Cooking shows are great entertainment for food lovers, but these shows often display two types of culinary personas: the female home cook and the male chef. Although more women are being recognized in the world of professional cooking and more men are cooking at home, there is still a portrayal of women in the home kitchen and men in the restaurants on popular cooking shows. Food Network and Cooking Channel are the two largest cooking networks and displays the greatest number of food personalities. By examining the different gender persona of the hosts on Food Network and Cooking Channel shows, this study aims to see if there are any divergence to the traditional feminine and masculine culinary persona. Literature Review Gender is a defining …show more content…
This statement by Druckman portrays the belief that women cook for the emotional experience while men cook for the technical experience. Research conducted by Marjorie DeVault (1991) suggests wives and mothers cook as a way to show their love to their family. Similarly, research by Cairns, Johnston, and Baumann (2010) discusses women’s emotional responses to cooking for their family and friends. Both studies highlight the emotion and nurture women feel as they cook for others. The studies’ discussion about the nurturing aspect of cooking demonstrates the traditional feminine belief that women cook in order to nurture their families as discussed by Friedan (1963) and Hochschild …show more content…
In order to get a greater sense of the food personality attributes, three episodes from each show’s current season were analyzed to examine the personalities’ mannerisms and culinary identity. These attributes and characteristics were coded and analyzed (see Table 2). Content analysis started with cursory examination of the television episodes. I posed two questions during my initial examinations: how do these culinary personalities present themselves as experts in either the domestic or public spheres, and how do these presentations adhere or diverge from the earlier outlined gender culinary stereotypes. This meant looking at the theme of the shows, setting, the appearance and mannerisms of the culinary personalities, and how well these shows convey the tone of the network. While watching, I took note of any personal anecdotes or memories given while the food was being
But there is underlying tension in Lancaster's argument and make-overs on talk shows. Instead of made-over guests choosing their type of dress and performance, they are usually shuffled into these roles by a team of television producers, make-up artists, stylists, family and friends, and audience members. Often, talk show make-overs reinforce our rigidly constructed ideas of what is "masculine" and "feminine" by highlighting the taboo of stepping out of these roles and re-constructing a person's performance to fit the correct social mold.
In American culture today, women continue the struggle of identifying what their roles in society are supposed to be. Our culture has been sending mixed messages to the modern day female, creating a sense of uneasiness to an already confusing and stressful world. Although women today are encouraged more than ever to be independent, educated, and successful, they are often times shamed for having done just that. Career driven females are frequently at risk of being labeled as bossy, unfeminine, or selfish for competing in many career paths that were once dominated by men. A popular medium in our culture such as television continues to have significant influences as to how people should aspire to live their lives. Viewers develop connections with relatable characters and to relationship dynamics displayed within their favorite shows. Fictional characters and relationships can ultimately influence a viewer’s fashion sense, social and political opinion, and attitude towards gender norms. Since the days of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie, where women were commonly portrayed as being the endearing mischievous housewife, television shows have evolved in order to reflect real life women who were becoming increasingly more independent, educated, and career oriented throughout the subsequent decades. New genres of television are introduced, such as the workplace comedy, where women are not only career oriented, but eventually transition into positions of power.
Murphy has taught us the good and bad side of the ‘Foodie” culture of social media. A good side of her argument explains how it really is a scrapbook of your life, since you reflect what you eat. The other side reveals that to others who are not a part of the culture, such as myself, perceive it as a waste of time and energy, since food is intended to be consumed and enjoyed in that sense, and not just for the visual appeal. This also brings up the issue of determining what makes a food ethnic, since regardless of how hard a person tries, if a certain dish is something a person is not use to eating, it will be foreign to them. Both authors have good arguments toward what they intend to share about American food culture, but there is always an obstacle blocking their
Likewise, there are some results that can be made from having Mexican cuisines restaurants in America. Generally speaking, Mexican restaurants tend to be heavily stereotyped because, “when most Americans think of Mexican cooking, it’s more fajitas, burritos, and nachos that come into mind” (Wolcott). Neither of those choices are real authentic food to the Mexican culture but Americans choose to think of it as one because they can be misinformed by the cuisine. Thus, Jennifer Wolcott explores Rick Bayless’s cookbook in which he aims to knock down the stereotypes that come with Mexican cuisine. Specifically, “he is on a mission to help others get beyond these stereotypes and experience the fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and lively communal
The definition of homemade has changed drastically throughout time. Rachel Jones recognizes this in her article “Homemade is the New Organic,” published in 2013 by The Atlantic. It is in this article that she explains how media nowadays has raised expectations on home cooking. Jones` purpose is to make readers aware of the unrecognizable and unrealistic expectations that the modern media subtly places on us when it comes to home cooking. Based on the content and the examples presented in the article, it appears as though the author`s intended audience is people who cook, or more specifically, mothers that cook. Jones begins building her credibility with past experiences and reputable sources, uses facts to back up her claims, and appeals to reader`s emotions.
