From Stovetop to Screen: A Cultural History of Food Television
From Stovetop to Screen: A Cultural History of Food Television
Student: Ryan Scott Eanes
Thesis Advisor: Diane Mitchell
Abstract: Americans enjoy food almost as much as television, so it was a matter of time before food—both its preparation and its consumption—made its way to television. But who could have predicted that food-related television programs—cooking shows, and later, game shows, reality shows, and talk shows, all centered on food—would have exploded in popularity? In the style of a cultural history, this thesis identifies the origins of food television, investigates the diverse paths that food-oriented programs have followed, and predicts what directions food media will take in the future.