Samantha Brown Should Be Banned from Traveling Abroad
My wife and I are avid viewers of the Travel Channel. While we generally prefer No Reservations or Bizarre Foods, we’ve spent many an hour snarking on Samantha Brown’s ditziness while we watching her travels in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Lately, we’ve been watching her ditz it up around Asia, though I’d say that this series is a bit better than her Great Weekends series, which pretty much consisted of her going shopping and getting boozed up. However, her pathetic showing in the last couple episodes — Cambodia and Vietnam — has really incurred my wrath.
Her travel sins:
- Everywhere she goes, she makes a big fuss about finding authentic culture. Ironically, you see English signs and a number of fluent English speakers at most of the places she visits — a dead giveaway that she’s in touristy locales. I’m fine with touristy. Heck, I do my share of touristy things when we travel, but I don’t fool myself into thinking I’m blending in with the locals. Does Samantha think that the typical family in a Vietnamese village would be fluent in English?
- In a segment about food in Cambodia, she starts off raving about the variety of food available, and then ends up going to one of the most upscale restaurants in the country, a complete departure from the street-food scenes she had just shown. Ok, that’s alright, but what happened next sent me over the edge. The chef prepares for her a giant prawn from the Mekong River and tells her, correctly, that the best part was the brain of the prawn (the yellow head fat you see in shrimp heads). She immediately winces. When they sit down to lunch, Samantha oh-so-predictably tells the chef, “I think I’ll let you have the brain.” First of all, it’s not like eating shrimp heads is that exotic a practice, even in America. Any foodie worth their salt knows that it is indeed the best part on a shrimp. Secondly, you’re traveling, Samantha. Where is your sense of adventure? Stop being a wuss, listen to the chef, and eat the damn brain!
- Speaking of being a wuss, there’s her street-market scene in Vietnam. So she goes to a street market and raves about what a great experience it is to walk through it. Then she says she has to blur her vision a bit whenever she walks past a meat stand so as to avoid seeing things she doesn’t want to see. Ok, yes, there can be some things in an Asian street market that might be shocking to Westerners. But then she points to one stand and says, “See what I mean?” They cut to that stand and the sight that so horrified her was … a couple of plucked chickens. Really? Chickens? Out of all the potentially disturbing sights she might see in an Asian meat market? Why yes, Samantha, chickens have heads and feet. This is what real chicken looks like, not those precut, shrink-wrapped slices of breasts in your American grocery stores or the thin slices of meat in your deli.
- In the final segment of the Cambodia episode, she visits a nature preserve (again replete with English-speaking guides and English signs, of course). First, she idiotically asks the guide, “So are there animals out here to see?” And then she freaks out when the guide tells her that there are, among other animals, king cobras. She acts like a total pansy about having to tread through a couple feet of muddy water to reach the bank of the river, which was only about 10 yards away. Then, while trekking down a path through the forest, she again freaks out when they come across a giant spider, even though she’s standing a good 10-20 feet away from it.
To top it all off, her jungle trek ends on a secluded beach where she said she was going to spend the night. So you’re thinking a rustic woman-with-nature scene with campfire and sleeping bags. Then you remember this is Samantha we’re talking about. She’s staying in a tent, but it’s a tent whose interior is straight out of a hotel room, replete with a Western-style toilet (the one thing that seems to put her most at ease). To top it off, there’s someone there to pour her drinks, cook her a meal, and make a fire on the beach so she can lounge on a chair, sip booze, and admire the view. You’re really roughing it there.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, she writes on her blog:
I should mention in the interest of full disclosure that I did not spend the night in the tent on the beach. As awesome as it was after seeing that spider and then being told by the guide that a jaguar or some large Travel Channel-host-eating cat was walking the beach the other day I thought best that I just go back to the hotel. I know my limits.
Just unbelievable. Not only does she pick about the most touristy thing she can do — stay in novelty lodging accommodations on a secluded beach with someone to cater to her every need — she is too wussy to actually stay there. Her unadventurous nature is kind of the antithesis of what a traveler should be. If she comes across a local food stall selling delicious but slightly “non-American” looking food next to a Seven Eleven, she’d probably go into the latter and get a gas-station hotdog instead of trying the local food. She’s acting like the worst kind of travelers — the ones who want to just go out in the morning to see the sights in a foreign country, eat a club sandwich in some faux Western cafe, and then come home to America at night. I’m not asking for her to get totally immersed in the local culture or start doing her own Bizarre Foods show (though that’d be something to watch), but if you are all about finding “authentic” local culture, you can start by sucking down the head fat from that prawn like the locals do (except I wonder how many locals can afford to go that restaurant).
