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?

MINEareCRAFTY This comment "DH likes the programme, though he doesn’t cook anything he has ever seen her do" made me laugh more!

The only helpless carrot I've seen on tv lately was Kevin 🥕

I like her and I like her programs.

@DynamoKev

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.

I agree.

Nigella has made a fortune from her TV persona as much, if not more, than her cooking skills. Therefore that 'persona' is a legitimate subject of discussion.

I would guess the clumsiness is real and probably dyspraxia?? The sexy simper is just part of her charm for me. Her food is lovely and her recipes work. What’s not to like?

flails around in a sexy, helpless, becarrotted damsel in distress any time she has to chop something

Lol

I do like her a lot, but I'm old enough to remember Delia Smith's cooking shows on tv and she was so straight forward and ordinary compared to today's tv cooks and chefs. I know a few were a little bit eccentric ( Fanny craddock springs to mind) but mostly they just got on with it.
Nigella seems to be this way when she isn't cooking as well , so maybe it is just her persona? She is just a bit different.
I love all her kitchen equipment. She has class!

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.

And me. And her use of flowery bollocksy language.

I can't watch her.

@Wearywithteens

No - I think as somebody who isn’t trained as a chef she uses a knife like ordinary people. Mary Berry does the same. Surely of all the things she could potentially fake this wouldn’t be it?

Marry Berry is crippled with arthritis. That's why she uses knives the way she does.

I had already said that I liked her and her cookery programs. I don't think my thread is particularly nasty or indeed anti-woman- it was intended to be partly humorous and partly about society's expectations of women. None of the male chefs feel the need to play down their skills. I don't believe she has no knife skills - she's a professional cook with decades of experience.

It was just an observation about her approaching a carrot with simpering timidity. I felt for the carrot as much as anything else.

@FuzzyPuffling I too am guilty of bollocksy language. #simperingtimidity

I like her she reminds me of Snow White she also seems to have loads of fab dinner parties

I don't think she acts helpless at all. Anyway she's a cook, not a chef. I love her cookery books, they are so well written.

@Wearywithteens

No - I think as somebody who isn’t trained as a chef she uses a knife like ordinary people. Mary Berry does the same. Surely of all the things she could potentially fake this wouldn’t be it?

Mary Berry has hand deformities as a result of childhood polio, that’s why she uses a knife the way she does.

Nigella is just cack-handed.

Competent home-cooks don’t chop like she does. I’m always afraid for her fingers!

I love her writing but sometimes get a bit fed up of the TV caricature that has developed - along with the mostly fake friends that she dollops out rather frugal portions to.

Has anyone noticed just that - her recipes err on the side of stingy yet there's always the post coital dinner money shot where she stands at the open SMEG / American fridge door, bathed in the glow of the most flattering soft pink lighting known to the best OSCAR winning Director of Photography, cramming loads of grub in... usually something unctuous requiring finger licking and too rare glimpses of tip of cat like pink tongue capturing every last, yummy drop. .. forget our middle aged DH's; I've come over all unnecessary.

Apologies, not a deformity but a weakness and considerably reduced function in one of her hands.

I love her, over the top femininity and all

I do shout “IS THAT BOLLOCKS YOUR KITCHEN, NIGE” at her a lot though. My husband was devastated when I told him it was a set, he wanted to move there and cook insanely calorific cheesecakes with her, but knowing her kitchen doesn’t look like that ruined it for him 🤣

Has anyone made that banana skin curry she demonstrated the other night?

It looked and sounded utterly revolting.

If I were a man commenting about a male presenter, I doubt I would be called bitchy or against men. I'd just get people either agreeing or disagreeing.

It's another expectation of women. You can't have an opinion without someone criticising you for not being maternal and fluffy enough. It's reminiscent of Trump's comments about Nasty Women. As if men ever have to put up with that fucknuggetry.

They can just say it, adjust their testicles, chop the carrot, and get on with their life.

They can just say it, adjust their testicles, chop the carrot, and get on with their life.

Risky

@BaylisAndHardon

I had already said that I liked her and her cookery programs. I don't think my thread is particularly nasty or indeed anti-woman- it was intended to be partly humorous and partly about society's expectations of women. None of the male chefs feel the need to play down their skills. I don't believe she has no knife skills - she's a professional cook with decades of experience.

It was just an observation about her approaching a carrot with simpering timidity. I felt for the carrot as much as anything else.

I think a lot of her 'act' is to make her seen 'relatable'. As in 'Yes, I'm gorgeous, am incredibly posh and well-connected, went to Oxford and live in a £5 million house but I too, am crap at the mundane aspects of cooking and just love to eat a whole bar of Darkmilk while watching The X Factor. So I'm just like you really!"

It's all an act. I still like her, but what we see is a carefully honed image she is selling.

I saw her on something (maybe Graham Norton) moaning about how she is portrayed the host proceeded to show her tonguing a wooden spoon it was hilarious . She knows what she is doing and I think she looks like a tool .but sex goddess seems to sell her books and brand so she is happy

I've never noticed how she chops vegetables or thought it weird or inadequate. If she bothers you, don't watch the programme. I personally just enjoy watching her prepare and cook food.

Placemarking for the excellent descriptions of Nigella's finger licking 😁