The well-rounded man of food TV.
“Now I was going to bring back all such things into my life and become again that most limited of all specialists, the ‘well-rounded man.’”
‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1926:10)
Introducing the well-rounded man.
Today’s ‘well-rounded man’ can have it all. He is versatile, adventurous and indulges in a voracious appetite for food and liquor. These characteristics are reinforced through lifestyle media, which communicates didactic ideological messaging about how to live and who to be (Ouellette, 2016). An increasingly popular subgenre of lifestyle media is food television (de Solier, 2005). Originally targeted at 1950s housewives, food television has seen a surge of male viewership in correlation with a rise in the number of men who cook at home (Premack, 2016). It is this audience that best demonstrates the ideology of the ‘well-rounded man’.
In line with sociologist Judith Butler’s rationalisation that gender is performative, this essay will focus on masculinity as a set of attributes or behaviours commonly associated with, but not wholly reserved for men (Butler, 1988; Woodman et al, 149). It will hone in on cooking television to argue that masculine audiences are taught - not only how to cook or what to eat - but also to be versatile, adventurous and indulgent for the purpose of attaining culinary cultural capital. This argument will be bolstered by Dr Isabelle de Solier’s findings that cooking shows teach us more than just how to cook. They teach us how to be a cultured individual (de Solier, 2005). Drawing on a range of food television examples, this essay will primarily focus on Anthony Bourdain's ‘Parts Unknown’ to demonstrate how modern male lifestyle ideologies are imparted onto viewers to teach them what kind of subjects to be.
Acquiring cultural capital.
French Philosopher Pierre Bourdieu coined the term ‘cultural capital’ when he expanded on economic theory to reason that there are three forms of capital: Social, Cultural and Economic (Bourdieu, 1997). Economic capital can be directly converted into money. Social capital is the network of contacts who you know. Cultural capital is an embodied, objectified and institutionalised form of credibility that reveals itself in one’s taste, experiences, accolades, mannerisms, tone of voice, style and conduct. Cultural signifiers are socialised through the act of social norming to reinforce dynamics of power and privilege (Woodman et al, 2020). Communications professor Frances Bonner argues that this process is magnified in televisual mediums where “the content of television calls on ordinary, everyday concerns and patterns of behaviour, using them, furthermore, not just as topics but as guides to style, appearance and behaviour” (Bonner, 2003:32). In a post-modern capitalist society of self-made individuals, cultural capital is important for creating opportunities to shift between class divides, build relationships and gain respect.
Expanding on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, de Solier points out that there is a significant weight placed on the culinary aspects of cultural capital (de Solier, 2005). Furthermore, she builds on Bonner’s theory that cultural signifiers are imparted onto viewers via food television (de Solier, 2005). She writes that “cookery programmes transmit other encoded forms of knowledge about gender, class, ethnicity and national identity, which perform particular kinds of ideological work” (de Solier, 2005:468). For example, different connotations apply for a person who brings casked or corked wine to a party. Even if the wine itself is exactly the same drop, the one served in a bag may be perceived as too cheap, while the corked bottle may be viewed as too premium. The context of the party matters too. An intimate dinner party with a sit-down meal, may result in the cask wine being considered poor taste. However, for a house party with hundreds of guests and a dance floor, the corked bottle might be perceived as too formal or elitist for the occasion. In short, de Solier argues that food consumption is sociocultural (de Solier, 2005). She posits that knowledge, mannerisms and preferences in relation to food can act as a cultural signifier and that food television plays a significant role in imparting these signifiers onto the viewer (de Solier, 2005).
A sense of adventure. A taste for risk.
A mainstay of masculinity is a sense of adventure and an appetite for risk. Similarly, philosophy professor Lisa Heldke describes a “quest-like nature of food adventuring” that reinforces notions of masculinity (Heldke, 2003:33). This form of masculine food adventuring is particularly evident in Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’. The introduction of the show sees fragmented clips of a man riding a motorcycle, crashing a quad bike, peering out from an old train and cooking with fire. An element of bravery and risk is highlighted in these adrenaline-fueled activities. These clips, mostly of Bourdain, are spliced amongst shots of New York’s JFK Airport, Vietnamese farmers, protesters, a young Asian boy, a map of the world, a Colombian pilot, tacos, a classic 1970s car, an American soldier, dancers wearing body paint, a cityscape, a Buddhist monk, groups of men wielding automatic weapons; and a plane taking off. It is important to highlight that this is a show about food, yet a sense of adventure, unrest, danger and the unfamiliar is highlighted through the introduction’s montage of the world. Bourdain is not just on a food tour of the world. He’s on a daring quest.
“Beer, explosives and food!”
Anthony Bourdain in ‘Parts Unknown’ (S1:E3)
This daring theme of food-adventuring presents a racialised implication in the pursuit of culinary cultural capital. Heldke posits that to obtain cultural capital, individuals from the white majority engage with cultural otherness through the consumption of food (Heldke, 2003). Her research on Thai and Chinese cuisines provides insight into the colonial origins of food adventuring that is part of a wider system of cultural colonising activities including “colonialist exploitation in travel, music, literature, art and the collecting of cultural property” (Heldke, 2003:28). Whether through travel or migration, diversity of cuisines is a widely accepted benefit of multiculturalism (Heldke, 2003). In this instance, the white majority can experience the alluring ‘culture shock’ of an outsider while also ‘othering’ non-white cultures. This is evident in Bourdain’s fragmented introductory sequence when it is juxtaposed with imagery of him donning his usual Ray Bans, a collared shirt and leather jacket, while observing his surroundings (Bourdain, 2013). This introduction sets the tone of a modern man who is drawn to adventure through the culturally unfamiliar activities of food and travel. Bourdain, himself, has touched on the negative consequences that his adventures have had on tourism: causing tourist traps that render establishments inaccessible by the local residents (Bourdain, 2013). In a reflexive, adaptable and versatile manner, Bourdain takes the good with the bad.
