The Image of Beauty

I don't read a lot of magazines and when I do they're art magazines like Juxtapoz or music magazines like ATM. One of my favorite magazines is called Adbusters. It's an example of how the same media that companies use to bombard us with images on thin women muscle men can be used to call out these companies on their questionable methods of marketing and imaging. Adbusters strives to bring to light the twisted images that American media presents to not only Americans but, thanks to globalization, the rest world as well. There was one image in one of the most recent Adbusters that showed a map of the world and each country had a color to eat. the colors went from light orange to dark red which referred to the amount of obesity found in that country. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, and Australia were the fattest countries and were colored dark maroon. That kind of media you wouldn't find in any other magazine except maybe Time but apart from that I couldn't imagine an obesity map right next to a skinny model in a Louie Vuitton add. After reading and watching the articles and videos that were assigned I couldn't help but think of why the media of America would push such a unhealthy imagine on our culture.  I can guess that the media profits off people wanting things that they don't have, so I guess they would want to advertise an image opposite that of the advertising target. Alternatively, I figured that maybe the media just chose a skinny model out of personal preference and that our culture began to feel self-conscious about that image and started eating more fast food? I just don't know. I do know that all the images we see everyday effect our subconscious minds and carve out cultural expectations. If you want to learn more about the effects that media has on our subconscious check out this resource:

Engeln-Maddox, Renee and Steven A Miller. Talking Back To The Media Ideal: The Development And Validation of the Critical Processing of Beauty Images Scale. Psychology of Women Quarterly. Cambridge: Jun 2008. Vol. 32, Iss.2; pg. 159.

5th Assignment

Before watching this film I had a very limited knowledge of genetically modified foods and there seemed to be a wide spread negative connotation that went along with them. I now no longer feel that I have a problem with GMO’s or the business behind them. I understand why company’s would be given the right to patent a certain type of seed they developed. Patents do not last forever so in the future the product will have to be distributed freely. However, in the early stages of development a company needs to make money in order to further their research. Money is the key to all scientific research. My argument as to why I don’t believe foods should be labeled as GMO is similar. Many Americans, like me, have this preconceived notion that anything genetically modified is bad. This means that if food was forced to have a label there would be a serious decrease in profits for those company’s, reducing their research funds. To this day it has not been proven that there is any ill effect from genetically modified foods. If there were any problems the products would be ripped from the shelves and these companies would be out of business. There are plenty of ingredients in many things we eat that have been tested even less then GMO’s but people don’t seem to have nearly the same resistance to those items. I feel that if this is an issue that truly worries someone they could easily look up these companies and their products online and avoid them while shopping.

Christoph, Inken. "Knowledge, attitudes towards and acceptability of genetic modification in Germany." Appetite 51(2008): 58-68.

2nd Assignment

In the back of my mind I had always kind of known that animals on factory farms were not treated well. Throughout my life I had heard general stories, but never anything specific, nor had I seen any videos or read any articles. You can imagine my shock when I was completing this assignment. I was floored by the horrible treatment that these animals must go through. It’s a very weird feeling for me. On the one hand I eat meat on a regular basis and my small level of income requires me to buy the cheaper selections. I enjoy the taste and feel it’s an important part to my diet. However, I know after watching the film I will never be able to buy meat without thinking about their treatment. But I, like many Americans, will more then likely not reduce my meat consumption. For one reason or another I have grown the ability to view these kinds of graphic scenes and quickly move on. I’m sure much of this can be attributed to all of the media we are constantly overwhelmed with. I truly believe that when I graduate and begin working I will now make the conscious decision to buy free range meat. That fact in itself means that this assignment had the intended effect on me. The more knowledge that is spread about the treatment of these animals the better.
Olkowski, Helga. The city people's book of raising food. Emmaus: Rodale Press, 1975.

Pollan, Michael. The omnivore’s dilemma: a natural history of four meals. New York, New York: Penguin Press, 2006.

It has always been interesting to me how the media can convince most people that being extremely skinny is what is beautiful, it is almost universally agreed upon, and yet obesity levels in the US continue to rise. I feel as if the media may no longer be at complete fault on this issue. It seems more and more the skinniest women are often criticized for having these serious eating disorders and a more healthy weight is encouraged. I don’t necessarily believe that it is wrong for Americans to idolize a healthy weight that is achieved through a good diet and exercise. The only reason I can think of as to why obesity rates continue to rise is that it is just the American way. It is quickly and easier to grab a fast food meal on the go, then to shop organic and eat all healthy meals. Sure there are those people who can eat whatever they want and never gain weight, but that is in no way the norm. Being healthy is a lot of effort and time. Some may be too busy, while others may simply not care. I find it interesting that the media is always said to have a huge influence over our decisions, when apparently they are only powerful enough to make us want something not actually make the effort for it.

Lowe, Michael. "Hedonic Hunger: A new dimension of appetite?." Physiology & Behavior 91(2007): 432-439.

Body Image

I found this assignment very interesting, especially after reading the articles and watching the films. The question posed, “Why do you think we live in a culture where people are increasingly larger and heavier, where obesity has been on the rise for years, yet the media projects extreme thinness as an icon for female (and often male) beauty?”, I feel has always been in the back of my mind, but I have never taken the time to sit down and rationalize why this could be. The first thing that comes to my mind on why American’s are so overweight is because of the timely schedule that we run on. Working American’s work much more than some other countries, leaving us less time to go home with our families to enjoy a nice home cooked meal. This leads me to my next point. About 50 years ago, it was very uncommon for women to have a job; instead they were stay at home wives or mothers. These days however, many women work which means that they are not always home to have a meal prepared for their families. I can’t seem to fathom why our media portrays a skinny society. Who ever said that being skinny was attractive? Why isn’t being over weight attractive? These questions I have wondered for quite sometime. The one thing that I feel greatly effects the way media portrays women and men, is Hollywood. Most actors and actresses are very “healthy looking” and are skinny. Because we see these people so much, it makes viewers feel that they have to look like them. Actors and actresses are pretty, have a great amount of money, have big houses, drive nice cars…who wouldn’t want to live a life like theirs? These are my own personal opinions and I feel that Hollywood is a major factor is this particular area.

Martin, Katie, Ferris, Anne. "Food Insecurity and Gender are Risk Factors for Obesity." Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 39(2007): 31-36.

