A couple of weekends ago Pam and I were hanging out watching the Food Channel and we watched "Everyday Italian". While we were watching the show it occurred to both of us that it was food porn. The driving backbeat, the composition of the shots, the use of wetness and fluids. It's porn. Just, with veggies.
Turns out that this wasn't lost on Brooke Gladstone either. She had a segment on her show On The Media with Frederick Kaufman where she covers this phenomenon in detail.
FREDERICK KAUFMAN: It's also shot very differently. It's actually shot single-camera as opposed to a four-camera television format. And so it's almost shot like a 35-millimeter film. You get an amazing angle on Giada, who is beautiful, and who always is wearing a very close-cut sleeveless top. And then you get the food, and then you get Giada, and then you get her fingers on the food. And oh, it's so moist. [MUSIC UP AND UNDER]GIADA DeLAURENTIS: Mmmm! Peaches are juicy, crunchy from the amaretti cookies. The sugar's caramelized, and it's creamy with the whipped cream.
FREDERICK KAUFMAN: Part of the big lie of porn and part of the big lie of The Food Network is things are made to look extremely simple when in fact they're extraordinarily complex. So, for instance, if you're seeing something like oral sex in pornography, it looks like the easiest thing in the world, when in fact there are all sort of issues with the way the camera is low and the light is to the side. And it's extremely difficult to actually pull this off. This is a wildly choreographed event, just as the food is wildly choreographed. And the big lie is "taste life," have a real experience when, in fact, this is the most unreal experience.
Mmmmm! Indeed! Food porn. Love it.
The whole piece is great. There is some terrific stuff about the Iron Chef, about how men are now watching the network, but not to learn about cooking. It's very informative. And it's funny to see someone picking up on this other than just Pam, Lori, Yvonne and myself.
BTW, even Megan is hooked on the Food Network, but she likes to cook.
Posted by jherr at October 12, 2005 11:29 AMThen there is Paula Deen, who is my TV mommy.
Posted by: bsaz at October 13, 2005 08:55 AMI'm not much on thinking about 'Porn' and 'Mom'. Something of a turn off, I have to say. She looks like a nice Mom though.
Posted by: jherr at October 13, 2005 09:39 AMIt was more of a contrast concept. Perv.
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