Hi Farm Friends!
This week, as we continue to consider various issues surrounding food, I wanted to turn our attention to a discussion about food messaging. We have obviously all have grown up in different households with different relationships to food, I wanted to share a few things that might allow us to think about what our experiences have had in common. Though these articles touch on different things, they all address different ways in which food is being talked about in our society. I know that our relationships to food are highly complex and ever-changing, as well as profoundly personal, so as you think about these questions, please take care of yourself and share only what you’re comfortable with. In class, I would like to discuss what we have read here, but also maybe talk a little more about our perceptions of, and relationships with food both as they relate to these sources and stray from them.
So, I am issuing a trigger warning at this time. We will be thinking about and reflecting on our own food journeys, so I want to offer a few things. First, one of the things I’ll be doing will be to give us time to free write some ideas in class, and then to ask those who are willing to share some thoughts. DO NOT feel pressure to share these if you are not comfortable doing so. Also, if you find you need space during our discussion, please feel free to leave the group at any point because I totally understand and support you. Again, I have struggled a lot with food in my own life, and therefore will do my best not to ask terribly probing questions, but I want to acknowledge that everyone has different levels of comfort with this topic.
As far as our discussion, I am excited to hear your thoughts and will leave room for us to take it in many directions! All my love and I hope you all are taking moments to reflect amidst the busy time that is 8th week of senior spring!
Now for a little reading:
Here are a few things on the Museum of Disgusting Foods, which had/has locations in Mälmo, Sweden and Los Angeles. Check out the website and then head over to this interview with the museum’s creator, Samuel West on the intended purpose of these exhibitions.
Food criticism is an interesting and highly subjective topic… so let’s look at these. First, have you ever wondered what it takes to earn a michelin star? And then, read this food critic’s thoughts on what it takes to be like him (lol).
And here’s just a brief history of the emergence of “calorie” into American food vernacular. Nationalism, Hollywood, and Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters!
Here are some questions to respond to:
- Okay so how are we feeling about the Museum of Disgusting Foods? Is West’s interview in keeping with your impressions of the exhibitions from the website?
- What have been your experiences consuming food criticism-related media? Have these opinions influenced yours in any way?
- Where and when in your life have you learned about “nutrition” and how do you define it? Do you feel that your definition is in keeping with a national or cultural narrative, or does it feel more distinctly yours?
1. I think West in his interview hit a lot of the concerns and ideas that came to mind when I thought about the Museum of Disgusting Foods. The first thing that came to mind was that it would be culturally insensitive and perpetuate the negative ideas Americans have of food from other cultures. However, that is not the message he is hoping to send but I struggle to think that if I visited the museum that I would be more willing to try these foods. I have had some foods on the list, but it is hard for me to get past meats and the slaughtering of animals at all stages of life he described as I am a vegetarian now within American culture. Additionally, I found the psychology of disgust to be interesting, especially when put in the context of its evolutionary roots.
ReplyDelete2. The first thing that comes to mind is being on Tumblr growing up and seeing photos of ultra-thin women with the captions “would you rather have cake or a thigh gap, chips or collarbone, etc.” Imagery like that, especially as an adolescent girl, can make a lifelong impact. I don’t think that the early 2000s into the teens had as many individuals speaking out about body positivity, we were in the midst of a very thin-centered media washing. I believe the media did play a role in my dislike of my body and even now it is a daily struggle to accept myself.
3. I learned nutrition in various health classes growing up which were all based on the government issued food pyramid, then food plate. As I grew up I watched documentaries about food in which I gained insight. I have spoken with dietitians whom I have sought out or who were brought in by coaches to speak to my volleyball teams throughout the years. I would define nutrition as listing to your body’s cues and cravings and enjoying everything in moderation. Being aware of my calories and where my food comes from, but not diligently tracking them or punishing myself for failing some arbitrary goal someone else has designed. I think that my definition is aligned with some body positive movements currently happening (if you ever get a chance to talk to Abby McDonough about her SIP it touches on this topic and her research really resonated with me) but not the dominant narrative.
1) I found the website to be questionable. Upon first arriving you see the bolded “80 OF THE WORLD'S MOST DISGUSTING FOODS.” So, of course I am going to thing… hmmm who is the judge of this. Who is setting up this museum? Where is he getting his sources from and who is doing the claiming of what is and is not disgusting. For example, the side panel said that Durian and Guinea Pig were disgusting. I have tried both, neither are disgusting. Durian smells weird...as in it smells like rotting milk and the guinea pig taste like chicken… the only reason I can assume that people think it is “disgusting” is because it is something they associate as a pet.
