So, does the title of this show bother anyone? Bizarre Foods? Bizarre in comparison to what? Does it imply that what is normal or acceptable is only western food?

This footage is interesting- the foods, the places-, but the commentary and the attempt to 'dumb down' information for an audience gets very annoying. I realize many people don't have the luxury or find the opportunity to travel and experience other countries and cultures, but doesn't that mean that the host should belittle another culture's food in the process of trying to convey his experience during the show. For one, the words used to describe his taste experiences are judgmental and limited: bizarre, funky, strange, weird.

Not all of us Americans, yes I am American, think that food ends at salad, pasta or hamburgers. We all have our traditions, our likes and dislikes, but showing disgust when exploring another’s culture is truly bad taste.

Appalling quote from the 'Bizarre Foods from Asia' episode:
“This nasty looking stuff is fermented shrimp paste.”

Another example from the show:
Red sausage eaten from open street market in Thailand: Andrew remarks that it is made from pork and various intestines. The host puts the sausage aside saying that it had more intestines than he would like [ or something to that effect]. This example could have been used as a similarity to sausage in the US. Instead, the host took one bite and made a remark. Honestly, what do people think sausage is actually made of in the US?

This show really has an opportunity to be better. Why make it a culinary ‘gawking fest’? Why not use the ‘bizarre foods’ as a portal to tell a greater story. I know, I know, its TV. But why not expect more? In my travels, the food and culture always went hand in hand. I always tried things at least once, but just trying a certain kind of food, showed my interest and always opened a new door for me. It enriched my conversation, it helped me learn, it allowed another person [a local] to be more open with me. Food opens doors! This show seems so limited to me. It seems like it closes more doors. It shuts people out and enhances the view that other cultures are ‘strange’.

I really do hope this show gets better.

Andrew's closedmindedness towards food and culture in general is an insult to people who love cuisine and travel. To call what people in different cultures eat "bizarre" is immature at best and xenophobic at worst. I won't be tuning in to see if the show gets better. I'll be patiently waiting for No Reservations or Good Eats, shows that actually offer something useful.

pleasedrivethru you're an idiot.

I'm glad that there are other viewers/soon to be non-viewers that agree with me. I hope someone at travel channel actually reads this stuff.

I wish there were more shows on television that didn't enhance stereotypes and broadcast other cultures as strange or bizarre.

Now, I haven't seen too many of these shows, because they do bother me. How would this show look [ i think there has been a Bizarre Foods US?]. Would we make fun of all the different foods people eat in the US? There are some foods in the south that people in other regions in the US may or may not eat...pigs feet, chitlins, giblets, chicken livers... although a lot of these things were eaten for various reasons, not to waste, or just the cheaper part of the animal/what was available [ I could go into more detail, but this post is already really long w/o the history lesson]. Andrew touched on this issue on his 'Bizarre Asia' show. There are still places in the world where people don't waste food. In the US, we have chicken nuggets, sausage and processed meat from all over an animal. That would be an interesting show: bizarre meat products: from machine to mouth.

this is a good topic... yes, i agree with manzouku that the title of the show should be changed. After seeing much of the series, i do get a little offended by some of Andrew's comments about "dumbing down" native foods. Andrew is a food critic after all, so i guess it can hurt to hear the truth. To make it all fair, maybe he can choose his words more wisely if he doesn't like the food. Anyways, if people feel uncomfortable about hearing his judgments then feel free to change the channel... but hey, I still love the show and i would like to see more episodes of what our world has to offer.