Food is universal and food is relevant.
Instagram has become synonymous with food photos, and food blogs are one of the most popular categories of blogs on the web. Lucy Longs (in a reply to Kiersten Mcgaughey’s article) responds that “food, perhaps because of the universality of eating, is a particularly popular topic of blogs”. However, despite food and eating’s universality, food photos are a common source of soft ridicule among a social-media centred society. Whipping out your smartphone to take a picture of your meal is “so gen-y” and should probably be featured on Portlandia as a skit with Fred and Carrie.
Nevertheless, coming back to Long’s point on the universality of food, food is relevant- and for some, interesting. The types of food blogs vary from vegan ventures, gluten-free goodness to traditional but exciting ethnic cuisine.
Although food online is a new age concept, perhaps it is only because the internet is a new age form of media. Traditionally, there was no avenue to share food photos, or access endless collections of recipes with the click of a mouse. Food is universal, interesting to most, and now there exists an avenue to share it. The progression to an internet full of food no longer seems to far fetched.
Food also plays a large role in our lives today: we have varying dietary habits, lots of variety, and for the most part, expendable income. How much would an online food journal inform us of our projected narratives? Ethnicity, social class, moral concerns and principles, interests?
A personal spin:
I am an athlete and a vegan. My values lie in the treatment of animals and the health of our bodies: from my instagram page this is very clear (kenblen), and well as my own personal blog Kenblenblog.com. You’re welcome to check me out and learn about my online narrative :).
Works cited
Longs, Lucy. Reply to “Food in Binary: Identity and Interaction in Two German Food Blogs”. Bowling Green State University. <http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/preview/volume9/pdf/mcgaughey.pdf>. 2010.
Mcgaughey, Kerstin. Food in Binary: Identity and Interaction in Two German Food Blogs. Boston University.<http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/preview/volume9/pdf/mcgaughey.pdf>. 2010.
YES and YES! I am all for the food related posts. I will admit I am one of those people who like to post their meals on Instagram . And I appreciate those who do the same only because I’m an adventurous eater who likes to see pictures of pictures from new restaurants around the city. I’ll also take note of food from Instagrammers in different cities for when I travel. When it comes down to it, I just enjoy looking at great looking food!
Despite some of the hate from people, I believe in food bringing people together. So, what seems to be a silly picture of your meal, might be a first comment on an Instagram post, which may start a conversation. We all need to eat, so we might as well have fun with it.
I am not vegan, but I have tried delicious vegan food and like you said social media is an excellent way to exchange recipes or share new vegan spots in town. I checked out your site and I am definitely trying some of those recipes. MMM cookie dough!
I really appreciate this post! Thanks.
– Chelsea
Thanks for your support, Chelsea! Honestly, who doesn’t love #foodporn!?
Kendall, I like the way you explain “convergence culture” as the many ways social media joins technology with more traditional practices of shopping, cooking and eating. I agree that the many recent platforms for sharing our experiences in the food world (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest to name a few) have endless possibilities and are outlets for creativity like never before seen. As well, I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to posting my own food pictures and enjoying those of others. Yet recently I read an article from 2012 called “New Study: Social Media is Redefining Americans’ Relationship with Food” that argued that digital media is replacing the role of “mom” when it comes to seeking culinary help and finding recipes. As well as potentially weakening familial ties, it also states that food selection has become less of a sensory experience of smelling and tasting and more of a visual and rational process as it has becoming increasingly an online phenomenon. The article also discusses how the idea of “table for one” has basically become non-existent as even those eating alone are usually connected to friends or family via text messaging or posting pictures throughout the meal. I found all of these points quite interesting and relevant to your post. Hope you do too!
Reference
http://www.hartman-group.com/news/press-releases/44
Riley Murtha
Kendall,
I really enjoyed this blog post! I think that in this day in age, food has become, to some, such an important part of identity. I myself am a vegetarian and have experimented with veganism, and consider my vegetarianism and the choices behind it a core part of my identity. I think you raise an interesting question with the last two questions in your post. I think that food does a great deal to inform us about the lives of others and can definitely act as a narrative. The food you eat can be indicative of the culture you belong to. Food, in my opinion, can also be a signal of personality traits. For example, someone who eats (and posts about eating) a variety of ethnic food may consider themselves to be open or adventurous, and that may come across in an online social media profile. And I think you touched on another great idea that food can be a signal of one’s moral concerns. Using myself as an example, I decided to become a vegetarian because of ethical concerns I have over the cruelty shown to animals in factory farms, among other places, and over concerns regarding my carbon footprint.
Thanks for the post! Looking forward to your next one.
Kira
A post centered on food and a Portlandia reference, it can’t get any better!
I found Mcgauphey’s article to be interesting that the food blogosphere relies on the offline food world. Food does bring people together, as I’ve noticed that most of my closer friends similarly share a love for food as well. The unspeakable bond of wanting to try new joints or sampling other cuisines definitely bring people closer together. I myself, also have a food blog which I co-own with my sister, posting food reviews and sometimes travel posts.
If I recall correctly, the first season of Portlandia featured Fred and Carrie, who are obsessive food connoisseur’s, and they’re so fixated on locally-grown ingredients, they ask numerous questions on where the chicken was from, what kind of lifestyle it has and even it’s name. The restaurant touted even provides them with a detailed profile of the chicken they’d be having for lunch.
The snippet pokes fun at north america’s obsession, but increasingly global craze of only consuming locally grown or organic. The video is quite absurd, but it does reveal how privileged we are. There are far greater problems and issues out there than finding out that “the chicken is a Heritage Breed, woodland-raised chicken that’s been fed a diet of sheep’s milk, soy and hazelnuts.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAlWrT5P2VI
I’ve found a kindred spirit! Thanks for your comment, Isabel 🙂 Heading over to read your blog as we speak. YES! I love that Portlandia episode where they inquire about the chicken’s life. What could be better than a chicken raised on hazelnut milk!? (And on a polygamist’s farm.. 😉 )