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Start Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
End Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
Abstract
The notion of men and their grills is a longstanding tradition in the United States, thanks to popular culture furthering that conception since the mid-20th century. And the 21st century is proving no different. In 2020, no fewer than one dozen barbeque competition programs burst onto the media landscape, with multiple series appearing on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. While there are some differences, from concepts to hosts, one element remains the same– the overarching promotion of gender normativity, namely hegemonic masculinity. With the shows’ focus on open fires, slabs of meat, and rich, hearty flavors (Contois, 2020), there is a strong acceptance of hypermasculinity. Together with that ideological perspective, these competition programs emphasize competitiveness, dominance, and assertiveness, elements representative of gender roles on television, but also of the male cooking mystique (Inness, 2001). Furthermore, these programs simultaneously reinforce feminine stereotypes by focusing on emotions, deference, and family-focused commentary. Using a comparative textual and thematic analysis of three barbeque competition series (BBQ Showdown, The American Barbeque Showdown, Bama-Q), this paper aims to argue how these competition shows continue to do gender (West & Zimmerman, 1987). This paper will explore depictions of dominance between competitors through communication, emotions, and framing. This paper will additionally illustrate that while the programs have a formulaic approach, they can successfully move away from the stereotypes, breaking the hegemonic masculine cycle, and moving away from the gendered tropes. This paper contributes to existing research on television, food media, and feminist studies.
Out of the Backyard and Onto the Couch: Televised Treatments of Masculinity and Femininity in Barbeque Competition Programs
The notion of men and their grills is a longstanding tradition in the United States, thanks to popular culture furthering that conception since the mid-20th century. And the 21st century is proving no different. In 2020, no fewer than one dozen barbeque competition programs burst onto the media landscape, with multiple series appearing on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. While there are some differences, from concepts to hosts, one element remains the same– the overarching promotion of gender normativity, namely hegemonic masculinity. With the shows’ focus on open fires, slabs of meat, and rich, hearty flavors (Contois, 2020), there is a strong acceptance of hypermasculinity. Together with that ideological perspective, these competition programs emphasize competitiveness, dominance, and assertiveness, elements representative of gender roles on television, but also of the male cooking mystique (Inness, 2001). Furthermore, these programs simultaneously reinforce feminine stereotypes by focusing on emotions, deference, and family-focused commentary. Using a comparative textual and thematic analysis of three barbeque competition series (BBQ Showdown, The American Barbeque Showdown, Bama-Q), this paper aims to argue how these competition shows continue to do gender (West & Zimmerman, 1987). This paper will explore depictions of dominance between competitors through communication, emotions, and framing. This paper will additionally illustrate that while the programs have a formulaic approach, they can successfully move away from the stereotypes, breaking the hegemonic masculine cycle, and moving away from the gendered tropes. This paper contributes to existing research on television, food media, and feminist studies.
Bio
Diana Willis is a Ph.D. student at the University at Albany (State University of New York). She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Communication and Media Studies at SUNY Oneonta. Her research focuses on the intersections of new media, food, and collective memory, as well as issues of food justice, food politics, and protest movements.
dwillisbottomley@albany.edu