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With one season now under its belt, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel has earned our title of being the most culturally insensitive show on TV. We caught a repeat episode on Sunday night when the Emmys got boring and realized that the show’s host is the type of traveler that helps other countries put “ugly” in front of “American.”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, Zimmern travels to “exotic” locations (Taiwan, the Philippines, the American South) and tries the funkiest, bizarrest foods the region has to offer. (Think ones that are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Big Mac.)
Here’s how the Bizarre Foods' website described an episode on Taiwan:
Andrew is off to the tropical island of Taiwan--a culture that loves to eat flavorful food that stinks! Join Andrew as he tries to find the source of these smells trying native dishes like thousand year old eggs, fermented meat and rooster's testicles.
Gee, how do you say “condescending” in Asian?
The Sunday night highlight show followed Zimmern’s culinary travels through Asia, where he tried foods like bird’s nest soup, bats, spirulina and the distinctive-smelling durian fruit -- to most Western noses anyway.
But here’s where our problem with Zimmern begins. Unlike his Travel Channel counterpart Anthony Bourdain – who immerses himself in a particular culture, soaks up its history and relishes any new adventure in taste – Zimmern remains decidedly an outsider. (His midwestern sensibilities show through and through.)
Every time he tries a food that looks or smells weird, he looks as meek as a mouse – like a contestant on Fear Factor about to eat bull’s testicles. During this particular episode, we watched him take small sips of spirulina for a camera shot, but then he backwashed the drink back into his glass. We’ve tried spirulina, and it’s not that bad.
He also insults the culture that’s feeding him. Later in the same episode, he’s offered the durian fruit by a local farmer and ends up gagging and spitting it back out in front of the guy.
Some of the foods featured in the Asian show are available right in LA’s own Chinatown. What's so exotic about that?
If the Travel Channel is going to pay someone to go and try foods from across the world, can’t they find someone who’s an actual foodie? Who finds joy in trying new foods to wake the taste buds? Who really appreciates differences in cuisines and cultures?
But if Andrew can't man up, then just leave the job to Bourdain. Zimmern can stick to the Big Macs. We know that figure of his wasn’t acquired by eating mounds of bull testicles and bird’s nest soup.
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How exactly is Zimmern not a foodie? Since when has describing food that "stinks" become condescending? Can't a foodie describe cheese as stinky? Why not thousand year old eggs?
Honestly, isn't a person's palette allowed to dislike food? Is a foodie someone who loves every single thing they put in their mouth? Just because something is part of a particular culture, doesn't mean every single person in that culture likes it (just like how every single French person doesn't necessarily love frogs legs, or not every American likes a Big Mac or whatever).
Anyways, I swear I've seen Bourdain dislike, spit out, or whatever else to a cultures food. Why is it OK for him and not a jolly round midwesterner?
And what's so exotic about something that can be found in LA's Chinatown? Well, to most Americans (and I'd say a pretty large chunk of people in LA) some of those things are pretty fuckin' exotic regardless of how accessible they are.
Oh, and one more thing, nice job picking on the man because he looks like he "stick(s) to Big Macs". Bull testicles seem pretty fuckin' fatty if you ask me.
ah, come now.
as someone born in davao, philippines...
i understand how durian can nauseate the masses.
its fumes have even caused a bomb scare at my hospital.
the whole show's about someone green, trying new things.
of course he couldn't like everything.
or else the show would get boring.
watching someone up-chuck always makes for good tv.
and what's so great about bourdain?
he's got so much pretention.
he's great at what he does, but he often comes off as a tool.
if you've seen him show off new york, and criticize the tourists there... you'd understand.
he complained about timesquare changing from grimey to commercialized.
but hello? that's how it started... commercialized.
that's where broadway was born.
people used to come all over the tri-state area to catch a great musical or play.
what a tool, indeed.
i'm not gonna beat you down like these other two commentators have, but i must say i agree with them. i watch both bourdain and zimmerman and find value and flaws in both shows, but since zimm is on the attack i'll defend him. i like bizarre foods, and haven't ever found it too offensive. i've traveled to many countries and have tried to be polite and there's just some stuff that is nasty. and i'm sure people of other cultures think our stuff is nasty. thats cool, yo. everyone's taste is different. plus i watched andrew zimmerman eat a bug and LOVE it. and other nasty things. its not like he hates all food from every non-white culture. so some asian food bothered him...i think the real question is why does this bother you??
oops i said i wouldn't beat you down...
