Celebrity chef Mario Batali is leading an effort in New York City to raise awareness about funding for the federal food stamp program. He's putting his money where his mouth is.
For the past week, Batali has been on a food stamp budget along with his wife and two teenaged sons. That amounts to $31 per person for the whole week — $1.48 per meal, each. He said he's been having rice and beans for lunch every day, and figuring out ever-cheaper ways to put food on the table. And his sons are "having more peanut butter and jelly than they have in the last ten years."
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld criticized the chef saying, "Does this make you want to slap him around?" Seriously. In the Rewrite, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell took on the Fox News host going after Batali for his efforts.
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I would like to slap around the Fox News hosts. They were telling us that Mario Batali should open more businesses to hire the poor to help. Something he already does or take food stamps to feed people which would be illegal. Fox only employs idiots.
Mario Batali, in the Italian tradition, is concerned about the poor. Even Al Capone had more concern about the poor than those who want to cut food stamps. Al Capone started the soup kitchen to feed the poor. He did not like to see childen aboused and the Mafia in South Cook County often helped people by baking their bread and give away day old bread they baked. They owned a bakery shop and the old ladies took their dough to the bakery which they baked. However, they purchased sugar, but never baked sweet stuff. They used the sugar for other purpose. If I had to make the follwoing choice, what would I do? Leave a child with Al Capone, a Religious Person, or someone who wants to cut food stamps. Al Capone is my choice. He was more concerned about the poor and children than those who claim to be saved. They are saved by the devil and if there is a hell (I don't believe there is) they will surely go to hell. If I had another choice I would rather go to hell then go where those who do not care about the poor are going even if it is what they call heaven.
No, they only hire selfish mean spirited creatures.
"Comedy isn't comedy, if it isn't funny..." I agree Mr. O'Donnell. Do you find Bill Maher's comments funny? They include "John McCain is pimping his mother," and "think what they could get for Hillary Clinton's C*nt," and "[Sarah Palin] has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen...the Maverick and the MILF."
I'll be the first to agree Greg Guntfeld's comments (taken out of context of his show) aren't funny at all, and are insulting to many. But please don't act like the policeman of the Fox News without sharing the same concern about a fellow Liberal's comments. Until then, you have earned no respect in the eyes of any knowledgable voter.
On top of that, come to find out you have Mr. Maher on your show for "political commentary?" Not good Mr. O'Donnell, not good. I challenge you to go above your MSNBC cohorts, and call a fair game. In light of Mr. Maher's comments, "slapping" around Mr. Haney Project doesn't seem so crazy of a "comedic" comment...
Maher does not advocate "slapping around" anyone. He does not make remarks calling for violent action, even against those he disagrees with
.
You're missing (or ignoring) the point, NGMZ. Both Maher & Gutfeld were inappropriate. By only reporting, and commentating, on one side of the "problem", when he clearly knows both sides are wrong, Mr. O'Donnell becomes a hypocrite. All I ask is a fair game, from both MSNBC & Fox News.
Sadly, just as Mr. O'Donnell only reported Gutfeld, Fox News will only report Maher's comments. Both need to either report all sides, or don't report at all...but unfortunately, that's a recipe for bad TV ratings...
Bill Maher is a comedian. He says things to get laughs. Your argument is senseless and meaningless.
Another thing I would like to point out about Bill Maher, in addition to the fact that he is a comedian: Gutfeld and others on Fox News are making fun of and bashing someone (Batali) who is actually helping the poor. Gutfeld and others on Fox News are indirectly attacking the poor. People on Fox News have a history of attacking people much less fortunate than they are. I've seen Fox News personalities and guests say that teachers are "lazy" ("Dr." Keith Ablow said this) and that the reason they don't make the millions that Wall Street bankers do is because they don't work the full 12 months out of the year. People like rush limbaugh also attack those who are much less fortunate. I heard limbaugh once say that poor people should dig through trash cannisters to find food for their children.
