Too Hot For The Kitchen: Giada De Laurentiis Mixes Cooking With Cleavage

Little did a TV Guide reader know that she would unleash a maelstrom of controversy when she submitted a "Jeers" to "Giada De Laurentiis and the low-cut tops she wears on the Food Network," which was printed in TV Guide magazine’s June 11 issue, "Cheers & Jeers Readers’ Edition."

Wrote reader and "Food Network" watcher Deborah L. Deel, of Christiansburg, Virginia:

"She must be sooooooo proud of her breasts.  Who is she trying to turn on - the cameraman? It’s really kind of sad and pathetic."    

Immediately, the magazine was flooded with letters reacting to the jab, with some readers racing to Giada's defense, while other sided with Deel. The reader responses became so abundant that TV Guide dedicated a full page to the controversy in its June 25 issue, which is now available through July 4.

Among the write-in comments:

"What’s the deal with Debbie Deel?  She wants to know who Giada De Laurentiis is trying to turn on? Well she’s turning me on! I love to watch her stir those ingredients in her low-cut tops. If Ms. Deel wants sexless cooking, she should watch Rachael Ray!"

"If a viewer doesn’t like looking at Giada, perhaps she can change the channel or wait until Rosie O’Donnell has a cooking show."

"To quote [Seinfeld] one of the best TV shows ever: 'They are real and they are spectacular.'  Brava, Giada!"

"Jeers to cleavage haters!"

But to other "Food Network" fans, mixing cooking and cleavage is a recipe for disaster:

"Giada’s smile and charm should be enough to capture the audience without the help of her cleavage."

"Wearing such revealing clothing diminishes Giada’s professionalism and detracts attention from the real reason for her show."

Comments

[Serge]

With all due respect to Ms. Deel. What difference does it make what she wears or shows? Giada is a extremely attractive young women with the enviable talent of making it on her own instead of ridng on her Grandfather's name. Personally I do not watch Everyday Italian to see what she is or isn't showing. I watch it to give me ideas for my own small business.....I guess if I rivaled an Airbus 380 in size I would also have something to be judgemental about. Her sensitivity, talent, and intelligence are her true beauty - everything else is just icing on the cake as they say. As a GAYMAN, who I will admit to not passing out compliments very freely I say "Rock On Giada - Molto Belissimo"

[M Stowers]

Does she wear low cut clothing? I love her recipes, techniques and personality. I watch hard to figure out what knives, food processor and gadgets she is using. I want her measuring spoons so badly! I actually make her recipes. She is gorgeous but her skill and personality is what makes her a beautiful person. I bet she is a great friend. I always think she looks great. It is one of the reasons I watch. She is an attractive person and not just physically but also in the sense that she is someone you would love to know. She is fun! If I looked like her I would wear what makes me feel great too! Go Giada! Knock 'em dead! Keep on cookin!

[V Castellanos]

giada needs to, first of all, put on a shirt that covers her freaking boobs. i'd like to see her COOK, not her chest jiggling all over the place. and hasn't anyone noticed that all the people who were sticking up for giada were just perverted guys who don't give a crap about food network and just like to stare at her chest? secondly, giada REALLY, SERIOUSLY needs to stop eating like a slob and talking with her mouth full. it's extremely gross to watch food falling out of her mouth or rolling around her cheeks. you'd think being on national television she'd know some common manners?

[nicolo]

Actually, almost all of the food network stars, talk with food in their mouth. Paula Deen freakin eats the whole meal and slobs butter on top of butter.

[George]

Try this. If you don't like the host, change the channel. I cook somewhat, simple meals, nothing fancy. But, I get more interested in cooking when I see a beautiful woman, such as Giada, explaining how to cook a dish. Good on the food network, and way good on Giada. How many of you would actually watch a show, cooking or otherwise it the host was dressed in a burlap sack?

[rick]

All of you "Giada haters" need to change the chanel! You know damned well that IF you looked like Giada you wouldn't be crying! HOT CHICKS RULE!!!!!!

[evian]

having read vicoria's post, then the two following posts [especially rick's post], it just proves her point about giada's supporters being guys with thier minds in their other heads.
bottom line is that she needs to dress apropriatley for her tv show. she's not on E! or MTV, she's on a network where people want to see food and chefs teach them how to make food, not her breasts on the verge of spilling out on the counter. to me, that doesn't make her sexy, it makes her look sleazy.

[lenny]

i have a table at raos in new york april coming and remember you saying you never ate there. i would like to inite you with some of my friends. let me know if you can make it. love your recipes.

lenny

[K J Penny]

Low cut blouse's on a food channel is nasty. Is Giada trying to show her breasts or the recipe's? Is this the only way she thinks she'll get ratings? When she comes on, I among other people I know change the channel. Yes, she is a pretty girl but she should try to make it on her talent of cooking instead of showing her breast. Her dress is inappropriate for this type of show.

