Andrew Zimmern's Show on Thin Ice After Controversial Comments: Report (UPDATED)
Andrew Zimmern's show saw a schedule change as well as a reported production stop after his Chinese food remarks.
UPDATE (DECEMBER 30, 11:20 A.M. ET): It seems Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern is paying for his controversial comments: His show has been axed from its prime time slot on the Travel Channel amid the fallout. The Bizarre Foods franchise and sister show, The Zimmern List, "has been bumped by network owner Discovery, Inc. into a graveyard rotation slot on Saturday mornings to run their course," according to Page Six. Filming has stopped on both shows midseason, according to Page Six's source, "and is not expected to continue further."
Original story continues below...
While promoting his Midwestern Chinese food restaurant chain, Andrew Zimmern made comments that insulted people in the Asian-American community, food critics, and beyond: He said, "I think I’m saving the souls of all the people from having to dine at these horseh--- restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest.”
Among those responding to the comments was The Washington Post's Ruth Tam, who wrote, "[He] has the noble cause of 'saving' white people from eating bad Chinese food. When Chinese people make Americanized Chinese food for white people, Zimmern calls it ‘horses - --.’ But when he does it, it’s 'unique.'"
Amid the rage, Zimmern posted a public apology (which can be read in its entirety on his Facebook page), writing, "Let me start by saying most importantly how awful I feel and how sorry I am for my recent remarks. I am completely responsible for what I said and I want to apologize to anyone who was offended or hurt by those sound bites. Food should be for everyone, and yet culturally there is a terrible and centuries old history of white people profiting off of other cultures, in food, music, and elsewhere. The upset that is felt in the Chinese American community is reasonable, legitimate and understandable, and I regret that I have been the one to cause it. That is the very last thing I would ever want to do. And in this case neither intentions nor context matter. Feelings matter."
Last year, Zimmern got candid about his "deranged, drugged and drunk" past in an Instagram post.
"Throwaway your life throwback Thursday pic," he wrote. "1982 or so, deranged drunk and drugged. I was a dangerous mess and still took almost a decade to sober up. I don’t think I ever posted a pic like this before. The smile on the outside is a mask. The pain inside was unimaginable and indescribable. Thankfully I don’t feel that way or live that way anymore."