It is ok to have different tastes. I'm Asian and it does not offend me one bit if Andrew hates Durian. If he spit it up or barfed cause of it. I understand. In fact I have half of my family that loves it and thinks it tastes like ice cream while the other half thinks it smells like the local dump. I love kimchi but my girlfriend won't let me buy it cause it would smell up the house. If I ever ate it, I'd better do everything possible to get it out of my system before I came home cause if she smelled it I'd be alone on the couch for the night.
but my dog loves the smell. ahhh...Man's best friend.
Bourdain "immerses" himself in a culture? Give me a break! He travels to locations with a camera crew in tow and spends a week or two seeing the sights--that is NOT immersion! That you buy into this bs only shows what Bourdain really is--a self-promoter! On almost every show we have to endure a stupid segment that demonstrates his juvenile sense of humor or his living out some long-held fantasy. Not wild about Andrew but he seems to be less overloaded in the narcissism department.
He eats (almost) everything. Is always friendly to the locals. And encourages people to visit unfamiliar places and try the local cuisine. How is that insensitive? Try hanging out with visitors to L.A. from China for an afternoon and listen to what they have to say about *our* food. It'll make Zimmern seem like Miss Manners.
I like Bourdain for his attitude, but I like Zimmern because I get to see food I don't see on any other program. It's as simple as that. As for him being an outsider, I don't know since I'm not into who's "in" and who's "out". That's for E! But I do think he knows more than about 99% of the Food Network hosts.
I saw the Philippines episode, and I was not offended at all. I ate most of the food he tasted when he was in Manila. The show actually gave me good restaurant to check out when I go in the provincial area on my next trip. I hate eating durian as the actual fruit, but I can tolerate the jello form of it. Yum.
If budget permits, I'm going to try the Spanish dishes featured on his show, when I go to Madrid this fall.
I think if you're in a foreign country and eating something out of the ordinary, how can you be 'politically correct' on finding an adjective to describe the experience. On the other hand, if Andrew Zimmern use flips, chinks, and gooks to describe the locals, then there's definitely a problem and of course won't be good on the bottomline.
I don't disagree with the above posters defending Zimmern, but you have to admit that there's a discernible difference between Bourdain's approach to food and travel and Zimmern's.
Bourdain comes off as the type of guy that is so in love with a place (Namibia notwithstanding) that if the camera crews went away, he'd stay put.
Zimmern acts like he can't wait to show off what he's eating next.
There's nothing wrong with either approach, but you just get the feeling that Bourdain is more of a traveler while Zimmern is more of a tourist.
I have never been able to watch a full show of Zimmerman because he just doesn't seem to care about food. Frankly the stunt aspect of the show's concept is not great (or at least to me it isn't) and it is amazing that they would try to stretch it a whole season. How dull.
The difference to me is that Bourdain cares about food, he has made it his calling, ...and although he is def acting a part these days, he comes across as genuine, at least more so than Zimmerman. He understands how very important food is to every culture on the planet, how defining it can be.
And does anybody else find the glomming of all Asian languages and dialects into "...how do you say condescending in Asian?..." kinda condescending in a quite funny way? What language would "Asian" be, praytell?
