Monday, May 11, 2009

For this assignment please respond briefly to Michael Pollan's argument, in the first few pages of Omnivore's Dilemma, that we as a culture lack a stable food culture like the Italians or French, are obsessed with health, are confused and anxious about food, and therefore easily succumb to various expert-directed food fads.

What food experts do you and your family pay attention to - scientists, journalists, chefs, commercials on tv, doctors, nutritionists, health officials, book authors?

In the first few pages of his book The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan makes the point that America, while being overly concerned with health and the kinds of food we eat, is ultimately less healthy than countries like italy or france because of that. Pollan describes how the blend of cultures in America is a leading reason for the crisis we face when it comes to deciding on a "food culture". I would make the argument that this is in itself a culture of variety, that we as Americans have such a plethora of foods from which to choose that we make our own personal food cultures.
not to mention that food in America also has its own industrial culture - ie burgers, fries, and sodas. As for our seeming gullibility for fad diets and expert advice, I would say that this is just another example of sampling what American food cultures have to offer to consumer. Of course, there is also the fact that humans are little more than two-legged sheep, flocking as a herd to wherever the figurative 'man' leads them. Experts prey on the sense of insecurity that plagues the little sheepies by telling them that they are living an unholy abomination of a lifestyle, that if they only decide to exactly as their told, they can improve from their hopeless situation.

2 comments:

Kate E. said...

Its interesting to see how the fact that we don't have a food culture may seem in its own way Americas own personal food culture. I had never thought about it and am not sure a totally agree. I dont think America has its own food culture but that as americans individually we do and that is because of the choices we choose after all the media all into what we decide to eat and what is healthy.

Y.L. said...

I thought the comparison of the American mentality to flock to an expert to sheep was interesting. It does seem to be true since magazines advocating it are so popular so people must be buying into it. I agree that the health interests borders on obsession and that we are able to decide as individuals our own food culture even if the majority aren't.

random- I liked the style of the blog too. Oh I did a quick wiki search of John Galt and it sounds interesting.