Is Food Network Diverse Enough?

Hi all, Juls here. Well last weekend when we were forced to stay home because of an old-fashioned snowstorm,  my hubby and I worked on various projects around the house. We had the TV on in the background, mainly on HGTV or the Food Network, which are “sister” networks.  Have you ever noticed how much diversity is shown on HGTV? So many of the couples they show on the design shows or shows like “House Hunters” are mixed race couples, more than I have ever noticed anywhere else. And I wonder if that has something to do with the demographics of the target market for these shows, or is it more of a matter of who signs up to be on these programs? Is it something that is a conscious effort or does it just happen naturally? There are a few diverse hosts or designers on the shows, but I think there is more diversity in the clients.  

And while I think there is a lot of diversity in the kinds of foods that are prepared on the Food Network, there is very little diversity I think in the hosts or chefs that are portrayed on their shows, and I think they have missed some real opportunities to bring more on. For instance in the first search for the next “Food Network Star,” it came down to a black woman who I think was either Jamaican or that was her food specialty, and two white guys. And the white guys won, which nothing against them, but I would like to see more diversity in the hosts/chefs on that network. Now maybe they are gay, I don’t know, so they still could bring some diversity in that way.

Then the next Food Network Star search happened and it came down to a black man named Reggie (whom I liked and really wanted to see win), and a white man named Guy. And again the white man won. In both cases, viewers got to vote, which in some ways I wish they wouldn’t do it that way, because Guy who owned multiple restaurants and was already very successful on his own, could have his customers vote for him over and over again, whereas Reggie worked for someone else in a small restaurant and probably didn’t have the advantage that Guy did, and could have really used the opportunity. That is another thing I don’t like about it, that people can vote more than once, that just doesn’t seem fair to me.

Now on the HGTV version of searching for the next Design Star, at least the winner, David, is openly gay so he does bring some diversity to the role.  I would like to see someone like say an Hispanic person making authentic Mexican food the way they were taught by their family or some other cultures represented by people from the actual culture, and yes, I know the Italian, French, and other Europeans are well-represented by people of those cultures, but I would just like to see more diversity represented. And yes, I realize I am probably focusing too much on race and ethnicity in this case, but I just happen to think the Food Network is just a little too “white” and there are so many other cultures that could also be represented. Or maybe they are and I just don’t happen to have seen those shows…what do you think?