P6 - National Eating Disorder

In his article, Pollan talks about America’s national eating disorder. He mentions the fear of carbs as an example of our eating disorder. Pollan says “America’s food industry, more happy to get behinds any new diet.” I think this shows how much we focus on looks and shape. So many people in the US are obsessed with how they look and are convinced that eating more of this or less of that will change their appearance. I think the desire to have the perfect body drives our national eating disorder. Another cause Pollan cites is the makeup of our nation. The US is mainly made up of immigrants that came from all over the globe. This has caused America no have no real traditional eating habits. He tells a story of asking his mother what she ate as a child and she lists all the traditional Jewish food they ate. When Pollan asked why she didn't serve them to him she replies that they never would have eaten those foods. This shows how the immigrant culture in America has changed eating habits and made it okay to shy away from traditional foods. In a country full of immigrants, who knows what your tradition is anyways?

            The symptoms of all these new food rules coming out is that people no longer trust their senses to pick out healthy foods for themselves but rely on labels and science to tell them what to eat. For hundreds of years people used their senses to pick their food but no with all this “scientific” research coming out about the badness of this and the evil ingredients in that people can’t trust their senses because their senses can detect all “micronutrients science has taught us to worry about.”    

            The most interesting part of the article was when Pollan references the Koala and how shrinking its diet may have actually shrunk its brain. I like the idea that our brains are so large in order to help us decide what to eat. Also the idea that a koala’s brain may have shrunk from eating a less variety filled diet is an interesting fact.

            I would say that I am much more like the French in this article. There is no much changing information on what is healthy and what is not, that I am not able to keep up with it all, nor do I want to. Like the French I indulge in it all, in small portions. Instead of cutting out carbs and eating only grapes, I enjoy it all in moderation. As long as the food looks, and smells good and there is a variety of color on my plate I am happy and feel healthy. Besides trying to keep up with all those food fads can drive a person crazy. 

Deciding What to Eat

Being in college and having a meal plan, what I decide to eat depends on what is being served in the dining hall. Once I have looked around and ruled out things that look disgusting or contain ingredients that I don’t like, my options are severely limited. I guess that statement answers two ways on how I decide what to eat: what is available and what looks good. On top of those two qualifications I also look to see what is healthy. What has chicken in it? What is the fish dish? I try to eat a variety of colors and types of food every day. Other factors include: how long will it take to make, is it healthy, and does it add some nutritional value to my meal. One thing that gets me at least once a week are the fries. I can smell them from anywhere in the dining hall and they just smell so good. I often wish that I could say no to the fries.        

EE1 Food as Memories

Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk, smelt a neighbor’s BBQ and been instantly filled with nostalgia from memories of your own BBQ? Maybe you’re sitting in a restaurant and the family next to you orders mac n’ cheese, right there and then you remember your second grade babysitter and the mac n’ cheese she used to make you. Food is a powerful thing that can stimulate memories and feelings of the past as well as allow a person to recreate those times. I plan to address how food is used as a connector between people, places and times through personal experiences, experiences of others and through scholarly research.

It’s 7am and the sun has just emerged over the horizon as I unzip my tent and am greeted by the scent of a smoldering fire. Atop the fire sits a grate and a five gallon pot that will soon produce breakfast. As Beau stirs the contents of the pot, I find my stool around the fire and adjust to the fact that I am now awake. After a short while the pot is transferred from the fire and onto the metal table. As he calls out “breakfast is served!” the rest of the team emerges from their tents and makes their way into the breakfast line.

First up there is of course the bowls, followed by the main dish of Jungle Oats which is an African brand of oatmeal. Then there is an assortment of add-ins: apples, peaches, peanut butter and sugar, but not just any sugar, the sea salt of the sugar world. Once my oatmeal creation is done I find my way back to my stool, sitting in the sand. Now it is time to begin the delicious dive into my oatmeal. As I stir the apples into the oatmeal, steam surges out of the bowl. The cool crunch of the apples combined with the hot gush of the oatmeal is the ideal combination. Not too soupy but not too thick, my oatmeal is the perfect consistency and tastes as good as it looks.

The scene I described above comes from time spent in Africa. A group of twelve of us from my church partook in this mission’s trip last summer, spending fifteen days in Zambia and that was the scene we witnessed and the meal we experienced every morning. As the trip drew to a close, many people were sick of the oatmeal, hoping to never see another oat again; after all we had been eating oatmeal every day for the past fifteen days, but some, like me, didn’t want to leave the Jungle Oats behind. Dwight even went as far as to buy five boxes of Jungle Oats to shove into his suitcase and bring back to the states.

