Comments on: Chicken tonight

By: MickBelfast

MickBelfast — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:21:24 +0000

The reason why Jamie is a bigger wanker is because he tries to have it both ways. He complains about factory farming but fronts campaigns for Sainsburys which is one of the retailers whose selling practices have given rise to the factory farming system.
A couple of years ago he was slated for promoting Sainsburys factory-farmed salmon, produced in dreadful conditions in Scotland. He’s a hypocrite – or as Clarissa Dickson Wright has referred to him a “culinary whore”.
The whole chicken run thing is more about salving the consciousness of people who cannot control their own greed and abstain from eating flesh altogether. Indeed the whole “happy meat” movement is more about keeping the consumer guilt free than the poor beasts’ welfare.

By: James H

James H — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:05:26 +0000

I’ve only seen the 1st part so far (other 2 on my 30gb to be watched pile!) and while I agree this has been done before, and probably done better by others the fact is as a country we do eat a hell of a lot of Intensively farmed chikens and eggs (along with all the other crap we all eat, myself included).
My wife, who would never watch Panorama or Cutting Edge or a standard current Affairs type program, watched it (I didn’t even have to force her!) and within 5 minutes of the start said “You don’t buy these chickens do you?” (Yes I do all the shopping, modern man and all that), to which I replied that yeah most of the time I did. The result is that due to this program my shopping bill will go up by a couple of quid (or her wine budget will be reduced) as I now have to only buy free range chickens.
The point I’m long windedly trying to make is that regardless of how the program was made and how accurate it was, in my household at least, it has worked. Although I think I’m going to have to stop her watching the rest of the season of programs else I’m going to have to do more overtime to pay for the extra organic/free range food!

By: john b

john b — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:37:23 +0000

Dying thread, perhaps, but I thought the interesting thing about this show was that a lot of people I know in mid-to-high-income groups who are only vaguely bothered about animal welfare, don’t currently buy organic/happy meat, and wouldn’t ever watch a Panorama expose of chicken farms or read a think-tank report on sustainable farming, made an effort to watch it (I didn’t, so I’m not going to say anything about the content). And that’s the point of HFW.

Also, I’m sceptical of how representative the FSA survey is: “80% said they shopped mainly at a large supermarket” [which would, indeed, mean that they had easy access to healthy-enough cheap-enough food] rings alarm bells if we’re talking about the poorest 1/6th of the population. Another thing for the “to investigate one day maybe” pile…

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:33:59 +0000

What "stats" would those be, out of interest? You mean like the huge survey recently undertaken by the Food Standards Agency, which showed that the poorest families don't actually make significantly less healthy food choices than the rest of the population?

By: Forager

Forager — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:07:18 +0000

It’s amazing what people will project onto someone famous. Isn’t it good that he believes passionately in something and is willing to do something about it?

As for his methods, it was only because he wasn’t granted access to ANY intensive chicken farms (a fact that speaks volumes) that he had to recreate the conditions in order to show us.

So some people say that, for them, price is the most important factor. Why should he have to agree? The stats show that those who are supposedly too hard up to buy free-range chicken are often families who need assistance in managing their finances better. Generally they buy too little fresh fruit and veg (some of the cheapest foods around) and too much processed food. Fast food and takeaways form a greater part of their diet. The issue isn’t price. It is education.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:46:27 +0000

God, I’m watching the third part right now, and it’s cringe-inducing, virtually unwatchable stuff. People keep telling him that price is the most important factor, and he just doesn’t listen to them. At all. Instead, he either resorts to patronising and hectoring them to their face, or more usually, rolls his eyes in an aside to camera. It’s not that his position is wrong – but my goodness, his delivery of it is just so horribly counterproductive, blinkered and insulting.

To his credit, he has at least allowed the final show to have a fair amount of screen time devoted to people saying what an enormous cock they think he is.

By: Wanker Fan

Wanker Fan — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:34:29 +0000

I thought HFW had a few good points. Maybe not delivered in the best way but then 90% of the population are morons and it is these morons that he must reach. Chickens should be reared in a way that is at least fairly stress free. Things that take their time to grow and are generally quite happy taste better and the people who earn their living from them are happier. So it costs a few quid more, so what?. Most of us can afford it so maybe download a few less ringtones a year, buy a few less pairs of designer shoes or don�t buy so much from the supermarket you have to throw half of it away a week later when its out of date.

If food cost more would we eat less. Would be become thinner?

By: Flicktokick

Flicktokick — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:52:41 +0000

Although I’m not one to disagree with a crowd. FFS get a grip you lot.

So ‘Not on the Label’ has covered this and in more depth, well that’s ok then, no need for anyone else to do it. And for that matter let’s have no more news stories about natural disasters or starving Africans, they’ve been done to death. And don’t get me started on demonstrations against the war, c’mon people get orignal there’s plenty of other issues you haven’t marched about.

Perhaps it might have occurred to you that many people haven’t read ‘Not on the Label’ certainly it seems that the good people of Millwey Rise hadn’t.

The point is – and yes its also about making a a few hours of entertaining(?) programme – is that this is entirely in keeping with HFW’s track record in terms of Animal husbandry, organic farming etc. He isn’t an investigative reporter, he’s a bloke that picks berries and sorrel from hedegrows, shoots a wild boar and cooks them.

Oh and the free-range farm experiment doesn’t have the Millwey residents looking after it, they are a side issue, given their own chickens to look after to a) make them think about the plight of the broiler birds and b) provide a bit of televisiual light relief and a contrast to both the intensive farming methods and even the free-range end of chicken production. Obviously it’s the Northern Irish bloke that does all the hard work, while HFW talks to various receptionists on the phone

HFW may well be a wanker or a tosser; the programme may or may not be a pile of shite; but missing the point, not noticing fairly major details and basing your crtitique on the fact that a subject has been covered before in a different medium and you are aware of it so therefore everyone else must be are not the best foundations for a sound and convincing argument.

By: Gorilla Bananas

Gorilla Bananas — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:33:32 +0000

Who are these people? When I was in the circus we watched Graham Kerr and Fanny Cradock. Perhaps Jimmy Oliver is the bigger wanker because he sticks his fingers up the hen’s egg duct.

By: Pinksy

Pinksy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:30:13 +0000

“And yet people still think Jamie Oliver is the bigger wanker. Why? Can anyone explain?”

Because of his fat tongue, his early 90’s catchphrases, and his affection for Toploader.

What got me was HFW moaning that he had SOOO much to do in so little time: managing the Medway Estate chicken run, visiting Axminster Power Tools, setting up his own intensive farm all within the same few days. Why?! It’s his fecking program! It’s his own fault then isn’t it. He could have set up the Medway Estate project anytime. I guess it just makes better telly.

I never watched any of his other shows. I’m glad. I think he annoys me.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:27:09 +0000

Being seen as a wanker is perfectly compatible with being held in high public affection and esteem. (All performers are wankers, let’s face it.) HFW hasn’t risen to the level of wanker & is a mere tosser. Perhaps.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:24:52 +0000

Yep, while I can’t fault his motives, his methods were deeply suspect. I felt think trying to appeal to people moral sensibilities over cheap chicken is a none starter.

We were 25 minutes into the show before he mentioned that free range chickens simply taste far better than intensively reared chickens. That’s the USP he should be hammering home (unfortunately).