[Toroloco]

You know i mentioned this to a friend of mine who watches the show all the time and until i said it "she" never noticed. I watch her show for the food, i cook her dishes all the time. It's just a plus that she is great to look at. I say to the grumply lady or ladies above, "jelouse much" if i were a lady and blessed with her figure i would wear what she does too. And yes ladies i was a chef for many years.

[A female Giada fan]

All you people crying about Giada's tops... get over yourselves- stop trying to play Miss Manners and kitchen fashion police... I watch Giada not only because her recipes are very easy to follow and fun to make, but also because she seems to be a genuinely fun and interesting person! I may not look as good as her, but why should that make me jealous enough to trash her just for being who she is? Cheers, Giada!

[A female Giada fan]

All you people crying about Giada's tops... get over yourselves- stop trying to play Miss Manners and kitchen fashion police... I watch Giada not only because her recipes are very easy to follow and fun to make, but also because she seems to be a genuinely fun and interesting person! I may not look as good as her, but why should that make me jealous enough to trash her just for being who she is? Cheers, Giada!

[steve]

Food Network - Porn for fat people. so it is very relvant what Giada wears and shows.

[steve]

I sometimes do watch her for cooking and showing and i am not fat. BTW, does anyone feel that her head looks bigger than her frame? maybe due to the camera angle...

[Elpida]

Have you heard Giada pronounce Italian foods? Her phony Italian accent doesn't quite cut it here in the U.S.

I lived in Naples the first thirteen years of my life, and I can tell you that when I came to this country, I lost most of my Italian accent, and that includes my accent when pronouncing Italian food items! She may be fooling all of you unsatisfied men out there who like to brag about how much you love boobs, but she can't fool someone who actually was raised in Italy.

Yes, for all of the "macho" men who have to prove how manly you are by defending her sagging breasts, grow up and find a woman.

[Cory]

Yes, Giada's head is quite large for her frame. In fact, the first time I saw her, I thought she had some sort of defect and I felt sorry for her. That ended when I watched a few shows and realized that she thinks she is God's gift to the world.

The phony accent she uses when saying Italian foods, like, "Muuuut-za-reee-la" and "Spa-geeeee-tee" doesn't impress me. It makes her look stupid since she grew up in California from the time she was a child. Where's the accent in the rest of her conversation?

As far as her breasts are concerned, it wouldn't be bad if she showed some cleavage now and then. The fact that she MUST show the cleavage (and lots of it) tells me she has some sort of "self-centered" problem and she needs some help.

She is the number one food-porn queen and she's proud of it.

[Rachael]

Geez, they are just boobs and all women have them. What does it matter what somebody wears? People spend far too much time worrying about others. Maybe if they had something going on for themselves they would feel less inclined to do so.

So if you like the show watch it, and if you don't why are you wasting your time with the hateful comments? Sort of makes me chuckle!

[Ray]

Dear Chuckles,

Why do you think movies have ratings and TV is censored? Where have you been? I think what most people are trying to say here is that boobs have a “time and place” for viewing. A TV cooking show isn’t one of those places.

If you can’t see how much of a phony Giada is, disregard this entire site and enjoy your boob show. By the way, just because someone doesn’t like something doesn’t mean they don’t have it or they're jealous of someone. Go take a class in psychology and get educated.

[Rachael]

If her boobs were hanging out of her top I could see it being an issue. A little cleavage never hurt anyone. Also depending on the country, boobs aren't viewed as super sexual. People in North America can be so uptight. It's just the human body, a natural beautiful thing.

Being jealous isn't the problem, it's being too worried about what other people are doing. There are far better things to expend energy on. The world is also full of phonies, especially hollywood (Big shocker I know) You're best to give up tv and movies for good!

[Bobby]

I have to agree with Ray here. Chuckles needs an education.

[Wil]

Yes, there are a lot of phony people in Hollywood, but none as phony as Giada. We're not too worried about what other people are doing. We're worried about the state of the broadcasting we're subjected to when watching a television cooking program. Do you want to see porn? Is that it? Would you like if the networks would broadcast some porn for you? By your objections to most of these posts, you seem to need some excitement in your life.

[Rachael]

*pees pants* I love the internet.

You may want to avert your eyes...

( o Y o )

[Frank]

Wow! Rachael is really showing her lack of education. Keep it up, girl! You're digging your hole deeper and deeper.

[Cmurphy]

Not only does do Giada's choices in wardrobe not effect her capability as a chef, but why is it looking good on a television show an issue? When you have a cooking show, you can dress like an amish mother, but judging her clothes as opposed to her food is known as superficial. In my book, that is worse than anything Giada could wear.

[Peter]

Education really has no true bearing on a person's intelligence. So many perfect examples on here.