2011 M.A. Thesis. This study is an analysis of gender representations on food television. Primary Research Questions: Are gender representations on food television reinforcing or challenging traditional gender roles? To what extent are ideas presented about gender consistently hegemonic, counter-hegemonic or a contradictory mix of the two?

1. Grilling with Gas and
Baking with Class: An
Analysis of Gender
Representations on Food
Television
Evan L. Kropp

2. Food Television
This study is an analysis of gender
representations on food television
shows

3. Food Television
Instructional Competition
Reality Travel

4. Food Television

5. Research Question
Are gender representations on food
television reinforcing or challenging
traditional gender roles?
To what extent are ideas presented about
gender consistently hegemonic, counter-hegemonic
or a contradictory mix of the
two?

6. Hegemony Explained
• Hegemonic representations are depictions
that embody traditional characteristics.
Hegemony: What we accept as “natural” or the way things are.
Consent of society to agree to current social arrangements.

7. Hegemony Explained
Traditional Characteristics include:
Men
Displays of Authority
Power
Self-Reliant
Professionally Successful
Not emotionally expressive
Women
Mothers
Homemakers
Not professionally motivated
Emotionally expressive
Sexualized

8. Hegemony Explained
Counter-hegemonic instances are those that
present non-traditional gender roles.

9. Hegemony Explained
Non-traditional representations:
Men
Express emotion
Not professionally motivated
Instances of emasculation
Women
Career, not family oriented
Authoritative
Unemotional
Not defined by familial role

10. Methodology

11. So What?
• Nielsen (2008): Average TV viewer watches over 151 hours
of TV per month
• Watching TV has an effect(s) on viewers
• Example: George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory
• 1950’s & ‘60’s Food TV mimicked gender roles in culture
• Gender roles have changed since then, but have the
shows?

12. Top Chef
Textual Analysis of Season 6, 15 episodes
revealed four themes…
- Use of Language
- Professionalism
- Family & Emotional Expressiveness
- Physical Attributes

13. Top Chef
Use of Language : Direct Comments / Language & Emotion
“I look next to me and see Jenn has the same number
of clams and I am amazed because, no offense, but a
girl shouldn’t be at the same level I am” – Mike I.
“That’s one less old lady I need to worry about” – Mike I.
about Robin
“My name is Jennifer and I work at 10 Arts” – Jen C.
Emotional displays in the “stew room” and in
interviews following contests

14. Top Chef
Professionalism
Ron Mattin
Contestants: 50/50 Gender Split
Judges: 15 Total, 12 Males, 3 Females
“I haven’t done this in a while, I just took two years
off to be a mom” – Jen Z.

15. Top Chef
Family & Emotional Expressiveness

16. Top Chef
Physical Attributes

17. Top Chef
Men Women
Use of Language Hegemonic Hegemonic
Professionalism Hegemonic Hegemonic
Family & Emotional
Expressiveness
Hegemonic
(Note: Mid-Season Shift)
Hegemonic
Physical Attributes Hegemonic Counter-Hegemonic
Some minimal instances of convergence in all categories

18. Kitchen Nightmares
Season 3, 13 episodes (11 examined)
3 act structure of the show
Gender
- 6 shows combination male/female owners
- 5 shows only female owners
- 0 shows only male owners

19. Kitchen Nightmares
The Women
- Not professionally trained chefs
- Not experienced business owners
- Have difficulty separating personal &
professional lives
- Shown as emotional / emotionally
expressive
- Shown as less powerful than male
counterparts

20. Kitchen Nightmares
The Men
- Saviours
- Chef Ramsay: powerful, professional,
leader
- Male Consultants save female business
owners
- Professionally trained chefs/business
owners
- Successful, just lost their way…frustrated

21. Kitchen Nightmares
Demonizing Powerful Women
Women representing “the other extreme”
Kata – Lisa – Adele

22. Network Analysis
Qualitative Network Analysis
Females

23. Network Analysis

24. Network Analysis
Convergence

25. Network Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
The broader view
2 weeks programming:
September 27, 2009 – October 3, 2009
September 26, 2010 – October 2, 2010

26. Network Analysis

27. Network Analysis

28. Network Analysis
Food Network
Week 1:
55 shows / 138 hours on-air
- Female hosts on-air more than male hosts (females = 65.22% of air-time)
- Male hosts have more shows
(males = 50.91% of shows, female = 41.82%)
- Show genres are sex typed
41.82% of shows = domestic kitchen
78.26% of those featured females
58.18% of all shows == outside domestic kitchen
75.00% of those featured males

29. Network Analysis
Food Network
Week 2:
47 shows / 138 hours on-air
- Female hosts airtime reduced from 65.22% of total time to 32.97% (why?)
- Male hosts have more shows: consistent w/ week 1
- Show genres are sex typed: consistent w/ week 1

30. Network Analysis
Travel Channel
Week 1:
Food shows represented 39.29% of all programming.
100% of shows outside domestic kitchen
100% of shows male hosts
Week 2:
Food shows represented 50.19% of all programming.
100% of shows outside domestic kitchen
2 of 12 shows featured female host.
(Same host, Camille Ford hosting Pizza Wars and Food Wars)

31. Network Analysis
Cooking Channel
1 week only: 2nd week
48 shows / 123 hours on-air
Air-time by gender: males 53.66% of time. Consistent w/ week 2 of Food
Network for same period..
Quantity of shows by gender: comparable to Food Network Week 2. 52.08% of
shows featured male hosts.
Location by gender: More domestic instructional cooking shows than Food
Network. Lower % of these shows featured female hosts. Indicating more
instances of convergence. Also increase of females in non-domestic
settings. However, majority still sex-typed consistent w/ other channels
findings.

32. Network Analysis
Quantitative Conclusions
- More male air-time than females
- Quantity of shows featuring males slightly higher than females
- Location favored non-domestic kitchen, which is consistent w/ more male
air-time and quantity of shows
- 50% decrease of female host air-time from Food Network week 1 and
week 2 unexplained
- Numbers support limited instances of convergence as found in qualitative
analysis.
- Travel channel stands out as male dominated channel w/ limited female
participation on food shows. Is this consistent w/ other offerings on
channel?

33. Conclusions
Conclusions
• The majority of gender portrayals are stereotypical representations.
Women as less professionally experienced than male counterparts.
Women as more emotional than males
Women as the preparer of domestic meals
Men found outside of the domestic kitchen
Men less emotionally expressive
Men professionally trained and motivated
Bottom Line:
• Although both genders are predominantly presented in a traditional
manner, overall both males and females present a contradictory mix of
hegemonic and counter-hegemonic ideas.
• This is primarily due to instances of convergence

34. Limitations
Limitations
• Limited Time Period (only two one-week
time periods)
• Limitation of Channels (only 3 channels on
network analysis)
• Content Issues (Snapshot in time,
changes such as launch of new channel)

35. Future Research
Future Research
• Why are these shows so popular? Do people want to learn to cook or just
be entertained?
• Political Economy of food TV. Product placements, off camera business
ventures, the effects of these relationships on content.
• Effects of conglomeration on food TV. Scripps is majority owner of the
three channels. How does that effect content.
• Examine audience participation in shows through websites, blogs, social
media.
• Are food TV shows more or less of a realistic reflection of society than
other genres?