Every media outlet had their own way of commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Some, like the news stations devoted all their coverage to it; others, like those airing NFL games, did it through specials or the use of ribbons by on-air hosts. Others made logical mentions when necessary–on Siriux XM's classic rock channel, the host made mention of Bruce Springsteen's The Rising before playing one of his vintage tunes.
And still others barely bothered–and that was okay. I'll never forget on the actual day of the attack how then-classical station KKGO-FM 105.1 never interrupted its spinning of classical music throughout the day, specifically to serve as a refuge for those who needed it (the only acknowledgement came from a host–I think it was Rich Caparella–who merely thanked listeners for the thanks they were giving the station as a result of their decision).
Which brings us to the Food Network's remembrance yesterday.
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Far from me to criticize how someone remembers 9/11 but…the Food Network's attempt to commemorate the events of that terrible day consisted of a see-through graphic (seen above) that didn't stay seared onto the screen like its ubiquitous logo but rather faded away a couple of minutes after appearing. This process repeated itself after every commercial break. I noticed it during Cupcake Wars, during The Great Food Truck Race, but not during Iron Chef America.
This half-assed attempt begs the question: why? Why even bother? The Food Network is one of those refuges that America depends on to be void of the real world. Why just screen it for a couple of minutes? Why couldn't they leave it on the entire time?
If the Food Network really wanted to commemorate 9/11, they could've done great things: a documentary on the Windows of the World restaurant that stood on top of one of the World Trade Center towers, maybe a special on how New York City's food community responded in the wake of the disaster. But again, they didn't have to do anything. Their employment of the graphic only suggests a token commemoration on the Food Network's part–too much, too little, too late.
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