            Today when I eat oatmeal it brings me back to a time of wonderful memories. But why, what is it about oatmeal that transcends time and location to bring me back to Africa? Sutton, an associate professor of sociocultural anthropology, argues that it’s synesthesia that allows food to have such power in regards to memory. Sutton describes synesthesia as a “crossing of experiences from different sensory registers (i.e., taste, smell, hearing).” Agreeably, Holtzman argues, “the sensuality of eating transmits powerful mnemonic clues, principally through smells and tastes” (372). When eating food you can taste it, smell it, and hear what it sounds like when you bite into it. You can also feel, touch, and see it. Eating activates all of your senses at one time. It is not just one sense that is working while you’re eating, but all of them and that is a powerful combination. When you are eating all of your senses are working together to create an experience and a memory. Then when you see, eat, or smell that particular food again all of your senses remember what they were doing at that time and catapult you back into those memories.

            Holtzman, associate professor of anthropology, also argues, “The experience of food evokes recollection, which is not simply cognitive but also emotional and physical” (365). Looking back on Africa it was time full of once in a life time experiences: petting a zebra, going on safari and peeing on bats; but more than that it was a time of bonding, of feeling terrified and comfortable at the same time, of feeling guided, of having purpose, of being free. I was blissful in Africa, it was a great time in my life and I ate oatmeal every single of one the days that I felt that way. I felt all those things in tandem with eating oatmeal. To this day I still associate oatmeal with those feelings and am filled with nostalgia when I eat it even though almost a year has gone by.

            Food can also create hope of being able to go back to a time of great memories. I chose to leave Africa and the oatmeal reminds me of the wonderful times. However, there are those who had no choice but to leave. Prisoners are an example of this. They had no choice but to leave the place where they created marvelous memories. Now they are inmates at a county facility. An article for Gastronomica entitled, “Breaking Bread with Spread” researches the creation of spreads in a San Francisco County Jail. Spreads are made by inmates from items they bought in the jail’s store. They start with a base item such as ramen noodles then add different chips, jellies and jerky to create a midnight snack. Each inmate creates a different version of the spread specific to their tastes and preferences. After a long day in jail, with unsatisfying food, the inmates create spreads to ease their hunger before going to sleep (Cate).

            One inmate Max Hackett describes the process of creating spreads as “‘bring myself as much out of jail as possible’” (Cate, 24). Creating the spreads is a way to escape from jail and spend some time dreaming in the outside world. Inmates can create spreads that resemble dishes from their favorite restaurants or home. For example, Max Hackett creates spreads that resemble his favorite Vietnamese restaurant (Cate, 24). While in jail inmates are told what to do, how to do it, and where to be every minute of every day. On top of that they are told what to eat and when to eat it. So much of their lives is out of their control. However, when making their spreads they can create anything they can imagine, any way they want. They are reminded of what it is like on the outside, what it means to have control of things. Similarly, they can create food that reminds them of their home, it isn’t one size fits all food but something unique to them. For example, a Chinese inmate “has perfected his own Asian-style spread making technique. It involves steaming rather than boiling the ramen noodles” (Cate, 19). Creating spreads not only gives the inmates something to do but it reminds them of the freedom and creativity they were allowed to have on the outside and gives them hope that one day the will be able to return to those times.

            Immigrants and refugees are another example of people using food to stay connected to memories and places. They either choose to leave their home or are forced out, having to leave everything behind and flee to another country. In this case they have no way to go back to where they came from. The only connection they have is through what they can make. Immigrants and refugees then use cooking as a way to be connected to and remember the good times. They shop at stores that carry their native foods and create food from their homeland in order to remember. This foods they make connect them to the memories they made and emotions felt while in their homeland.

            The article “Gastropoetics of South Indian Diaspora” discusses the South Indian refugees who attend ethnic markets to not only get groceries but to engage with the representations of their homeland. The smells and sounds at the ethnic markets resemble those from the refugees’ home nations. The food being sold and cooked stimulates the all their senses and sends these refugees back to times when they were home and the memories associated with being there (Holtzman, 367).  