ReplyDelete2)
Well, I grew up without cable so that eliminated watching Food Network related shows. Other than that, the majority of the ways I have consumed food criticism-related media is through google and yelp reviews of places before I attend. I was very confused when you first wrote about the Michelin stars because I had no idea that existed. Now I want to eat a Michelin starred restaurant!
3)
I learned about nutrition from my parents who who would feed me vegetables and point out/ talk about vegetables when they were on or in a dish of food we were eating. I also learned about food through the government issued food pyramid in my public elementary school gym class. Also, every time I went to the doctor growing up they would ask what my parents would feed me and ask if I was eating “breads, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meats.” Not sure if all pediatricians do this or only mine did. The conversations about “nutritious” foods are ingrained in my mind because of my upbringing, class, access, and race among many other variable aspects.
1) I had a similar gut reaction to Audrey when I first looked at the museum's page. The descriptive words like "curious" and "exotic" sent me the message that this museum would be Othering the cuisines of non-Western cultures in a freak-show curiosity-shop manner. Reading the interview I felt a little better about it, considering the re-contextualization of our own foods that we consider normal that other people do not (like root beer). I have to say though, it still feels out of balance since most of the foods talked about from other cultures fall into the category of potentially dangerous while our culture's example falls in to the category of unfamiliar. I think that would be worth investigating, and I'm curious to know what other examples from the U.S. and Europe are in the museum that were not discussed in the interview. That said, I have the impression that Samuel West's intentions behind the museum come from a well-meaning place, and his goals in creating this museum, especially in regard to the viewer's introspection, are really important in the discussion of food.
ReplyDelete2) I honestly have never paid any attention to food critics or to the Michelin Star rankings (up until today I thought there were four possible stars lol) My mom loves to cook, and when we do eat out, which is pretty seldom, I don't really notice the difference in the quality of the food unless it's worse than my mom's cooking (I don't believe we've been to a Michelin-ranked restaurant). Therefore I guess I've kind of considered eating out to be a celebratory event more for the socialization aspect and less for the quality of food. Recently, I've been watching shows like MasterChef or the four-part documentary Fat Salt Acid Heat with my mom, mostly for entertainment, but also to become inspired in our own cooking.
3) When I first learned about nutrition, I was in elementary school. I remember seeing commercials on tv for yogurt and low-calorie, low-fat snacks that promised a healthy lifestyle and a perfect body, and I felt bad about my own figure and wanted badly to get those products, but I was also too self-conscious to ask for them (I was the chubbiest child in the family, which I held onto until puberty). In 5th grade, we had our first health class in school, and I remember we had a class on portion sizes, where we all brought in a single serving of food and showed it to the class and then we could all eat our snacks. One kid came in with a bagel from Panera, and the health teacher told us that it was actually four servings of bread, and everyone laughed. I remember feeling bad for the kid, who was bigger than most of the other kids in the class, but mostly I felt relieved that it wasn't me making the mistake and being the joke of the class. When I became a vegetarian in middle school, I was asked where my protein was coming from, and I thought a healthy diet was determined by protein. It wasn't until high school when I realized I should be eating more vegetables, even though my entire life my mom would tell me to eat my greens. I think my sexual awakening also had a big impact on my idea of nutrition. Queer youtubers were a big source of my sex education, and I have a distinct memory of a gay youtube couple talking about issues with bottoming. One of them said something along the lines of "eat lots of vegetables!" and that got me interested in researching gut health and wholistic health based around nutrition and listening to your body.
Okay so how are we feeling about the Museum of Disgusting Foods? Is West’s interview in keeping with your impressions of the exhibitions from the website?
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting, but obviously not all inclusive. And some of those things are pretty gross (the rotten birds seemed just a little far for me). That being said, many things that seem gross really aren't, especially if you can't see it or don't know what it is. (At one point I accidentally and unknowingly ate pig intestine...it didn't go down well, but I did eat it!). I think it is a good way to challenge what "gross" really is and what things really are edible (like with foraging...so many things are edible!! even if they aren't "normal).
What have been your experiences consuming food criticism-related media? Have these opinions influenced yours in any way?
