Synthesis (W10)

In the article, “The Moral Crusade Against Foodies” by Myers, he seems to lash against anyone who speaks on the behalf of food. He addresses both sides of the spectrum, talking about Pollan and especially his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which talks about natural ways of obtaining food, as well as criticizing Anthony Bourdain and his exotic eating habits. Myers takes everything about a foodie and uses it against them, but there are so many things that are flawed in his writing.

The pompous way that Myers addresses foodies is just sickening. He comments on the fact that it seems like foodies just talk in order to hear themselves talk about food to one another. He compares reading foodies’ books to a “crowded, fetid restaurant” in the beginning. What he clearly does not realize is that he is just as awful. He has this superiority complex in his writing that is just terrible to read.  To top it all off, there seems like there is really no point to his article except that foodies are bad. However, the way he talks about the topic, he does not say what is truly best. Is he advocating that people should eat solely for nutrition and that any indulgence is wrong? His argument is not clear to me. All it seems like is just one big rant how any way addressing food that is anything other than its nutritious value is a crime.

When he talks about Pollan’s book, he addresses everything negative about it. Myers refuses to talk about it in a light because since Pollan is solely talking about food and taking the natural way. It is true that The Omnivore’s Dilemma addresses how food is over-processed and how people should eat more natural foods even though it is a little more expensive. But what is wrong with that? What is the problem with bringing to light the fact that most of the food that Americans consume is corn in some shape or form? Overall, he is teaching people things that they might not know about their food and what is the shame in that? When Pollan wrote about his friend who watched a goat get slaughtered for the food, sure that may have seemed like a little bit offensive and unnecessary, but I am sure if people watched what their food had to go through before they ate it, I am sure that people would think more about the food they eat.  

Myers continually talks about Bourdain and the way that he goes around the world and eats the most exotic foods just because he can. The price ranges for the foods that he eats is mostly out of many Americans’ price ranges, but it is mostly entertainment for viewers. I understand that people who define themselves by the food they eat seems a little absurd. The fact that Guy Fieri defines his personality by going around and filming all this food that he consumes at different spots is a bit gluttonous. No one should be known solely for the amounts of food they eat and what they eat, but in America, that is who we are. We enjoy watching shows about food. So if anything, Myers should be angry at Americans for letting this happen. These people who make money off what they eat are only the products of their viewers.

I understand where Myers is coming from in some parts. Yes, people that go to other countries and make others observe their religious beliefs and their culture is rude. Yes, the fact that people use the exotic foods they eat as their résumé and personality definer is ridiculous. Sure, people who claim that cooks are gods and that food is heavenly or any other religious connotation is being blasphemous. Of course, gluttony is unhealthy and shows and books promoting that are not helping the overeating/obesity crisis in America. However, there is a classier way to address the topic than to be completely bombastic and rude. Clearly, Myers does not know that.

Open Topic: Obesity Problem (W9)

Throughout the course, my peers have addressed the fact that obese people are completely in the wrong for the way that they are. It has been discussed that they are obese because they over eat and eat unhealthy food. This is true: people cannot blame everyone else for their actions. They clearly decide to eat the food that they want to eat as well as the portions and how often they eat. They also need to take in their genetics, if their parents or other family members are overweight or obese, they may inherit some of those genes and take that into consideration when they are stuffing their third Big Mac for dinner into their face. However, I do not think that people are solely to blame.

The companies that are selling the over processed, extremely unhealthy foods, know that the foods that they make are not good for people. They put laws together so that many investigations of their food factories cannot happen.  This leads to the ignorance of people and they have no idea that they do not know everything about the food they are eating. They believe that the FDA would work to the best of their ability to protect them and their well being. The companies know what they are doing because why else would they keep the process of how they make their food a secret?

 Movies like Super Size Me and Food Inc. try to bring to light what these food companies do, but many people do not listen to the message or follow along with what the message ultimately wants: people to eat healthy food that is natural and healthy. Food companies know that in order to keep their clientele, they need to get them hooked as children and thus it will not matter what people say about their products.  Sadly, this works. People are hooked on their lifestyles and habits so much that when they see movies like this, more than often, they do not even change their diet at all.

The main point is that both groups need to take responsibility for their actions. This problem cannot be solved if everyone is just pointing their fingers at someone else. Both groups are equally in the wrong. The true question is whether or not people will see this problem of unhealthy food and the marketing for it so they stop eating it.

