Gordon Ramsay's new show under fire for cultural insensitivity
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Gordon Ramsay's recently announced National Geographic series is already under fire with some chefs and fans slamming it as culturally insensitive.
The series follows the “Hell’s Kitchen” star as he embarks on a culinary journey that “draws connections between exploration, adventure and food — with a dash of friendly competition.”
“Uncharted” will test the depths of Ramsay’s athletic prowess as an ironman competitor and heritage hunter as he digs deep to find distinct ingredients that make up each region’s best food.
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Ramsay's fans and fellow chefs took to Twitter to criticize the series.
"[The] last thing the food world needs right now is Gordon Ramsay going to foreign countries showing 'locals he can cook their cuisines better than they can,'" former "Viceland" host and chef Eddie Huang tweeted.
the last thing the food world needs right now is Gordon Ramsay going to foreign countries showing “locals he can cook their cuisines better than they can” pic.twitter.com/dqD3dW5Lnc
— Eddie Huang (@MrEddieHuang) July 27, 2018
Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern said in reply to Huang, "Very true my brother. That’s an ethnocentric meme that perpetuates the problems of “otherness” and invisibility."
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A Twitter user chimed in, "They’re gonna have to change the name of that show to 'The Colonizer.'"
"They should just call the show, 'White Saviour Complex,'" wrote another user.
Oh @GordonRamsay @NatGeo the people of the world don't need more verbal abuse and condescension packaged as "coaching" and "discovery" from yet another white man. Also @Bourdain's shoes can never be filled by someone as toxic as Ramsay. Get a clue!
— Kavita Das (@kavitamix) July 30, 2018
The website Eater posted a scathing take on Ramsay's upcoming show that is still in production. The article lead National Geographic to issue a statement calling the negative press premature.
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"We are disappointed that the announcement of our upcoming series with Gordon Ramsay was taken out of context. With National Geographic’s storied history of exploration, our plan with this series is to celebrate and learn about local cultures around the world. In partnering with Ramsay—a well-known adventure enthusiast—we are going to fully immerse viewers and give them a glimpse into surprising and unexpected cultures and local flavors. We have not gone into production on the series yet, so this perspective is premature. We’re looking forward to working with Ramsay, who’s been making food and travel documentaries for well over a decade, to share the series when it premieres sometime next year," the statement read.
The Emmy-nominated “Masterchef” creator spoke about his love for culinary culture and his eagerness to work with the network and explore a wide-range of locations rarely seen before on a food show at the Television Critics Association panels on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“My passion for adventure has made me not only a better chef but also a fearless apprentice of all cultures, which makes it so exciting for me to work with National Geographic, who’ve been taking exploration to the limit for their entire storied history,” said Ramsay.
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Fox News' Julius Young contributed to this report.