I generally don't hold the opinions of food critics highly. Either my palette is less developed or I just find more enjoyment in Culver's burgers than most. If someone I know say a place is really good (also if they say it is fairly affordable...), I'm willing to check it out. I also like checking out places that may not be famous or well known, and I find "hidden gems" tend to be the tastiest (and cheapest).
Where and when in your life have you learned about “nutrition” and how do you define it? Do you feel that your definition is in keeping with a national or cultural narrative, or does it feel more distinctly yours?
I think I learned that everything is fine in moderation. Junk food isn't great, but a little isn't bad. Vegetables and fruits are good, but too many and my personal plumbing gets a little messed up. Bread is good, but too much isn't. I've also learned that there are times when certain foods are much better for me. Too much meat and I feel really sleepy. Having a friend who is a vegetarian showed me that there is more protein sources than meat, yet I realized for me, meat and eggs really helped me to sustain my energy best--but I also didn't need to eat tons of it. Also knowing people who are diabetic and have celiac makes me realize that my "normal" foods aren't always the most nutritious or best for others (and that there are alternatives). Also a key aspect nutrition is portion size...too much of even healthy things is too much! I'm not sure where I learned these, but I learned a lot about nutrition when I took Human Physiology and I realized the body can turn pretty much anything (that's edible) into energy, yet I knew wit myself, some foods made energy that was more sustainable for me (emotionally, physically, mentally) and others only satisfied in the short term (and then I crashed).
1) My response is similar to others: I do appreciate the desire to create a space that invites people to examine their experiences of disgust but I’m a little uncomfortable with the “othering” that is implied, despite West’s seeming intention to do the opposite. Food is so intimate and to label another person’s food “disgusting” is almost like calling them disgusting. I’m curious about what stories are told about the foods in the museum as well and if the context in which those foods developed were explored. For example, the seal stuffed with birds sounds kind of genius to me. Folks live in an ecosystem in which food is really hard to come by during certain seasons and they figured out how to ferment birds inside of a seal to preserve them for the winter. What?! I’d need a pressure canner and a bunch of glass jars in order to do that.
ReplyDeleteI have to bring lab-grown meat into this whole disgust conversation. Personally, lab meat kind of creeps me out. What do you all think? Would you eat at this (imaginary) restaurant? Would you order the desert made from the stem cells of your favorite pop star? https://bistro-invitro.com/en/bistro-invitro/
2) You know, I don’t really consume a lot of food-criticism related media. When I had a Netflix account, I did enjoy the Great British Baking Show quite a bit! (I don’t know if that counts.) I feel like that whole world of high end restaurants and fine dining is mostly just never going to be accessible to me and I really don’t care that it’s not. I would rather share a simple meal with friends that we harvested and cooked together. Not that I don’t enjoy eating out every now and then, but it’s not a big part of my life. I get a little annoyed with how high-end restaurants play up slow food and local food, serving meals that cost patrons hundreds of dollars without any acknowledgement that the people who grew and harvested the food could probably never afford to eat there.
3) Wow, I have to think about this one. I don’t really remember learning about nutrition directly but I’m sure I did. I took Home Economics in middle school—surely we learned something about nutrition then? Though, what I remember about that class is that we learned to make cookies and to deep-fry things, so maybe not. I DO absolutely remember the pressure to be a certain size and how that messaging was pervasive—from television, books, the magazines in the check-out asile in the grocery store. And I remember how much I hated my body for not measuring up to the images of what I thought I was supposed to look like.
My approach to nutrition is to eat what feels good to me, what’s in season and available, and to listen to my body. Usually if I’m taking care of myself and tuning in to my feelings, my cravings will guide me to the foods my body needs.
1. Right off the bat, I was pretty suspicious… ‘disgusting’ just seems so relative and the idea made me feel like this was going to be a culturally insensitive nightmare. So I appreciated that one of the first sentences on the website's description addressed this. West’s interview was also helpful as he addressed more of the reasoning behind the museum. Also, I really enjoyed his environmental take on meat! It is one as a vegetarian I really agree with. I don’t understand how someone can be okay with eating meat but only some parts of some animals? That seems incredibly arbitrary to me. Also, I really dislike when people who eat meat can deal with the process of killing the animal or look at the dead body. For example, I was with some family friends and we walked into a small grocery store that had butchered parts of animals strung up against one wall, two of the women we were with went shrieking and running out of the store. Apparently, they couldn’t stand the sight of the strung up animals. This really pissed me off because they both eat meat? Like all kinds of meat? But they couldn’t face what they are complicit in? How distant do you have to be from your choices to feel okay with them?