But overall I agree with the reviewer, which is why I don't watch the show. I can watch people go Ewwww and not like ethnic foods right here in LA.
excellent point, comment #9 - last time i checked, "asian" wasn't a language. it's great to know that as an la resident, this author has bothered to take note of the diverse cultures and nationalities surrounding them.
i never considered anything condescending about this tv show. your article, however, pretty much fits that definition. not all of us have well-developed palates, and so maybe it's easier for me to relate to someone like zimmern, who doesn't find bull's balls or spirulina to be particularly appetizing.
you should really consider easing up on the pretentious tones in your writing. i think it would really help you make stronger arguments.
Actually, Zimmern loves balls, and eyes, and tounges, and especially bugs. The only thing I've seen him spit out was the durian, though he's admittedly been less than enthusiastic about some of his other choices. But at least he tried it. As for the spirulina, yea he was a bit of a lightweight with that (I've had it several times), but his complaint was with the goo, not the taste.
That all said, none of Zimmern's challenges comes close to what Bourdain had to chow down in Namibia.
Zimmern is great and his show is awesome.
This review is a joke. How is it insulting to travel long distances and sample exotic foods? What is insulting is completely dismissing it without giving it a chance. Zimmern is completely sincere (unlike Bourdain) and prefaces all his comments with a statement about respecting local foods and the freedom to eat what you want.
I watch both shows all the time and I don't think that Zimmern is rude or insensitive. I mean, he certainly TRIES everything, doesn't he? And from what I've seen, testicles are his favorite thing in the world. The fact that he's open enough to go, learn, and eat in other cultures makes him more adventurous and culturally open than most Americans.
Did you see the one where he eats gargantuan tree grubs? I don't think you have to like everything you try in order to be a foodie and a cultural ambassador of the US. Have you ever tried durian, for god's sake?
Sounds to me like the reviewer likes the rock 'n' roll Bourdain and thinks that Zimmern is a roly poly bald guy that's not cool enough. Get down off your high horse.
this is exactly what i was thinking.
i always pegged zimmern as the dumb cousin that saw something he liked and made it his own.
culturally insensitive may be a little much, but i do think he's kind of a moron.
i love that bourdain treats him as such whenever the travel channel makes him do joint programming, as they're so prone to doing.
i think the real issue is that bourdain is just so amazing that anyone else looks culturally retarded in comparison.
ummm... who thinks Christine N. Ziemba is just as racist as her subject?
Ziemba says, "how do you say 'condescending' in asian" in her blog. But,
ASIAN IS NOT A LANGUAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seems like we can all agree this is a fairly dumb/condescending posting....how DARE Mr. Zimmern come from the Midwest! Bastards! Why can't we all be pretentious coasters!
But come on....the "Asian language" bit appears to be a pretty obvious joke. If you don't like the joke...okay, but I'd bet the author isn't so stupid to seriously believe "Asian" is a language.
i appreciate both anthony bourdain and andrew zimmern - and they aren't comparable.
by the way, andrew is kind and respectful. he frequently demonstrates a heartfelt appreciation which is quite moving.
i love the guy.
viva le zimmern!
Could not really get what the author is trying to say. That's the plot of the show "Bizarre Foods" duh. That means not everyone will have a palet for a certain type of food. At least Andrew is brave enough to visit Philippines and like it. Don't know 'bout Bourdain he traveled practically to most of SE Asia except Philippines. I wonder why? Maybe scared or maybe thinks Philippines doesn't have much to offer. Since he's kinda travel like a macho guy acting cool who smokes too much and drink a lot why can't at least try an ice cold San Miguel Beer.
Uh...Andrew Zimmern is a Jewish guy from New York City.
So those would be his New York sensibilities you're needlessly ripping into.
AZ seems to want to bridge the culture gap with Americans and other cultures. If you watch his interviews you can hear it.
He does though have a rep in MN for being a jerk with a lot of people, specifically in the kitchens and restaurants.
You have to give him credit for his mastery with the media and promotion.
Eventually someone will rise above him Minneapolis/St. Paul. A true Minnesota native will de-thrown him, and send him on an Amtrak back to NY.