If anyone thinks this kind of talk is a "joke" or is "funny," they are sick in the head. Those people mentioned, the ones Bill Maher "attacked," are celebrities. He is not making fun of them because they are poor or very sick, as was the case when limbaugh made fun of Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease.
I don't think everything Bill Maher says is funny, nor do I agree with everything he says. But Gutfeld and the people are his program are not funny at all, and they often attack common people and those much less fortunate than they are.
What does Bill Maher have to do with Mario Batali and his family living on the same amount as food stamp receivers?
Speak for yourself and, when you do, please use facts, not things you heard from the Right wing media. That is just misinformation and makes you sound stupid.
SLRS I agree. Everything the Right wing media says is garbage. They hate the middle class and are unable to reason.
Matt,
Do they have a primer on FoxNation or Redstate for you crossovers? If anyone questions Fox, then immediately attack with Bil Maher??
Exactly WHAT does Maher have to do with this discussion other than NOTHING??
There is one thing you have to give Fox though: They have absolutely NO SHAME!!!
Disgusting. Fox made me admire Batali, and find a new depth into which I can put my opinion of them.
Thank you for reporting on Mr. Batali's efforts to bring awareness to the weekly emotional, physical, and financial costs of living on Food Stamps.
Seven years ago I was diagnosed with a catastrophic illness. Thankfully I'm stable at the moment. But I went from having had career in entertainment/TV to fighting for then receiving SSDI, Medicare, Medi-Cal, and section 8 housing assistance.
It hasn't always been a pretty picture. Especially for a Jewish guy - me - who came from an upper-middle class family, had all the opportunities, access to education and a life that most American's only dream about ...
So I know what life was like on the other side of the fence so to speak. And now I know what the other side is like.
For those who don't know - it's marginalized. it's living life knowing that what you have can be taken away due to budget cuts and ignorance at any moment. It's waking up each morning knowing that 30-40% of the country thinks you're a freeloader - even though I've paid for the benefits I never wanted or thought I'd need, but am grateful to receive.
It's living a life where $5 dollars in my pocket has the weight of $5K or even $5M.
And it's living a life knowing the disparity between the hav's and have nots is expanding at such a rate that the ability to rejoin, partake in, even see the promised land of the American Dream fading.
I only receive $1,100 a month from SSD and whatever is left after bills and sundries doesn't go very far - not counting food.
At that point, it's become a question of what I should buy at the grocery store - keeping in mind that the $20 or so has to last the week ... so my moto is: be smart, choose well, make sure that what I'm buying will last, and can I make couple of meals from it ....
So I know what it's like to live a life that in the 30's & 40's was called "being on relief", and today is referred to as a four letter word ... entitlement.
To be throughly honest - I wish that every member of Congress - for one week, five days - was forced to give up their cars, credit cards, gov't cell phones, (Go-Phones with limited minutes would be provided), move out of their D.C. homes/apartments, and in to a HUD Housing unit or an apartment that accepts section 8 with only $50 to carry them through the week.
Then and only then will the haters, the liars, and the ignorant realize what the programs they want to gut mean to those of us that rely on them.
McCain would pimp anyone out, and so would any politician (on both sides) - that IS a fact!
There is a difference however, saying you want to "slap around" someone who's trying to raise awareness on the FACT that no one can survive on $1.35 per day food budget.
FOX is owned, operated and populated by Anti-American, Anti-Social Sub-Humans...and that's another FACT.
I predict that Obama will win the next election. If Romney wins, I am going to live in Italy.
Or maybe Scotland? I don't think Romney has any of his billions stashed there.
Fox viewers amount to about 1% of the population, generally speaking. Fox is outrageous and utterly peculiar and the truth is that almost no one watches. It's a tempest in a tea party cup.
Despite my disagreements with them, I think any true social conservative or evangelical conservative would be appauled by the attacks Fox News launched against Mr. Batali.