ReplyDelete2. I am a very experienced consumer of food-critic related material, Ratatouille is my favorite movie (joking). No, in all seriousness I love movies, TV shows, books, etc related to fine dining. LOVE them. I watched an entire documentary series on the restaurants that have gained 3 Michelin stars, and another critiquing the whiteness of the Michelin system. Really enjoy the topic, really excited to talk about it. While I think it is a fascinating topic as a whole, and I do consider myself to be a bit of a foodie, critics opinions do not heavily influence my own. I can (and do) appreciate things that the general populace, not just high falutin critics, find shitty. An excellent example, I have watched the Twilight movies unironically well past my pre-teens.
3. My mother is a health nut. She grew up eating really processed foods and that really shaped how she views food today. Healthy food is a blessing. Our table, fridge, and pantry were always stocked with superfoods. She was also careful to always leave out a plate of treats because she did not want us to view any foods as ‘no-nos’, she thought that would fuck with our heads and I am sure it would have. So my mom definitely helped to shape how I view nutrition. Later on, I became super interested in healthy eating as well. I truly find it fascinating, health/ wellness is a huge passion for my mom and it is fun to have that as something that connects us. I do not really pay attention to the national perception and I don’t really care if my perception of nutrition fits the bill. America has had really messed up views on food that has been (at times) accepted at the national level and really hurt people. So yeah I don’t care what the general populace has to say about it.
Okay so how are we feeling about the Museum of Disgusting Foods? Is West’s interview in keeping with your impressions of the exhibitions from the website?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is going into the field of museums/museum studies, I hated the exhibits that West hoped would bring that "Aha!" moment. Actually, I was kind of angry. To me, his interview seemed to say one thing, and the exhibits said another. When the visitor comes into a space like that where objects, or in this case, food, is de-naturalized, it opens the door for their objectification. Yes, we should change the ways we think about what is gross or unthinkably edible, but to do so on this scale/ venue seems contradictory to that mission and only further others the people who are connected to that cuisine. What he is doing is spectaclizing these different foods, instead of having people engage with them with respect as a foundational element.
What have been your experiences consuming food criticism-related media? Have these opinions influenced yours in any way?
I haven't really been privy to food criticism in my life. That may be class related or maybe my life hasn't really led me towards that, I'm unsure. I think the process is interesting, and the investment people have in that process is too. Why is it we have created these environments around food that are so deeply exclusionary? Why will we go to any length to achieve a perfect meal? I think of the waste/ environmental degradation that comes along with this. Like the chefs in Singapore(?) who will travel all over for the freshest catch because those ingredients aren't available to them anymore. I know this happens in other places too. It's kind of messed up.
Where and when in your life have you learned about “nutrition” and how do you define it? Do you feel that your definition is in keeping with a national or cultural narrative, or does it feel more distinctly yours?
I learned about nutrition from my family, and learning it from that venue has its complications. My mother's side of the family has struggled with obesity and heart disease, so as a result my understandings of nutrition have been profoundly impacted between the connection that my family members make between social understandings of what obesity is/is not and nutrition. I never had a highly regimented diet as a result, but my body was under inspection a lot while I was growing up. As my body has changed since I entered college (I think for the better, I am stronger and healthier), there has been a lot of pressure to return to an idea of a healthy looking body/ eat differently to get to that.
For me, I am still trying to figure out what nutrition is to me. I haven't been eating meat for awhile now, because of money concerns, but I am thinking I still need a little in my life because I am not getting adequate protein. I have a hard time knowing what I need to eat 'nutritiously'
Okay so how are we feeling about the Museum of Disgusting Foods? Is West’s interview in keeping with your impressions of the exhibitions from the website?
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what has already been said. The intention that West portrays in his interviews can’t really be argued with, yet the content and framing of his museum cannot escape from otherizing the people and places that the foods come from. The museum format disconnects the food from its context and, especially by framing the museum as disgusting, misunderstands the importance of the food. I think that there are better ways to accomplish the goals that West lays out in the interview. For example, like Amy, I thought that the method of fermenting birds within a seal was genius. The ingenuity and importance of some of these “disgusting” foods is amazing!