Body Image- Aaron Petroff

think the reason that the media is pushing the "stick thin" figure, is because we are increasingly becoming fatter. If they advertised being fat as being attractive, the public would not have to try anything new or different because they are already becoming fat. But because we are becoming fat, the media wants to advertise something we are not becoming, so we will buy the products to become that way. Basically, I would bet that as soon as we start slimming down again, the media is likely to advertise being a bit chunky as the new beautiful thing, so we will buy products that will help us look this way. I think it is all a marketing ploy to get us to buy new products, even if the products are not realistic.
The media portrays their idea of “beauty” as a person who is far beyond what is actually possible. What the public does not know about the pictures in the magazine is that most of the models are airbrushed much more than we originally thought. We think maybe they are touched up but in fact they may look completely different in person. When girls see a supermodel, or guys see another guy in a fitness magazine, we naturally desire to look like them. We have been conditioned to think that the people in the magazine are perfection, so we would like to be like them. This thinking tricks consumers into believing that if they buy that Tommy Hilfiger shirt, they may suddenly look like the model, when this is not the case. On a deeper level, this thinking also leads people to extremes when they are trying to achieve a certain look. Both women and men may develop eating disorders, they may drastically change their lifestyle, and may stray from being themselves, all in an effort to look like another. In Canada alone there are over 50,000 women suffering from anorexia or bulimia. While not as many men suffer from the disease, there is a certain portion of men who have this problem.
In “Killing Us Softly,” the speaker explains how some advertisements have created “models” who have eyes from one person, the nose of another, lips of another, etc… This means that our idea of perfection may not even be attainable. I think that the speaker was correct in saying how representing a human as an object, not a human, will soon lead to violence. It is easier to justify violence or mistreatment towards an object than it is to justify it for a human. All of these problems that I have listed are directly related to advertising. It is not to say that the advertisements don’t serve their purpose, they usually help sell the product. But the ads can also have a very negative, destructive effect on those who view them. It is not fair to expose men and women to impossible ideals of “perfection.” It is not fair to make them think that they can achieve these looks if they buy the product, and it is not fair to make them think that if they don’t fit the image, they are less than perfect. The speaker also pointed out how women and men are portrayed differenty in their advertisements. Women are very passive, and not too active. Men are portrayed as very active and in your face. It shows the inequality that the media is creating between men and women.
Overall, the world would probably be a better place if advertising were illegal. There would not be so many insecurities among our people, and we would all be happier for it. But with the dehumanization, misconceptions, and overall unrealistic elements of advertising, this will never be possible. Women will always be made objects, men will always feel bad when comparing themselves to the muscle men of the Calvin Klein ads, and most people will spend a good portion of their young lives trying to become somebody that they will never be able to become.


Grabe, Shelly. "The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns Among Women: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies." Psychological Bulletin 134May 2008 460. 31 May 2008

Chocolat

I rented Chocolat over the Memorial day weekend and ended up really enjoying the movie. I found it interesting how the Chatholic church viewed the chocolate shop and extravagant feasts especially during lent and how serious it was taken around the town. It was funny how threatening the chocolate was to the mayors role in town and how he used the sermons of the young priest to manipulate the people against chocolate. Chocolate really had this supernatural power to it whether it was Juliette Binoche guessing someone favorite treat, or the special cocoa nuts that enhanced one's sexual desires. The spinning Mayan disc was interesting how Binoche assigned a chocolate treat to the image a person saw in the disc, suggesting some tie between the imaginative subconscious and one's taste for food (or at least chocolate). Judi Dench's role I thought was strange how she was a diabetic and her overindulgence eventually did lead to her ultimate death but she went out with a smile on her face. Ultimately the chocolate was so powerful that it brought the whole village together in a new way and even won the heart of the mayor in the end. Food really is a powerful thing and I'd like to experience that power on a level like Chocolat. Here's an interesting source on the subject:

Schwartz, George R. Food Power: How Food Can Change Your Mind, Your Personality, And Your Life. New York : McGraw-Hill, c1979.

Chocolat

Since it is Memorial Day weekend I found myself heading back home for the weekend. Of course the last thing on my mind on the way out of my front door to make the trip was any homework I might have. Because of this I don’t have a copy of the exact assignment and it has not been posted yet on the main class blog site. So bare with me as I tried to get an idea from the couple of other posts that have been made so far.
I was reminded that I needed to do the assignment when I was scanning through the Comcast On-Demand movies. Up popped Chocolat, which couldn’t have made my life any easier. I thought it was very interesting that they chose to place the timing of the movie during lent. In a town that’s activities are directly controlled by the Catholic Church I have a hard time believing that the only person who truly opposes the sins that are being committed by the townspeople is the mayor. Lent is extremely important in the Catholic Church and yet all of these people seem to be easily swayed to give in to worldly pleasures. And just because a woman makes the perfect piece of chocolate for them? Maybe it’s partly that I don’t really enjoy chocolate, but I think even if you are a so called “choco-holic” your religious beliefs would be slightly more important than any type of food. All of this on top of the fact that this was not my type of movie at all, lead to me not enjoying this film at all.
The review I read was titled “Beneath Chocolat Temptation, A Serious Mix of Social Issues.” Bill Muller puts it very succinctly by saying that the movie “simply is a fairy tale.” It is a small story told in grand fashion. He does make a very good point by saying that the story does show the pitfalls of narrow minded thinking and to demonstrate the costs of not conforming. In the end I am the type of person that will watch almost any movie at least once and I feel that this is just another name to put on the list.

Muller, Bill. Beneath Chocolat Temptation, A Serious Mix of Social Issues." Arizona Republic 22 Dec 2000: P3.

Aaron Petroff- Chocolat

I decided to watch the movie Chocolat for this blog assignment. It was a movie I had never seen before, so I rented it and sat down to watch it. I enjoyed it very thouroughly, probably because of Johnny Depp. He is such a strange guy that all his movies are interesting no matter what. The ideas that this movie brought up in me were mostly dealing with “food and morality.” The fact that chocolate is not allowed to be eaten at Lent is one thing, but the fact that Vianne and her daughter opened the shop at the same time Lent was going on was another. I thought that this was a very bold move by them, one that could have killed business. A weird thing I found out was her secret ingredient was chiles. The film showed how if you have a little personality and talk to people, you can make friends. It also showed how easily people are to being swayed from their beliefs. The review I read on Proquest was titled “Chocolat- Rich with Extras” and it was published in the Houston Chronicle. I agreed very much so with the review. The whole reason the movie was as good as it was is because of the magical feeling you get from Vianne’s character. She makes the movie feel like a fanatasy movie more than a drama. Also, they suggested the same ideas as I have about opening the Chocolat shop during Lent. One interesting thing they pointed out that I didn’t notice is Vianne’s belief in change. She believed that everybody could change, even the lady with the abusive husband, and she encouraged change. Her character definitely stirred things up a bit in the village, but it was with good intentions. Overall, I loved the movie and would definitely watch it again.

