Wendy Williams and B. Smith – The Great (awkward) Culinary Divide

Do you ever get the feeling two people in close proximity couldn’t be farther apart? That is how it felt to watch the interview of B. Smith (@BSmithStyle) on a cooking segment of the The Wendy Williams Show (@WendyShow) earlier this week.

B. Smith and Wendy Williams

To set the tone at the start of the segment, B. (just B.) surprised Wendy with a handbag from her new collection. Wendy seemed genuinely surprised by the gesture. While giving the gift, B. uttered Wendy’s signature line “How yooou dooin?” and proved herself quite saavy in disarming the former-shock-jock-turned-shock-host. Wendy Williams may be the “Queen of all media” but, for this interview, B. Smith was the “Queen of all Wendy.”

After a few more words were exchanged, B. demonstrated the ease of cooking a Jerk-Spiced Grits recipe (page #17, delish) from her recently released cookbook, B. Smith Cooks Southern Style. Despite the common ground that was established at the start the interview, the media divas still did not connect. B. then explained that a key ingredient in the recipe is grits and said she used “quick grits” for the meal (something busy people can relate to). Wendy looked momentarily puzzled but recovered nicely by asking if another word for “quick grits” is “instant.” She then followed-up by asserting that she uses that in her house.

B. then added the jerk seasoning and Boursin cheese and this is the point where the interview fell apart. B. mentioned an exotic seasoning and a sexy garlic herb cheese about which Wendy should have followed up with a question. Instead, Wendy asked about the water used to boil the grits. A question about the water seemed elementary and signaled a divergence of culinary interests. B. graciously answered that she boiled the grits in stock, not water but the video vixens never found a way to come together.

Through the rest of the interview, B. did all the work while Wendy offered commentary that was, at best, remotely insightful. At one point, Wendy delivered an odd and lengthy diatribe about a hospital stay in Philadelphia while B. stirred, chopped, sauteed and served. To Wendy’s credit, she did stir the grits once in a 3/4 circle but that was the closest she came to touching the food. There is a certain autonomy that should be awarded a celebrity chef of B. Smith’s stature, but the distance between B. & Wendy was much greater. Wendy seemed uncomfortable throughout most of the interview. The instant grits and boiling water were a comfort zone (as evidenced by her questions and actions) from which she never veered.

If, indeed, Wendy is unfamiliar with the culinary arts, it would be consistent with recent trends that favor convenient over traditional lifestyles. Though not immediately apparent, there is an almost 15 year age difference between two (B. is older). Separated by a generation, their lifestyles reflect the different choices and opportunities afforded women of their time. B., in her fashion, career and demeanor has favored a softer, more classic approach, staying within the bounds of socially-prescribed gender roles. Wendy, on the other hand, respects few, if any, boundaries.

While many may be critical of Wendy, her choices are also a sign of progress. Wendy’s hard-charging, take-no-prisoners approach is uncommon and unprecedented, especially for women of color. But her drive and perseverance has allowed her to rise to the greatest heights in media. She shares the distinction with Jane Pauley, Joan Lunden (@JoanLunden), Oprah (@Oprah) and Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) as the only women to successfully transition from radio host to television host. But success comes at a cost. With Wendy, as with many women of a new generation, that cost may have been the development and honing of domestic skills. Her clumsy interview of B. Smith was a sobering reminder of the unintended consequences of gender equity. Fortunately, times are changing.

Given the state of the economy, young people are cutting back on certain conveniences including fast-food, take-out and dining out. As a result, celebrity chefs are finding a new audience as the culinary movement swings back towards tradition. As important as it was for B. Smith to be on Wendy’s show to promote her new book, it was probably more important for Williams and her male & female audience to be offered a culinary road map leading back-to-the-kitchen.

Despite the awkwardness of the interview, it was good to witness a bridging of generations. Hopefully, as this trend continues, the gap between the two can be narrowed and we will all be better for it. Now that’s food for thought… how yooou dooin’?