Side note: On the plus side, her ditziness is helping pump more money into the local economies of these countries. I loved that in the final scene of the Vietnam episode, she gets suckered into buying a whole crate of birds to release at the Buddhist pagoda (tourist fleecing, anyone?), and that just as she was getting all spiritual before releasing the birds, the monk walks away to answer a cellphone call and then comes back smirking at the camera. Very Zen.
Side note No. 2: Travel Channel, please send her to sub-Sahara Africa for her next series. Please please please??
UPDATE, Oct. 24, 2011
If you asked me which post on my blog would generate the most comments and have the most staying power, I would not have guessed this one. It’s been more than a year since I wrote this, and it’s apparently found a bit of a second wind as I’ve gotten a number of comments on it (mostly disagreeing with me) in the last few months. Just wanted to let you know that 1) I appreciate you reading and commenting, even if you disagree with me; and 2) unless there’s a really compelling reason, I’m going to stop responding to comments on this post since it’s a year old and basically all I have to say on the subject has been said in the post and in my replies to the comments. I’ve explained my views on this matter in great detail, so there’s not much for me to say without repeating myself. However, don’t let that discourage you from posting or disagreeing with me.
Thanks.
– John
Where's the National Syndicate?
Great article
You my friend have way too much time on your hands if you sit at home and write a huge article dissing someone. That being said, Samantha has to grow on you, she’s hard to take in all at once, But over time her personality is very charming. The producers find English speaking locals before she even gets to the location and for good reason. The show is broadcasted in English speaking countries. Many of the places she goes on her show are very remote and some are hard to find when planning a trip to that country. It’s a Travel show. People who watch it are interested in Traveling so of course many of the places are going to be touristy. Views can relate to her. Go down your street and find out how many people on your block would eat prawn brains. It’s just a pity you have nothing better to do with your life than tear apart someone more successful that you.
Good on you Nick, Samantha's a nice personality, and she does not mislead her viewers into thinking that she's something, she's not….She is like most of us…willing to try some new things, but not things that frighten us or disgust us!
I agree that this article was written by a jealous, wannabe, who probably doesn't have Samantha's charm or personality, not to mention her great job!
That's right, Nancy. Anyone who criticizes someone you like must invariably be doing so out of jealousy. Way to sink to trolling 101. I think it's a shame that Samantha squanders the amazing opportunity her job affords her to experience the world in a way that most people don't get to. I don't begrudge her that opportunity. She did something to earn it; good on her. But I wish someone in that position would take full advantage of it.
I enjoy her show, and really like her. I miss that she hasn't been on. Not everyone wants to watch someone eat bugs, or act snarky.
Your personal rant against Samantha Brown is not a review, it is a vendetta and an insult to reviewers everywhere. Samantha, is an actress, hired to perform and travel. Her show is not in competition with No Reservations or Bizarre Foods. It is a completely different concept. You are not objective and
your pretentious writing here is worthless.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Amy, even if you disagree with my post. If we say that Samantha is hired to perform and to travel, then what's Bourdain or Zimmern hired for? You're right that her show is not in competition with those two, but that's not my primary issue with her. It's the fact that she shies away from really experiencing a foreign culture, and yet seems to think that she's getting immersed in it even though most of what she does is right off the tourist-trap itinerary. Again, nothing wrong with doing the tourist-trap itinerary, but just don't delude yourself that you're seeing the true side of another culture.
She eats more meat than anyone I know.
@Marc I hope she doesnt catch Gout. I hear that's what royalty used to get from too much meat-eating.
I'm not sure that it's exactly prawn brains. I mean shrimp are not clever animals. Though like lobster, I've never been able to merge the cantonese translation with animal anatomy.
Brains… spiders…Jaguars- Do you have to endure those to call yourself a real traveler – I don't think so. I love to travel but like Samantha, I know my limits. Samantha loves other cultures, but she's not an idiot.
