(Untitled)

[avengangle]

OFFS, Jamie Oliver, does it not occur to you that THERE ARE POOR PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO BUY PROCESSED CHICKEN NUGGETS BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY CAN AFFORD

Comments

[wakeupem]

I have to say that after near two years of nursing school, I look at his attempt in a completely different light.

[avengangle]

Well, I'm sure that I'd like people to eat healthier and be healthier, but shaming poor people isn't the way to do it.

[anthrokeight]

I'd love to stick Jamie Oliver on an Indian reservation in the middle of Nebraska, equip him with the money and transportation available to lots of people living in such places, make sure he only has 1/3 of a tank of cooking gas, and then invite him to cook cheap, efficient, delicious sensitive new age organic food. Then we could try the same experiment in inner-city Peoria and see how well it works out for him.

Jesus. Blaming poor people for the consequences of living in an economy of poverty (and I mean things like "living where there are no grocery stores within 3 miles, much less ones with organic meat" style consequences) will get noone anywhere except Smugville.

[avengangle]

Amen.

I may bitch and complain about living fifteen minutes from a Target and ten minutes from a 'real' grocery store (that is, not a corner food mart) but I have a car. And money.

And I'm merely in North Mpls.

[nickelpickle75]

Agreed.

[avengangle]

This also kind of dovetails with a discussion in my property class about whether or not we should have a guaranteed right to housing in the country, and, surprise surprise, the majority of the kids who were against it never in their lives ever had to worry about money.

Just . . . don't tell me what I 'should' be able to afford.

[avengangle]

Yes. Exactly. If you work on your feet for eight or ten hours a day, do you really want to come home and spend another hour and a half making chicken cordon bleu? I think not.

[bridgelene]

I didn't read/see/hear/whatever whatever he said but in an idea world sure. But if it comes down to someone not eating at all, or eating crap I'd say that crap is marginally better.

[avengangle]

Well, he's on this tear to make everyone eat better. Sure, whatever. And he has this shtick where he shows elementary-school kids what chicken nuggets are made of, and then asks them if they still want to eat them. In England, no. In the US, apparently yes. But he was asking public-school children in West Virginia, which has a high rate of child poverty.

Also, again -- as you say, eat nothing or eat chicken nuggets? The nuggets are marginally better.

[lostuponme]

His books are kind of crap anyway :/...