OT Rant - Martha's show as advertising

[Beth Y]

I have been sick the last couple days and watching more TV than usual. I watched Martha Stewart's show about three times lately and was surprised how the show has turned into a hour long advertisement for her products. In almost every segment she uses some product or ingredient and remarks, "you can get these at Martha by mail" or "these are the Martha Stewart Everyday brand from K-Mart...." Today, she began a gardening segment by saying "I just got back from K-mart where I found these great campanula plants" and then went on to remark how healthy the plants were at K-mart. (I don't know what K-mart she shops at but the plants are terrible at the ones here!) I am not that huge a fan of Martha herself, but have historically found her show interesting, although a bit elitist (i.e. in the segment where she used the K-mart plants, she remarked "when you are getting tha plants so cheaply you can afford to experiment" like she was speaking for everyone). But I found this repeated advertising very annoying. Has anyone else noticed this?

[SandyM]

Personally, I avoid her for all the reasons you state. For me, it's not a good thing.

[Grace]

I noticed it a little bit, but attributed it more to her trying to ward off the inevitable 10,000 e-mails and letters from people asking where can they get this or that. But the K-Mart stuff, well, that's really going too far. Undoubtedly, K-Mart must now help fund her show, in return for "advertising". I agree, that stinks. I don't watch her much anymore anyway, though, and I cancelled my subscription to her magazine a few years ago. Just never used it, and it became repetitive with the same ideas over and over.

[HDgirl]

I recently watched one of her shows on food channel. She had her banker friend on and they were doing banker friends Easter foods.

I was laughing so hard because it was like Martha's alter ego. Store bought ham (you should have seen the look on Martha's face), canned yams (which she called sweet potatoes), etc. Everything from a can or box. It was pretty funny since Martha goes to such lengths for things...she sure wasn't on that episode!

[Wendy w]

HDgirl, My BF & I saw that too and we found it to be highly entertaining. Neither of us can stand her and we enjoy making fun of her-some of it nonrepeatable on this very proper bulletin board http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif .

My all time favorite "Marthaism" was the remark: this honey is from my hives but any honey will do!

[Beth H]

I subscribed to Martha's magazine for a year, and did not renew the subscription. Too many crafts I didn't have time for, and the recipes were nothing great. Either they were too time-consuming, or just not very exciting (except for her meatballs recipe, which is really good). I didn't think it was worth the $25 subscription cost. As for advertising on her show, she's really turned into a one-woman marketing empire -- the show, the magazine, the endorsements, etc. Much of what she does now, I believe, is done toward the end of building her financial empire.

[Gail]

Now, now. Are we picking on St. Martha? For shame.

...and why am I reminded of a certain archived thread (popular threads) entitled "The Burning Question" in which a certain someone on this board got branded as being "evil?"

Tsk. Tsk. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Jewel]

The woman is highly overrated in my opinion. If I had free time I doubt I would waste it making my own marshmallows or collecting honey from my personal beehives, when bagged and bottled work just fine for me! Too many other things I would like to be using my time for.

The hair, the monotone voice, the little nose going north when she sees canned yams? Sorry, I just don't get the popularity! Personally, I like the Saturday Night Live's impersonation of her and her show better than the real thing!

Her latest KMart commercials crack DH and I up though...nothing sexier than Martha naked in a candlelit bubble bath. Yowsa!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[Wendy w]

I have been known to buy MS Living when I see it at the Friends of the Library store for 25 cents. I happen to own the parodies: "Is Martha Stewart Living?" and "Martha Stewart is Better than You at Entertaining" for which I paid 87 cents each for. They are very funny, but never would have paid the original $10.00 for them!

Yeah Gail, we are being bad today!!! Welcome back!

[This message has been edited by Wendy w (edited 04-18-2001).]

[Beth Y]

Gail, who would call you evil????!!!!

I must say I started this post with a pointed comment which I think was well-based. However, I was not surprised to see it turned into a overall bashing, which, frankly, I think is good for the soul now and then. Here in the South, however, before saying anything bad about someone, we would always preface it by saying "Bless her heart....", as in "Bless her heart, she is so stupid" or "Bless her heart, she just can't pick the right men" or "Bless her heart, you know she comes from those sort of people".....

[HARRYET]

Jewel,

Boy, did I LOL when I read your post about Martha in a bubble bath, that commercial really cracks me up!! Thanks for the Laugh!