I do enjoy her show once and a wile, much like a teen drama.. A lot of pretty pictures and you don't have to think much.. Yes, she can be a bit …"dim" I'm not sure if that's really her or shes acting.. I hope for someone that gets to go all these fantastic places she is educated enough to deserve it "and not just a dumb twit." There is some things that I do enjoy about Samantha, and that is she is always kind to other cultures, Unlike Bordaine(sp) who always need some quip in there so he can feel better about hem self "I guess I might be the superiority complex he has got from the years witting so many books, Or is that he looks so much like Herman Monster will may never know." <– Yes I was writing like him, it's not difficult to be a Kerouac Wannabe! So no Samantha B is not the most intelligent show to watch I give you that, But I feel all the Travel Chanel regulars have something to be desired! I can watch any of them but there all not that great! World trekker I fell has them all beat.. and now with Cable/Dish poring money in to spin-offs I'm pretty sure it gonna get worse! I mean Please They cant come up with a new Idea that involves travailing!!?? nope,, there was the Samantha Spinn that sucked, now there is the Zimmerman spin-off Sucks! Tony is next and it will suck.. the same with LA ink American Pickers, Pawn stars etc… All have "Spin-offs that have rehearsed DRAMA then a true Docu-reality! Take a Look at that HORRIBLE SHOW LIZARD LICK TOWING or OPERATION REPO! It's all fake, Cable T.V. has become Jerry Springier 24-7!! Last time I looked the vast population wasn't white trash!
Nick, You're an idiot. And that 's as nice as I can be.
What the hell?? 1) I'm not nick, My real name is Hope, I use "Nope" a lot as a pseudonym Cuz i'm in H.S. and I don't like pedos! 2) Why are you being such a jerk on my opinion! What was it that I wrote that made me such an idiot ?
I was pretty neutral on the part of each an every show, I don't find "amazing" T.V. any any of them. that doesn't mean I don't like them, there's good and bad in all shows.. I just stated my opinion!
_ I'm not Nick, So either ya think I am or you don't know how to post, and you posted on my thread just to say crap to your guy nick.
So if you're calling nick an idiot for what "I – HOPE" Posted,, Let (FYI you) Idiot true meaning is
a.) "uneducated or ignorant person" I guess you got me there, Sense i'm in H.S I'm not fully educated!
b.) "lacking professional skill," lit. "private person." Well I don't have a profession yet, But I'm not much of a privet person.
c.) Do you know the meaning of "tasteless"
tasteless: lacking in politeness or seemliness tact, unmannerly, insensitive. ex. a tasteless remark.
— I just wanted to post, maybe debate if you disagree, that ok, But no you have to call me names..
Yea, I know!!! My grammar's all shot to hell Sorry!! "you'll probably make fun of that! It's what happens when I post pissy!!
I love every show Samantha has made – she's a great person and has made me want to travel because of her show. Stop all the small minded criticism and just enjoy her show.
I have to agree with Barbara. Samantha can be a little goofy at times but she appears to be a fun person and has made me want to travel more. I'm just sorry I very seldom run across her shows anymore. What has happened to the Travel Channel? The only places they seem to travel are to watch grown men eat their weight in disgusting piles of food, bugs, innards, etc. I like Anthony Bordain et al, but enough is enough. Can we watch a travel show that doesn't involve pigging out or ghost hunting? I don't want to watch poker players in Venice, I just want to see Venice. Get it???
AMEN !
I so agree with you. My husband and I call it the food channel since their are NO travel shows anymore!!
AND, Nick, I resent your hinting that Samantha Brown is a boozer…she's obviously not, but knows how to enjoy herself! She does not over-indulge, as is obvious, or she wouldn't HAVE so many shows on the Travel Channel. I do enjoy seeing her have a glass of wine or a cocktail in these exotic locales, because that is what I would do if I were lucky enough to be there!
And that last comment is directed at the author of the article, John Zhu, not Nick, as I said,…sorry.
So you're idea of a good travel show is to see people gorging their selves on food?? Unfortunately these days the travel channel is more like the food travel, way too many food shows! Seems to me Samantha Brown is practicing good safety for herself by not putting herself into harms way. Obviously you're an idiot and would do this to impress others!
Sherron, thanks for reading and commenting. My idea of a good travel show is something that gives me a sense of the place and the culture that lies beyond the carefully marked tourist districts, bars, and shopping zones. A shopping district in Shanghai is eerily similar to a shopping district in London, which is eerily similar to everywhere else in the world, it seems. Personally, I travel to gain new experiences and new perspectives, not to shop in the same giant department stores I can find in the mall back home, so I want a travel show to show me more of the former and less of the latter. There's nothing wrong with going to touristy places or shopping on your trip, but if you're doing a travel show, I'd want you to show me something beyond what I can easily find online and in a million tourist brochures.
