Rachael Ray Needs to Keep Her Oven Mitts Off SXSW
I’ve never been a big Rachael Ray fan. She comes across as trite and insincere, not to mention the mass marketing that has resulted in her face being slapped on everything from a signature line of “EVOO” to dog food (see above).
You can imagine my dismay during the run up to SXSW 2008 when it was announced that Ms. Ray would be hosting a day party at Beauty Bar during the festival. The line-up was unexpectedly solid with The Ravonettes, Scissors for Lefty and Holy Fuck, among others. The Cringe also played the show, which ended up being the most revealing part of the whole showcase.
Ironically named The Cringe features none other than Mr. Rachael Ray, John Cusimano, on vocals and guitar. It was then apparent that this Rachael Ray SXSW showcase was at least partially intended to help her husband’s career in music.
It is highly doubtful that The Cringe would garner much special attention, let alone a SXSW showcase, were their frontman not married to a celebrity. Their rehashed 90’s style alt. rock is banal and unoriginal and hardly befitting a festival like SXSW that has built its reputation on uncovering the next big thing.
The internets have been abuzz with news of Rachael Ray’s return to SXSW 2009, with rumored performances by The Hold Steady and Airborne Toxic Event. No doubt we’ll see The Cringe return to Austin as well.
I won’t begrude Rachael Ray her success as a TV personality and entrepeneur. Housewives across the country love her. However, a line must be drawn at indie music and SXSW. Rachael and her handlers clearly have good taste in music and the connections to book a well-rounded showcase, that much is apparent. But Rachael Ray’s plastic smile and cheesy catch phrases are not the face of indie music and don’t belong at a festival like SXSW, especially not to help her husband’s fledgling music career. (Perez Hilton can go jump too.)
Image Courtesy Newscom
12 Comments
we mustn’t forget her lack of understanding in regards to what “indie” music actually is….
“I’m a huge fan of rock music in general — all kinds. I like indie stuff, my favorite band is the Foo Fighters.”
-Rachael Ray
:/ …yes, she did.
You may be right about her lack of street cred, and I’m no Rachael fan, BUT if you went to her party last year, you know how effing amazing the food was. When you’re knocking back free drinks and snacking on crap like chips and salsa all day(er, week), a gourmet spread with fresh sliders and some BBQ chicken is totally worth the sellout.
yawn.
I am more than happy with anyone wanting to bring in more bands to SXSW. Whether you like her or not, her celebrity will give sxsw more exposure which will bring in more people which gives ALL the bands playing sxsw a better chance of picking up more fans or a contract or whatever it is they are wanting.
It doesn’t sound like she was saying Foo Fighters are indie, just that they are her favorite band. You can like indie as well as more commercial stuff. Foo Fighters certainly have their roots in indie music. I am the same age as Rachel Ray and the first time I saw Dave Grohl he was seventeen and playing with the band Scream in a punk club smaller than most mosh pits today with only maybe a dozen people at the show. I certainly don’t fault him for wanting to make money from his music. I don’t think any record contract has caused him to change his music.
@ Hans. I’d believe she was actually into music if these showcases weren’t such a blatant attempt to help her husband’s god awful band!
I am also not a Rachel Ray fan and don’t see her involvement as genuine interest in music. However, isn’t this what SXSW is? People try to act like it’s some big “indie” festival with all these cool and underground things going on. Isn’t it just a huge corporate screw fest complete with Rachel Ray’s plastic smile? Do you have any idea how much money they make on this shit? And then totally screw most the performing bands over by charging them to get into it?
Aw… don’t hate on Rachel Ray! She’s… so… What’s the word… YUM.
Maybe you just need a little more EVOO in your life.
I have never watched her show and the one time I saw her on tv she came off as obnoxious. I am guessing that she actually is a fan of music both indie and commercial with an indie bent. That is probably part of why she has a husband that is in a band.
She is using that passion for music as a way to promote her husband’s band but I can’t really fault her for that. Most people in the same situation would probably do something similar. If you care about someone you want to help them out. Bottom line is that her adding some extra bands to the SXSW lineup doesn’t really hurt anything. Anyone who doesn’t like her or what she is doing can just avoid her party. I am sure there will be plenty of other stuff to do at the same time.
I always find it amusing that people call SXSW a big “indie” festival. Sure most of the bands are indie bands but it isn’t necessarily by choice. Most of them are there trying to get a recording contract in order to make money. If anything, SXSW is a celebration of bands wanting to sell out.
Your comments come off reading like so many of the usual gratuitous, graceless unkindness toward this truly decent person. If you do not care for 30MM, RR Show, or Everyday, refrain from watching and reading them. If you do not wish to hear The Cringe play, skip their set. Then, go and move on with your own life. What is so difficult about that?
There are people out there who might end up enjoying Mr. Cusimano’s music. His songs appeal to somebody, somewhere, and makes someone else’s day a bit brighter for a moment. Why begrudge them? There will be plenty of others playing there, whose oh-so-impeccably-indie new sound will likely interest you. Different tastes; that’s life. A bit of tolerance is in order.
P.S. Calling her fans “housewives” smacks of classism. It is utterly unnecessary as well, and you know it.
Your claims about The Cringe would be more believable if they could have achieved success without using Rachael Ray’s celebrity to do so. You know, the old fashioned way, success through good music.
As far as the rest of your comment, I suggest you take some of your own advise and refrain from watching/reading the “Incessant RR Bashing”. Though as your name suggests, this will be hard to do as I am far from alone in my opinion.
Yes, I agree that life is different tastes, and tolerance is in order; however, there is a certain spirit of things that cannot be denied when it is encroached upon by fake motives. What we are seeing is the meeting point of commercial interests and artistic expression. It’s always a sad day when business can control the flow of art.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT “HANS” SAID…
BESIDES RACHEL IS A BERY LOVING WOMAN, I AM A BIG FAN OF HERS… HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HER AND SHE IS NOT THAT BAD.. SO PPL STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE AND HATEFUL…