Grilling with Gas and Baking with Class: An Analysis of Gender Representations on Food Television

Evan L. Kropp

Food Television

This study is an analysis of gender representations on food television

shows

Food Television

Instructional Competition

Reality Travel

Food Television

Research Question

Are gender representations on food television reinforcing or challenging traditional gender roles?

To what extent are ideas presented about gender consistently hegemonic, counter-hegemonic or a contradictory mix of the two?

Hegemony Explained

• Hegemonic representations are depictions that embody traditional characteristics.

Hegemony: What we accept as “natural” or the way things are.Consent of society to agree to current social arrangements.

Traditional Characteristics include:

Hegemony Explained

Men

Displays of Authority

Power

Self-Reliant

Professionally Successful

Not emotionally expressive

Women

Mothers

Homemakers

Not professionally motivated

Emotionally expressive

Sexualized

Counter-hegemonic instances are those that present non-traditional gender roles.

Hegemony Explained

Hegemony Explained

Non-traditional representations:

Men

Express emotion

Not professionally motivated

Instances of emasculation

Women

Career, not family oriented

Authoritative

Unemotional

Not defined by familial role

Methodology

So What?

• Nielsen (2008): Average TV viewer watches over 151 hours of TV per month

• Watching TV has an effect(s) on viewers

• Example: George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory

• 1950’s & ‘60’s Food TV mimicked gender roles in culture

• Gender roles have changed since then, but have the shows?

Top Chef

Textual Analysis of Season 6, 15 episodes revealed four themes…

- Use of Language

- Professionalism

- Family & Emotional Expressiveness

- Physical Attributes

Top Chef

Use of Language : Direct Comments / Language & Emotion

“I look next to me and see Jenn has the same number of clams and I am amazed because, no offense, but a girl shouldn’t be at the same level I am” – Mike I.

“That’s one less old lady I need to worry about” – Mike I. about Robin

“My name is Jennifer and I work at 10 Arts” – Jen C.

Emotional displays in the “stew room” and in interviews following contests

Top Chef

Professionalism

“I haven’t done this in a while, I just took two years off to be a mom” – Jen Z.

Ron Mattin

Contestants: 50/50 Gender Split

Judges: 15 Total, 12 Males, 3 Females

Top Chef

Family & Emotional Expressiveness

Top Chef

Physical Attributes

Top Chef

Men Women

Use of Language Hegemonic Hegemonic

Professionalism Hegemonic Hegemonic

Family & Emotional Expressiveness

Hegemonic(Note: Mid-Season Shift)

Hegemonic

Physical Attributes Hegemonic Counter-Hegemonic

Some minimal instances of convergence in all categories

Kitchen Nightmares

Season 3, 13 episodes (11 examined)

3 act structure of the show

Gender

- 6 shows combination male/female owners- 5 shows only female owners- 0 shows only male owners

Kitchen Nightmares

The Women

- Not professionally trained chefs

- Not experienced business owners- Have difficulty separating personal &

professional lives- Shown as emotional / emotionally

expressive- Shown as less powerful than male

counterparts

Kitchen Nightmares

The Men

- Saviours - Chef Ramsay: powerful, professional,

leader- Male Consultants save female business

owners

- Professionally trained chefs/business owners

- Successful, just lost their way…frustrated

Kitchen Nightmares

Demonizing Powerful Women

Women representing “the other extreme”

Kata – Lisa – Adele

Network Analysis

Qualitative Network Analysis

Females

Network AnalysisM

ales

Network Analysis

Convergence

Network Analysis

Quantitative Analysis

The broader view

2 weeks programming:

September 27, 2009 – October 3, 2009

September 26, 2010 – October 2, 2010

Network Analysis

Network Analysis

Network Analysis

Food Network

Week 1:

55 shows / 138 hours on-air

- Female hosts on-air more than male hosts (females = 65.22% of air-time)

- Male hosts have more shows(males = 50.91% of shows, female = 41.82%)

- Show genres are sex typed

41.82% of shows = domestic kitchen78.26% of those featured females

58.18% of all shows == outside domestic kitchen75.00% of those featured males

Network Analysis

Food Network

Week 2:

47 shows / 138 hours on-air

- Female hosts airtime reduced from 65.22% of total time to 32.97% (why?)

- Male hosts have more shows: consistent w/ week 1

- Show genres are sex typed: consistent w/ week 1

Network Analysis

Travel Channel

Week 1:

Food shows represented 39.29% of all programming.

100% of shows outside domestic kitchen

100% of shows male hosts

Week 2:

Food shows represented 50.19% of all programming.

100% of shows outside domestic kitchen

2 of 12 shows featured female host.

(Same host, Camille Ford hosting Pizza Wars and Food Wars)

Network Analysis

Cooking Channel

1 week only: 2nd week

48 shows / 123 hours on-air

Air-time by gender: males 53.66% of time. Consistent w/ week 2 of Food Network for same period..

Quantity of shows by gender: comparable to Food Network Week 2. 52.08% of shows featured male hosts.

Location by gender: More domestic instructional cooking shows than Food Network. Lower % of these shows featured female hosts. Indicating more instances of convergence. Also increase of females in non-domestic settings. However, majority still sex-typed consistent w/ other channels findings.

Network Analysis

Quantitative Conclusions

- More male air-time than females

- Quantity of shows featuring males slightly higher than females

- Location favored non-domestic kitchen, which is consistent w/ more male air-time and quantity of shows

- 50% decrease of female host air-time from Food Network week 1 and week 2 unexplained

- Numbers support limited instances of convergence as found in qualitative analysis.

- Travel channel stands out as male dominated channel w/ limited female participation on food shows. Is this consistent w/ other offerings on channel?

Conclusions

Conclusions

• The majority of gender portrayals are stereotypical representations.Women as less professionally experienced than male

counterparts.Women as more emotional than malesWomen as the preparer of domestic mealsMen found outside of the domestic kitchenMen less emotionally expressiveMen professionally trained and motivated

Bottom Line: • Although both genders are predominantly presented in a traditional

manner, overall both males and females present a contradictory mix of hegemonic and counter-hegemonic ideas.

• This is primarily due to instances of convergence

Limitations

Limitations

• Limited Time Period (only two one-week time periods)

• Limitation of Channels (only 3 channels on network analysis)

• Content Issues (Snapshot in time, changes such as launch of new channel)

Future Research

Future Research

• Why are these shows so popular? Do people want to learn to cook or just be entertained?

• Political Economy of food TV. Product placements, off camera business ventures, the effects of these relationships on content.

• Effects of conglomeration on food TV. Scripps is majority owner of the three channels. How does that effect content.

• Examine audience participation in shows through websites, blogs, social media.

• Are food TV shows more or less of a realistic reflection of society than other genres?