcha know!) to get into! Fat rolls, pouring out of uber tight cothing is NEVER a 'good look'.
~she claims that her food is 'healthful' and that when you 'eat well, you can eat more'. Okay, so show us an EXAMPLE! Ha, sorry chubbs, but pouring grease and hot dogs and pasta into 'healthful' pig slop isn't exactly setting an example of 'eating well'. Ever try veggies that WEREN'T slathered in bacon grease or smothered with cheese????
~She is a liar, a hypocrite and a total *fraud*: her stories change from one day to the next and she makes fun of people for things that she, herself does. Another HUGE factor in her fraudulent behaviour, is the fact that she's now running some charity scam, using breast cancer to make a buck. On her crappy website, she's hocking her 'yummo' shirts, which in her show, she claimed that ALL proceeds were to be donated to the Komen foundation. Yet, a letter from the foundation revealed that 'the rach' has NO contract with them, but promised to donate 10% of each fugly pink 'yummo' shirt that was sold--- that's a WHOPPING $1.69 , folks!! My, how gracious of her!!!
~She has no scruples: she will put her face on any product that pays her to do so. And , she'll stop at NOWHERE, regarding publicity. In essence, she's a prostitute.
~Her irresponsible, rude and selfish behaviour is setting an incredibly poor example for her viewers and their children. Telling people to skimp on the tip, is simply absurd. Particularly considering that the woman is beyond wealthy. Leaving a tip of 35 cents, when you're a WEALTHY CELEBRITY??? Gee, I guess that means that 'regular folk' don't even HAVE to tip! And THIS is the same woman who advocates that 'EVERYONE IN THE WORLD' (yes, including starving poor people and the service providers that you've stiffed on tips!) shoud go out and splurge once a month on 'really expensive clothes and shoes'. And she mocks those who are frugal. Yet, she can't even tip the MINIMUM standard. Ugh. Just.... ugh!
~There is soooo very much more wrong with this horrid creature, but I'll save that for a 'part2'. Right now. I need to go slip into a pair of GENUINE size 3's and cook some REAL food.
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10-30-2006 @ 9:33AM
Sam said...
I tape both shows daily so I can watch only the parts that interest me. In most cases it's only the food related segments. I can take something away from both shows. Why does it have to be either/or? Oh I get it. It's a media thing.
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10-30-2006 @ 10:16AM
Nozzz said...
I personally hate both ladys, but Martha has my vote.
Rachael Ray is a hypocrite, a (BAD) lier, and gives out very horrible, offensive, or maybe even unhealthy, advice.
Martha, despite the stock market mess, does have class, she cooks well, and her designing doesn't harm. She's genuine, nice, and very interesting.
Rachael Ray is a no-class, talentless, rude millionare celebrity who is just horrid to look at, and horrid to even see her name.
IF you go on FoodNetwork's website and view Ray's recipes, on the bottom you see the Nutrition Facts. Her recipes contain atleast, if not less, 1,000 calories per serving and 50 grams of fat. Most recipes are PACKED with extra virgin olive oil, which is healthy--but not when cooked, chicken stock, and/or countless measurements of butter.
Ray gives out awful advice and offends one-another. On her syndicated talk show, 'Rachael Ray', she called one guest a 'suckling pig'. It could, or could not, be a joke--but you NEVER call anyone a suckling person or a pig. Period.
She also is extremely unfit lady. She tells on her show(s) 'If your kids don't like it [this meal]--POUR IT WITH CHEESEEEEEEEEEE!!!11&!1368q4q908rmskf', which she puts atleast 5-8 handfuls of it on her meal. Cheese does have good benefits, but also has tons of grease and has a lot of calcium. Extra grease and extra disguisting-o!
On all her shows, you find her scratching her head or rubbing her nose countless times. Ray's hair is not healthy n'or is it clean. Her hair is greasy on every show... Rachael Ray has no class because she talks with her mouth FULL of greasy food and interrupts her guests frequently. Here is an example:
Guest: Okay, so I walked my dog out and he did business in the grass--
Rachael: Oh! He has a dog! I have a dawg too. Her name is Isaboo 'cuz my old dog, Boo, died.
(Audience 'awww' and 'clap')
Guest: Uh... yeah... and so somebody found out--
Rachael: Uh oh! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~d.
Ecetera. She's the Joker of the new world. Her smile is annoying, scary, and offensive to the naked eye, even with a telescope! How could you find someone who doesn't groom 'as cute as a button'? Even my puppy squealed and cried once it heard 'the Rach' on 30 Minute Meals, and this was actually true. She HAPPENED to be on and my puppy cried.
Face it, America, Rachael is a media-whore who is creating shows--and a restaurant deal, for the money. She doesn't WANT to show up at book-signings, or even want to hear your storys. She doesn't care about you, or your family, or fans. She's a rude, talentless, unfit lady who is making America a more unhealthy place to live in. No wonder why the Westerns hate us.
~Nozzz~ Anonymous Culinary Student~
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10-31-2006 @ 9:10AM
Samantha said...
Martha's show is so much better. Last week she had on Rod Stewart and he also performed on the show. RR's audience had to see a taped interview. She also had on Cat Cora. Yesterday she had Padma from Top Chef on. Tomorrow Paula Deen will be on.
Also, she has had Halloween segments on daily for at least a week. I don't believe Rachael's show even acknowledged it.
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11-13-2006 @ 2:37AM
RP said...
Hey TW, it seems to me that you watch Rachael Ray everyday! If you hate her so much why don't you do Rachael and all her fans a favor and CHANGE THE CHANNEL! And get a life while you're at it.
Rock on Rach!!
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11-16-2006 @ 4:18PM
steph said...
I watch both shows. Personally, I would much rather watch Rachel's show than Martha's. My 4 year old son will stop what he is doing to watch Rachael. She is not skinny, she is not prissy, she is not perfect...but that is what we love about her. She reminds us of someone we know, or maybe even of ourselves. As for TW, and Nozz....how superficial it is to judge someone according to their weight or their clothing style. That is rude and I well, I think you guys have way more problems than Rachael..why do you care....just turn the channel if you don't like her. It is that simple...
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11-21-2006 @ 9:03PM
ayer said...
I'm a fan of Rachael Ray's 30-minute meals so I tuned in to the first episode of her talk show. I thought I'd enjoy it. However, I found her too loud and very hyperactive. She's not my early morning cup of tea, but I still watch 30-minute meals at the Food Network.
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