February Blog Post

For the month of February, the specific reading that I enjoyed was the article titled How food television is changing America by Thomas Rogers. Immediately upon reading the titles of these articles, I knew I was going to be interested because it had to do with food, and I love food. Who doesn't? There was a lot of good information to pick from but it wasn't until I got to the end of the article that I read something that not only brought back a memory but stuck with me. It stated, "We’re no longer following the socially constituted norms when it comes to consuming food, which is to sit down at the dining room table, shut up and eat. It allows us to reimagine our relationship with each other, and with food" (Rogers, Feb. 2010). 

This particular line stood out to me because I think it's absolutely true that our society has evolved so much where we don't really have home-cooked meals prepared nightly to sit down at the dinner table and eat as a family to discuss what went on in our days. It was mentioned in the article that it's become a big issue where people just watch food shows instead of actually cooking it themselves. We depend on the luxury of having many food places being delivered now or just taking the easy route and going to the drive through, or just going out to eat in general instead of staying home to cook our own meals. Food television is changing America because of all these things, and the only way to overcome it is to stay home and prepare our own meals. I don't necessarily think we need to be sitting at the dinner table all together with no phones or distractions because being completely honest, with everyone's responsibilities and busy schedules, it just wouldn't be realistic nowadays. That's just my opinion however I do think dinner should be at home a few times a week just to maintain the family-oriented characteristic. 

Family is a huge of part of who I am. They mean everything to me and I wouldn't be anything without them. I specifically have such a soft spot in my heart for my grandparents, they are my rock. When I was in elementary and middle school, my grandparents would always pick me up from school and we would get a snack and then go home. My grandma and I would then watch the food shows before she prepared dinner. There's this stereotype that people who watch the television shows don't utilize it but I'm a prime witness that my grandma used the shows to present creativity in the kitchen as well as our meals and make the recipes those chefs did. Now I realize that was back then, but even if my grandma was still alive we would still have dinner every night at the dinner table. She was the backbone of our family and since her and my grandpa are both gone, the family dynamic just isn't the same. However, every once in awhile the whole family tries to get together for a family meal and catch up with each other which is always a good time. That's why this particular line caught my attention because this man may not follow the "social norms" however he is still cooking with his son strengthening the bond between them, it's just in a different way. Things don't have to be the same forever, change is inevitable as we can clearly see by today's society.