I think we can largely agree that food is our universal love language. No matter what culture, race, gender or class you identify with, food is a constant presence in our lives that has the power to encourage and unite people of all nations like nothing else. .
Our growing appreciation of the culinary arts over the years paved the way for its success in mainstream media and eventually became a staple of many TV shows and movies, especially in today’s modern food culture and society. today.
Year after year, we see exponential growth in Hollywood investment and spotlighting of food and the stories of the people around it across all genres. This was done by design and mostly has to do with the science and psychology of how easily audiences gravitate towards stories involving food.
We eat with our eyes first
The entertainment industry has been celebrating food culture since the 1940s, when culinary pioneers Philippe Harben and James Beard started their respective shows, Kitchen (UK) and I love eating (WE). These shows were primarily aimed at educating its viewers, especially stay-at-home parents, on easy-to-cook recipes.
In the 1960s, the famous long-running show The French cook animated by the remarkable Julia Child introduced audiences to a new format of culinary entertainment, which resulted in the popularity of television chef personalities and cooking shows to shift from being merely instructive to an enjoyable pastime for audiences.
Over the years, TV cooking shows have evolved into different varieties such as amateur and professional cooking contests, food contests and challenges, as well as food and travel guides. Some of the early pioneers who paved the way for this new wave include the Food Network, Chef, iron boss, Excellent chef, Antoine Bourdain, Gordon Ramsey, Martha Stewartand Ina’s Garden to name a few. Today, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu have invested heavily in some of the best international food shows on television, such as Somebody Feed Phil, Chef’s tablethe street food series, and the bear.
Touching more on the latter, FX’s original series the bear (2022) is a faithful portrayal of a story that celebrates the importance of food, but also gives us a deeper understanding of life and the struggles that professional chefs and kitchen staff go through to succeed in their careers ( or just make ends meet). Beyond mouth-watering food, witty banter, petty fights, and action-packed sequences, it’s an influential and revealing story about family relationships, addiction, and mental health issues. It only proves that food can indeed serve as a medium to tell meaningful stories that shed light on important social issues that we need to be aware of.
“the bear is the perfect view of what it’s like during those moments of absolute chaos. The screams, the cuts, the meal planning, the stress, the burns and all that comes with being a chef. It’s intense, heavy, and feels like you’re right in the thick of it, making for great television. » via CinemaBlend.
Our deep fascination with observing food and our desire to learn more about the process and the people behind it can be explained by the way our brains are wired. The striking visual images and vibrant colors of food and the way it is prepared stimulate and stimulate feel-good and soothing hormones in our brains, allowing us to imagine the taste and be part of the rich experience. from a distance.
comfort food
Food is something we usually resort to for comfort and refuge. It is a universal language that allows us to communicate our unique experiences to the world. When chefs found ways to innovate food, art and technology in ways unimaginable, it resulted in remarkable dining experiences that have become a treasured part of our culture and way of life.
In addition, the pandemic has brought out the chef in us and allowed us to unleash our creativity in the kitchen. At this time, food became not only our hobby, but also a main source of entertainment. Many food trends and recipes have emerged on social media, creating a huge community, which has opened up new possibilities for food-related stories to thrive on screens big and small.
There is no doubt that the popularity of food will be a constant presence in the entertainment industry for years to come. It will continue to become an influential instrument or stylistic device for effectively telling stories about culture, relationships, mental health, and social issues that will hopefully induce positive change in our society.