Chocolat

For this blog assignment, I decided to watch the movie Chocolat because I had heard from so many people that this was a great movie, I just never had the chance to watch it. I thought that the movie was wonderful right from the very beginning because I could easily connect to it. When the mother Vianne and her daughter decide to open up a chocolate shop in a small French town, it just made my think of my mom and I. Though my mom and I have never thought of opening up a chocolate shop, I could picture us doing it. My mom and I are very close, we both love chocolate, and……who wouldn’t want to open up a chocolate shop? I know that I would jump at the opportunity it ever came in front of me. So, my very first reaction the film was positive because it shows that the mother and daughter share a close relationship, just as my mom and I do. It was interesting to find out however, that the problem presented in this movie was the fact that the chocolate shop opened right around lent. Though I do not partake in lent, I know many people that do and it and it becomes fascinating to see how many people give up on lent a few weeks in as well as see the people who are able to last. I instantly thought to myself, “How would I react to this situation? If I had given chocolate up for lent, would I give in and go to the chocolate shop anyways?” This instantly brought the issue into my mind about how much food can influence individuals in our society. Food is so important to us and sometimes we give other important event in our lives just because of food. This issue was not brought up in the movie though because most of the townspeople disliked them in the first place. This was a very tough start for Vianne and her daughter because their chocolate shop was disliked not because of the chocolate, but because of initial reactions to these “new townspeople.” The problem was soon solved however, when a gentleman opened up to her and helped her express the real person in her. Because Vianne and her daughter we disliked from the get go, Vianne was trying to act as somebody she wasn’t in order to fit in; this did not work and she soon found out that acting herself will get her further in life. Instead of acting as someone she is not, she started to make delicious desserts that fascinated the townspeople. They were drawn to the chocolate shop because of these deserts and they were able to learn more about her and the person she really is. The main message I got from this film was the food can really bring people together. I have recognized that in my own life; my family and friends go out to dinner a lot in order to catch up with one another. It is amazing to think about the passion that comes between people and food, in this case chocolate. I fully agree with this message and will always believe that food has a close tie with the bringing together of people. It creates a passion that nothing else can create. I found it interesting when thinking about food and appetite. I know there have been several instances where I have been invited to go to dinner with a bunch of my friends however, I had already eaten. I decided to go with them anyways just to catch up on life. I even ate more when I went to dinner! This is probably not a good thing but hey, it brings people together and allows people to stay close.
I read a review that I completely agree with. It said, “It may be entitled Chocolat, but this movie really reminds me of candy. Eye candy, that is. From its setting of a quaint little French hamlet to the lovely little chocolaterie that is the centre of the action, to the loveliness of the two leads (a very suave Johnny Depp and a truly mouthwatering Juliette Binoche), everything about Chocolat is a pleasure to the eye.” I agree with this because it was definitely a pleasure to the eye. It opened up my eyes to many things and it confirmed some of the things that I thought about food. I absolutely loved the movie and would suggest that everybody watch it!

Lourdes, Marc. “Film feast; [Main/lifestyle edition].” New Straits Times (2007): p. 02. Proquest Research Library. Proquest. Western Library, Bellingham. 1 December 2008. www.proquest.com

Coca-Cola 1950's ad

To be completely honest, my main target for this assignment was to find a magazine that had a Coca-Cola ad in it because Coca-Cola has been around for years and is famous for their adds. I did not have a lot of time to look through the magazines at the library, except for my 20 minute break in between classes one day. Because I went home this weekend, I did not find a Coca-Cola ad; therefore, I decided to search online for one so that I could analyze it closely. I did however get a chance to see a new part of the library that I did not know existed. In Google images I typed, “Coca-Cola ads from the 1950’s.” An image came up that caught my eye immediately. Interestingly enough, a woman was on the ad, sitting in the chair with one hand behind her head as if she is laying on it, sucking back on the Coca-Cola in a glass bottle. The woman is wearing a yellow dress and over that yellow dress is a blue and white checkered apron. Immediately this brought the name “house wife” to mind. It wasn’t until after I had been looking at the image for a while that I noticed a vacuum in the corner of the picture, resting up against the chair that the woman was sitting in. This ad tells me that any woman can relax and get away from her housework just by having a Coke. The slogan said “The pause that refreshes …at home.” I think that this is a very interesting ad because it gives the stereotype that women are “house wives” which was for the most part true in the 1950s. If you compare that ad to today however, it would not make complete sense since it is extremely common for a woman to have a job. It is even more common today, than back in the 1950s, for men to stay home and do things around the house. Maybe there will be an ad in the future for Coca-Cola of a man portrayed as a “stay at home husband.” How would our society react to that?

Brook, Heather. "Feed your face." Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 22(2008): 141- 157.

The New Yorker- Sunkist Oranges

What I most liked about this advertisement was how informative it was. It showed the picture of the orange, and it looked like a very good orange. The orange was peeled and sliced in a way in which I have never seen before and it looked very scrumptious. Also, there were multiple areas on the page where there was writing. And not just a sentence, there were full paragraphs. This is what was most intriguing to me about older food advertisements was the amount of writing they had. Today’s ads have very little writing. The “in” thing to do is to come up with sayings or phrases and have that be all it takes to sell the product, but these ads literally have three or four paragraphs explaining why their product is better. I think the reason for this is that back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, or even before then, people were living life at a slower pace. They probably took the time to sit down and read the ads, where people today are too busy to read full sentences. Or we act like we are too busy, but really we may just be lazy. Also, there is an illustration of a mother who is holding the orange behind her back , and a child who is trying to get the orange from her. It shows that people who use this product may be playful, or youthful. I believe that in this way ads of the past are similar to ads of today, and possibly the future.



Powell, Lisa. ""Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States"." Pediatrics 120Sep 2007 576. 19 May 2008

Times Magazine 1941

So i decided to write this blog on the first gigantic book of times magazine that i could find. I randomly picked out part of the 1941 collection and was surprised to find maybe one food ad per issue. That's not to say that there weren't any food ads, though. One of the first pages I turned to once I opened the magazine collection was an ad for Swift's Premium Branded Lamb. It showed a few hunks of lamb branded with the label Swift's Premium with a woman at the bottom ordering the meat on her telephone, specifically noting that she wanted the branded logo lamb chop. The tag line at the bottom of the article read "the meat makes the meal." I was not surprised at all. American culture throughout the past and present has always had meat as its anchor course meal. It's not a meal if it doesn't have meat in it, definitely still a popular mindset among the people I know. I have no problem with it. In fact I often feel unsatisfied by a meal without meat in it. This ad makes me realize how deeply rooted meat is in our society. Along with this branded lamb was also an ad for Swift's Premium Branded Veal which was printed a few issues later. Likewise I ran across two Jones Little Sausage ads, one depicting a pig with a fork and knife hovering over a picture of the sausage package. That last one I found a little ironic. Aside from all the meat ads were ads for the familiar and still popular Campbell soups. Just like today, the ads offered a variety of vegetable soups, ranging from split pea to cream of mushroom. One of the ads showed a woman with a speech bubble that read "the kind I'd be proud to make myself." I ran across various adds for 5¢ Coca-cola fountain drinks (a real bargain nowadays) and one add for Canada Dry Water, still see that brand around in the stores. One tiny side advertisement for Vitamin D was boasting about how healthy milk was for your body; filled with Vitamin D among a plethora of other nutrients. One of the most striking ads I noticed was not actually a food ad but I feel it had relevance to the class because it was a Monsanto advertisement for rubber showing a gas mask; I also found this one ironic. The last few ads that I came across sparked my interest the most. The were ads sponsored by Portland's own newspaper, The Oregonian. These last ads were aimed specifically at promoting the northwest as a main supplier of delicious and nutritious fruits and nuts (specifically walnuts) as well as turkey. They sparked my interest the most because they were for me, personally, "close to home." That's one of the best methods of advertising if you ask me, but its a difficult aspect to promote. For more information on food and advertising, why not check out this article: Journal of Advertising Research.

