Call for Writers: Gender and Food in Film and TV

From decadent desserts to sumptuous savory morsels, the holidays often revolve around food. We congregate with friends and family over food, sharing stories, connected by culinary traditions. So we thought it would be a great time to explore gender and food in film and television.

Food in film and TV crosses the spectrum of genres from weighty dramas (Babette’s Feast, Like Water for Chocolate), bittersweet dramedies (Fried Green Tomatoes), light-hearted comedies (Woman on Top), how-to cooking shows (Giada at Home, The Barefoot Contessa, Boy Meets Grill) and competitive reality series (Chopped, Iron Chef).

We don’t often think of food as gendered, but it is. Society unofficially mandates that men devour meat, women nibble chocolate. Women bake, men grill. Cooking and the kitchen have long been viewed as belonging to the female sphere while the culinary world remains a male-dominated profession. 

All of these gender themes and stereotypes emerge on-screen.

Food symbolizes nourishment, fulfillment and passion. Food can be a way to connect with family (Soul Food, Tortilla Soup, Pieces of April) or even rekindle love (Chocolat). Competitive cooking shows like Top Chef or Hell’s Kitchen often divide teams into men vs. women. For vegans and vegetarians, food intertwines with identity (The Simpsons‘ Lisa Simpson, Roseanne‘s Darlene Connor). Some women have found liberation through food (Eat, Pray, Love) and a way to express their voice through cooking (Julie & Julia, Waitress).

We want to hear from you. We want to publish your reviews and analyses of food and gender in film and TV. A feminist review of Julie & Julia? How food serves as an on-screen symbol of expression for women? How female families in film connect over cooking? An article on gender tropes in cooking TV shows? We want it all…and more!

Here are some suggested food movies, documentaries, and TV shows:

As a reminder, these are a few basic guidelines for guest writers on our site:

–We like most of our pieces to be 1,000 – 2,000 words, preferably with some images and links.

–Please send your piece in the text of an email, including links to all images, no later than Friday, December, 21st.

–Include a 2-3 sentence bio for placement at the end of your piece.

Email us at btchflcks(at)gmail(dot)com if you’d like to contribute a review. We accept original pieces or cross-posts.