Overrated: Rachael Ray is far from fantabulous!

When it comes to Rachael Ray, I find myself seriously torn. On the one hand, I am convinced that convenience foods are a major step toward the downfall of Western civilization; consequently, I am willing to join forces with anyone who fights against them. By convincing people that they can easily and quickly cook meals for themselves and their families, Ray is doing battle against the junk food menace and placing herself on the side of the angels. To that extent, I have to give her a lot of credit.

On the other hand, RR is also a traitor. In addition to her product endorsements for cookware, grocery stores, and knives, she has also made a lot of money shilling for Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts. Under the circumstances, I have to wonder if she suffers from multiple personality disorder, has an evil twin, or has been cloned by "the Man." Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine how the woman who won an Iron Chef cook off actually has the temerity to describe Dunkin' Donuts' coffee as "fantabulous." Unless "fantabulous" is a synonym for "tastes like it was brewed from a mix of flea dip and raw sewage," she's gotta be out of her tree. And let's not even get on the insanity of endorsing Burger King's deep-fried carbo bomb cuisine! Bottom line, anyone who is willing to sell her reputation to pander for the "Home of the Whopper" is morally bankrupt.

Don't miss the rest of our series on Overrated people, places and things!

Beyond that, there's the fact that Rachael Ray is incredibly annoying. I mean, like oh my gravy, she is super yum-o, mega-delish, über-obnoxious, gag-me-with-an-almond-biscotti annoying. Given a choice between spending a half-hour watching Rachel Ray and spending a half hour in my Algebra II class from high school...well, I guess I'd still watch her, but the fact that I had to think about it says a lot. I get that Ms. Ray may seem like a logical pop-culture step for a generation that grew up on Care Bears and My Little Pony, but she's just too damned precious for words. If her cuisine doesn't send you running for the insulin, her demeanor most certainly will.