Brennan, Ross, Barbara Czarnecka, Stephan Dahl, Lynne Eagle and Olga Mourouti. Regulation of Nutrition and Health Claims in Advertising. Journal of Advertising Research. Mar2008, Vol. 48 Issue 1, p57-70.

Vegetarian Pot Luck

So a few months ago a friend of mine, Matt Meroni, decided that every Monday night he would hold a vegetarian pot-luck at his house. The goal was really not to promote vegetarianism, but it was a way for Matt to eat as much food as possible with a minimal amount of cooking effort. It really did work. I always end up bringing some sort of lentil soup concoction that I throw together without a plan much less a recipe. The idea of making it vegetarian was probably just for health reasons; no one needs to eat 10 dishes of meat haha. It's been going on steadily for about two months now and I think only a handful of people (besides Matt and his house mates) have attended every single one. It's a good vibe though, no one feels the obligation to attend but enough people always show up to make it a party. It's always nice once the food has all been cleared off plates and platers and someone shows up at the door with a bunch of brownies for dessert. The tradition of the potluck, as far as I know, has been around for centuries. It cultural popularity was best known among the Native Americans and it is a tradition that I don't think anyone has a problem with. It's quite prevalent in American society and is practiced by churches, neighborhoods, companies alike. The great thing about potlucks in my personal opinion is that you get such a variety of food with as little effort from everyone involved. They make for a well balanced meal and it's always a party for everyone involved. The only downside is the clean up afterwards. I don't think Matt realizes that it probably takes more of an effort for him to clean up all the dishes than it would for him to cook for himself; nothing beats good company though.

If you want to know more amount potlucks and their cultural significance, check out this article:

Keates, Nancy. "Guess Who's Bringing Dinner?" Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition. August 24, 2001, Vol. 238 Issue 39.

Blog Assignment #6

Looking at this assignment and realizing I can write about anything having to do with food I instantly thought about cooking. More specifically, the ability to cook well. This skill absolutely blows my mind. I consider myself a relatively smart person, I know how to read, and I know the difference between a tsp. and a tbsp. But I have never cooked a single meal that I actually thought tasted good. Don’t get me wrong, I make one hell of a sandwich, but that’s about where it ends. Even basic things like noodles I seem to find some way to screw it up. It seems like every time I attempt to cook, I follow the directions exactly, and somehow it turns out tasting terrible. I watch all these people create these amazing meals and they never even use a measuring cup. This is amazing to me. I’ve tried to have others teach me to make some basic meals, but as soon as I am on my own it always goes downhill. This post may not seem to have a lot of substance to some of you, but if you ever ate a meal that I cooked you may change your tune. For everyone out there that can cook, I congratulate you and I’ll buy the food if you’re willing to do your magic…

Theophano, Janet. "Home Cooking: Boston Baked Beans and Sizzling Rice Soup as Recipes for Pride and Prejudice." Kitchen culture in America : popular representations of food, gender, and race (2001): 139.

Eating food is good

There is rarely ever a time of day where I can honestly say that I am to full to have something to eat. Even if I am not completely hungry I have nothing against making a sandwich, or a bowl of cereal, as long as it is quick and easy. This is exactly what is wrong with most of America. We have become accustomed to eating just for the hell of it. I know I do this only occasionally, but I eat pretty carefully the rest of the time and work out regularly so it is not an issue for me. But, for the majority of Americans, this is the reason we are becoming so fat. I would go as far as saying eating is second only to baseball as America’s favorite past time.
When I started working out a little over a year ago, I started looking at food only as a source of energy and fuel for my body. When I did this, I noticed how much I cut down on what I was eating, and I realized that to keep your body satisfied throughout the day, you really only need five or six very small meals. I looked back on how I used to eat, and wondered why I did what I did. Basically, I think mostly it was out of boredom and I was looking for something to do, something to enjoy, and I really enjoy eating. I still enjoy it today, but I enjoy knowing that I am making and consuming the correct amount, not just huge portions that I don’t need.
As a reality check, I think it is good to examine what you eat, how much of it, and if you were hungry or not when you ate it. I would guess that most people will find that they are eating 25% to 50% more food daily than they actually need. By cutting back on those extra large portions, and instead eating smaller, but more frequent meals, you will save money on the grocery bill and even preserve your health.


"The bigger the portion..." Doug Payne. Medical Post. Toronto: Jan 7, 2003. Vol. 39, Iss. 1; p. 27

A bit of a Breather-Dining Out

Food is something that we need and it is definitely something that I think about a lot. Ever since I can remember, my family has always gone out to eat. It is just something we do because when my brother, sister, and I were younger, we were involved in numerous activities in which we were never home at the same time. Therefore, it was convenient to just grab something on the way home from dance lessons or softball practice. This greatly reflects who I am today because it is something that I enjoy. I love food and I always will but the one thing I hate about it is that everything that tastes so good seems to be so bad for your body. It seems that whenever I want to meet up with one of my friends that I don’t see often because they go to a different school, we always end up going to dinner or going for coffee. Why does it always end up revolving around food? I have always asked myself this question but when I think about meeting with a friend, eating out at a restaurant seems like the best atmosphere to do catch up with a friend. This sounds funny to say but I always joke with family and friends and say, “I wish that carrots and spinach were really bad for you and that pasta, burgers, French fries, and Mexican food were the best thing for your body.” Those are some of my favorite foods and it kills me to have to limit myself to them but I know that it can greatly affect not only the image of my body but the way I feel on a day to day basis. I do notice that when I limit myself to these foods and actually focus on eating what is healthy for my body, I do feel so much better physically. However, that emotional factor is gone because I think food is what comforts me to be honest. When it is breakfast time I often think, “What am I going to have for lunch?” It is sad to think that my life revolves so much around food and eating out. However, I do not feel like I am the odd man out; many people feel the same way I do. I always wonder to what extent eating out will be when I am a mother and have a family of my own. Will it be to the point where the average family eats out all 7 nights of the week? Who knows, if eating out everyday of the week becomes a norm, America will end up with an even higher obesity rate than it already has, causing more health problems for individuals just because of that one simple necessity in life, FOOD.

