By Alesha Granshaw
Image from https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/millennials-eat-up-youtube-food-videos.html
The global
networking site YouTube, and more specifically its diverse food genre, plays an
integral part in the concept of “consuming ‘the other’”, which is discussed by Atkins
& Bowler (2001). Regardless of a person’s geographical location or
individual culture, they are enabled by YouTube to access and interpret a wide
variety of food-related content including recipes and photography. This network
of culture and cuisine allows users to consume the exotic, a concept whose
meanings “may range from the creation of images of other cultures, as a means
of stereotyping and taming their otherness, to the importation and
incorporation of the products of other economies” (Atkins & Bowler, 2001). With the growing popularity of YouTube, it is
now easier than ever before for an American to make authentic, homemade Italian
pasta or for an average Australian to make a world class Pad Thai. By watching
food videos created by people from other countries as a means of demonstrating
elements of their cultures, YouTube users are able to develop their
understanding of not only other cultures but of cultural sensitivies as well.
YouTube also
further contributes to the idea that making decisions about what foods to eat
aren’t entirely up to us as consumers. “Our choices are not entirely our own
because, even in a supermarket, the menu is crafted not by our choices, nor by
the seasons, nor where we find ourselves, nor by the full range of apples
available, nor by the full spectrum of available nutrition and tastes, but by
the power of food corporations” (Patel, 2007). Famous and high profile YouTube
food vloggers like Jamie Oliver, Sorted Food and The Food Network all influence
the types and amounts of food that viewers are likely to buy and consume. “The
food system is shaped by farming communities, corporations, governments,
consumers, activists and movements” (Kuttainen, 2015).
References:
Atkins, P and
Bowler, I. (2001). ‘The origins of taste’. In Food in society: economy, culture, geography.
Kuttainen, V. (2015).
BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives
and the Making of Place, Lecture 8: Food Networks. [Powerpoint Slides].
Retrieved on September 14, 2015 from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Patel, R. (2007).
‘Introduction’. Stuffed and Starved: the
hidden battle for the world’s food system.
Image Credits:
Think With Google. (Image). (2014). Retrieved from https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/millennials-eat-up-youtube-food-videos.html
Sweet post! I can sooo relate to this blog as I am one of those Australian's who loves to youtube authentic Japanese food, stock up at the oriental supermarket, whip out my chop sticks and ittedakimasu! This has helped me develop my cultural understanding of many 'foreign cuisine's' as I find - more often than not - that these dishes are not what I'm used to (Cheers, Westernisation of everything!). I have also found that my food experience is limited by the options available to me, (Patel, 2007). For example, if I want to cook up an Italian feast, the only suggestions YouTube has available for me are primarily spaghetti and pizza. I'm sure there are many other kinds of Italian food, just as there is more to Asian food than stir fry, and more to Australian food than shrimp, (Lord Lamington, obvs).
ReplyDeleteRef:
Patel, R. (2007). 'Introduction'. Stuffed and starved: the hidden battle for the world’s food system.