Dunkin' Donuts has gotten some big names, like Naomi Campbell, to endorse its yummies, and Rachael Ray just joined the club. Page Six is reporting that chef Anthony Bourdain is not pleased with Ray's massive deal with the donut maker. He said:

"She's hugely influential, particularly with children. And she's endorsing Dunkin' Donuts. It's like endorsing crack for kids."
"I'm not a very ethical guy. I don't have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line. Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don't have necks. And she's up there saying, 'Eat some [bleeping] Dunkin' Donuts. You look great in that swimsuit — eat another doughnut!' That's evil."
Ray's rep responded:
"Anyone who knows Rachael and watches her on TV is aware she promotes balance and moderation, instead of living life in extremes. Her work addressing kids' and families' nutritional needs speaks for itself so we respectfully disagree with Anthony's opinion."

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I totally support Anthony, I think that its about time we do something about the eating habits of the next generation - kids are not responsable for their diet, its the parents and media who should change their idea of what a healthy diet is and how it is NOT sensible or normal to fill yourself sugar, fat and unhealthy snacks.
1Team Bourdain, all the way, although I'd probably say that even if I didn't agree with him. Love him!
2We are all ultimately responsible for what we put in our mouths and what we allow our children to put into theirs. To blame Rachel Ray (even though I don't really like her) for fattening up our children would be like blaming Britney Spears for bad haircuts and lack of underwear.
3I really dislike Rachel Ray.
4I love Anthony Bourdain and totally agree that while it is our decision what we put into our bodies, it's hard not to agree that the majority of America's decisions (especially the youth) are influenced by one thing or another. You would think someone who has dealt with the weight gain rumors that Rachael Ray, would stear clear of doughnut campaigns.
5anthony ftw, because a dunkin donut has a higher iq than ms. ray.
6Go Anthony! No celebrity should be endorsing the things that are that unhealthy!
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8It's a double edged sword, imo. On the one hand, Anthony has a point about childhood obesity and diabetes, but on the other hand if you've ever watched Rachael's shows or read her books or magazines you would understand that she does do things in moderation.
In fact, I totally agree with her approach to eating. She makes mostly-nutritious meals (that are quick and easy) and uses great ingredients like olive oil and lots of veggies. But she also knows that eating a great cake or fabulous dessert (in moderation) won't put you over the edge - and in fact, for most people, it's the only way to stay sane.
When I first started trying to eat healthy, I went all out and was pretty restrictive - and I was miserable. It wasn't until I started letting myself eat good fats, and have treats every once in a while that I actually started LOSING weight. Funny, isn't it?
9Rachael does things in moderation? Some of her thirty minute meals have close to a thousand calories in a serving. I do not know about you, but that doesn't sound like moderation to me.
Seriously, though. Kids need to be getting away from donuts.
10i agree with crazy minky, her shows (the ones that I've watched) are full of REAYLLY heavy dishes and she uses so much gravy, fat and carbs it too much some times! also the break-snak, whats up with that?! Shouldn't she serve the audience some delicious veggies or fruit instead of cookies?? I gues she wants to keep them hyped on sugar while on air!
11Although I can tolerate Rachael Ray in only small doses and quite frankly I don't think anyone should endorse unhealthy foods there are a couple things to consider here. Rachael Ray does not have a fan base comprised of kids. It's mostly moms and women over 20. Secondly, Anthony (who I love and watch his show all the time) used to be a huge drug addict, and smokes like a chimney to this day is talking about what people should and should not put in their bodies. If you ask me, it's kind of the pot calling the kettle black.
12I can't take sides since while I agree she sold out, and that she should be more responsible, I love donuts.
13TEAM BOURDAIN! I'm sorry, but no child is going to be reading Rachel's books nor dissect her moderation theory. How many children do you know understand the word "moderation"??
14Anthony Bourdain all the way. Rachel is like nails on a chalkboard as far as I'm concerned. Although JLMac does have a good point about his smoking, but his shows are on the travel channel pretty late usually. But I'm sure they do all day marathons so I guess kids have seen it.
15lol JLmac, you hit it right on! That's so true about the chain smoking thing - not that he's endorsing Marlboro, but still.
I always use Rachael Ray recipes for my dinners. Sure there are some that are pretty "heavy" but not all of them! Not even close to all of them. Some of the best dinners I make were inspired by her recipes. Last night I made a great one with chicken breasts and a pan sauce made out of shallots, white wine, chicken broth and some butter. God Forbid I eat butter, right? I mean, come on, our bodies need some FATS! Plus, when I make her recipes I portion it myself. I give my husband 2/3 of it and I eat 1/3.
Her organization Yum-o reaches out to families with working parents to teach them how to make delicious, quick and nutritious meals so that the kids don't have to eat fast food all the time or boxed meals like velveeta - and they get veggies, proteins and fat too.