            Similar to inmates and immigrants, people who have lost a loved one use food as a way to remember. In his article “Eating White” Geoff Nicholson tells of a meal he eats on occasion. The meal consists of a cheese sandwich on white bread with a cold glass of milk (21). There is nothing special in this meal nor is it the latest food trend. However it was a meal that he and his mother shared on a regular basis. His mother loved white food and only ate food of a similar color scheme. Now, his mother being gone, Geoff partakes in this meal in order to remember his mother. The types of food and its color catapults Geoff back to a time of sharing love with his mother. 

            In conclusion, food offers a combination of smell and taste that stimulates memories and can send a person back in time to those memories. Whether it’s a stateside traveler remembering her African mornings, an inmate creating snacks to remember the freedom associated with being on the outside, or a refugee making diners reminiscent of their homeland, everybody uses food to remember the good times. People use food as an escape, and food has a powerful enough sensuality to it in order to make that possible.

Works Cited

Cate, Sandra. "Breaking Bread with a Spread." Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture 8.3 (2008): 17-24. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.

Holtzman, Jon D. "Food and Memory." Annual Review of Anthropology (2006): 361-78. Annual Reviews. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.

Nicholson, Geoff. "Eating White." Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture 10 (2010): 21-23. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.

Sutton, David. "David Sutton - Rembrance of Repasts - Introduction." David Sutton - Rembrance of Repasts - Introduction. Berg, 2001. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.

P5 - Eating on the Edge

               Horwitz starts by sharing an example of a student eating during one of his lectures. This leads into the topic of how eating habits have changed over time. People are no longer constrained to normal meal times set around a table but can “graze” throughout the day. Horwitz continues by sharing scholarly research that supports this idea of grazing throughout the day and not at normal meal times. To give real world examples of this idea of eating on the go Horwitz tells about Swanson’s TV Dinners and Campbell’s Soup at Hand. Both of these companies have created new products to cash in on the idea of eating on the edge - "occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive." (Horwitz 42) Campbell’s Soup at Hand allows you to still enjoy soup without all the hassle of needing a bowl, spoon and a table, now all you need is a hand. Swanson’s developed TV Dinners, so now all you have to do is reach in the microwave grab a container, throw it in the microwave and presto you have dinner. Horwitz then tells of international travelers and how they have no choice but to eat at unconventional times and how airlines and restaurants have changed their policies accordingly. Horwitz does a great job of using research articles, examples of changing food sellers and restaurants to develop his point and show us how food eating patterns have changed making food no longer the main attraction.     

            I would have to say that my own life very much complicates his article and throws a wrench in the works. Towards the end of his article he shares a bit about college students and their strange eating habits. However, I eat at very regular meal times. I have breakfast every day at 9am, lunch between 11:45-12pm, dinner at 6pm and a snack around 3pm. This follows a very regular and normal eating pattern. While I would agree that most people of this day and age do not follow regular eating times there are some who still do and I must admit, I am very proud to be one of them.    

SE3 - The Garlic Knot

           Last Friday evening, after a half day of work and a trip to the museum, two friends and I decided to stop for a bite to eat. I had heard about The Garlic Knot earlier in the week so we decided to stop in and check it out. Located in University Hills on Colorado Boulevard, The Garlic Knot serves New York style pizza, pasta and of course garlic knots. The brick walled restaurant had eight booths, seven tables and two small TVs in the corners that played golf. Once seated, we looked around to notice that we were not the majority but stuck out like a sore thumb. The majority of the customers were families: parents in their thirties or early forties and their young children. It was quite a scene, families enjoying each other’s company and listening to what each other had to say. It was a nice setting to be a part of after having spent the past months in a college town around noisy coeds.    

We sat and ate humongous pieces of pizza for a little over an hour. During that time we observed who came in and what they ordered. Most of the families ordered a pizza to share and some kind of drink. This is where an interesting discovery was made. Of the sixteen families in the restaurant, thirteen of the men ordered a beer while eleven of the women ordered a glass of wine. The remaining customers ordered water or some kind of soft drink. This wasn’t surprising as it followed the stereotype that men drink beer and women drink wine. However it brings up the question why it is a stereotype and where it came from?

Throughout history drinking has been socially unacceptable for women. It has been reserved for men. “Industrialization led to changes in gender roles and norms for drinking behavior. Drinking became defined as male and masculine behavior” (Gomberg, 1982). However, times have changed, norms have been rethought and it is now more socially acceptable for women to drink. While it may be more acceptable for women to drink it doesn’t mean that the stereotypes associated with drinking have changed.

