Bobby Flay Netnography

First Martha, then Wolfgang, now Bobby Flay. This is the third installment of our Celebrity Chef series. As with the other two, Bobby Flay does more than one thing. He’s the owner and creative force behind several restaurants—Mesa Grill, Bolo Restaurant & Bar, Bobby Flay Steak, and Bar Americain—and he’s an award-winning cookbook author and television personality.

His website states that his first priority is always his restaurants, so let’s judge him primarily on that. However, as we’ll see, that’s not what social media posters necessarily do.

Positive Themes

People love Bobby Flay’s Southwestern cooking style. No single dish or recipe accounts for this—people name a couple of dozen favorites.

11:27 PM – Posted by Da_Kween – 7 scopers scoping. I kid, I kid! I LOVE Bobby Flay . His Southwestern Fusion style of cooking (always mixing sweet and spicy) is one of my favorite cuisines. He’s a master griller and a has great flair. (source)

I think Bobby Flay is amazing. His food is always an incredible fusion of rich cultures and wonderful flavors. You know when you try one of his recipes you are in for a rockin’ ride on a flavor roller coaster. (source)

Many viewers of Bobby’s cooking shows find him “amusing to watch.” Not a bad trait for a celebrity chef looking to spread the gospel about his cooking style and promote his restaurants.

Anne Burrell on the other hand, oh my god she bothers me so much. She is insincere, has annoying catch phrases and doesn’t really make anything that creative. I like Bobby Flay because I think he seems down to earth but still a great chef. He doesn’t have to brag about how good he is. (source)

What I love most about “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” is how he seems so completely embarrassed when he wins. It’s adorable. (source)

Many (female) viewers of his TV show buy the whole “awesome” Bobby Flay package.

Bobby Flay is so handsome. And he cooks! :) random.

I know you guys are probably tired of hearing (seeing) me say (tweet) this but MERCY!! Bobby Flay gives me life!!! (source)

Negative Themes

The largest negative theme isn’t strictly about his restaurants or his recipes; it’s about his performance on his TV show, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, on the Food Network.

Bobby Flay loses Throwdown ’cause he overcomplicates. He needs to edit himself. And listen to hinself when he judges Next Food Network Star. (source)

Now we know why Bobby Flay lost the throwdown. The challenger’s recipe really stands out in terms of flavor against Bobby’s. You can actually taste the recipe’s intense flavor right through the meat. (source)

How can an Irishman beat a Puerto Rican making Latino food? Really don’t like Bobby Flay.

The second biggest theme, “annoys me,” is also not about his restaurants, food or recipes. Many of the sound bites here just say that he annoys the poster—no specific reason. I guess if someone bugs you, they bug you. No explanation required.

Hell Yeah! Except for Guy, bugs me when he cooks with all his bling on. Bobby Flay annoys me with his pronunciation of CHIPOTLE. Sorry Bobster. Oh, Andy Garcia (I even love his droopy eye, gives him character), Ewan McGregor, I would so do Obi Wan Kenobi, Dennis Farina, Cool dude, someone my mom would date though. (source)

This poster dislikes Bobby Flay based on the rumor (with the emphasis on rumor) that he’s cheating on his wife with Mad Men star January Jones. Once again, we’re a long way from a dispassionate evaluation of his real line of business.

Oh these TV chef threads always go so well! ;) I still don’t like Bobby Flay, particularly because he’s cheating on his wife. I respect Emeril less and less as the years go by; we were very much fans of his original show (The Essence of Emeril) and the early Emeril Lives before he turned into a loud self-parodying bam industry.(source)

Bobby Flay annoys me. He needs a new personality and needs to chill. His show “Throwdown” seems like he’s trying to get an ego boost and it just annoys me. (source)

Insights

People who like Bobby Flay do so for his restaurants, his recipes, and his TV personality. People who dislike him do so mainly for his TV personality. Frankly, I imagine he can live with that—he wants people to like his food and his restaurants, and they do. What they think of him, if he’s simply being himself, is beyond his control.

But it’s not inconsequential—people’s opinion of him can affect sales at his restaurants and sales of cookbooks. Clearly, if you really dislike a celebrity chef, you’re probably not going to patronize his/her restaurant, even if other people tell you it’s good. That’s the trade-off. All that TV exposure is great publicity for your restaurants and cookbooks, but you’re setting yourself up as the ambassador of the brand. If you’re a likeable ambassador, it’s good for sales. If not, it’s not. For Bobby Flay, the trade-off seems to work. Given that the two biggest negative themes are not about his restaurants, cooking or recipes, I guess the hazards of being a celebrity are worth it.

Also, on the negative side, people revel in the fact that he often loses on his Throwdown show. And yet, that’s also probably a good thing—it makes the show authentic, provides an element of suspense, and shows him to be a good sport. Viewers may tune in to see him lose, but hey, they’re still tuning in. (By the way, I looked up his record on the show. As of February 2011, it’s 32 wins, 1 tie, and 68 losses. He’s not afraid to lose.)

One other insight: Since Bobby usually prepares a variation on the dish prepared by his Throwdown! opponent, he should come out with a cookbook of his winners. If it’s been judged by an expert panel to be better than a dish some other chef is known for, it’s got to be something special. Oh wait—he’s thought of that: Bobby Flay’s Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network’s Ultimate Cooking Challenge is already out there.