Can Jamie cause a Food Revolution in America?
Ever since he brought the full horror of school dinners to the attention of the nation, Jamie Oliver has been crusading his way around the world of food nasties. But his most recent endeavour, in which he attempts to raise awareness of America's fat-laden eating habits, appeared to fall at the first hurdle.
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In fact, no sooner had he arrived at Huntingdon, Virginia (America's fattest city) than he was breaking down in tears in the face of a flat refusal to acknowledge the problem. And an interview with talk show host David Letterman did nothing for the cause, with Letterman quick to pour scorn over Jamie's good intentions.
Things are looking up for Jamie though, thanks to the nation's chat heroine Oprah Winfrey. Having famously battled with her weight over the years, Oprah took it upon herself to show support for the beleaguered Jamie and the ratings went through the roof. A massive 7.5 million people tuned in to see Jamie in tears following his promotion of a healthy eating campaign on Oprah's show.
But America looks like a tough nut to crack. Where British schoolkids reacted with horror when shown how the now notorious Turkey Twizzler was made, the children of Huntingdon watched carefully the blending of guts, skin and bone of the chicken nugget before raising their hands to Jamie's inevitable "would you eat that" question without hesitation. Moreover, his decision to remove chips from the school dinners menu provoked something close to a riot. Even the local radio DJ accused him of exploiting the town to line his own pockets.
Speaking to Oprah, Jamie said: "I don't think I'm Superman, however, I've got hindsight on my side. Four hours of TV back home got a billion dollars from the British government, got rubbish in vending machines taken out, got new standards, fresh produce, local food and we're on the beginning of transition of change."
The question remains - can the Naked Chef cause a food revolution or is America just not ready for the Jamie Oliver treatment?