Bello, Deidre. "Eat Smart: When Eating Out." Family Safety & Health 67(2008): 22-23.

Genetically Modified Foods

Before watching this video, I had a preconceived perception of Genetically Modified foods. I thought that in many ways they were wonderful things because they are one of the many amazing things that have been brought to our attention these past couple of years. Our world offers so many wonderful things and my perception is why not use those wonderful things we have? However, this video has changed my views. Like many others have posted, I never knew that companies were able to patent particular seeds. I was astonished to find out that people were being sued due to the fact that they were not “allowed” to use certain seeds. I did not see all of the politics behind Genetically Modified food but after watching this video, I see it all. Because Genetically Modified foods have been introduced to our society, there is no way to get rid of them; therefore, I don’t feel that there is much to do about them. I do have some fears about Genetically Modified foods but just like many of the other things I eat I don’t have the time to identify labels on foods. Maybe I am lazy, but being a college student and having other things to worry about, I don’t necessarily worry about each and everything I eat. I do feel that it is beneficial to have labels on foods though for people who do need to know about Genetically Modified Foods. I would like to, sometime in my life, take the time to know what I am putting in my body but as of right now, I feel that I do not have the time for it. This video has definitely opened up my eyes to the politics behind Genetically Modified foods and when I do have the time, I would like to reduce the amount of Genetically Modified foods I consume.

"UK Growers Back GM Crops." Farmers Weekly (2008): 56.

End This Madness

For me the biggest problem with genetically modified foods is how threatening it is to the very foundations of life in general. I believe mixing genes together is a natural thing to do. How else do we have offspring? The point where I say "stop" is when we force genes together; a square is not made to fit into a round hole. Going against the fundamental nature of things is... well... simply unnatural. It is no surprise that the people doing this are multi-national corporations whose sole purpose is to reap profit. It's no surprise to me that these chemicals now used to genetically modify foods today were created (and still used) to make bombs and fuel the military industrial complex. It's no surprise to me that the people involved in genetic engineering also help run the military industrial complex; it doesn't surprise me one bit that they don't want us to know about it. What does surprise me is when people face this information and fold their hands, give up, and continue to purchase what their "supposed" to. Genetically modified foods need to be labeled for the rights of the consumers buying it. I'm so thankful for the statistics at the end of the video that show how people are truly concerned and are willing to fight the Goliath by producing and buying locally grown organic food. Yes, Monsanto genetically engineered crops will continue to infringe on the rights of farmers by invading their fields, but we have the power locally to change that. As the video professed, we can change state law. We still have power as long as we have the will. I for one will continue to buy local produce even at the heavy expense on my wallet. Even though I'm a starving college student, at least when I eat it does more good then harm. I CANNOT URGE EVERYONE ENOUGH to buy locally organic food! I say it for your own health and safety. Fred Meyer will not decide one day to sell organic food for the health of it's consumers. Like Monsanto and most other nation and world wide corporations, they are concerned with profit. Genetically modified food is not natural for your body and good luck if you think you can adapt. Bob Marley was once shot a few days before performing at a concert; he still managed to go out and perform his best. Why? He explained it just fine he said the people who are trying to control the world will never rest a day in their attempts so why should I?

Everyday is a struggle to express you basic god-given rights as a human being. Where there is injustice around you, work to make things right according to your own conscience. The end of the video set it straight. Compassion for your fellow man. Genetically modified foods will not solve world hunger. Like all unnatural things, it only makes problems worse.

"Death is a force of nature...the good face it everyday and pass it by. The wicked fear it, that's why there is no need to slay the wicked, just leave them to face death and they will perish."

here's a good article for you to reflect upon:

Al-Hayani, Fatima Agha. BIOMEDICAL ETHICS: MUSLIM PERSPECTIVES ON GENETIC MODIFICATION. Zygon. Chicago: Mar 2007. Vol. 42, Iss. 1; pg. 153.

Genetically Modified Foods

My biggest problem with genetically modified foods is not the health risks that could occur, rather the legal risks. I was surprised to see that a company can actually patent and “own” a plant seed. This scares me because of how the Canadian farmer, Percy, got
screwed by Monsanto seed company. He had been growing his crop for years and years, a crop that was not “Round Up Ready”. Round Up Ready was the seed that Monsanto had created and patented. It was able to withstand Round Up weed killer, so you could spray the whole crop and only kill the weeds, not the plants you wanted to harvest. It turns out that the farmer down the road had been using Round Up Ready seeds, and while transporting a load of some, he accidently lost some Round Up Ready seed in Percy’s field who had been using his own saved seed for years. Monsanto corporation routinely sends samplers out to canola farms across Canada and America, and during one of their samplings, they found their product in Percy’s crop. They noted he did not have permission to use their seed and Monsanto sued him. They said he infringed on their patent and were suing for that reason. It turns out that there was case upon case of other farmers who had always used only their own saved seed to plant crops, who had let samplers come out, and were later sent a letter saying they infringed on Monsanto’s patent. It also turns out that Monsanto is one of the biggest seed companies in the world, so it is in their best interest to take out all the farmers who don’t buy from them. Another example is the company who patented the gene that is linked to breast cancer. This means that nobody can study the gene anymore, nobody other than those affiliated with the company who holds the patent. The patent holding company actually sues universities and hospitals who are studying the gene for the sole purpose of curing breast cancer. It is all rather disturbing.
I have my share of fears about eating GM foods especially when they have been shown to cause problems in lab rats. I can not think of any reason why foods shouldn’t be labeled as GM. Everybody has the full right to know exactly what they are buying, otherwise it is like false advertisement.

Stephen Luntz. Australasian Science. Hawksburn: Sep 2001. Vol. 22, Iss. 8; pg. 34, 1 pgs

You Are What You Eat

Food has not always come in packaged form. There was a time when our very own ancestors harvested their own crops and skewed their own wild boars. Im not sure when food started to get packaged and exported world wide but i'm sure it started only in the past few centuries. That does not mean that all people were once totally aware to the sources of their food. People have not always hunted their own animals and gathered their own crops , in fact when we were born we were 100% detached from the source of our food. So what makes feel so proud to gather our own food to cook? When Steven Rinella stumbled upon Escoffier's Guide Culinaire, hes was immediatley overcome with the virile spirit of Ernest Hemingway who decided it was his mission to create a three day 45-course meal made up mostly of exotic animals stuffed inside other exotic animals. When I continued to read the details of this epic feast, I myself felt Heminways spirit creep through my arteries. If one can gain some valuable life memories in putting together such a haute feast, I absolutely would commend such an empowering experience and would be extremely tempted to join in the consuming of such a gluttonous celebration. I think that if I were to dedicate myself to re-creating to Escoffier's I would love the journey of collecting all the ingredients to make it work, but the dedication for me is lacking. I really do admire and value a person who collects food for themselves and other; I think Escoffier's meal is a dramatic inflation of the love for food, but the admiration is still there. A feast of this magnitude is pretty unhealthy and somewhat sinful, but I think personally it's alright to have that meal at least once in yourself if you really desire it enough to gather up all the ingredients. For me the best part about a meal is being in the kitchen turning something completely unappetizing and inedible into quite the opposite. Here's are a few books that might interest the reader:

Kelly, Ian. Cooking For Kings: The Life of Antonin Caréme, The First Celebrity Chef. New York: Walker & Co., 2003.

