Tasting on 'Live" TV

We've all been sitting at home, watching television when we see food being prepared on a live program or talk show. Per the usual, this food makes us hungry and we want to dig right in. We then see the hosts or guests on the talk show try the food and they pick up their fork and taste the most minuscule piece of food that leaves you wanting to yell, "just shove a whole shit load of that dessert in your face already!"

I have felt like this plenty of times over the years, but two days ago I experienced first hand why you shouldn't shovel food into that mouth of yours while the cameras are rolling. I was working at Channel 3 News the other day and our reporter, Susan Raff, was doing a special cooking segment on our political show, "Face the State." She informed me and my fellow producer, Teisha, that she needed two judges to taste food. Two state lawmakers were going head to head -- battling it out to see who could come up with the best Fourth of July meal.

Teisha and I were summoned into the studio to make our "grand" entrance as the taste testers and I was excited because I was starving. Then, as soon as I walked on the set I lost all desire to eat because I thought, "shit, I don't want to look like an ass shoving food down my throat on television for thousands of people to see." So I, just like all the TV hosts and guests that have come before, simply put a minuscule amount of food on my plate -- trying to be discrete in front of the viewers. I would have been so embarassed if Susan Raff turned to me to ask how the food was and I couldn't respond because I had a shit load of potato salad in my throat.

Once the floor manager yelled "clear," and I knew we were off the air I started eating like I had been stuck on a fucking island for weeks.

So folks, the moral of my story; next time you watch TV and get annoyed by the almost non-exsistent amount of food a TV personality puts in their mouth -- cut them some slack.

Been there -- done that!