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?