To be truly well-rounded, one must be versatile.
Versatility is a pillar of the ‘well-rounded man’ that is evident in lifestyle and food television. Emerging from factual programs targeted at housewives, food television is historically entwined with femininities that take on new meanings with a male audience. Today, men no longer experience the same levels of pressure to disengage with feminine practices (Caruso et al, 2017). American sociologist Eric Anderson theorised that cultures with low-levels of homophobia can practise a form of ‘inclusive masculinity’ where men may exhibit gender performances that were traditionally reserved for women (Caruso et al, 2017; Butler, 1988). By doing this in tandem with a traditionally masculine performance, a well-rounded man can demonstrate his versatility. For instance, Australian presenter Hamish Blake will stay up all night drinking whiskey while baking a unicorn cake for his four year old daughter during his annual #cakenight event (Gillman, 2021; Blake, 2023). Additionally, in ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ the American television writer Philip Rosenthal embarks on a bachelor-style culinary exploration of the world but makes time to video-call his wife and elderly parents back home in every episode (Rosenthal, 2018). And finally, the American Youtuber Andrew Rea (better known as ‘Babish’), will demonstrate how to cook the perfect pub meal for your bloke-ish mates, a Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants for the inner kids; as well a romantic ‘date night’ meal for his wife. Like two sides of the same coin, traditionally feminine actions are juxtaposed with traditional masculine characteristics to reinforce versatility. In Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’ versatility is not demonstrated through gendered performances. Instead, Bourdain demonstrates his versatility through his wide-ranging interests and adaptability. Within the realm of food and alcohol, he is not fixed to one cuisine or preference. He is there to consume anything and everything.
Real men indulge.
An expression of masculinity is the ability to indulge in a manner that is challenging for others to rival. This form of consumption is distinguished from a longstanding feminine trope of ‘taming the shrew’ - seen in films such as My Fair Lady (1964), Tampopo (1985), Nikita (1990) and Miss Congeniality (2000) - where the female protagonist learns etiquette by handling food delicately, chewing quietly and minimising overall consumption in the interest of blending in with a higher socioeconomic tier. She is denied indulgence. Whereas in the pursuit of masculinity, gluttony can be competitive, entertaining and highly respected. This behaviour is best captured in the show ‘Man v. Food’ where host Adam Richman participates in eating challenges at different restaurants around America (Richman, 2008). Richman embodies a man who can handle his liquor intake and can eat (or tolerate) any dish served to him. Winning a competition validates the respect Richman has earned from over-indulging. Similarly, Bourdain uses his sense of adventure and risk to apply a competitive level of bravery to his masculine indulgences. Bourdain exhibits this behaviour not just in ‘Parts Unknown’, but in other television footage where he is featured eating an array of foods that would be considered unappetising, particularly to a Western diet. These dishes include: the raw eye of a seal, cobra heart, multiple types of testicles, live octopus, stomach bile, pigs blood; and fresh cow's blood mixed with milk (Maxwell, 2020; Bourdain, 2013). In ‘Parts Unknown’ indulgence is not just portrayed through daring consumption but also in the enthusiastic appetite of the host. Interestingly, Bourdain has openly admitted to the downfalls that his personal indulgences (and addictions) have had on his health, work and relationships (Bourdain, 2013). In the show, Bourdain is visibly excited about eating and drinking. Similarly, this enthusiasm is a key characteristic of Rosenthal’s eating style in ‘Somebody Feed Phil’. Rosenthal literally jumps for joy when food is served to him. For both hosts, their elation and openness about over-indulging is a persuasive form of entertainment where the underlying message is ‘don’t hold back’.
Conclusion.
One year after The Great Gatsby was published, the first television was demonstrated in San Francisco. Since then, the lines have become blurred between news, current affairs, infotainment and chat shows (Bonner, 2003). As De Solier writes, cooking shows “challenge the traditional distinction between factual and entertainment programming” (de Solier, 2005:466). As such, today’s food television goes beyond instructional formats to expand into travel, lifestyle, entertainment and cultural teachings. As Bourdieu states “taste classifies the classifier” and with the link between food and cultural class, it suggests that one's own taste buds are an indicator of their position in society (Bourdieu 1984:6). Culinary cultural class for the ‘well-rounded man’ is an embodied sense of adventure, multifaceted versatility and competitive indulgence in the practice of food. The acquisition of culinary cultural capital functions as part of the broader project of the self. Since Fitzgerald’s day, the neoliberal subject has become more self-made and individualised than ever before. Today, the aspiring ‘well-rounded man’ can obtain a world of knowledge through all forms of television. In the interest of gaining credibility and respect, men can now learn to be cultured by engaging in lifestyle media which trains individuals to apply specific cultural codes, fashions, styles, etiquettes and ways of living.
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