Ann

[JHolcomb]

Oh guys, that commercial grosses me out!I just fear that she's naked under those bubbles http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif
Anyway, I looked at her Weddings mag when I was planning my wedding, and found some of her ideas not so bad, though most of the results were simply unachievable. Whatever.
Oh, by the way, her towels and sheets fade in spots. My ex-roomie had some, and they looked awful.

[foodiedelite]

The woman is a marketing genius! She's must be laughing all the way to the bank.

All of her recipes I've made have been quite good. Her website leaves a lot to be desired though.

Surprised she had continued her relationship with KMart, as the merchandise seems inferior.

No longer watch her shows, nor subscribe to her magazine--but an interesting business woman in my opinion.

[This message has been edited by foodiedelite (edited 04-18-2001).]

[Chefmom]

I have subscribed to the magazine, under duress of course. As a cake designer and cake maker I find many people always talking about something they saw on the show, so I found myself having to stay on top of what she has been up to.

But, the K-Mart thing! Geez! I don't think they are K-Mart anymore, they are Martha-Mart!!! I used to pick up things here and there at K-Mart, but now I go out of my way to AVOID the kitchen stuff there because it's all puky Martha Green. There is no other way to describe that color. I drive long and far to the outlets to purchase simple bowls and pyrex that I used to pick up locally because I can't stand the Martha colors.

And yes, everything is now just a commercial. It used to be that Martha actually showed you how to go out and do something with very little, she was the "Queen of Creativity", but then the show became "Look what I paid a TON of money for in New York, don't you wish you could too!!??" And now it's "Look what you can buy from me!!??", plus, I see in the magazine now that they are doing re-runs from OTHER past issues.

Now... I'm a magazine junkie, and I don't know of any other magazine that EVER does re-runs of exact recipes and ideas from past issues. The show is a mish-mash of re-runs, and now the magazine is too. Plus why should you ever buy the books or magazines, everything is online, if you can make sense of her web site. I think she has the MOST user-UNfriendly site of all the tv shows.

Oh goodness....I'd better go stir the soup...

Tami

[kentgirl]

I get really annoyed that you have to register first just to read the bulletin boards on her web site.

[funnybone]

I don't care for her show, but have surfed the channel on occasion and watched for a bit. I remeber her taking about 10 minutes to show us how to cut the ends of a wire whisk off, to make a "spun sugar cake". Well, after all that, she said that if we didn't have the whisk cut, we could use a fork!! Why spend the time cutting the whisk, why not just use the fork!!!

Anyway, for someone with all her money, I think she should find herself a better hair stylist. It's always in her face and a mess. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I feel better now! LOL

[DmOrtega]

Is this going to be a Martha Stewart bashing post? Just curious. Personally, I'm getting bored with the magazine and there is way too much advertising. I don't watch much tv, so I don't watch her show, and therefore don't have an opinion on it.

[jmarie]

Martha is my GURU..........OK...I'm kidding!
I'M KIDDING! Rush Limbaugh is really my guru!

[woodsl]

Jewel,

I agree - I love the Saturday Night Live impersonation of her. We don't really watch Sat Night Live all that much anymore, but I did happen to catch the St. Patrick's day show and it opened with a "Martha" impersonation. Did you see it? It was hilarious!!!

[Norma]

Someone emailed the following to me during one Christmas season a few years ago.

Martha Stewart's Holiday Calendar

December 1
Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray paint gold, turn upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas Cards.

December 2
Have Mormon Tabernacle Choir record outgoing Christmas message for answering machine.

December 3
Using candlewick and hand gilded miniature pine cones, fashion cat-o-nine-tails. Flog Gardener.

December 4
Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling in ecru, with mocha trim.

December 5
Get new eyeglasses. Grind lenses myself.

December 6
Fax family Christmas newsletter to Pulitzer committee for consideration.

December 7
Debug Windows '95

December 10
Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth.

December 11
Lay Faberge egg.

December 12
Take Dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble.

December 13
Collect Dentures. They make excellent pastry cutters, particularly for decorative pie crusts.

December 14
Install plumbing in gingerbread house.

December 15
Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "holiday scents" in case tires are shot out at mall.

December 17
Child proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor wire.

December 19
Adjust legs of chairs so each Christmas dinner guest will be same height when sitting at his or her assigned seat.

December 20
Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar to add a festive sparkle to the pasture.

December 21
Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

December 22
Float votive candles in toilet tank.

December 23
Seed clouds for white Christmas.

December 24
Do my annual good deed. Go to several stores. Be seen engaged in last minute Christmas shopping, thus making many people feel less inadequate than they really are.

