Amazingly, given the conspicuous absence of Snooki, dancing routines, or fat people competing to get thin, English chef and food activist Jamie Oliver won an Emmy Saturday for Outstanding Reality TV Program.
Comprising just six episodes and ending in April, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution took place in Huntington, West Virginia, supposedly the most obese city in America, where he tried to promote healthy cooking as an alternative to crap food. Oliver defeated the sterling contenders Undercover Boss, Antiques Roadshow, Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List, and Mythbusters.
“I cant believe it we won the Emmy for Food Revolution!! Thanks to everyone that signed the petition 650.000 of you,” Oliver Tweeted — only in all caps.
For the show, Oliver worked with “lunch ladies” at a local school, zeroing in on the school meal program as one area that could be improved, and visited a funeral home, to show obstinate radio host Rod Willis what plus-size coffins look like, in this sobering clip:
“This is the reality of where we’ve got to with health in this country,” Oliver tells a shocked Willis as he eyeballs the Hummer-size coffins. And later: “I hope that Rod’s starting to see why this little, annoying, pumped-up English boy is here. Because it ain’t about cooking lettuce. The food revolution is about saving lives.”
Oliver’s serious. Meanwhile, American TV chefs are shilling for Smithfield factory pork (Paula Deen), Cargill salt (Alton Brown), and industrial beef (Emeril Lagasse).
Get off your ass alert: As he mentioned in the Tweet above, Oliver has a petition online that he plans to take to the White House “to show the President and First Lady how many people really care and ask for their support” on keeping cooking skills alive, and on better food at school for America’s kids. So far 650,000 people have signed it. Why not you?
