All I could think about as I read this article was of the Campbell soup commercial. The one with the grandfather and his grandson sitting at the table, eating soup, and having a conversation about healthy foods and how they should “forget about it”, not knowing that they are eating a healthy serving of vegetable soup. The kid starts talking about how one of his classmates eats tofu hotdogs and does yoga while the grandfather comments about socks and sandals, and shudders (socks and sandals also being a symbol of the ‘hippie’ movement).
While in a sense, the attitude of the grandfather contradicts what the author of the article is saying (considering he would fall under the description of baby boomer), but it also in a way proves it. The Campbell’s commercial, although not for Asian cuisine, is meant to show that the American company can also provide good, healthy meal choices from a ‘local’ producer. It also shows that the ideas of Asian cuisine is being introduced to other generations.
I found it interesting how it talks about the Western world learning healthy living diets from the Eastern world. Clearly, we, as a Western society, have forgotten those lessons as we have recently turned to greasy, unhealthy fast foods and are recently just starting to go back to healthier options. It seems history is doomed to repeat itself in all aspects of life, including food patterns.
The author states: “White ethnics followed suit by rediscovering and perpetuating the foodways that their parents and grandparents were often all ready to jettison in the process of assimilation.” I found this interesting because there was also a similar effect in the other industries as well, such as music when they stopped “white-washing” the original songs and even dancing.
It is discussed how they moved away from the typical white bread because it signified poor health, and switched to dark breads and brown rice which had been peasant food in the past but was now recognized as healthier alternatives, which seems to be a common theme in this course. Speaking of health, the “key to health and the key to peace” was realized by George Ohsawa that health was not just physical well-being but spiritual as well. This oddly enough is part of the modern definition of health.
I also found that the article uncovers stereotypical descriptions. How the West is described as neurotically hyperactive and out of balance, while the Asians honor insights into healing powers of nature garnered by sages many centuries ago. But it is all an illusion to maintain an image.
Showing posts with label Wilson (Pass the Tofu). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wilson (Pass the Tofu). Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wilson - Pass the Tofu, Please (3)
The reading was a historical review of American culture and obsession of anything Asian.
The gives a number of dates and experiences of how the American society is willing and wanting to believe that anything from another country, will work for them.
The article shows how people are easily fooled in believing that such products are god for you. The marketing of Asian products to the BOBO's or baby boomers is very smart. The BOBO's have the money and time to experience such culinary treats if they so choose.The BOBO's are in search for the next big thing in health that will effect themselves air a positive way.
This article shows how easily fooled the baby boomers generation are. They are so involved in themselves and are wanting to be the next person to experience something for the first time. It is a ego problem that effects Western society at wanting the best for themselves.
The marketing of such product is smart in my point of view. If people are willing to spend hard earned money on something they think is produced in China ,but is done in a Boston production plant,so be it.BOBO's have the money let the spending on what they think is Asian.
The article was a great read because I also sometimes fall into the easily marketed individual of today's society.There was a TV add one time claming the great health benefits of GOBI juice from the Himalayan mountains.It was the next wonder drink to cure the problem of joint pain,a great energy booster,etc.Of course I needed the Gobi juice.The fact of the matter was the DR promoting this juice, led people to believe it was good for you , in fact it was no better than flavored water or apple juice.
The facts are not always what they seem and don't be so eager to try a foreign food item just because of great marketing.
The gives a number of dates and experiences of how the American society is willing and wanting to believe that anything from another country, will work for them.
The article shows how people are easily fooled in believing that such products are god for you. The marketing of Asian products to the BOBO's or baby boomers is very smart. The BOBO's have the money and time to experience such culinary treats if they so choose.The BOBO's are in search for the next big thing in health that will effect themselves air a positive way.
This article shows how easily fooled the baby boomers generation are. They are so involved in themselves and are wanting to be the next person to experience something for the first time. It is a ego problem that effects Western society at wanting the best for themselves.
The marketing of such product is smart in my point of view. If people are willing to spend hard earned money on something they think is produced in China ,but is done in a Boston production plant,so be it.BOBO's have the money let the spending on what they think is Asian.
The article was a great read because I also sometimes fall into the easily marketed individual of today's society.There was a TV add one time claming the great health benefits of GOBI juice from the Himalayan mountains.It was the next wonder drink to cure the problem of joint pain,a great energy booster,etc.Of course I needed the Gobi juice.The fact of the matter was the DR promoting this juice, led people to believe it was good for you , in fact it was no better than flavored water or apple juice.
The facts are not always what they seem and don't be so eager to try a foreign food item just because of great marketing.
Wilson - Pass the Tofu, Please (2)
The article was long and contained no shortage of informaton to diges.
The concecpt of "you are what yo eat" was something that Wilson used to help illustratethe point of soceities recent resurgence of the obsession of food, food products and diet. The revival of self care by way of ones diet is a common theme present in society and the baby boomer generation uses the Asian food as a conterculture to the typical meat heavy Amercan diet.