So don't knock her recipes.
16I am all for Team Ray, I mean Anthony makes a very valid point about child obesity in this nation but what the hell does Rachael Ray have to do with that?? I feed my own kids, if I choose to give them 5 donuts a day isn't that my fault and not some celebrity spokesperson?? If parents teach their kids healthy eating habits then they wouldn't be blowing up the way they are...if anyone is to blame blame the parents not some celebrity scape goat.
17i don't know if you have noticed, but i find RR's recipes very fatty, especially on her daytime show, everytime I watch it(I'm a working professional so I don't watch her show often), she's doing something that's cheesy, fatty, high carb, comforting food. and it's not hard to tell that she is on a yoyo dieting, maybe not very dramatic but her shape changes each season on her 30 minutes meal, and $40 a day shows. I liked her shows on food network, but the daytime show is a nono, I guess it reflects her true personality since it's not scripted. I agree with Tony on the children diet issue, but when I watch the DD commercial, I thought nothing about kids. I don't find many kids having breakfast, ordering a dozen donuts, and some coffee every day at DD.
18Whatever, Rachael Ray rocks and who ever said she was some sort of huge role model? She is a freakin talk show host and if people look up to her, that's cool, but she does not cater her shows to children anyway. She is a business woman and she is in the business to make money, that is her job. I don't eat dunkin donuts, but I think moderation is the key. Go Rachael.
19JLMac, actually her show is one of the few cooking shows that kids are willing to watch when on. She makes things 'fun' and her kitchen is full of bright colors that attract kids.
As for this post, well I agree 100% with Anthony. You see, whether or not RR has a kid following, or an adult following, or any at all - she is in media everwhere. Which means that to a certain extent she has a responsibility to set an example for us. I don't think it's even the brand, but that she is endorsing something so grossly bad for you.
Oh, and unfortunately Brit and Paris and such do have influence and there is now a cadre of young girls going comando in short skirts. Sad, but true.
20Ditto, wmurdy. I'm not a Retchel Raytard fan, but parents are ultimately responsible for promoting a healthy food intake and an active lifestyle for their children. And in her defense, she DOES promote balance (although she clearly believes that a gallon of EVOO with every meal is "balanced") and she does talk up the importance of moderation on her myriad shows. Not that I watch them. Ever.
21People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions. I don't care WHO is on an advertisement. There is something seriously wrong with anyone who thinks that celebrity influence is the reason why people are over weight. Stop placing blame. At least she isn't telling kids to count calories and worry about weight and puke or not eat! Since when is having a donut a freak'n crime? There is NO right way anymore in society when it comes to weight issues, and I think BOTH sides are hurting our children tremendously now days.
22I like Rachael
23Um hello Anthony, I have seen you countless times experimenting with random liquors and smoking some interesting substances on your show (not that I have anything wrong with that)so I don't really think you are the one to preach on impressionability.
24I don't like Rachael Ray, but I actually kind of side with her. First of all, I never see her eat a donut in the commercial; all she wants is the coffee. And since Dunkin' Donuts made the smart move of expanding their brand, they make their coffee quite marketable. Also, she is not a nutritionist, she is a chef (if you can call her that) as well as a TV personality with a strong influence on people. If anything, she endorses food that is quick and easy, if not completely healthy. And if people like that, more power to her.
But on the other hand, I completely agree with Anthony's standpoint because health is so important, and if kids look up to Rachael they will want to go to DD and order whatever they want in uncontrollable amounts.
Speaking for myself, all I know is that I don't use her as a reason to go to Dunkin' Donuts every day. It has no effect on me even though this makes for an interesting issue.
25team tony !! her endorsement seems way hypocritical.
26team tony!!!
27Rachel Ray's definition of "healthy" is loose, at best. Anyone who's ever watched her show or made one of her recipes should know that, and be fairly unsurprised that she's endorsing doughnuts.
28JL MAC....Anthonys shows arent for kids its on at 10:00 at night. He has never catered to a younger crowd, not in his books, shows or otherwise, its not the pot calling the kettle black.
Rachel needs to be called out, for her not tipping waitstaff on her $40 a day show (unforgivable)
She has sold out.
29TO date her face is on Burger King, Nabisco crackers, her own magazine and show, AT&T, and now Dunkin Donouts.
This was what confirmed to me that Rachel Ray is full of crap; on her show, I remembered how she was talking about "EVOO" and her viewers were asking her what kind was the best. She said, just get the cheapest kind because they are all the same. Ok, cool. This was about a year ago. The other day, I was at the store and noticed that her face was on a bottle of "EVOO" and it was $12. TWELVE DOLLARS? Give me a break.