December 25
Bear son. Swaddle. Lay in color coordinated manger scented with homemade potpourri.

December 26
Organize spice racks by genus and phylum.

December 27
Build snowman in exact likeness of God.

December 31
New Year's Eve! Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country.

[maizeyoats]

Norma,
This is so hillarious!! Everyone reading this post will love it.

[Wendy w]

Norma, this is too funny, thanks for sharing!!

[BarrieCov]

Have you guys read the unauthorized biography "Just Desserts"? My fave anecdote is when she is recycling wine from a catering gig, because she feels wine kills all the germs anyway. It's very wicked fun - some of it is so unbelievable, that it just has to be true! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[AndreaU]

My mom got me a subscription to MSL a couple years ago along with her own. We both let it run out and got frustrated for many of the reasons you all stated already. I will admit, I have seen some neat ideas and occasionally I'll stop on the show as I'm searching the channels. But, Beth, you're right- the one time I've seen her show in the last month or so, she mentioned Martha by Mail & KMart several times and it is shameless.

Wendy- my cousin just had her bridal shower and she's a Martha devotee... I bought her the "Martha Stuart's Excrutiatingly Perfect Weddings" paradoy book(along with other "real" gifts, of course) and it was HILARIOUS!

Like I said, some of the ideas are cool and I've tried a few, but she has been coming across lately as quite arrogant. And whoever mentioned her in the bubble bath- yikes! that's the LAST thing I need to see!

[philamark]

I may be one of the few here to defend Martha, but I really do enjoy her shows and magazine. I've read her magazine for about 2 years now, and although not every issue or article is a homerun, I always find more than one interesting article and recipe per issue. I've gotten a lot of great recipes from her tv show which you can access through her website. (I got a great oat scone recipe from her show just in time for the holidays in December).I appreciate the great range of topics and guests that appear on her show. And yes, I've been able to order some hard to find baking ingredients from Martha by Mail. I acknowledge that she's a dedicated businesswoman, but heck, all the power to her. I have found that in public, at least, she has a great sense of humor about herself. She had the Saturday Night Live impersonator on her holiday special in December and she appeared on the Public Radio Car Talk show and was absolutely funny and took all the humorous shots at her in great style. Hope the rest of the BB readers don't hate me for saying some positive things about her, but that's how I feel. And I'm not on Martha's payroll!

[Missi]

Lindrusso, where are you? I know you like Martha like I do!!!

I LIKE Martha. I don't kid myself into believing that she comes up with all the ideas herself, but she has one heck of a staff. I get her magazine, read the Weddings magazine while planning my wedding, and tape both of her shows fairly often. Yes, sometimes what she does is unrealistic. (My landlord doesn't let me keep my own bees, so I use store bought honey http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif )But I think there is something to be said about the lost art of doing things yourself from scratch. I don't like the convience age we live in where in the grocery store you can buy pasta and sauce in the same box or cookies you just break apart and bake.
In the very least you have to give her credit for being a brilliant business woman!

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I hope no one's upset for me presenting the other side.

[Jewel]

Philamark and Missi, no one on this BB would EVER be upset about you stating your opinions! Heck, that's what this board is for! If we all agreed, it'd be boring as Marth...whoops! Didn't mean that! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

I kid about her, but you do have to give her credit for being a clever businesswoman, as well as having a sense of humor about herself. She's just SO much fun to play with! Shame on us... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[heidibowman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by HDgirl:
[B]I recently watched one of her shows on food channel. She had her banker friend on and they were doing banker friends Easter foods.

I was laughing hysterically throughout that whole segment! She was the quintisential Anti-Martha! Wish I would've taped it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif

[JoC]

For some reason I get the feeling that not many of you would have invited Martha as a guest to your Fantasy Dinner Party?!?! (Fantasy Dinner Party--from a previous post.)

[Gail]

Originally posted by JoC:
For some reason I get the feeling that not many of you would have invited Martha as a guest to your Fantasy Dinner Party?!?! (Fantasy Dinner Party--from a previous post.)

Call me crazy but I kinda like to stay awake during my dinner parties. http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/otn/funny/naughty.gif

[sneezles]

LOL!

[Hockinginn]

Hi all--I'm new to this board, and I was at work when I called it up. Norma, I was laughing so hard and loud my boss actually came into my office to see what was so funny. I gotta tell you, everytime I see her on TV, flipping through channels I just want to shout "Get a Real Life Lady!"

[Norma]

In all fairness to Martha, she was the one who showed me how to cut up a mango without pulverizing it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Anne]

Martha who?