Time Article “Gods of Food” Causes a Stir, But Shows Problems with Food Media Too

Time Magazine has never been known for its food journalism and it’s cover story, “The Gods of Food,” has been one of the must buzz-worthy topics over the latter half of 2013 in the food world. Media and chefs blasted it and questions rained down over the failure to include great female chefs. But should food media take part of the blame?

Since the article came out and the eventual beatdown it took in blogs across the country, we have seen many articles (BTW, many were very well done, especially the local ones here in the Bay Area, like here and here) showcasing talented female chefs. I enjoyed reading all the pieces; as a newbie in the food writing world, I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking to many talented female chefs. And they are just as talented if not more so than their male counterparts in the kitchen. But shouldn’t we have already known that?

As food journalists, it should be our job to unearth these stories, to tell the rest of the world about the amazing chefs in our region, to bring their stories to the general public. Never is that more evident than with the passing of legendary chef Judy Rodgers. Her incredible story and the impact she had (for female chefs, the chefs she helped mentor, her cooking style, being a pioneer of “California cuisine”) were rarely portrayed until her unfortunate passing. These are the stories that we as journalists should be looking to uncover each day, rather than chasing the latest fad in the food world. Truly, how many times can we write about cronuts or ramen burgers or whatever other "next big thing," that will likely be gone in six months?

Here in the Bay Area alone, there are so many talented chefs, cooks, bartenders, restaurateurs -all with their own unique stories, their own personal tales. The stories are there right in front of us. In some cases, it could be someone who works at that favorite neighborhood spot, the struggles of line cooks, or even just a profile of the day-to-day life of a chef.  One of my most satisfying interviews I got a chance to do this year was with Brad Levy from Firefly.  He is a fairly well-known chef whose restaurant doesn't necessarily get the most publicity.  But they have occupied the same space in Noe Valley for 20 years and he had some of the most insightful thoughts on the restaurant industry as a whole.

Other stories might take a bit more digging and research, but isn’t that what journalism is truly about? With blogs and online media ruling the day, especially in the food world, oftentimes, the same stories with the same quotes from a press release are regurgitated, over and over again. I understand, media these days is all about being first to report something, being first to tweet it, to break news, as many online managers and editors will say, “to get page clicks.” But is a page click really a way to build an audience, or is it through well-crafted, well-written, in depth stories? Maybe I’m a dying breed that would rather read a 20-page article than a 150-word blurb, but that’s what I view as real journalism, the journalism I learned about in college and what I grew up with.

Which leads me back to the Time Magazine piece. People have a right to be angry or upset, but this should also be a wake-up call for all those in the media espousing what a sexist and off-base article it was. So change the culture, change the line of thinking, change the narrative. We as journalists need to be out there doing the legwork, finding those stories about female and male chefs alike, who need to have their stories told. Part of the fun of dining out is hearing the story behind the restaurant, possibly getting a chance to talk to the chef, hearing about their philosophy, their background - it’s like seeing the inner workings of an artist before painting a masterpiece. Listen to what they have to say and try to glean a nugget or two and store it away, because you never know if that will trigger something to write about in the future. Dining is meant to be social and fun, but for me, each time out gives me a great opportunity to learn, observe and watch someone performing their craft at an incredibly high level. And if their story matches their cooking chops, all the better.

So instead of choosing the so-called easy way out, re-crafting that press release, grabbing the information from another blog, wouldn't it be nice for food blogs to come up with unique ideas, interview unique personalities, and not just settle for "what everyone else is writing about?"  This is not a personal affront to anyone who is in the business, everyone works their tails off - it is just the opinion of one journalist, who hopes the term journalist can still be used in the near future.