Nigella's helpless carrot act

[BaylisAndHardon]

Don't get me wrong, I do like Nigella Lawson and her cookery programs, however:

Has anybody else noticed that she pretends not to have proper knife skills and flails around in a sexy, helpless, becarrotted damsel in distress any time she has to chop something?

It reminds me of secondary school when some of the girls would pretend to be ditzy and thick so boys would like them.

It's 2020 fgs.

AIBU?

*as a

It’s always been her shtick, hasn’t it? Simpering and coquettish 🤷‍♀️

Why do women have to have it in for other women all the time. Of all the things you could say about Nigella, this seems really petty. I have watched her for years and have never noticed what you're saying.

She drives me insane with all the drivel she talks whilst cooking.

DH likes the programme, though he doesn’t cook anything he has ever seen her do. So she is not inspiring more just an entertainment act.

I put headphones on and listen to something else.

YANBU

I do like Nigella Lawson and her cookery programs

I don't.

It’s really sad as she’s such an intelligent and interesting woman with great stories to tell and a good knowledge of food.

I learned to cook from How to Eat and couldn’t believe it when I saw her first tv shows. Why was she belittling herself like that?? I guess there’s pressure within ever area of entertainment on women to become a bit of a feminine characature.

I thought we’d be able to come over as the normal level headed people we are by 2020

I remember her doing a podcast (I can't remember which one) and she talked about her lack of knife skills and general professional training. She pointed out that she isn't a chef at all, just a very enthusiastic home cook who's done very well

I laughed so much at the episode where she cooked a poussain each for her children and claimed that this was a normal midweek meal for them. Her son was only a young teenager at the time and the look on his face told the whole story. Also, the bit where she was reclining on the sofa, about to tuck into a whole pork chop, armed only with a fork. I pictured her spearing the chop and eating it by biting it around the edges. Not quite the sophisticated dining experience I would have wanted to conjour myself.

Some of my favourite recipes that I’ve used loads of times are Nigella ones. I want her leopard print knife.
Dh has started recording her tv show. She v much plays up to the middle aged man’s fantasy chef. It makes me smile.
She knows her audience.

How does she look younger and more beautiful every series?

The sexual oozing and orgasmic finger licking mean I can't watch because I am a prude (and cannot sexually ooze to save my life).

@growinggreyer this has to be one of the funniest comments I have read in my 14 years of being on Mumsnet. Thank you

I much prefer her first programme Nigella Bites.

Simpering and coquettish

It’s frustrating because she must actually be incredibly strong and resilient to have survived all that she has been through.

I love the idea of a helpless carrot

@ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes

It’s really sad as she’s such an intelligent and interesting woman with great stories to tell and a good knowledge of food.

I learned to cook from How to Eat and couldn’t believe it when I saw her first tv shows. Why was she belittling herself like that?? I guess there’s pressure within ever area of entertainment on women to become a bit of a feminine characature.

I thought we’d be able to come over as the normal level headed people we are by 2020

You've nailed it, @ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes

She lost me with fish finger borta. It looked disgusting.

@StuckOnTheM1

I much prefer her first programme Nigella Bites.

I love watching repeats of Nigella Bites. Just kick back, relax and let her rabbiting on numb my senses.

The sexual oozing and orgasmic finger licking mean I can't watch because I am a prude (and cannot sexually ooze to save my life).

Exactly that it makes me most uncomfortable.

I’ve always assumed her ‘sexy’ act was tongue-in-cheek?

I like her, anyway.

In 2020 it would be nice to think we don’t have to denigrate women who are successful and bitch about them. Nigella is clear that she isn’t trained and isn’t skilled with knives. This is the second bitchy thread about her this week. I think she’s amazing, she’s had some shit thrown at her in life and yet is successful and pretty fantastic and has come out smiling.

If you see her on the very first Nigel Slater series where she does a guest segment in each programme, there is no simpering, no mugging at the camera. I think the media were behind the morph into seductress chef, and it's just such a shame she felt the need to go aling with it. Although she does say she's actually very shy and it's perhaps a persona she can hide behind.

Another nasty thread about Nigella. Give the woman a break.

I didn't denigrate her - I just don't like her.

I'm sure that won't cause her any problems.

Not in favour of using "don't be bitchy" as an excuse not allow people to express any negative views about a person or their work.