Female chefs are over-represented on reality shows like Top Chef, The Next Iron Chef America, Food Network cooking shows, while those numbers aren't reflected in the actual chef world, when looking at James Beard Award, etc.Just as we discussed in class about where are the female artists, many food critics have been posing the question where are the great female chefs. While I am not a trained chef or have experience working in kitchens, I am a foodie and a Food Network junkie, so I'm all about learning about the gender dynamics that play in the kitchen, either in a restaurant or on tv shows.
I've decided to divided how we see cooking on tv into the reality cooking instructions shows on Food Network and competition shows such as Top Chef, Chopped, or The Next Iron Chef. What's interesting in these "divisions" is there is a hierarchy already within the umbrella of cooking tv. Generally Food Network shows are almost all women cooks, with emphasis on home cooking, family style recipes, etc. On the other hand, in competition shows or even cooking demo shows where the man is the host, the man is mostly seen as a chef, someone who went through intense training to sharpen his craft, to super cede that of the home cook. Most often than not, these male chefs are usually the instructors in culinary schools and the executive chefs at fine dining restaurants. So when you do think of great chefs like Anthony Bourdain or Daniel Boulud, they were training with other men; Daniel Boulud said of his class at the Culinary Institute of America, only 8 were women.
Which leads to my observation that women chefs seem to be extremely visible in reality competition shows now than 6 years ago. I remember watching the first Top Chef season in 2006 and there only being 1 or 2 female chefs in the running, one of which was deemed a "bitch", asserting herself in the kitchen (similar to how a male chef will rise to executive chef). From researching articles on this topic, that is the only way female chefs can rise in the male kitchen. They often have to almost de-feminize themselves to be "one of the boys" in kitchens and to prove that they can keep up with the male chefs. In a radio segment (transcript linked below) food writer Charlotte Drucker talks about her book, "Skirt Steak: Women Chefs on Standing the Heat and Staying in the Kitchen" with other female chefs in D.C. They all skirted (no pun intended) around the prevalent sexism faced by female chefs, almost feeling uncomfortable with the word (sexism). Another thing they addressed was the saturation of women in the pastry field compared to Classic French training (often seen as the best culinary training ever). Often women have to start their culinary career in the pastry field to show that they can do it and keep up in a kitchen. Pastry is downgraded as a legitimate craft because of its associations with grandma/mama's baking, similar to the cooking shows on Food Network.
They did address the fact that women have a harder time rising in the culinary ladder, but failed to make the connections with patriarchy: (i.e. citing how many female chefs leave positions in kitchens to become mothers and start families.) This reluctance to point out sexism in kitchens was also addressed in the New York magazine's article "A Woman's Place?" The article interviewed prominent NYC female chefs, all of whom did not want to attribute sexism as a hardship, perhaps to distance themselves from being viewed as victims; rather chefs who rose above the conditions.
I'll admit it is because I have seen so many established chefs on reality shows (i.e. my fav Chopped judges Aex Guarnaschelli and Amanda Frietag, Iron Chef competitors like Elizabeth Faulkner and Duskie Estes=all of whom are incredibly badass!) I thought the numbers were reflected in the actual culinary field. But when I read a recent article on the James Beard Award (a revered award for rising chefs in the country), in 2010 they failed to honor any female chefs. Although last year one or two women were in the Best Restaurant and Rising Star Chef and 4/5 women were nominated for best pastry chef, they've still got a long way to go. With 45% of women pursuing a culinary education, you'd think they would be represented in these awards.
I've just recently come to think of the over representation of women in cooking tv because my previous boss, Gina Keatley competed on the new season Top Chef Seattle, and I couldn't help but noticed how many women were competing in the show! it was amazing! There were definitely at least 7-8 female chef-testants. But that doesn't mean anything in the actual restaurant world because of the hierarchy and gendered dynamics that operate restaurants. From the beginning female chef face hardships being the only woman working in the kitchen, let alone rising in ranks to become an award-winning executive chef. But within the institution there is such sexist-patriarchal thinking that no one can really see its a problem. While there are clearly strides to get more women working in the culinary field, fostered by organizations such as Women Chefs & Restaurants, the thinking within these restaurants needs to change from defeminizing female chefs to celebrating their ability to be women chefs in a sexist kitchen.
Articles:
Female Chefs Are Honored, But Still Have a Ways to Go
A Woman's Place? (NY Mag)
"Skirt Steak: The Landscape for Female Chefs" (Transcript)
A Woman's Place? (NY Mag)
"Skirt Steak: The Landscape for Female Chefs" (Transcript)
I found this post interesting! My first degree was in Hospitality Management and my sister's was culinary arts. We both loved to cook however, my theory behind not going to cooking school was because I like the compliments from friends and family and I felt that being a chef I would not be appreciated by those eating my food.
ReplyDeleteMy sister succeeded and became a chef. She started as a prep chef which in and of itself is degrading for someone with a degree. However, we both working in restaurants, her in the back of house and me in the front. Women are still be it in my position or hers treated like a piece of meat. We are harrassed and abused and if you want your job, there is nothing that you can truly do about it.
We both left those fields. She left after working her way up to line cook, the real reason was because she was pretty and the executive chef and sous chef liked to be around her. It was not because she worked her ass off every day, it was not because she went above and beyond her work detail trying to become a true chef. In a way she sort of knew it too. She just ignored it.
That is what it comes down to...ignorance....As a female chef, if you can tolerate the sexism, the downright sexual harrassment, the demeaning vocabulary and just do your job as best as you can, then maybe you will have an opportunity to move up in the world...It is sad!
Before graduating from college many years ago my advisor secured me a free ride to Johnson and Wales to become a chef. he knew I loved to cook, he knew I was good at it without training. He was able to do this for me because he was an executive chef and had cooked for presidents past incluing Ronald Reagan. he knew people and his recommendation went a lot way. I chose not to do it. I knew I could not be subjected to that abuse in the kitchen for long. Heck I was subjected to it in the front of the house and couldn't last long (2 years).
It shouldn't be about what you look like, nor gender, nor race...but in the cooking world it is. American idol used to eliminate vocalists based on weight! Then the Voice came and the judges are not allowed to see the contestants. It helpds them block out all of societies stereotypes and focus on the voice. Shows like this are what we need even in the cooking world. Create a cooking show where the judges do not get to see the contestants cooking and a waiter serves the dishes for the contestants, each one having a number instead of a name. It becomes unbiased then...this will never happen.
good post!