The Travel Channel has stopped production in midseason of Andrew Zimmern’s two programs on the cable network, reports the New York Post.
The action comes to light not long after his comments about “horsesh*t restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest.”
The network confirms the remaining episodes of Bizarre Foods and The Zimmern List are no longer airing in prime time, but instead can be seen on a rotation basis on Saturday mornings. Filming has been discontinued.
More than one month after Zimmern’s comments, the backlash has not died down. The Washington Post this week ran a story featuring comments from Minnesotans about the chef, a resident of the Twin Cities.
“If we have to be the generation that is going to be calling out problematic behavior, because in the past it hasn’t been, then I’m going to do it. . . . I will do a 100-year war with him,” said Eve Wu, a baker.
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Eve along with her husband and chef, Eddie Wu, and Hmong American chef, Chris Her, held a popup to generate a discussion around the controversy.
Zimmern made his comments in a video interview meant to promote his fusion Chinese restaurant, Lucky Cricket outside Minneapolis.
“I let myself get carried away and have too much fun as opposed to realizing that I was working,” he said to the Washington Post. “You stop being mindful, and you say something flippant. You’re not being precise with your words.”
The Travel Channel denies it fired Zimmern because of his comments, saying the decision had been made prior to the controversy.
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RE: Celebrity Chef Who Made Horsesht Comment Fired: Actually, I don’t find Andrew Zimmern wrong regarding his comments about Chinese Food in the Midwest. As a matter of fact, there are many questionable quality Chinese Food restaurants all over the US. Yes, many are so called “water down” Chinese Food around. And there many in the food industry that have this “water down” version of ethnic foods that fall into this category as well. Andrew was just telling the truth and telling it like it is. Perhaps he should have used a different term (not horse%&$!).
My family and I really enjoy watching his shows and we are disappointed that Travel Channel decided otherwise. Nowadays, too many people are getting offended by just about anything. Andrew Zimmern isn’t a racist. Otherwise, he would not have started his new Lucky Cricket restaurant chains of fusion food.
And yes, I’m Chinese American.