Like Audrey, I, too, have tried some of the foods on the list. The one that is most prominent in my mind is Cuy. I tried this Andean delicacy on study abroad. I agree, it tastes like tough chicken. Yet, we must also consider that Cuy is prepared in celebration or as a way of honoring those who are being cooked for—there is a greater significance to the preparation and consumption of Cuy. It is not “disgusting.”
What have been your experiences consuming food criticism-related media? Have these opinions influenced yours in any way?
Growing up, my parents were always interested in food. Family road trips often included multiple food stops so that we could hit some famous, or otherwise notable, food joints along the way. Driving to Florida, we would map out barbecue spots. On our way to Boston, we went out of our way to stop in Buffalo, NY to try out the original buffalo wings. This being said, food media was not an everyday thing for me or my family, but a treat—something exciting, adventurous, our way of exploring.
Where and when in your life have you learned about “nutrition” and how do you define it? Do you feel that your definition is in keeping with a national or cultural narrative, or does it feel more distinctly yours?
My definition of nutrition is constantly changing as I learn more about food and food science as well as what is good for me or not. I am not someone who is able to think about food content in a very strict sense. I think more about what my body wants, what I have given it recently, and what I know makes me feel good. I mostly learned about nutrition from my family. My mom growing up, especially, was interested in different diets and ways of eating. Watching this taught me a lot about food, but I think I was most impacted by the freedom that I had as a kid to eat what I want. My parents were all about promoting healthy relationships with food, allowing me to choose many of my meals, help with preparation, and serve my own portion sizes.
1. Similar to many previous responses, I find the concept of labeling certain foods as disgusting treacherous. In my own experiences, I have been exposed to many foods that most people consider weird or disgusting and I find that many of them are foods that I understand as uncommonly nutritious or tasty… here I’m thinking kefir, kombucha, and things like ‘prettles’ which is basically ground meat made of all the ‘undesirable’ cuts of meat left over after an animal has been butchered and all the ‘choice’ meats have been removed. So, Not only do I think there is a tendency for prejudice to creep into labeling foods as disgusting, I also think that many times the foods labeled as such are healthier, more responsibly made or sourced, and more nutritious than much of what many people in the US consider normal.
ReplyDelete2. My experiences with criticism-related media have mostly been things like buzzfeed videos on snacks or drinks or whatever. Videos like those are really just amusing to me because again, so much of the things that people are wigged out by are things that I find tasty or ‘know’ to be nutritious. Also watching people freak out about stuff is entertaining.
3. Most of what I think I know about nutrition comes from my parents, mostly my mother. She has always cooked for my family and I often help and try to learn as much as I can fro her. In that, a lot of what she does is very plant-based, gluten-free (often choosing alternatives to pasta-like things) and the meat that my family does eat is often locally-sourced, farm-raised, and ‘humanely slaughtered’ as ironic as that likely sounds to many of us. I think a lot of what is considered nutritious these days is very focused on additive nutrition; powders, shakes, bars, supplements…etc. Whereas much of my understanding on nutrition is about eating whole, raw, rich, local, and responsibly sourced foods.
Okay….museum of disgusting foods, huh? I have many mixed feelings about this. My first impression of the idea was quite intriguing and somewhat adventurous. However, the more I think about it, the more disgusted I feel about the intention of the organization. I think the brand of the museum, in and of itself, is very problematic. Who gives the organization the self-entitlement and permission to display a food dish, that could be culturally significant and delicious in other places, in a so called museum of “disgust”. I also think that it’s very biased and ignorant to public represent those images about other cultures in some lavish places like Sweden and LA. I think it’s kind of bullshit.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I’ve always used food criticism-related media as a navigation guideline to explore and select specific flavor of restaurants. It’s just a guideline though. I definitely don’t think these ratings are certain until I personally try out the food.
My experience with the word “nutrition” has always been complementary to nourishing and training my body. Something that makes me feel balanced and better. Nutrition definitely has both national and cultural narratives behind the idea. My philosophy has been that nutrition is something I can explore and try different approaches, but my personal instincts and experience are what I always fall back on.
1. I thought the interview that West gave was really interesting and pretty cool in theory. And it was pretty sweet to read about the different kinds of foods that I did not previously know about! Like other folks, though, I think the framing of the museum becomes dangerous in ridiculing other cultures. I would be curious to know how exhibits are actually set up and how much context they give (though I suspect they would still lack the respect to those cultures that Paige talked about).
