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When I first started watching Food Network, Rachael Ray only hosted the shows demonstrating how to eat quickly and cheaply. Shortly after, she climbed the entertainment ladder and reached Hollywood stardom.
Or at least she got C-list celebrity status.
Yes, the bubbly brunette came a long way from cooking up half-hour specialties in “30 Minute Meals” and coasting through America’s chicest cities on a budget in “$40 a Day.”
And it didn’t take long for her to surpass the C-list.
Along with cooking, she now writes books, heads her own magazine, “Every Day with Rachael Ray” and hosts another daytime television show complete with celebrity guests and more delicious food.
She even has her own episode of “E! True Hollywood Story.”
It’s official – she’s made it.
When thinking about it, Ray’s popularity is not surprising. She seems born for television stardom. She’s perky, smiley, prepares delicious and easy meals and uses a slew of catchphrases and abbreviations.
Known as Rachael “Rayisms,” some of the things she shouts out to her viewers as she cooks are: E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil), “oh my gravy!” and “how cool is THAT?” The “Rayisms” aren’t particularly funny, but they are memorable.
She’s also notorious for eating her own food on camera and gloating about its tastiness. I don’t care for this little ritual, but I still watch it. I think I’m just jealous that she gets to indulge in some good-looking grub and I have to sit and watch her.
With her growing fan base and elbow-rubbing with the stars, it’s clear Ray resides in a different sphere than other Food Network show hosts. Is Rachael Ray the new “it” girl?
Is she the new break-out star? She seems like an odd candidate to follow in the footsteps of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, but she’s out there with them. She’s strolling down the red carpet, making the talk show rounds and gracing the pages of tabloids. And she looks like she’s enjoying it.
I would be too.
I know I wouldn’t mind getting paid tons of money and scooping up popularity and fans just for demonstrating how to make dinner “the fast way.”
Better yet, Ray admits to never receiving a formal chef’s education. The woman with no training makes it all the way to the top. It’s the kind of underdog story so many know and love.
I find it especially encouraging. Does this mean I can film myself making my version of salsa and (thanks to YouTube) get my own place in the spotlight? All right, I may not reach fantastic heights, but it can’t hurt to try. Ray taught us that fast, home-cooked food can still taste good and we don’t have to be gourmet chefs to prepare them. Since I consider myself “cooking incompetent” for the most part, I appreciate her efforts.
Did our society’s love for food contribute to Ray’s “it girl” status? Are we shifting our admirations? Do we not care if someone has good looks, won an Oscar or made a sex tape anymore? No, if someone can tantalize the tongue and make mouths water in 30 minutes or less, that’s the one we pay attention to.
In a way, I’m relieved. I’m tired of seeing super-skinny celebrities crash their cars and drift in and out of rehab. Ray is a normal-looking woman who just likes to eat. She’s my kind of girl.
Francy Marcotte