A couple interesting points after reading this article was that people use food as a powerful outlet for all sorts of activism whether it be of a political or interpersonal nature. The different health diets of people give them a sort ofstatus differentiation from the main stream society and each individual has their own reason for chosing that life style.
The concecpt of "you are what yo eat" was something that Wilson used to help illustratethe point of soceities recent resurgence of the obsession of food, food products and diet. The revival of self care by way of ones diet is a common theme present in society and the baby boomer generation uses the Asian food as a conterculture to the typical meat heavy Amercan diet.
A couple interesting points after reading this article was that people use food as a powerful outlet for all sorts of activism whether it be of a political or interpersonal nature. The different health diets of people give them a sort ofstatus differentiation from the main stream society and each individual has their own reason for chosing that life style.
Wilson - Pass the Tofu, Please
Wilson demonstrates the popularization of healthy eating concepts in the baby boon generation. Using the example of Asian foods which are mostly vegetarian based, Wilson makes the argument that American baby boomers experience the food of the ‘other’ while also incorporating ideas of their “holistic unity of spiritual and physical wellness” thus creating new cultural ideals. This new ethos is represented by the idealization of the “natural” Asian lifestyle (the past) which to some extent is brought into mainstream American culture (the modern) creating a fusion of both food and cultural norms that blend together ethnic regions and ideas—Asian with American.
Wilson also states that theses baby boomers, who as they age, have tended to evolve from their early bohemian ideals to more capitalistic leanings. This is true in general that as people have more responsibilities and income they tend to want economic stability and security as well. Though it is interesting to note that this generation of “Bobos” tended to hold onto some of their rebelliousness and they chose to invest their money in industries that created a more healthful environment than the previous generation. They used food as an element of resistance, as a counterculture culinary protest to the “McWorld” of American foodstuffs. Asian food represented foodways and healthways that provided an alternative to the over-processed foods of modern American markets.
These concepts changed not only eating habits but also influenced consumer marketing strategies. Asian elements were used as ploys to appeal to health conscious consumers. In many health food stores, the ‘ancient wisdom’ is invoked to sell products. In fact, many of the products sold in the organic/health section of Cape Breton supermarkets feature Asian logos, such as Vitasoy Tofu and Mame Soybean Miso, thus demonstrating the pervasiveness of the Asian ideal of healthy foodways even though many of these products are produced right here in North America.
Wilson also states that theses baby boomers, who as they age, have tended to evolve from their early bohemian ideals to more capitalistic leanings. This is true in general that as people have more responsibilities and income they tend to want economic stability and security as well. Though it is interesting to note that this generation of “Bobos” tended to hold onto some of their rebelliousness and they chose to invest their money in industries that created a more healthful environment than the previous generation. They used food as an element of resistance, as a counterculture culinary protest to the “McWorld” of American foodstuffs. Asian food represented foodways and healthways that provided an alternative to the over-processed foods of modern American markets.
These concepts changed not only eating habits but also influenced consumer marketing strategies. Asian elements were used as ploys to appeal to health conscious consumers. In many health food stores, the ‘ancient wisdom’ is invoked to sell products. In fact, many of the products sold in the organic/health section of Cape Breton supermarkets feature Asian logos, such as Vitasoy Tofu and Mame Soybean Miso, thus demonstrating the pervasiveness of the Asian ideal of healthy foodways even though many of these products are produced right here in North America.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Wilson
In the article, Pass the Tofu, Please. Liz Wilson talks about, affluent segments of America’s post baby boom generation have contributed to revival of interest in diet as a means of self care. Affluent boomers take the dictum, "you are what you eat" in its declaratory sense, declaring their so cosmopolitanism and educational attainment. Affluent baby boomers are adventurous eaters. Where as the consumption of meat served as a marker of status for many prewar Americans, the consumption baby boom ethos favors plant based foods as a substitute for or supplement to meats. Thanks to the main streaming and mass marketing of Asian vegetarian foods that were first popularized by members of the counter culture in the 1960's and 1970's.
The macrobiotic movement, which gained widespread attention in the late 60's early 70's brought Asian foods to many American dinner tables and was the first step in a trend of interest in the traditional Japanese diet as a source of wellness a trend that has continued unabated into the 21st century. Small amounts of chicken and fish are permitted, the macrobiotic is mainly vegetarian. The essentials of macrobiotic died include whole grain cereals, beans, fresh vegetables and other whole natural foods chosen with attention to yin( earthy, cold, soft and contractive) or yang (heavenly, hot, dry and expansive) Yin foods are grown in the summer, vegetables and fruit. Yang foods are winter foods, meat, fish and eggs. The ideal is a reach a balance of yin and yang foods. Interest in food’s declarative function, its ability to say something about the identity of the eater, is an important theme in today’s culinary tourism.
In analyzing the appeal of Asian foods and food supplements for Americans baby boomers, it appears that such form of culinary tourism reveals a desire to engage and experience a variety of presumed others. In favoring Asian vegetarian foods out of health and ecological concerns, boomers associate themselves with an alternative lifestyle or ethos this is identified simultaneously with the past and the future.
