Bell, D, Hollows, J and Jones, S (2017) Campaigning culinary documentaries and the responsibilization of food crises. Geoforum, 84. pp. 179-187. ISSN 0016-7185
Abstract
This paper explores the campaigning culinary documentary (CCD) as an emerging format within food television. CCDs bring together elements of the lifestyle genre with an explicit focus on a food 'crisis' - such as obesity or animal welfare - and explore how this crisis is to be resolved, usually through the intervention of a food celebrity. Focussing largely on shows made by the UK's Channel 4 network, we explore the ways in which CCDs narrate issues of responsibilization, whether these target consumers/viewers, the food industry, or the state. Through a reading of selected CCDs from Channel 4's roster, we consider how the shows attempt to fuse elements of lifestyle/reality TV with a social or political agenda, but one which deploys the governmental strategy of responsibilization and so could be read as an enactment of neoliberal logic. While there is some truth to this claim, our analysis and discussion seeks to complicate this reading, showing how CCDs open up other narrative and political possibilities while also consolidating the brand image of the cookery TV stars who front them.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015, Elsevier. This is an author produced version of a paper accepted for publication in Geoforum. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Food crisis; Responsibilization; Channel 4 (UK); Celebrity chef; Food television; Neoliberalism; Governmentality |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > SOG: Cities & Social Justice (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 08 Jul 2015 11:19 |
Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2017 20:48 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.03.014 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.03.014 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:87858 |