ReplyDelete2. I don't know how much food criticism I've looked at, but I definitely love checking out different recipes and cooking videos on Instagram. One thing that comes to mind, though, is one time when I was listening to the radio and someone mentioned that the new "superfood" was cockroach milk. I don't think cockroaches even produce milk (?!?), so I assume they were poking fun at the idea of superfoods. But I thought it was so funny that it has stuck to me til this day.
3. A lot of what I know about nutrition has come from my parents. They always emphasized eating a lot of veggies. I think this was especially important to my mom because she grew up eating a lot of meat (as is common in Germany). I also thought it was really interesting to reflect on different cultural practices around food that I have personally experienced. When I lived in Germany and Spain, I ate a LOT more meat than in the U.S. Also, I think back to some of my favorite foods that my grandmother would make in Germany, and realize now how fatty and meat-heavy they were (don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I don't still love them).
1.) The museum... a lot has already been said and I agree with a lot of these concerns. However, I wonder if the label "disgusting" was where the exhibit went wrong. I think it is a super cool idea to be exposed to different types of cuisines and to learn about the variety of things that people of different cultures eat and sustain themselves with. There is often an amazing history behind these foods, such as the seel-fermented birds or even the consumption of dog meat, and to label them as disgusting for a shock factor or better museum attendance doesn't seem to do them justice. I know that some people really enjoy eating foods that are often seen as untraditional. To label them or display them as disgusting seems to miss the point-- They interesting, exciting, or just plain different from what people are used to. Although disgust might come naturally out of observation, I don't think it should be presupposed.
ReplyDelete2.) I feel like my main exposure to food criticism is through reviews on google or talking with people about restaurants and recipes. Its interesting how a rating system can make or break a restaurant (or recipe)-- if one has less than 4 stars I imagine people (myself included) are a lot less likely to try it out. This being said, I usually find these ratings to be helpful. While they might not always be accurate (some people write nasty reviews about things for the smallest reasons), I find it helpful for finding food that is worth my time/effort/ money. This seems to be a whole different ballpark than the Michelin ratings, however.
3.) I honestly have not paid much attention to nutrition throughout my life. This is not to say I eat chocolate and ice cream all the time but I think I end up getting most of the foods that I need. I have never really been a picky eater and I have always enjoyed eating vegetables and grains... Lately I do wonder if I drink too much beer (bc so many carbs?)-- or if I eat enough fruit. I guess I also am not really sure know how to find out
I like the idea of broadening people's perceptions about food. I was surprised that root beer is considered gross in other countries, and I think that's a real important part of the idea: you include something that your audience thinks normal, juxtaposing it to all these things that are unfamiliar. By including things that are familiar to their own cultures and including many different foods like this, everyone receives a similar effect. It's neat!
ReplyDelete1. I am a little confused on how some of the foods shown are considered “disgusting”. Foods from a variety of cultures may be unpleasant to consume for other cultures specifically Western cultures, but I think “disgusting” is the wrong adjective to use. I also agree that this Museum is culturally insensitive and possibly dangerous. I think as a world we need to be less individualistic and more understanding of other cultural differences in food consumption.
ReplyDelete2.I’d say that media covering food criticism has had a great influence on my opinions about food consumption. Most media platforms I consume reference which foods are healthy to eat (superfoods, vegetables/fruit, protein) versus which foods are unhealthy (fast food, processed sugar, GMOs, non-organic, artificial colors and flavors), while media I have consumed has also often advertised for such “unhealthy” foods. I feel that the biggest influences on my opinions about food consumption come from my friends, family, and societal norms. My friends have had a huge influence on my current dietary restrictions and knowledge of which foods should be consumed versus not consumed.
3.I have learned most about “nutrition” from my mother in particular. She taught me which foods were “healthy’ and which foods are “unhealthy”. She refused to ever buy foods that contained artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, msg, non-organic fruits or vegetables, and we rarely ever ate fast food. I also was raised to only drink filtered water due to the chemicals that can cause autoimmune disorders and other health problems. I am very fortunate that my mother was knowledgeable enough about nutrition and healthy food consumption even with our limited monthly food budget. I think that my idea of “nutrition” is mostly mine own, but is definitely influenced by my mother’s own definition of “nutrition”.