The macrobiotic movement, which gained widespread attention in the late 60's early 70's brought Asian foods to many American dinner tables and was the first step in a trend of interest in the traditional Japanese diet as a source of wellness a trend that has continued unabated into the 21st century. Small amounts of chicken and fish are permitted, the macrobiotic is mainly vegetarian. The essentials of macrobiotic died include whole grain cereals, beans, fresh vegetables and other whole natural foods chosen with attention to yin( earthy, cold, soft and contractive) or yang (heavenly, hot, dry and expansive) Yin foods are grown in the summer, vegetables and fruit. Yang foods are winter foods, meat, fish and eggs. The ideal is a reach a balance of yin and yang foods. Interest in food’s declarative function, its ability to say something about the identity of the eater, is an important theme in today’s culinary tourism.
In analyzing the appeal of Asian foods and food supplements for Americans baby boomers, it appears that such form of culinary tourism reveals a desire to engage and experience a variety of presumed others. In favoring Asian vegetarian foods out of health and ecological concerns, boomers associate themselves with an alternative lifestyle or ethos this is identified simultaneously with the past and the future.
Wilson
According to the article, it suggests that more affluent segments of America's postwar baby-boom generation have contributed to a revival of interest in diet as a means of self-care; and baby-boomers' concerns about the quality and purity of food ingested to not simply amplify traditional beliefs about diet as the key to health. The segments that decide the alternative of food are educational attainment and a level of income of boomers. Their ethos favors plant-based foods as a substitute for or supplement to meats. This essay also talks about the recent growth in the availability of Asian convenience foods-beverages, food supplements, and soy products-designed to substitute for meant and dairy foods. In the late 1960s several countercultural movements contributed to the rise of alternative diets or "countercuisines". By the end of the '60s and the early '70s, packaged convenience foods became a powerful symbol of the dominant culture's homogeneity and artificiality. Moreover, some nutritionist gave a word-macrobiotic the concept of macrobiotic eating is to achieve a balance of yin and yang, not by combining extremely yin with extremely yang foods, but by eating those foods that are neither predominately yin nor yang. The macrobiotic movement of the 1960s and 1970s also stressed the health-enhancing features of Japanese cuisine and encouraged Americans to practice ethnomimesis, imitating the Japanese in their diet and methods of food preparation. The second part of this essay talks about multicultural consumerism and self-expression in contemporary America. These boomers joined the labor force, and acquired more disposable income, countercuisines moved into more public spaces. When the mainstreaming of the countercuisine had begun, they more likely choose natural foods, purity and safety foods. Bobos not only seek nutritional antidotes to the stress-related disorders that plague the hyperemployed professional classes, and contemporary Bobos now have a much larger range of sources from which to obtain exotic foods. The mainstream is obviously not just the most affluent that are seeking health, longevity, and enhanced productivity through multicultural consumption in America today. Food industry talked about in the essay indicate a strong awareness of the growth potential of ethnic convenience foods, based on their appeal to a wide range of American consumers of all classes. Further more, the Asian products have changed, it is not Chinese, but Korean, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese, and sales are strong in both suburban and inner-city stores. Meanwhile, in many fashion and beauty industries and magazines, there are many plant-based diet and low fat cooking methods to be presented, Finally, author mentioned the purchase of Asian foods and food supplements can be a socio-economic, an the commercial discourse of alternative food-ways and health-ways in America creates communities of consumption.
Wilson
In the article, Pass the Tofu, Please. Liz Wilson shows a brief background of how Asian diet became popular in Western culture from 1960s to 1990s. Countercultural movements, such as macrobiotic movement and negritude movement contributed to the rise of alternative diets in the late 1960s. The author claims that the baby-boom generation tended to affiliate with non-western values through their choices about what foods and beverages to consume. During that period, the threats of packaged convenience foods were recognized. Ethnic food, to many baby boomers is not only a healthy pursuit but also one of the ways that oppose to homogeneity, commercialism and artificiality. Traditional Eastern value enhanced in the Western world in the postmodernism. Natural and simple food and herbs, yoga, and Tai-ji have become ideal alternative to industrialized, chemicalized diet, stagnating inactivity and pills. Moreover, food tended to be a preeminent means of self-expression, according to the article. Food has linked to status display and status differentiation. Although health was regarded as a significant role that driving the change of American food consumption, simultaneously, there are many other factors pushed this trend, such as vegetarianism, multicultural consumerism.
At the end of twentieth century, culinary pluralism seemed more popular in favor of tourism. Under the trend of post-modernism, Asian values and traditions were romanticized to some extent. Finally, the article links Asian foodways with American social changes in the past few decades.
At the end of twentieth century, culinary pluralism seemed more popular in favor of tourism. Under the trend of post-modernism, Asian values and traditions were romanticized to some extent. Finally, the article links Asian foodways with American social changes in the past few decades.
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