Cooking shows have been on for years, and even eating shows have had their time in the sun, but the emergence of eating shows where the host eats ALOT is relatively new. Two of the most famous of this genre are "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" hosted by Guy Fieri, and "Man vs. Food" hosted by Adam Richman. Now, to the cynical viewer, these shows are about nothing but large men eating large amounts of food, thus perpetuating the ever-present stereotype of Americans as gluttonous swine. Ok, so the show has aspects of that, but I swear, there is more.
First off, the hosts are legit. They have done their time in the culinary worlds and have the credential to prove themselves.
Each show follows the same basic premise: The host travels to some city in the U.S. and searches out restaurants to stuff their faces at. However, once they arrive in the city, they take the role of a tour guide, and lead the viewer around providing history, stories, and humor. The host introduces us to the restaurant owners and employees, asks them an array of question about the city, their restaurant’s clientele, the restaurants influences, focus, history, and usually asks about famous people who have stopped in. All the while, the viewer is treated to an abundance of god-awful jokes and aimless comments. I actually like the asinine commentary because it makes me feel like I am not watching the show alone, which I usually am.
Unlike the more prestigious travel and cooking shows, (don't get me wrong, I love those too) the pig-out shows appeal to the more "common" viewer. The food is often greasy, the guests outrageous, the pace fast, and the backing soundtrack simplistic and rock oriented. The entire show is like reading the Comics and Sports pages, with Anthony Bourdain being the World section.
But just because the shows are more "working class" as far as culinary shows go, they do offer a lot of fascinating information about foods. What kind of cheese makes the best Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich? What are the ingredients to Cleveland's city champ chili 5 years in a row? I often take notes during the shows and they have really paid off.
Some criticism: Yep, the hosts are rather obese men and they do eat a lot during the show. For the same reasons that many people love these programs, they also kind of hate them. Obviously Guy and Adam are not role models (still waiting for them to score Lebron-esque commercial spots) and the average human should not be indulging in the diets (regularly) that these guys seem to on a daily basis. Quick note: my friend recently read an interview with Adam where he describes what he does on days where he is not shooting an episode. Answer: Treadmilling. Also, the non-meat eating population is probably disgusted 2X by the quantities of meat that these guys eat. I cannot remember the statistic, but it is something about how if each American cut their meat consumption in half, then something like world peace or daily rainbows would come to be. In all seriousness, a lot of food is packed into these guys for the sake of entertainment that could otherwise go to more hungry mouths. Really big debate on food justice exists here.
Other criticism: The show is pretty male centric. There are a lot of aggressive personalities and macho lingo thrown around. I tried watching this show with my sister and she shook her head throughout and said simply, "This is dumb. The concept and the guys are just dumb." "Man vs. Food" is particularly "Bro" infested. Occasionally, Adam is even escorted from pig-out joint to pig-out joint by frat brothers. It is all tongue-in-cheek of course, but then again, so is a lot of sexist material.
Lesson Plan: I think that students could get a real kick out of making their own versions of a pig-out video. The language used on the show is usually very colorful, and the hosts are actually quite theatrical. Having students write a script for a pig-out show and videotaping an experience would be a blast. Encourage them to be silly. Buy a nasty hot dog at Super America and treat it like the wiener form Mt. Olympus. Be eccentric and over the top. Be theatrical about their food. Make a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich and have their friend time them and chant their name as they try to mow it down in under a minute. Eating competitions are absurd and comedic. Why would a human endanger themselves while engaging in the most basic of needs? But people do it, and make television shows about it. Discussions about the absurdity of the shows could be quite eye-opening for students raised in our consumer culture. How does the rest of the world view “Man vs. Food?” How would a third-world country view it?
I think you're right about these shows being quintessentially "GUY." I wonder if there will ever be an eating show featuring women--probably not, because people would probably be grossed out or think it's improper, and even if they did have women, they'd probably be skinny anyway (those types who can eat anything and not gain weight, damn them).
ReplyDeleteEating shows are wasteful and kind of unnecessary, but they definitely are fun. I think shock value is part of it, which I guess is also why people watch that Japanese guy eat a hundred hot dogs...just to see if he really can do it. But people can also relate to the idea of pigging out and enjoy seeing everyday foods instead of fancy stuff. Also, the regional cooking aspect is important. People show their loyalty through their associations with local foods, and eating shows can spotlight some really unique people/places.
So you're right, eating shows are a lot more than just people eating. These shows are almost like a sport. They feature obstacles, competition, cheering, adrenaline, and (usually) victory in the end.