O'Betty's (W8)

Eating about O’Betty’s in the middle of Athens is an experience. There is an atmosphere that was created by the original on West State Street, so I was curious how the one on Union Street was going to compare considering it was quite larger in comparison to the original. The food of course is absolutely fantastic at both places. When I went to the one on Union, I had chili cheese fries and they did not disappoint. Cheese and chili soaked the fries and made sure that the whole basket was full of some flavor. There were parts that had just chili, just cheese and both. In the beginning, it was easy to eat with my fingers, but once I got to the middle and the bottom (where apparently a lot of the ingredients ended up), I needed a fork. It just really proved that it was worth the amount it cost.  

It was nice to be able to have such an open space at the one on Union because it didn’t feel so cluttered. Although I love the close quarters that the original provides, I always did feel like it was too small to work for all the people that usually occupied it. Also, in the old one, the place where a person orders their food and pays for it is in the small narrow hallway that leads to the only door in the building. The new O’Betty’s definitely addresses that issue with having a bigger, wider space as well as having people take orders as well; which was a weird aspect considering how the original allows you to order food at a counter and then when you sit down, someone brings it out to you.

However different the buildings are, the atmosphere is still the same. It is all about the hotdogs and the crazy way people can create whatever they want or pick from eclectic hotdogs on the menu. The people that work at both are just a friendly and the food is just as delicious. My classmate and I ordered a small chili cheese fry (since that was the only thing we could buy with our change we put together) and they brought out a large. When we told them about the mistake (since we couldn’t afford a large), they said they would charge us the small’s price. Little things like that make all the difference with customer service. Overall, I was impressed with the new O’Betty’s.

Persuasive Food Films (W7)

In my opinion, I believe that most (if not all) documentary filmmakers want to change the world with their movie. I feel like movies such as Food Inc. and Supersize Me are meant to scare people with the facts about what their food is made of and what it can do to a person. If a person really saw all the drugs that the meat they are consuming had been injected with while the animals were alive or all the chemicals that goes in later in the process, they may second guess what they are eating. If a person were to watch Morgan continuously eating fast food and his health decline rapidly, they may reconsider. Yet, with every person that may be swayed and decide to choose the healthier choices, there are reasons that would not allow others to change and some people who would not change at all.

Even if a person is completely persuaded by what a film has to say, that does not mean that a person will change their lifestyle. Of course the main reason is the fact that people may not have the time or money in order to by food that is healthy for them. Although they might be completely disgusted by what they see, if a person does not have the means to buy organic or healthy food, it is not going to matter how persuasive a movie is. Another reason is that if people have grown up and lived their life a certain way, a movie may not change their minds at all. If they have been conditioned and think that the food they are eating is delicious and convenient.

However, there is also the case that if people have that mentality, they also may believe that movies like Food Inc. and Supersize Me are complete fabrications; that the facts are not real and the footage used is exaggerated. People today like to believe that conspiracies are everywhere and anything that would speak against what they have known for years would be nothing more than slanderous lies. Plus, people would not like to know that they have been consuming lies for their entire lives.

So although persuasive movies have good intentions (especially when it comes to food documentaries), there are many that would not buy into it. If for some reason they do, they may not change at all for various reasons.

Open Food Blog (W6)

Nothing makes a person miss home than when they are far away in a strange place. When I went to college, I did not understand what all I would be giving up food wise. Dining halls seemed like this wonderful buffet where a person would have multiple options and be able to eat however much a person wanted. It was clearly obvious to be wary of portions in order to not gain the “Freshmen Fifteen,” but I did not know how easy it was going to be to eat small portions.

Before I continue, let me say that I do not know what other college campuses provide for their food; I am merely referring to the experience that I had at my college.

The first time I ate in a dining hall, I was completely excited to grab all sorts of different food. The fact that there was a salad bar was nice too, because it allowed for me to be able to at least think that I would eat healthy (although I would rarely choose that option). The rest of the food though was definitely lacking quality. Food would be cold, taste terribly, be congealed, and even stick to my plate when the plate was turned on its side. (That happened specifically with a strawberry shortcake I had.) It made me miss home cooked meals and my family so often times, I would drive home every other weekend.

Junior year was looking to be more exciting for me. I was completely excited to move into a house that had its own kitchen that even came with a stove and oven. Foolishly, I thought that I was going to be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I quickly found out that was not true at all. My diet mainly consists of simple and quick foods to make like Ramen, grilled cheese, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, and the like. Occasionally, my boyfriend and I will make a breakfast or dinner together on the weekends. It is a shame that I cannot really create food like I thought I would be able to.