This goes back to the idea of how culture frequently imprints concepts in our minds of how we should behave and how we are supposed to act. With the help of corporations and media, society continues to apply pressure on women regarding how much food they consume, how they behave around food and behavior or place in the kitchen. The gender specific duties of a woman implemented by our culture entail that females adopt a healthier or lighter style of eating. Women are supposed to eat salads or consume their meals politely and femininely because society tells them to. The woman is considered as the nurturer, the homemaker, the salad eater, and the kitchen cook. The man however is the hunter, the caveman, the meat eater, and the one with the robust appetite. The man is the one who is expected to develop a liking towards meat and junk foods. In a research study that was conducted at the University of British Columbia, researchers investigated individual’s opinions on vegetarians and omnivores. The participants of the study were asked to rate the omnivores or vegetarians personality based on limited information including their weight, height, activities and most importantly, their gender. The participants that evaluated the individuals noted that the vegetarians were the more virtuous and moral
As one of the many axes on which humans make social distinctions, gender can become closely entwined with interpreting the social meaning of particular foods and food practices. As such, not just particular foods become gendered, but food production and processes of the development of cuisines and the heritage of culinary traditions can also become highly gendered. Attempting to draw the connection between these different planes, this essay will focus first on the Carol J Adam’s understanding of how meat-eating is increasingly painted as masculine in Euro-American societies through commercialism, before moving on discuss Cynthia Enloe’s analysis of how both agricultural production and removed consumption of the banana, among other foods,
Food has been used as a tool by many cultures as movements to help with their culture become recognized, to identify their way of being, and to show their class and status. By exploring different author’s articles, and movie clips this will be visible. Food has created many cultures to explore these outlets and in return has had a positive impact on their culture.
Food documentaries such as Cooked, center themselves around food. While it might impact the viewing of the documentary. Pop culture doesn’t affect Cooked in the same way other “culinary-obsession movies” do (Gleiberman, 2002, p. 62). The way pop culture affects food also changes from region to region. Where the audience is affects what food is chosen to ‘‘define inclusion and encourage discipline, solidarity, and the maintenance of social boundaries’’ (Goode, 1992, p. 234). This makes it difficult to find something to connect all the cultures and areas around the world. Each area of the world has different resources available and a different way to go about using those resources. The one thing all those areas and cultures have in common is the impact brought by
Gianoulis, Tina. "Foodies." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Thomas Riggs. 2nded. Vol. 2. Detroit: St. James Press, 2013. 351-352. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web.22 Apr. 2014.
A television show can be a source of entertainment, information, or even advertisment. However, the written perspective have a narrow focus and only appealing to an ideally, similar audience. “My American Wife!” portrayed the daily aspects of an American housewife and her signature “meat-featured dish”, although the show was constructed for the content of Japanese’s culture. The entanglement of meat, race, and gender became significant in the media, as it exposes the delicacy of one culture attempting to fabricate the reality of another.
Kittler, Sucher, and Nelms (2012) coined the term food habits (also known as food culture or foodways) to describe the manner in which humans use food, including everything from how it is chosen, acquired, and distributed to who prepares, serves, and eats it. They stated that the significance of the food habits process is that it is unique to human beings. They pondered why people spend so much time, energy, money, and creativity on eating. A familiar saying that epitomizes the idea of food and identity is, “You are what you eat.” This expression addresses two of the questions considered in the research: What does the food on my plate signify? and How do food practices contribute to personal identity? These questions address the concept of
Throughout history, the roles of men and women in the home suggested that the husband would provide for his family, usually in a professional field, and be the head of his household, while the submissive wife remained at home. This wife’s only jobs included childcare, housekeeping, and placing dinner on the table in front of her family. The roles women and men played in earlier generations exemplify the way society limited men and women by placing them into gender specific molds; biology has never claimed that men were the sole survivors of American families, and that women were the only ones capable of making a pot roast. This depiction of the typical family has evolved. For example, in her observation of American families, author Judy Root Aulette noted that more families practice Egalitarian ideologies and are in favor of gender equality. “Women are more likely to participate in the workforce, while men are more likely to share in housework and childcare (apa…).” Today’s American families have broken the Ward and June Cleaver mold, and continue to become stronger and more sufficient. Single parent families currently become increasingly popular in America, with single men and women taking on the roles of both mother and father. This bend in the gender rules would have, previously, been unheard of, but in the evolution of gender in the family, it’s now socially acceptable, and very common.
This is an interview transcript between myself and the notorious chef Gordon Ramsay. I included this item on my bucket list because I have always wanted to learn how to cook. It might sound silly but I really do not know how to cook, it seems everything I touch ends up burning. I figure that I can learn how to cook properly by getting some tips and tricks from one of the best, Gordon Ramsay. I love watching Hell’s Kitchen and the Food Network in general. But when I watch Hell’s Kitchen, I see how passionate Gordon Ramsay is, scary and angry sometimes, but very passionate at what he does. Plus the food looks to die for. I chose an interview because I want the opinion of a professional chef. Asking him personal questions about cooking and getting
- Food: The History of Taste, Paul Freedman, Chapter Six: New Worlds, New Tastes, (pgs. 197-232), and Chapter Seven: The Birth of the Modern Consumer Age, (pgs. 263-300), and Chapter Nine: Dining Out (pgs. 301-332)