Michael Pollan wrote an insightful article for The New York Times Magazine recently, exploring trends in food television and analyzing why we would rather watch someone cook than actually cook ourselves. As a former Food Network fan, I can sympathize with Pollan’s skepticism of its programs that highlight consumption and provide entertainment rather than actually showing people cooking. I’ve ditched cable and I now enjoy public TV (WETA’s “Create” channel) where “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Lidia’s Italy” actually teach recipes.
He says, “Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that’s less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia [Child] arrived on our television screens. It’s also less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of ‘Top Chef’ or ‘Chopped’ or ‘The Next Food Network Star.’ What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves — an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for.”
Even if you’re completely uninterested in food TV, Pollan’s article is worth a read. He recalls growing up with Julia Child on the television, and explores how her commitment to excellent food actually ran alongside the feminist movement rather than contradicting it. By contrast, the Food Network’s evening lineup of grilling-fests and diner tours shows a concerted attempt to attract male viewers. (To be fair, they still host a number of cooking shows during the day.)
Also, this reflection by David Frum echoes some crunchy con themes, as he sees the conservative values in manifestoes like Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma.
It's no wonder you feel so conflicted by work's heavy demand on your time, when you love to cook. I was intrigued by his allusion to women's cooking because they considered it their moral duty to do so. Cooking moral? Quite possibly. But spiritual, without a doubt. So many pictures we have of Christ are feasting, so much so that he was accused of being a glutton and drunkard. The resurrected Christ appeared around food most of the time it seems: Emmaeus disciples, upper room with the eleven, cookout on the beach. Whether to revise workaholic tendencies or decrease susceptibility to obesity and diabetes, here's to more time cooking and eating together. Some of my favorite memories of you Anna.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle. Yes, food is spiritual ... without a doubt. Thanks for the cookie, the coffee, and the time at Capanna!
ReplyDeleteThey had a Julia Child-fest on PBS here last week and it was the first time I'd ever watched her show. There was a marked difference between watching her cook without editing--she burned her fingers, dropped the ingredients, overcooked some of the dishes--and the stylized shows on the food network. She may have been the groudbreaker in this genre, but she'd never win the "Next Food Network Star".
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Anna! I enjoyed reading Michael Pollan's article immensely.
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