Dubowski, Cathy East. The Story Of Squanto: First Friend of The Pilgrims. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1997.

Harvesting Food

Harvesting your own food could be very advantageous. If everyone knew everything about the food they ate from the day it was planted/born to the day it is consumed, then I believe most people would care much more about the way it was treated. I know that if I was forced to kill and butcher my own meat, I would want an animal that was fed well and led a good life. Also by making a connection with the animal I would probably reduce my meat consumption. However, there is another side to this argument. At the rate the population is expanding there are more and more people living in poverty. The ability to even afford the luxury of harvesting your own food is not an option. If they did not have the choice of cheap, mass produced food then many people would not be able to feed themselves or their families.
Hunting can be very moral. In fact, often hunters find that same connection to their kill as those who “harvest” their own meat. By hunting an animal, killing it quickly and correctly, and then using a majority of the carcass for either food or even decoration, most hunters use more parts of the animal than the mass producers. Extravagant meals like those of Rinella and Harrison are just another show of wealth and power. In my eyes it’s about the same as buying several different sports cars and barely driving any of them. These types of people do these things just to show they can and to be talked about by others in articles in the New Yorker.

Prose, Francine. Gluttony: the seven deadly sins. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Bringle, Mary Louise. The God of Thinness: gluttony and other weighty matters. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992.

4th Blog Assignment

I personally think that it is a good thing to know where your food is actually coming from. However, in our society today, we all live off of our own personal schedules and our lives are often fast paced. Therefore, we do not have the time to sit and read every ingredient on that can before we buy it. I personally want to go to the grocery store, buy my food, and get out of there as fast as I can. I guess what I am trying to say is that when it comes down to it, I am lazy and I have better things to do. I do know though that if I had to kill the animal, I would not eat it. When we see videos about how the animals are butchered, it is torturous to watch, it makes you think. When I am presented with chicken on my plate however, I tend not to even think about those videos that I had previously watched. Eating chicken and beef has been a lifestyle to me ever since I was a child and I don’t think that I would be able to give up meat all together. It may sound selfish, but that is just the way I have lived my life for the past 20 years.

I don’t think that hunting is moral for those people above the poverty line. I know of some people who simply hunt for a hobby. They get a thrill out of it. I would never be able to go hunting and shoot an animal just for the fun of it. I do believe that it is a necessity for those people living under the poverty line. In those cases, I feel that it is okay. The first thing that came to my mind when thinking about hunting were Native Americans. Hunting is a way of life for them.

We as American’s are served HUGE portions. It is simply not necessary. I know that when I go out to eat at restaurants, the food is so good I eat my whole meal. If the portions were smaller, I would be satisfied instead of feeling sick. I don’t feel that it is necessary to harvest that much food just for one meal. I feel that it is wasteful.

Bringle, Mary Louise. The god of thinness: Gluttony and other weighty matters. Nashville: Amingdon Press, 1992.

Hayes, Ruth. Gluttony. Seattle, WA: Random Motion, 1985.

A really big lunch...Guide to Haute Cuisine

I feel that harvesting your own food is indeed a way to feel a stronger connection to the source of that food. If i were to grow my own garden, hunt and kill a deer, and raise a dairy cow for milk, then use all of these sources for my own personal consumption throughout the year, i would feel a sense of accomplishment and connection with the land. It would feel like i did my part to sustain myself, versus just going to the grocery store and buying whatever is on the shelf. I think that it is a good thing to feel this connection because life wasn't always how it is today. There wasn't always a Haggen or Fred Meyer or Farmers Market. At some point in history people had to grown and hunt their own food and most people will agree that it is good to know our roots and how our ancestors used to live. I think it is advantageous for sure, but the question on the assignment assumes it is only advantageous if you were to eat meat more often. I think it is advantageous for the experiences you would get growing or harvesting your own food, not just because you may or may not eat more meat. In reality, most people would probably be eating less meat than normal because we all simply do not have to the time to go hunt animals and butcher them. Our busy schedules would have to be rearranged to allow time for this.
On the issue of whether hunting is moral or not, I think that it is. The people who hunt and kill wild animals tend to eat what they kill and not the stuff at the grocery store. By doing so they are bypassing the moral shortcomings of slaughterhouses and are getting their meat in a more humane way. (This is all just my opinion keep in mind). Whether you live above or below the poverty level, hunting your own meat is much more humane than buying store bought for the simple reason that up until that animal is killed, it lived a completely natural, good life. It wasnt in a cage, given growth hormones, and then brutally killed. I think for these reasons it is actually better to hunt your own animals.
I think Harrison's meal is a bit extreme. It is gluttony for sure and not necessary at all. There were 37 courses in the lunch, and it was gluttony because there was no way he needed all that food. If you hunt, or eat meat, or vegetables or anything, i consider it gluttony if you take way more than you need. If you overeat by a bit, thats one thing, but a 37 course lunch is likely to make you pass out. I think because so many animals were killed for the sheer reason of one big lunch, that it probably isn't moral. It is moral to kill what you need, and only what you need, but as soon as you go to this extreme, it no longer is moral.

VanDerwarker, Amber. Farming, hunting, and fishing in the Olmec world. 1st. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006.

Frison, George. Survival by hunting : prehistoric human predators and animal prey. Berkely: University of California Press, 2004.

A Modest Proposal

The thought of selling humans as food had never really crossed my mind until this article. I think it rather strange about the authors ideas for such a system. When he talked about how horrible it was that all these women were wandering around the streets in Ireland with kids trailing behind them and that it would be more humane if we just ate the kids as food instead. I believe he would prefer the kids were sold as meat rather than murdered in an abortion. I hope the affairs of the world never gets into such a desperate position that selling babies as a food source becomes morally acceptable. He makes some very good points claiming his plan will help relieve the economic depression as well as helping control population growth. In a world whose population has been growing exponentially in the last few decades, overpopulation is a serious problem. Converting people into a food source may have some positive aspects to it, but I don't think there's anyway way we can do it without more drastic negative effects. When dealing with cannibalism, I feel I can accept it only on a cross-cultural level and would be pretty shocked to see someone from my own culture commit to it. Even quantifying humans into rations for families makes me think the author thought way to much about to subject. Well maybe you can think about cannibalism more by checking out this source:

Yue, Gang. Hunger, cannibalism, and the politics of eating : alimentary discourse in Chinese and Chinese-American Literatures. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon, 1993.

