I've been a fan of Good Eats since the beginning. While I do agree he is wildly inconsistent on methodology from show to show, I also agree with the earlier poster who opined that the main benefit of cooking shows is getting a wide audience interested in cooking. I can make this assertion mainly because I am one who, before I started watching Good Eats, was a fan off cooking shows as a form of entertainment while in my personal life I tended to shy away from experimentation and attempts at things I considered "too advanced". Something about Good Eats made it all seem familiar and possible somehow, and in the past 10 years I've gone from a "cook only out of necessity" kind of guy to a "Let's jump in and try something new" kind of guy.
In short, AB and Good Eats got me thinking on my own and I'm a much better cook for it. At least I think so.
As for food safety, he does bear the responsibility to represent basic food safety standards on his show, but the ultimate responsibility rests on the shoulders of the guy putting the meat in the smoker, so to speak. When in doubt, check it out. In his defense, rather than just focusing on washing his hands and being clean in the kitchen, he has highlighted the reasons for all the safety precautions. In fact, I can think if at least 2 half hour shows completely devoted to safe food handling.
I'm not defending the guy, or his show, just sharing my experience. I have noticed his persona has changed a lot from the early days, both on and off the show. I've never met him personally, but he appears to have gotten a bit cocky and holier than thou, especially on the second season of the "Feasting on" series on the boat. You can really see him going from a rather humble guy trying to make it, to a guy who, in his mind anyway, has made it to the top and is much better than the audience who put him there. Too bad really, as there was a time when I'd have really loved to sit down and have a beer with the guy.