30Anthony Bourdain's show has a warning on before it begins (and after every commercial break) warning of the content. He is in no way exposing himself and his bad habits to children...and they don't do daytime marathons of his shows. That said, he seems to have a personal distaste for RR that has spread to the media (watch his show, he makes fun of her pretty often) and I think is a bit unnecessary. I forgive him though because I think he's awesome...and her food is boring.
31RR is treading a fine line. No matter what your view of her is, people want whatever she is selling. I think they just did a show regarding how all the staff for the show as gained at least 15lbs since production. That tells you something.
RR-support something more healthy.
BTW- she is thinking of starting her own fast food chain selling hambugers. Will she be the next McDonalds? You know, they have a great reputation for being healthy and promoting healthy habits for children...haha!
32RR does not promote moderation with her meals... I mean maybe compared to Paula Dean, but I would in no way call her food or portion size healthy
33Wait, why on earth does Dunkin' Donuts need celebrities to endorse their product? That's what I find really weird.
34I'm on Rachel's side because um, there are no Dunkin Donuts in NorCal, so it isn't as though her endorsement is a conspiracy to keep America fat. Not only does everyone have a responsibility to monitor themselves and their own families, but why doesn't anyone ever point fingers at the true culprits of obesity in America: the multi-billion dollar health/medicine/pharmaceuticals industry who benefits from our bad health?
35I'm not siding with either one. Like a few people have said above, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE EAT AND ALSO FOR WHAT OUR CHILDREN CONSUME.
36I intensely dislike Rachel Ray to begin with.. I just think that there's something wrong with her clearly selling out to Dunkin' Donuts. She's not even promoting their healthier products.. She's seen on the commercials addicted to one of their coffee drinks. And I just think that if she really believed in what she claims to, she couldn't possibly support a donut chain. It's ridiculous. Yes, we're all accountable for what we eat.. but there's also such a thing as false advertising and I think Rachel's straddling it.
37Ok having a doughnut every once in a while won't kill your kids. Jeez, seems like people are banning DD all together, ever heard of moderation? All foods can be harmful to your body if you eat too much of it.
And it's not Rachael's fault PARENTS are shoving dougnuts down their kids throats nor is it her responsiblity to make sure their aren't.
Decide whats best for your kids and stop letting celebs indorsements do it for you.
P.S Are Rachael's target audience children anyway?
38Celebrity endorsements bother me in general, especially for something like this. I mean for pro-activ you can at least pretend that maaaaybe jennifer did have a zit once many years ago and this product helped. But donuts??? RR is a chef and a critic! it seems hypocritical somehow . . . . or maybe like a conflict of interest? I don't know, for some reason it rubs me the wrong way but I can't really put my finger on it.
39Anthony is AWESOME! He's funny and cool! Rachael has the world's most annoying voice and says "EVOO" way too much!
40he has a lot of nerve talking about how she should put forth a good image when he is a smoker, drinker and drug user...
41besides the commercials she does are more promoting the coffee...
42I agree with wmurdy especially this part:
"To blame Rachel Ray (even though I don't really like her) for fattening up our children would be like blaming Britney Spears for bad haircuts and lack of underwear."
HAHAHAHA. I needed a good laugh, HILARIOUS!!!
43I agree with wmurdy....
44Agree, wmurdy.... Where do we draw the line? Do clowns get a bad rap about McDonalds? Do red-headed girls with pigtail braids get grief because of Wendys? How about those Keebler elves? Should we go around hating elves because kids are chubby? I highly doubt Rachel is going to influence anyone to eat a Boston cream or powdered-sugar hole. It's the parents job to educate kids, shame on them if they don't.
45Gotta give this one to Anthony! People are responsible for what they eat, but it is also true that marketing and celebs do make consumers more likely to buy products. Especially kids! Not a big fan of Rachael Ray!
46I am and always will be with Anthony. This is a very smart man and an excellent chef.
Rachael Ray has made a name for herself on her annoying personality. She is not chef and has no chef training. This whole Dunkin Donuts thing is purely for money. If she really wanted to promote being more healthy then she would not have done the campaign.
Someone earlier was questioning Bourdain and his activities. Bourdain is not a hypocrite. His target audience is not soccer moms and their families. That is why his show is on the Travel Channel AND at night AND with content warnings. This man knows soooooooooooo much more about REAL FOOD then Rachael ever will
47I like Rachael, but I'm certainly aware that her recipes aren't healthy. Even when she says it's "figure friendly" it only means she added some veggies. The dish is usually still battered, fried, and covered in cheese. Team Bourdain!
48Besides, Bourdain knows REAL food.
i'm only really on anthony's side because i reallllllllllly don't like rachael ray. anthony seems like an arrogant ass, but he's right as far as donut-pushing is concerned. people should take more responsibility for their health and parents should be the ultimate gatekeepers. but, celebrities should really be more responsible about what products they hitch their wagons to...especially given the obesity epidemic.
49oops, sorry about the curse...forgot my *'s!
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