Thoughts on "A Modest Proposal"

The way in which Swift presents his idea makes it seem like cannibalism is a real possibility. He statements are so matter of fact, and his ideas and reasoning make cannibalism seem not so different from us raising cows to eat later on. In my opinion though, the fact of the matter is that humans have no reason to prey on each other. The reason we are having a shortage of food is because there are so many of us, and families in poorer third world countries, who cannot afford food as it is, are having the most children. This makes feeding them near impossible. So, while logically Swift’s ideas make sense, I don’t agree with its morals. As humans, we are smart enough to exercise population control. We don’t have the animal instinct to reproduce so our species doesn’t go extinct. We know that everybody doesnt need to have three or more children a pieve to keep the human race alive. We can impose certain regulations on how many children are allowed in each family, as China does. I also think that I, or anybody I know for that matter, could get over the “abhorrence” of raising a child for food. If children suddenly had a per pound dollar value put on them, women would be getting paid to have as many children as they could. Women would suddenly have one main purpose, to have children. Children would be cooped up and fed, and probably even be given growth hormones to make them big, just like the cows, chickens, and other animals we harvest now. Most of us can agree that what we do to other animals is bad enough, and that inflicting these moral wrong doings on ourselves would be even worse.

Calabro, Marian. The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party. New York: Clarion Books, 1999.

A modest proposal

I’ll start off this post by saying that I obviously do not think that I could eat another human just for the taste, nor do I think that mother’s would be willing to have babies solely to raise them just enough to make money from their sale. However, I do feel like this article brought up some interesting points. If Ireland would have started this trend back in the 1700’s whose to say that by now it wouldn’t just be seen as “just something the Irish do.” Many Americans see their dogs and cats as humans and the fact that some cultures breed them for food has just become a fact of life. Many countries in poverty are having more children than ever with even less food and money then generations before them. If baby meat was turned into a highly sought after commodity, then many of these families may be able to greatly increase their quality of life. There is also the problem of over population which in turn is destroying our environment. Women will eventually become too old to bear children and many men also lose the ability, so if they were then consumed it would drastically shorten the “circle of life.” Along with the consumption of babies, we would drastically reduce the world’s population which would in turn allow this planet to sustain life for much longer. These ideas seem about as crazy as Swifts and I even feel pretty ridiculous as I write this. But I think it’s interesting that if this concept was accepted by the world some 200 odd years ago, today it would just be the way of life.

Read, Piers Paul. Alive; The Story of the Andes Survivors. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1974.

A Modest Proposal

Before reading A Modest Proposal, I was prepared for the worst. After looking over the assignment, I was somewhat worried to start the reading simply because it had to do with cannibalism, something we as individuals do not talk about on a daily basis. I appreciated the fact that Jonathan Swift didn’t go into graphic detail for his argument. In all reality, the reading was not what I expected it to be. After completing the reading for last week’s assignment, I felt awful. Though cannibalism is not something that I necessarily believe in, I do feel that the author took a good stand in delivering why he thought that cannibalism can help out our economy. The word cannibalism has a bad reputation and I was surprised that what I had just read actually made sense. This could actually help our economy. However, being a believer of human life, I do not feel that it is fair to just make a child “plump” so that you can enjoy them in the future. It is true that we do this with some animals (without consciously thinking about it) but I believe that some animals were put on this earth for many reasons, one of those reasons being as a food source for humans.

After thinking about this article for a long while, I came to the realization that this could actually help out our economy but at the same time, women would be valued simply as “food producers.” Knowing that women are the soul providers for children, it would be sad to see what a women’s role would be as soon as she is no longer able to produce babies. Do you think women would be treated differently if cannibalism of children became a way of life?

Arens, W. The Man-Eating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

The Cost of Change

Having been exposed to PETA material before, I expected the violent mistreatment that was shown in the video. What I did not expect was my complete reaction to all the material shown. It was the point at which the cows were shown struggling in dire pain as they were hanging upside down slowly bleeding to death from the neck that I began to weep for the suffering of these animals. To think for a minute that these animals don't have personalities like you and me, or even so much as to ignore the pain and suffering that all living things feel is downright ignorance. After reading the article assigned, "The Cost of Cheap Chicken", I began to wonder if eating meat was seriously worth the cost. Certainly I have been convinced that factory farming is downright unethical and unhealthy for both the animals and us as consumers. Environmentally, factory farms are damaging to their surroundings. They also are breeding grounds for disease and illness which no doubt alters the very DNA of the chicken or cow that you are consuming for the "benefit" of your own DNA. I figure I can easily save myself from these bad karma sources of nutrition and protein, but my personal shopping choices alone won't stop the cruelty. As a culture and as a country in a globalized world, we must take much bigger measures to establish laws and guidelines in the production of food we ourselves eat and rely upon. I remember from the article the Tyson corporation claiming to be America's #1 source of protein. Well if that's all the have to offer us, perhaps we need to learn to turn our backs like we are beginning to do with the oil corporations and find alternate sources of protein for our diets that don't have such a moral toll on our bodies and consciousness. I found these two books that expand on the subject:

Ford, Barbara. Future Food: Alternate Protein For The Year 2000. New York: Morrow, 1978.

Call #: TX53.P7 F67 Location: Wilson 4w

Bharadwaj, Monisha. India's Vegetarian Cooking. London: Kyle Brooks, 2006.

Call #: TX837 .B535 2007 Institution: George Fox Location: Newberg, Main Stacks

2nd Blog Assignment

To be completely honest, I was not prepared for the video that we had to watch. The content of the video was too much for me to handle. I watched maybe half of it and I had to turn it off.

It is amazing to think that people in our society can be so cruel to animals. Like we have talked about in class many times before, we typically don’t think of the way animals are handled when we are eating them. Actually, we don’t think of them as an animal at all. It makes me wonder how the handlers of these animals view them as food. I would think that if they are able to be so cruel to animals while they are actually alive, then they would view eating the animals as okay. Do you think that there are some handlers who are unable to eat meat because of what their job entails?

I think that something needs to be done in order to keep these animals in better conditions. After seeing the way the humans treat the animals that we as Americans consume each and every day makes me feel sick.

This video has introduced me to many things that I had never seen before. Not only did the video provide me with these necessary insights but the reading “Hidden Cost of Cheap Chicken” seemed to reflect on much of the things that the video “Meet your Meat” showed. Explaining that many chickens are actually conscious while having their necks snapped gave me chills. I eat chicken almost everyday and whenever I eat it I never think of the way that these chickens were handled before.

