Man Vs. Rude

It's been a while since I updated this page, I know, but this is a topic I feel that I need to give my two cents on.

In case you're not aware, Adam Richman, the host of Man Vs. Food a while back and most recently a poster boy for Walmart's steaks, had a new show coming out on Travel Channel talking about hidden menu items and other restaurant secrets. However, the former competitive eater was put under fire after a social media war which ultimately ended with his new show getting canned before it even began. It all began after Richman started using the term "Thinspiration" to describe his weight loss since his MVF days. What he didn't know is that the term is used to support anorexia and thus erupted a Twitter war, where he went on a rant about the word and again, his show got the boot.

Now this is the way I see it: He had good intentions. He wanted to inspire people struggling with weight loss, since he was quite rotund when MVF was on the air, but he had a poor choice of words and a massive temper tantrum to boot, so now he's paying the price. Granted he apologized for his unsavory comments, but the damage was done, and nothing on the internet truly dies.

I guess that's the main point I want to talk about: Social media relations. If you're a celebrity or a company, make sure you use social media outlets like Twitter or Facebook responsibly. Adam is not the first, nor is he the last personality that will erupt online. Anyone remember Amy's Baking Company and how they handled the immense amount of criticism that came their way? Granted, some of the critics were trolls trying to get a rise out of the Scottsdale Arizona restaurant, but they should have either responded in a professional and civil manner or just say nothing. Business classes nowadays use ABC as a shining example of what not to do when faced with critics on social media. Think of it, companies and businesses are using Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, etc. to touch base with customers, promote themselves, hold contests, you name it, and they do so with grace and style.

In the case of celebrities on social media, most of them usually don't have anything of worth to say. I have no interest in the private lives of famous people because I find it creepy, and even then, one of them could fart and get 100,000 retweets, but I'm getting off topic. Most celebrities know better than to write rude comments to their followers, since they want good PR and because they're under constant scrutiny by tabloids and their employers, any mistake or misstep that gets brought to light will be magnified, no matter how recent or old it is. It ruined Paula Dean, who's allegedly racist escapades date back to before Food Network was even established, much less before she became the butter-obsessed Southern belle most foodies recognize.

Case and point, Adam messed up and his good intentions came out as fat shaming and taking a serious topic like anorexia lightly, which caused his next show to get thrown in the trash, which is sad because I was interested in checking it out.