1. I really hate the fact that these foods are being labeled disgusting as strategic or satirical as it is meant to be. To do so with such an influence as a musuem has, is to further otherize something that nourishes and is culturally important. My mom has alwyas said that food can be nasty because it is made by someone for you and to feed you. I am saddened by this concept.
ReplyDelete2. I am always really confused by food related media. I dont understand the need to label and to make things attractive. If people are looking for that they will come. I know that is an obersimplification but I know that many of these things just create a rhetoric of consumption round food that is centered and founded upon affording certian things that are deemed a certain identity.
3. I have always learned about nutrition in academc contexts and in very specific ways. It has always been moralizing and judgemental, valorizing what we eat based on rubrics of what is expensive, acceptable ingredients wise, or in general that people dont deem wrong or nasty. This is damaging because my personal relationship to food is about moderation not on the actual food. Yes some are "better" but I think rhetoic like that is too idealistic and ignores the reality of so many people in this world.
I enjoyed West’s interview in the way that he was very honest about these processes that determine disgust being mostly psychological- for example I appreciated the lobster and potato example. As soon as we make something popular or “high-end,” we automatically give a precursor for them to charge much more. I grew up with some ideas of my own on this stuff because I did grow up with immigrant parents sending me to school with boxed lunches that were considered weird/unappetizing- funnily enough, it was the same basic white-washed PB&J sandwiches I shake my head at today that I wanted then. And then, of course, my dad has been on a “what if we could feel the whole world with insects?” kick these last few years that reminded me very much of the “making the simple sublime” quote from the Michelin article. Something that most impressed me was this idea of making the unfamiliar familiar- backing up West’s entire reasoning for wanting to create these museums. He talks about this idea of saving the world through changing others’ conceptions of certain foods- what I found surprising that he didn’t mention at all was how he could actually be saving the world just by rebuilding some of the communities that have been separated solely for these different cultural practices that we consider disgusting. I think in this day in age where this is so much oppression and disregard for others’ humanities, it seems as though changing the commentary around “others,” could be one of the quicker solutions to “saving the world.” And disgust is a huge part of that.
ReplyDelete2. I read a lot of food criticising media in my time writing my SIP- not like restaurants but more so certain diets. And the thing is no matter what diet it is, everyone swears by theirs being the right one which makes food a really divisive topic to talk about. This idea of consistency though… the expectation that restaurants can’t have one off day I think is probably the single most stress-inducing mechanism in the food industry. It really reminds me of Peters’ perseverance and discipline model for all diets. I think the biggest issue with diet culture and really all parts of our culture, still to this day, in our country is that we get stuck on restrictions rather than intuition- honoring our hunger and our fulls. We are quite literally teaching ourselves not to trust our own bodies and what they’re telling us which is exactly what any of those fast food industries want from us in the first place. This idea of discipline makes it so that there is no room for enjoyment in diets.
3. Oh wow I specifically remember figuring this out one day- I told my parents I couldn’t sit down for dinner because I had to constantly be moving so that i could stay thin (I was like 8 years old and tiny) and then at the dinner table that evening constantly asking my dad “but how many calories does this have?” until I pissed him off for good and he said something like “Maria you need calories to LIVE!” Then I went off to try various different diets as what i heard was best was constantly in flux. Finally, now, I feel that I’ve reached my own narrative that does feel distinctively mine (well okay, maybe half my dads). But I reached it experimenting and feeling my discomfort I felt while treating my body a certain way so it feels like I am being true to myself. And then, I never punish myself if I eat something that makes me feel bad after because I accept that at the time there was probably a reason I ate it. Something I do catch myself doing though and get upset about, are watching what others are eating that is very different than I and thinking that they are not as healthy as I as if 1) health didn’t look completely different for everyone and 2) health was at the top of people's priorities. I’m getting better but still have a way to go.
1. I’m not sure how I feel about the museum if I am being honest.
ReplyDelete2. I try to not let food relted criticism influence my own, espcially because I have experienced people telling me things I find offensive about the food I grew up with, I also find that these are usually opinions given from western folks to non-western cuisine, so in a way, it feels like food is another way to other a particular group of people.
3. I think I learned what is nutritional based on what my parents observed was nutritional to their bodies particularly before coming to the U.S. For instance, legumes are nutritious and light and they learned that cause they were available and it gave them nutrition for low prices. Or Cactus, which is good for digestion. So a lot of what my family now tells me is nutritious is based on observations. So to a great extent my view of “nutritious” food is informed by my culture