Irvine additions

Today's story about Robert Irvine in the paper didn't have space for a couple interesting conversations I had yesterday. I talked to Steve Fraser, CEO of Wilton Products Inc. based in Woodridge, Ill., who manufactured pans for Irvine:

"We put Robert on HSN TV about a year ago with a line of Royal Titanium cookware. He was promoting something called the "Possible Pan." He was on maybe three or four times, and just wasn't good on live TV. We decided not to pursue the relationship in late November. He wasn't a successful pitch man. Maybe he sold several thousand pans. We make the product and Reliant Interactive (Kevin Harrington) is the middleman with HSN. Personally, all of this [recent developments] makes me feel sad. We never made any money off of him, but he's a gregarious guy and a tremendous chef. It sounds like some of this started as a white lie with individuals...."

Late in the day I spoke with Kevin Harrington, CEO of Reliant Interactive, which produces infomercials for Home Shopping Network. He met Irvine a little more than a year ago at a Museum of Fine Arts fundraiser, at which they started business dialogue:

"We started hearing rumblings recently, but we were surprised by a lot of the facts that came out. I was out of town Sunday when this broke, and I tried calling him and Randall repeatedly. In all honesty, I’m not getting my calls returned. I just get voicemail.

Robert hasn’t been on HSN for a while. He’s been missing in action for scheduled appearances for the past few months. He lost interest in this side of the business and wasn’t showing up. Robert had gotten too busy with his Food Network show. My understanding is he’s done well with his TV show on the Food Network.”

We are a vendor to HSN, Robert is a talent who sells the product. In some cases we [Reliant] owns the product, and in some case he owns the product. His book and his spices, he owns. The mandoline and the cookware, we own. We don’t have a lot of inventory, maybe 150 sets of cookware sitting idle. For us it’s pennies, not big money. We have 100 products—you move on. Not everything is a success. Months back we decided this wasn’t something that was working for him or for us, we hadn’t shipped product in quite a while.

My understanding is HSN doesn’t want Robert on air. The products we own aren’t branded with his name. We can sell them under another name. He was an on-air talent. HSN likes to develop talent, but when the talent isn’t into it, that’s not a good thing. In the last 5-6 months, I haven’t talked to Robert, ever.”

Comments

[Jimbo]

Phew! Thanks goodness! Front page, local section below the fold...where it should have been from the beginning.

The SPT used to be a far better newspaper but for the past 5 years or so it has read like a supermarket tabloid. Cases in point: Susan Stanton and this Irvine clown. Far too much prominence and space allocated. Really cheesy. Say they would be a good name for a grater, wouldn't it?

[Jimbo]

One other point:

I'm still laughing from the guy at Wilton who said Irvine "wasn't a successful pitchman."

[JM]

Jimbo, with all respect, I think your radar is off on this one. The SPT broke this story long after Irvine had been ordained by the national media as the next great thing in foodie land. The story has been reprinted in its entirety in major newspapers all over the country, and it's not even close to running its coarse. You may not like it, but the fall of heroes (mythically speaking only, Irvine was hardly that) is the stuff of the classics and people eat that up (pardon the pun). I know I'm one of them. Good job Ben, Laura, et al.

On another note, I agree with HSN that Irvine was a terrible live on-camera presence. I saw his "possible pan" informercial filmed and he's definitely a guy who needs several takes to get it right (he's one of those people who has a annoying tendancy to use big words out of context, a sure sign of insecurity). I don't think he was destined to be a very good Iron Chef for this very reason, even though that show is heavily edited and takes several hours to shoot.

[Stewie]

From what I saw, he never was a great live presenter on TV...and yet, HSN promoted the living heck out of him, just as they do with all of their celebu-want-to-bes. But, I guess when you're rushing to get as meny chefs on the air as possible and with EVERY product being the BEST kitchen tool ever...soemthing's bound to get lost in the shuffle. Like your integrity. I'm just saying...

[Jimbo]

JM....I think we just disagree on emphasis and space. The SPT (until today) went way too far.

[The Mouth]

Jimbo, I know I shouldn't be saying this, because what journalist doesn't want a 1A story ABOVE THE FOLD, for crying out loud, but I do think the public needs a break from the Irvine saga. What remains to be seen is this: A) What happens to his Food Network contract and B) What is the fate of Ooze and Schmooze. As per my conversation with Beach Drive Retail yesterday, they are proceeding as if the two restaurants will move forward.

[JM]

I can't believe those restaurants stand a chance. Think about it: 80 percent of all restaurants ultimately fail. Tough business, obviously. So, how do you think that one run by a fallen, thoroughly disgraced former celebrity chef who lied about virtually everything in his past which largely drove his status as a known "chef" going to go over in St. Pete? Oh sure, there might be an initial morbid fascination to check out the freak show, but a thriving, regularly returning customer base? Uh huh. No way.

By the way, why has Irvine completely disappeared? Does he think he's helping his cause by remaining silent while his world collapses around him? He's made a serious tactical error by not getting out in front of this crisis, in my opinion. A sincere apology with a commitment to make it right would have gone a long way. Now? Too late. Sad, if you ask me.