January 17, 2011
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Doughnuts Are So 2009
I am of the belief that one of the best ways to probe the behavior of modern society is by reading blogs (watching TV is the other way). I read a lot of blogs on topics ranging from entertainment to sports and technology to politics. I read good blogs and bad blogs. I read blogs by well respected and eloquent writers, and I read blogs by people who can barely use a QWERTY keyboard. I read blogs by musicians, photographers, and art students, and I read blogs by sports pundits who will never play the sport they’re critiquing. I even read Mike Florio. Many times these blogs stir positive and negative emotions inside me, but I never let those emotions overwhelm me. I never let it get to a point where I need to comment on the blog and either praise or crucify the blogger because I understand that everyone has a right to their own opinion, whether it is the same as mine or not. Every blogger is just exercising their First Amendment rights, and that is why I fundamentally respect every blogger and his or her forum. In a way, I kind of like every blogger.
With that being said, I fucking can’t stand food bloggers.
Now, there are some good food blogs that I can understand. These are the ones that post recipes, review restaurants, or just simply talk about food. The ones that perplex me are the ones by so called “foodies.” These are people who, I guess, have really strong opinions about food. There is an unquestionable air of pretentiousness among them. These are people who like some foods because they’re not popular. These are people who write things on their blogs like “donuts are so 2009″ and “red velvet? Ha! I guess, if you’re like everyone else.” Statements like these make me feel embarrassed, unfashionable, and dumb. In all honesty, I really like red velvet cupcakes and I was completely unaware of the great donut fad of two years ago.
I suppose the disconnect between me and these food hipsters is that I still stubbornly view food as a necessity and not a luxury. To me, being hypercritical about food is like being a snob about air. It would be like someone from Bellingham, Washington making fun of downtown Houston’s air quality index. However, clothing is also a necessity, yet fashion blogs don’t seem to irritate me. I admit that I am somewhat conscious about my wardrobe, so I am pretentious in that regard to an extent. But no matter how pretentious I become, I don’t see that as ever underscoring the fact that I eat to survive and, because of that, I respect all food whether it was fashionable last spring or not.
Maybe I’m the one who is out of touch with modern society. Maybe the existence of food blogs means that food is now an American luxury. It sounds like there might be a social and/or political explanation for all of this, but I’ll leave that for other bloggers to contemplate. For now I’m going to take a walk outside and breathe Los Angeles’ smoggy air while I still can before someone criticizes me for it.
Comments (3)
I wholeheartedly disagree with this blog. I think that food is more than simply for survival– food is, to me, anyway, perhaps one of the most important artforms because it is one of the few mediums that can appeal to all five of our senses. I think food is also an indicator of social inequality– there is a severe food apartheid occurring– especially in Los Angeles. Food is also one of the few things that bring together people– think about a time when you met friends where food was NOT involved. I also think food is essential to our well-being– what we eat completely impacts how we feel. But I do agree that there is a huge air of pretense around “foodies.” I do like to write reviews about places because I think if one finds a restaurant worth writing home about– they should share the experience. But I’m not big on the “foodie trends,” because I take a more Coco Chanel approach to food– keep it classic– keep the ingredients pure & healthy and stay away from anything too trendy.
Oh I’m an air and water snob LOL Long island water is the best there is (syracuse and boston water makes my face break out)
and i love the air in nature-y areas
“Foodies” do not enjoy food. These people would starve if it were not for someone else cooking their food. Most chef look at foodies and see dollar sign. They know they can sell them on any crap or something outrageously expensive if it just packaged right.