Taylor Brockhoff Blog 2

Taylor Brockhoff

Comm 160

Christina Ivey

March 2, 2017

Blog #2

This month, I realized how big a part of our culture food is. And not just our American culture, for every culture. It is something that everyone needs, therefore having the ability to unite people in a unique way. Food is one of the most varied aspects when you study other cultures.

Since food is a reflection on a society, it makes sense that in the United States food has turned into entertainment, rather than something to physically do.  “We don’t like watching sports when the people are as unskilled as us, and this is similar. We want to watch people with extraordinary skills.Competition food shows develop rules to make cooking more watchable — like in sports, you need rules — but it also makes it less and less doable at home. Just like you and I don’t play baseball anywhere near the professional level, and watching it convinces us more and more how bad we are. Increasingly, competition food shows are showing the mark of professional culinary performers, who often come from terrific culinary schools. The rest of us are just going to watch.”

Instead of finding a recipe, going to the grocery store, cooking and enjoying a meal, people in the United States are getting more pleasure out of simply watching extraordinary cooking on TV. It is similar to people who watch sports, instead of playing themselves or even exercising.

Because food is becoming less of a priority to Americans, we are losing part of our culture. More TV dinners are being sold than ever. We are taking advantage of the luxury of food that can be prepared for us, without us having to lift a finger. I can see this happening not only on a national level, but a personal level. I am a college freshman and live in the dorms on campus. Can you guess the most advertised thing I have seen in my hallways? Food apps. For example: Tapingo. Tapingo is an app where you can pre order your food at food vendors on campus (Starbucks, Panda Express, etc).  You place your order ten minutes before you leave your room or class, and your food will already be ready for you and paid for by the time you get there. I never knew it could be even easier to get coffee than having a Starbucks right in the center of campus! A second app that I have seen advertised and even had flyers handed to me is JoyRide. Joyride is an app where students can order fast food (Taco Bell, Jimmy Johns, etc) that isnt located on campus and have it delivered to them by other students who sign up to be drivers. As if going through the Mcdonalds drive thru was too difficult, you can now have a Big Mac delivered straight to your door.

Many students around me are praising these apps and others like these for their convenience, but I think it is just another reflection on our culture and society. Americans are lazy and that doesnt seem to be changing any time soon. Food is one of the most prominent and important parts of culture, and we are beginning to lose that.  What else will we lose next?