COMMODIFYING AND GENDERING FOOD IN FILMS AND TELEVISION
Prepared by: Mariam Bedraouiand Rachid Elaasri
Core Material
“Slow Food, slow Films” Author: Dennis Rothermel Source: Quarterly Review of Film
and Video, Issue 4, July 2009.
“A Domestic Divo: Televised Treatments of Masculinity, Femininity and Food” by
Author: Rebecca Swenson Source: Critical Studies in Media
Communication, Issue 1, March 2009.
Outline
Part One: Food, Television/Cinema: Zones of Cultural
Intersections Methodological Notes
Part Two: Commodifying Food: “Slow Food, Slow Films” Gendering Food: “A Domestic Divo: Televised
Treatment Of Masculinity, Femininity and Food” Part Three:
An Overall Evaluation
Food, Cinema/ Television: Zones of Cultural Intersections
Some Notes on Methodology
What is food? Food stuff and cooking The space where cooking takes
place The values related to food and
cooking What contexts for food?
Food genre films Cookery shows
How will the articles be discussed?
Commodifying Food in Films
“Slow Food, Slow Film”
“Slow Food, Slow Film”: Main Thesis
The cultural load of food and films
Manipulation and commodification
Resistance to this dominant mainstream productions
Artistic creations
“Food and film inherit traditions with a broad range of values. Large- scale industry proliferation of social pabulum has come to dominate in both. Perennially renewed resistance to this domination, however, thrives in both food culture and film culture. The hallmark in either case is dedication to exquisite creations within the dedicated practice of an art.” P. 265
“What slow films has in common with slow food is the prevailing presence of care, care for the making of food, care for the making of the films, but foremost for the one for whom it is meant, who will in turn will be ready for the receipt of the gift. In stark contrast, industrial food and industrial film find value strictly in terms of the exchange of price for commodity.” P275
“Slow Food, Slow Film”: Key Concepts1- Slow Food
“Slow Food, Slow Film”: Key Concepts2- Slow Film
“Slow Food, Slow Film”: Key Concepts3- Commodification
“Slow Food, Slow Film”: A Review of the Case Study
A Review of the Case Study: An adaptation to Meet Conditioned Tastes
Film making style Long elaborate shots Contemplative protagonists
Food culture Simple dishes using fresh ingredients Cooking is the process of designing a
gift Small servings
Film making style Conventional analytical montage Conventional female protagonists
Food culture Cooking grants power and control Mainstream food: Pizza, overcooked
pasta with tomato sauce Large servings
Evaluation
The use of fast food in a movie is not necessarily a sign of complicity and consolidation of the dominant consumptive habits
Not all Hollywood adaptations are by necessity driven by an intentional marketing for the capitalist values.
The construct of slow food may not keep the same defining boundaries across different cultures.