All I have to say is that what happens to these animals is not right. Something needs to be done. If they are going to be killed for food, it needs to be done in the most painless way.

Two sources that I have found:

Williams, Erin. Why animals matter: the case for animal production. Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus, 2007.

Pyle, George. Raising less corn, more hell: the case for the independent farm and against industrial food .1st ed. New York: Publishing Affairs, 2005.

How animals are treated when raised for food

In American society, there tends to be an idea that if we don’t see it, it doesn’t bother us as much. If we don’t know about it, it is all the better. The movie “Meet Your Meat” and the article “Hidden Cost of Cheap Chicken” gave some horrifying, yet necessary insights into the world of meat production. Most Americans don’t know exactly how the slaughter process works, but we have an idea that it can not be all that humane. As pointed out in “Hidden Cost of Cheap Chicken,” we are more likely to dismiss the horrors of a slaughter house and buy the cheap product, because we still need to be able to pay the bills and save time. If everybody had to face the reality of how their meat was raised and killed, they would probably be disturbed, but would continue their current practices because they have no other way of getting meat, and are not open to becoming vegetarians. “Meet Your Meat” also gave insight into how other animals are killed. Sometimes the animal is still alive while having their throat cut, being dismembered, and skinned. It is a terrible, yet all too real way of life.
It is my opinion that eating meat is acceptable, but as long as the techniques to harvest the meat are done in the most humane way. For example, my grandma and grandpa used to raise beef cows. They would usually have two at a time, and when it became to slaughter them, they did so in the quickest and least painful way possible. Start to finish, the cows were treated with respect, fed and watered correctly, and taken care of. When they were slaughtered, it was with a high powered rifle that would kill in an instant, so no suffering occurred. And after it was all said and done, they had enough meat for quite a few people. I believe this to be an acceptable process for harvesting the meat you would like to eat. Because this is not feasible for most people, we have turned to other, more inhumane ways of slaughtering.

I found a few good resources with more good information about the raising and slaughtering of animals for food. The first deals with hunting and whether or not it is moral and the second deals with the unheard stories of American slaughter houses.

Laney, Dawn. Hunting. Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2008.

Eisnitz, Gail. Slaughterhouse : the shocking story of greed, neglect, and inhumane treatment inside the U.S. meat industry . New York: Prometheus Books, 2007.

American Food

I had trouble writing this blog because I couldn't really define what culture had really influenced me growing up as a child. I know I was feed Ethiopian injera with lentils and similar legume dishes before I even began school. But during my elementary years I ate meals influenced by Indonesian cooking which almost never had pork. Once my family settled down in the north west though, I was introduced to ham and for a short while my school lunch consisted of a bologna sandwiches with a juice box and some carrots. I remember getting sick and tired of eating salmon and pasta all the time for dinner, but now those dishes never cease to interest my appetite. After reading the article assigned, I checked the library for information on any strange foods that might have originated from North American culture in general. As most of us know, the discovery of the "New World" introduced the use of corn and corn maise into the culinary palletes of cultures around the world; not a weird food but definitely functional. While reading from a source entitled "Foods America Gave The World," which was written mind you in 1937 I was surprised at how fondly the author talked about cooking raccoons, opossums, wood-chucks, and even praising skunks as being "far superior to the popular gray squirrels." One would think a cultural affinity for skunk meat would give new meaning to the phrase "love stinks." The North American Indians used to collect crickets and grasshoppers and crush them into patties similar to latkes and eat them. I would try a grasshopper patty, I think it sounds kind of crunchy, like hash browns but with more flavor. Anyway that's 200 words+ so here's some research material if you want to learn more about strange North American foods and food related customs!

Verrill, Aepheus. Foods America Gave The World. Boston, MA: L. C. Page & Company, 1937.

it can be found on Wilson 4W its call number is TX260.A5 V4

I also found this book about the various food phobias found in cultures throughout history:

Ferriéres, Madeleine. Sacred Cow, Mad Cow: A History of Food Fears. New York: Colombia University Press, 2006.

this one is also located on Wilson 4W its call number is RC622.F47613 2006

Culture and Food

The “culture” that affects my eating habits the most would have to be my family. Growing up as a child my mom would cook dinner for my family around five days a week and we were required to be there unless we had a really good excuse. My mom is a good cook but she only makes so many different kinds of dishes, which seriously limited my exposure. Also, when I was younger I used to emulate my dad in pretty much everything, including the foods that he didn’t like to eat. This prevented me from eating things like beans of any kind, salmon, or peppers. At this point in my life I have tried some foods that most Americans would not, however, because of my childhood feelings towards these three specific foods, I still try my best to completely avoid them. My college experience has helped some with my narrow minded approach to food. Over the last four years I have met several people who have broadened my outlook on food. Due to this, I feel that when I am surrounded by others who press upon me that a certain dish is good I will often give in and at least give it a taste. Therefore, my immediate “culture” is a huge part of the shaping of my eating habits.

Inness, Sherrie. Kitchen Culture in America: Popular Representations of Food, Gender, and Race. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.
Call #GT2853.U5 K57 2001 Location: Haggard 3

Robertson, Marta. Starving in the Silences: An Exploration of Anorexia Nervosa. Washington Square: New York University Press, 1992.
Call # RC552.A5 R63 1992 Location: Wilson 4W

Culture and Food-First Blog Assignment

I feel that my family is somewhat limited to what we eat. I remember hearing a story when I was little that my mom had an allergic reaction to fish while cooking it. Ever since she had that allergic reaction she has never touched it again. Because my mom never eats it, I have grown up thinking that fish is disgusting and that the smell is terrible. I have attempted to try salmon, shrimp, and calamari. I have to admit that the salmon I tried was terrible. However, the shrimp wasn’t bad because I thought that it kind of tasted like chicken. The calamari was gross to me simply because of the texture of it. The taste wasn’t all that bad but the texture steers me away from wanting to eat it again. Now that I think about it, fish has always been a “don’t” in my family. A “do” in my family is “peanut butter.” I remember my dad taking out a jar of peanut butter along with a loaf of bread. He would spread a ton of peanut butter on one slice and fold it over. He could eat maybe three of these for a meal. At one time in my life, in elementary school, lunch meat made me feel sick (it sometimes still does today) so everyday in my lunch I would eat a peanut butter sandwich. I thought this was interesting because after watching the video in class yesterday, I found it quite odd that people from other cultures really thought peanut butter was the most disgusting thing that we as American’s eat. To wrap it up, I will probably never like fish and I was always love peanut butter because that is the way I was brought up.

Ishige, Naomichi. The History and Culture of Japanese Food. New York: Kegan Paul, 2001.

Pollan, Michael. In Defense of Food: The Eater’s Manifesto. New York: Penguin Press, 2008.

Hello!

Hello Group!