You're right that the Travel Channel has become very food-focused, which is not necessarily a good thing, even though I'd argue that trying the local cuisine is definitely a big part of traveling. I enjoy Bourdain's show not so much because he chows down or because of his personality, but because he actually makes an effort to show more than a passing glimpse at local life in between the scenes of him eating and cursing.
Finally, you said, "Seems to me Samantha Brown is practicing good safety for herself by not putting herself into harms way." What harm is there, exactly, in trying a dish prepared by one of the top chefs in one of the best restaurants in the country? What harm is there in coming across a spider a good 20 feet away from you? What harm is there in walking through a local street market and seeing meat that hasn't been processed into unrecognizable packages? Sure, tourists should be careful. I won't be camping alone in a jaguar-infested wilderness either. But when I'm staying in a novelty hotel? With a chaperon, not to mention an entire camera crew, right there with me? The more likely harm is to the jaguar than to me in that case.
i cannot for the life of me stand samantha brown. i did manage to accidentally catch one of her episodes on the 'passport to asia' series and was appalled by her interpretation of asia (i should know cos i live here). it's ridiculous and she should just stick to her good ole' american series of which i do not watch anyway due to her bland personality and over-the-top pretense. my mother enjoys samantha brown though which leads me to suspect the show is probably dedicated to the sedentary, unadventurous demographic. to each their own. i'm sticking to lonely planet aka globetrekker where the spirit is curious and experiences are no-holds-barred as how travelling should be.
Blah blah blah….who cares……….dont sweat the small stuff haters!!!
And there for the grace of God goes you John ! Perhaps Samantha is catering to the first time and unseasoned traveler and not seasoned dare devil, live on the edge travelers such as yourself. It takes times for unseasoned travelers to build confidence to go off the beaten path and into remote areas of the countries you speak of. I have lived abroad, and I speak several languages. I love trying a multitude of different foods, but I draw the line to some of the things Zimmerman encourages people to try. I have also done my time hiking and living in a tent or sleeping under the stars for weeks on end. If you do not like Samantha Stevens, then watch Globe Trekkers, or is that not rough enough for you? Do your own show for Grizzly Adams characters like yourself. Different strokes for different folks.
Lily, thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, I generally agree with the "different strokes for different folks" stance. However, I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying, and definitely mischaracterizing me as a "seasoned dare devil, live on the edge" traveler or a "Grizzly Adams character". True backpacking or camping trips I've gone on, at home or abroad: ZERO. Here's the thing: You don't need to be living on one or the other extreme of this spectrum. It's not an either-or proposition where if you're not a Grizzly Adams character then you have to stay only in the tourist-only locales.
Quick example: We went to England last year. A lot of what we did were tourist attractions (and you'll note in my post above that I said touristy is fine). But we also took some time out to do a few things not necessarily on the tourist agenda. One of them was a day-trip to Dorking, a little town an hour's train ride outside London that's not exactly on everyone's itinerary. And that turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip as we caught some glimpses of life in a real town, not just the Starbuckses and GAPs around Picadilly Circus (which we also visited). Did that little day trip require us to rough it? Did it require us to be daredevils? Absolutely not. All we had to do was look away from the typical tourist itinerary for a little while.
Example 2: When we visited China three years ago, about half the trip was spent with a big group tour that did all the typical touristy things, which, again, was fine and pretty interesting. However, we also had a nice experience one night when we left the hotel and walked around downtown Hangzhou for a couple hours. We didn't venture down any dark alleys or seedy establishments, just walking down the street with a few hundred thousand other people. We rummaged through the English section of a Chinese bookstore and got a kick out of some of the titles there. We got an even bigger laugh when we went into an underground bazaar with a bunch of stalls, and the "foreigner in the vicinity" alarm went off as the vendors all immediately started shouting good-naturedly to my wife, who is American, trying to get her to buy their stuff. Again, nothing requiring daredevil or putting one's self at risk; just veering a little bit off the beaten path.
And on the subject of travel shows catering to unseasoned travelers, I'm streaming Rick Steves' Europe on Hulu right now, and it struck me how much more informative and helpful that show is than Samantha's Europe series. Imagine that: A show where the host actually gives you tips on how to save a few bucks and a bit of history lesson instead of going, "Check out the $500-a-night room I'm staying in." What Samantha is catering to, more accurately, is RICH, unseasoned travelers.