I have to say, I cannot wait until I can make real food in my home. I am not sure if college is keeping me from being able to make real food or if I am not correctly managing my time. If that is the case, I need to work better at it so when I get out into the real world, my dinner options will be of quality and I want to have a plethora of options. I want it so that when I have my own kids, they will want to come home for the food I make.

View on Fast Food (W5)

First and foremost, I am not one to really eat fast food. I hate the way it smells and tastes. Even as a child, when my mother would go through a drive-thru, she would try to get me to eat something but I always refused. There was just something I did not like about it. Plus, for some reason, as a child I knew it was bad for me and there was no way I was going to eat bad food. Granted, I do occasionally get a chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell, but other than that, I try to stay as far away from fast food as possible.

Honestly, until this blog I had not thought about the fact that other countries do not regard fast food the way the United States does. The only other country that I have been to is Canada and the places that I have been in Canada did not have a McDonald’s (from what I remember) except for in the travel plazas.

I think that one of the major reasons that Americans are in love with fast food is because they have a fast lifestyle. Americans are a part of the few countries that work as much as they do. Americans are constantly on the go. Not only do they have a job, but they might also have one or two more that will not allow for a home cooked meal. If they only have one job, often times, they are parents of children that need picked up after school or have extracurricular activities and thus, they once again have no time to really prepare a healthy dinner. Fast food offers people the chance to grab something quickly when they do not have the time to otherwise make a perfectly good dinner for their family.

Another reason that I think fast food is mainly an American thing is because I know that Americans are becoming dependable on the idea of instant gratification. I am not sure how other countries are, but as generations stand now, Americans are very demanding. They want what they want, when they want it. Fast food works perfect with that.

Since I have only been to Canada, all I can say is that it seems as if they were less involved with major corporations leading their lifestyle than mom and pop stores and restaurants. Granted, I am sure places like Montreal and Toronto have plenty of corporations/fast food joints that are similar to what Americans have. A lot of the restaurants that my family came across while we were traveling were more local and thus the food was fresher and healthier. It was nice to eat fish that had been caught in the lake that we were sitting next to. There were no added preservatives or chemicals which fast food is known for (as well as been critiqued for). I think many other countries take pride in the food that they cook and find time to cook it for their families so that future generations can create the same thing. Unfortunately, I believe a good majority of America lacks that.

All-American Menu (W4)

If there was a restaurant that I was creating that would be “All-American,” I would choose only the foods that people all over the country would eat. Things that would be labeled as “southern” or “Cajun” or any other region would not be on my list. I would want something that every American would either eat or hopefully have eaten. The first choices are pizza and cheeseburgers. However, I feel like there are other foods that do not get the recognition that they deserve.

For example, a dessert that my restaurant would have is apple pie. Honestly, I have no idea why apple pie is considered “All-American,” but it is, and it sure would be a delicious end to a hotdog or steak dinner. Both of those remind me of a basic American cooking out on the grill. During the summer months, many people love to cook out on the grill and just have parties for the sake of fair weather and fair tidings. Chicken (or Buffalo) wings are another thing that I would add to my menu, because that is another food that I think that people eat all over the country whether it is for a football game or snacks to watch a movie with. Although it may seem childish, I also think that macaroni and cheese (of course of a higher/ fancier standard) would be served at my restaurant. I know it is something that a lot of people have grown up with, so recreating that with an adult twist (like adding chicken or shrimp, depending on the order of the customer) would be an interesting take on a classic.

In my opinion, drinks are important as well and coffee, pop and beer are all crucial for the menu. I honestly do not drink any of those drinks (for various reasons), but they all define America in their own special way. Coffee is important to many Americans because of the fact that America is a country on the go. With people working crazy hours just to pay for the house they cannot afford to the students cramming to study the night before an exam; people just love coffee.  Pop (although referred to as “soda” or “soda pop” in other parts of the country) is consumed by all sorts of people in every region. Families have it in their coolers when they are going to a picnic, parties have it, college students drink it, their parents drink it; a plethora of people love it as well. Some people like it because it tastes good, others like it because they have grown up with their parents drinking it so they in turn drink it, and others use the caffeine in it to wake them for whatever reason they need to be awake. Beer is another thing that a variety of people drink at different occasions; however all of them are social events: college parties, sports events, family get-togethers and of course just small social gatherings with friends.

These are just a few ideas of what I would put in my menu. They are basic, simple and straightforward. In their own ways, they define America and reflect what it means to be an American.