Examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby?

November 8, 2009 1:25 PM

I'm working on a video project about the backlash to Obama mentioning the price of arugula at Whole Foods. Can you think of any other examples, real of fictional, of food being framed as elitist or snobby?

I'm putting together a video project about the ways certain foods get framed as elitist/liberal/snobby. I've thought of some examples:

The faux Whole Foods in Baby Mama
John Kerry getting called a snob for asking for a cheesestake with swiss cheese
Obama getting attacked for making a comment about the price of arugula.

I'm looking for more, particularly ones that are audio / video.

posted by loping to society & culture (35 comments total)

Obama asking for a glass of water instead of vodka when in Russia?

Hillary Clinton trying to sling back shots of some liquor (Johnny Walker's?) on the campaign trail?

Etc. Politics is rife with this: the awkward politician tries to make a connection to the working clas by indulging in one of its past times and looks foolish doing so. In a somewhat similar, but not food-related vein, the image of Michael Dukakis, the diminutive Greek-American, riding in a large tank with his helmeted head barely popping up over the hood of the tank, resonates.
posted by dfriedman at 1:27 PM on November 8, 2009

When Obama, Henry Louis Gates and the police sergeant met on the white house lawn, they each drank a different type of beer. Obama had a Bud Light. I could imagine the media having a field day had he chosen something more exotic.
posted by rancidchickn at 1:35 PM on November 8, 2009

The one I always remember is Gerald Ford biting into tamale before removing its corn-husk wrapper during the '76 campaign. Not that tamales are elitist but the incident made Ford look out of touch with a demographic he was trying to court.
posted by jamaro at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2009

Let them eat cake.
posted by vytae at 1:39 PM on November 8, 2009

Obama liking Dijon mustard (specifically, Grey Poupon). Obama liking Black Forest Berry Honest Tea.
posted by SpringAquifer at 1:40 PM on November 8, 2009

Obama's "weird" breakfast beverage selection. (Spoiler: He picked orange juice instead of coffee.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:42 PM on November 8, 2009

Dukakis also suggested that Iowa farmers affected by dropping demand for soy and maize plant Belgian endive (and other crops) instead. He took a pasting for that in the press. I have a hunch that he would have gotten a lot less had he omitted the "Belgian."
posted by brianogilvie at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2009

There is, of course, the whole alleged distinction between "wine-track" and "beer-track" Democatic party voters.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 1:49 PM on November 8, 2009

We Met At Starbucks
posted by spilon at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2009

And the basically untrue but popular-in-the-UK Peter Mandelson Mushy Peas/Avocado Dip Confusion Incident.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 1:51 PM on November 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

The Club for Growth told Howard Dean to "take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading...body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it belongs."

So, complicated coffee beverages and sushi.
posted by casualinference at 1:53 PM on November 8, 2009

Latte liberals. (Both links are videos from Fox News, just so you know.)
posted by grapesaresour at 1:55 PM on November 8, 2009

Not so much 'liberal' as 'snobby and elitist', but how about Robin Leach saying the thing about "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?
posted by so_gracefully at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2009

Well, there's that story about Sargent Shriver in a bar on the campaign trail - "beers for the house, and a Courvoisier for me!"

AIUI, it is not apocryphal.
posted by jgirl at 2:10 PM on November 8, 2009

I'll have a twist of lemon...
posted by DiscourseMarker at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2009

John Kerry ordering swiss cheese on his Philly cheesesteak.
posted by dcjd at 2:17 PM on November 8, 2009

oh snap, I just noticed you mentioned that one in your question. sorry!
posted by dcjd at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2009

John Kerry orders green tea in Iowa
posted by citron at 2:50 PM on November 8, 2009

Google "Alice Waters elitist". (I happen to like Waters, but she sure has become a prime target for this kind of accusation.)
posted by trip and a half at 3:15 PM on November 8, 2009

Canadian political parties try to be the party of Tim Hortons rather than the party of Starbucks. (link).
posted by ewiar at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2009