One of the reasons G.W. Bush had such huge support from Evangelical christians was his commitment to the poor. Although I disagreed with many of his policies, one of President Bush's crowning achievements (which unfortunately goes unnoticed amongst many) was his huge push to fight HIV and AIDS around the globe, specifically in Africa where the need is great.
mario bataly is a great man. a truly caring person. those that talk bad of him are complete idiots. he cares about people starving and if fox and the republikans want people to starve then shame on them. take their stuff away and see how they like it.
Great Man? Are you kidding? What is so great about him? Leave your republikans and fox out of it, and try to look like one who can have a debate with substance.
Yes, I'm sure from your point of view, cooking is women's work and he makes all of us look effeminate because he's particuarly skilled at it and demonstrates his talents as well as making a living with them.
Batali was stealing from the poor, his employees. He was skimming their tips right off the top, great guy and settled this case against him. A multimillionaire stealing tips from his employees, Lawrence's kinda guy!! Only a pig would do such a thing.
If this jerk off really cared about the poor then open your $100 person per meal restaurants to the poor once a week, then I would be a believer, if not shut up. Batali cares about Batali, this is nothing more than another dog & pony show!!
You all have it wrong, Batali steals from the poor his employees you fools !!
No...you have it all wrong!
if he took your business advise he truly may need to live on a food stamp budget!!!
i will not claim to know much about Mr. Batali or his gracious family, but how many of us are perfect??? And, i do appreciate him for trying to experience the America that i know...for giving a voice to the voiceless...and for provoking his own Children to be more compassionate towards adversity!!!
May GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR HUMBLE FAMILY...
it makes me renew my faith in our society when i hear someone like bataly bataly is reaching out to those in need. some beautiful comments and you are right about the right wing republicans. the hate fox spread is not new and we can only pray that one day they will see the light.
Fox is becoming the big bully of broadcasting. Yes, being a politician automatically makes you fair game for all the smarmy comments that it may elicit, but a chef? I see the man trying to learn and understand what a family that lives on food stamps goes through every day. Let's applaud his efforts rather than demean and insult him. I think we could all take on a little more empathy for our neighbors.
I would use this segment if I were still teaching the fifth graders in Sunday School. An outstanding piece, thank you Lawrence.
Thank you, Lawrence, for this. I've always enjoyed Mario's television cooking, and since I watch "The Chew", I knew that he and his family were taking on this challenge. I'm glad you reported on all the charitable programs that Mario is involved with.
My anger at the unbelievable childishness of the Fox reporters knows no bounds. I'd like to see THEM try this for a week; they'd be talking out of the other side of their mouths.
Smarten up people vote these rightEEs out of office.If they get in and they pass the RYAN BUDGET WERE ALL DEAD.G.O.P.(GROUP OF PHONIES.)
Keep it up, Mario! Love MSNBC!
I think it is, blatantly, obvious that the "entertainers" on FOX don't have any empathy, in the least, nor do they care about anyone on the planet who hasn't made their first million--unless they are still in the womb.
They stop caring at birth, they want to gut every program of food for the needy. Whether it is for adults or the WICK program. How many infannts will go without food because of the cuts they are proposing?
Faux people are not reporters--they are Murdoch script readers. I challenge even one of them to try to live, as so many of our citizens do. Does anyone think they would try to live on food stamp subsdies? I doubt it!
Bravo, Mario--for your empathetic experiment.
Tutti sapevano della sua vita che tutti gli individui devono essere trattati con rispetto, indipendente mente dal loro status nella società - ricco o povero, bianco o nero, intelligente o meno intelligente. Egli ha per così dire, \"anche gli ignoranti hanno la loro storia\".
Lawrence. A fatto molto bene la storia. Voi tenete coragio.
The Red-Eye Fox News team hosted by Gregg Gutfeld should be Congratulated. Their in-depth
knowledge of those LESS fortunate is a HIT.
To open up wanting to SLAP Mr. Mario Batali for wanting to help and
fight for those with less must have taken all week to prepare for. Since you prefer to ridicule, condemn his
good nature, I have but one course of action. I will donate $500.00 to His course. Thanks
FOX. Keep them coming.