Also, when Stuff White People Like mentions a food or beverage, it's not talking about working class whites.
posted by ewiar at 3:30 PM on November 8, 2009

During the Reagan years, the White House switched the "favorite" recipe it sent out from a crab meat and artichoke casserole to macaroni and cheese. This after they accidentally sent a woman who was writing about special education cuts a form letter with the first family's favorite recipe. Short wire stories here and here.
posted by chris p at 3:32 PM on November 8, 2009

Paula Poundstone made a remark sarcastically pitying rich people, on "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me", that was something like how sad it would be if they didn't have anything to put on their flavorless crackers (I think she meant water crackers).
posted by amtho at 3:37 PM on November 8, 2009

There was that thing with George H.W. Bush and the grocery-store barcode scanner.
posted by box at 3:38 PM on November 8, 2009

One of life's finer pleasures.
posted by mostlybecky at 4:02 PM on November 8, 2009

A (sort of) example of parodying this is McDonald's new campaign advertising the McCafe drinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg87E1tjTOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1cXI1CXpS8

(there are TONS more of these, especially the "accent" themed ones)

It's bizzare, because, like all food snobbery and reverse snobbery:

(1) they're saying gourmet's bad, and good ol american mass market is best. And people who buy gourmet are only buying it because it's perceived as better, not necessarily because it actually is. And, they're saying there's no reason to spend a lot of money when something cheaper will do.

(2) at the same time branding themselves as a luxurious treat and selling coffee that costs more than the usual mcdonald's coffee. plus, they seem to have really put a lot of effort into sourcing affordable gourmet-quality blends.

And, I don't know if anyone's mentioned it, but remember freedom fries? French fries were snobby, but freedom fries are American.
posted by lesli212 at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2009

In American Psycho Three are multiple mentions of outlandish sounding dishes, like swordfish meatloaf and peanut butter soup. I was never sure if these were things that 80's business executives ate at image-conscious restaurants or if it was a joke because there are more plausible but still pretentious sounding dishes mixed in, like arugula caesar salad.
posted by cmoj at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2009

Basically any food or drink ever mentioned by name by the character Frasier Crane on Cheers or Frasier itself.

I have vague memories of one of his first appearances on Cheers involving white wine spritzers for he and Diane, but that might just be the thankfully receding memories of an '80s childhood talking. They sorta doubled down by adding in the even snobbier brother Niles on Frasier and making their dad even more pointedly working-class than the patrons of Cheers. I seem to recall at least one or two episodes in which the dad's choice of vaguely Schlitz-sounding beer was a minor plot point.
posted by gompa at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2009

Real men don't eat quiche?
posted by SuperSquirrel at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2009

The British show Posh Nosh (episode 1) is hilarious, and makes fun of the snobby nature of cooking shows. They say things like, "you can of course substitute homemade chicken stock with bouillon if you have no self-esteem" or "feel free to buy a chocolate cake from the store if you don't love your children."
posted by thebazilist at 5:46 PM on November 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

Supposedly there was a backlash from the movie "Sideways". The protagonist spoke disparagingly of merlot and then real-life merlot sales went down.

It's not exactly snobbery, but there's an interesting TV commercial from the Corn Refiners Association. Suburban mom #1 says she won't buy products containing HFCS. Mom #2 blasts her with statements on the value of HFCS and makes Mom #1 look like an ignorant fool.
posted by valannc at 6:46 PM on November 8, 2009

In Australia, there are references to the ''latte sipping left'' and ''champagne socialists''.
posted by t0astie at 9:21 PM on November 8, 2009

Not audio/visual, but don't forget MeFi's epic portabello mushroom thread from a few years back.
posted by Jorus at 5:08 AM on November 9, 2009

I shouldn't have depended on that thread for the proper way to spell portobello.
posted by Jorus at 5:10 AM on November 9, 2009

How about snobbishness in shopping for food? Google "bush price milk". G.H.W. Bush was painted as "out of touch" for not knowing, off the top of his head, the price of milk and eggs. Google says Giuliani got hit with a similar question; I'm sure there were others too.
posted by roystgnr at 6:24 AM on November 9, 2009