A study conducted by California State University asked 116 men and women to place gender stereotypes on various characteristics and actions. The characteristics that were most commonly affiliated with men were: aggressive, takes risks, and is dominant. The ones affiliated with women were: helpful, sensitive and compassionate. When asked to place a gender stereotype on the action of drinking beer 51 people identified it as a masculine or men’s trait while only 9 identified it as a women’s trait. Similarly when asked to gender stereotype drinking wine 43 people associated it with women while 16 associated it with men or masculinity.

            A study published in Contemporary Drug Problems discusses the differences in the “trouble per liter” associated with beer and wine. This study was performed in 19 different societies by asking male and female participants a series of questions. Some sample questions the participants were asked are as follows. Have you been unable to remember what happened the night before due to drinking? Have you failed to do what was normally expected of you due to drinking? Has drinking harmfully affected your relationships? Have you gotten into fights while drinking? There were a total of 16 questions asked. Participants answered with a 1 if they had experienced what was asked in the question within the last 12 months or a 0 if they had not, the responses were then split according to the type of alcohol consumed. People whose alcohol consumption was 2/3 beer gave a score of 13,565. Whereas people whose alcohol consumption is 2/3 wine gave a score of 12,548. This shows that people who drink beer experience slightly more social or personal consequences when drinking.

This follows the stereotype that men will drink beer. If we go back to the California State University survey, we find that the words associated with men and masculinity are aggressive, takes risk, and is dominant. If men are doing the majority of the beer drinking, it makes sense that drinking beer has a higher degree of trouble associated with it. Men on their own have a tendency to create more trouble but then when that is multiplied by the inhibitions of alcohol it is not surprising that they experience more social and personal consequences. Likewise the California State University survey associates being passive, soft spoken and gentle with femininity and women in general. This gives a backstory to the findings that wine drinkers experience less consequences from drinking.    

           Beer has often been associated with males because it was more acceptable for men to drink. As men continued to drink and women were suggested not to, the men took beer and gave it male characteristics. Men got drunk, got in fights and made drinking beer seem masculine because it was their gender that was seen as acceptable to be drinking it. Now, as it has become socially acceptable for women to drink they try to stay away from the stereotypical masculinity of beer and found wine, an acceptable alternative to beer, thus giving wine feminine characteristics. This is not to say that women don’t drink beer, because many of them do, but in such a familial setting as The Garlic Knot what is acceptable favored. In bars, being adventurous and breaking norms is more acceptable; however in such a familial setting we tend to follow the norms. Because it’s a familial setting could explain why we are seeing such an adherence to the cultural norms and stereotypes of women drinking wine and men drinking beer.

Works Cited

Landrine, H. Gender expectations for alcohol use: a study of the significance of the masculine role. Sex roles 19.dec 88 01 Dec 1988: 703-712. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, etc. 16 Apr 2013.

Room, Robin, et al. "Differences in Trouble Per Liter of Different Alcoholic Beverages-A Global Comparison with the GENACIS Dataset." Contemporary Drug Problems 38.4 (2011): 493,516,488. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

SE3 Sources

The site food and beverage people did a study that researched how often american are eating out and what that says about the economy. Really interesting site with lots of graphs and information. foodandbeveragepeople.com

This second source also talks about if americans are eating out more often and if so how the choose which restaurant to go to. http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/194589/Study-American-dining-out-habits-changing

P4 - Food in Communities

In the San Francisco County Jail that Cate studied food provides a type of escape for the inmates. They create to these “spreads” to enhance their eating experience, to take some control of their lives and to show their status. Cate notes all the inmates’ food comes from a “largely invisible source” it is people behind closed doors. However when the inmates make their spreads they get to choose what goes it in, how it’s made and they know where it came from. By doing this they are also showing off their creativity and personality. The spreads that the Asians make are different from those of the Hispanics and from the white people. Then there are the masters of a specific spread such as the cake baker. Through doing all of this their status is revealed. The inmates who make spreads every night undoubtedly have more money than those who make them once or twice a week. In general these spreads provide an escape from the mundane prison food and lifestyle while offering a time of socialization for those partaking in the creation of the spreads.   

            O’Donnell shows how food can define two different groups inside a community. She starts off by describing the difference between people of the south and people of the north. The people of the north were more honest because the government provided for them and the cattle that they raised. By contrast the people of the south were scrappy, dishonest and a bit corrupt because they had to fish for their food and no one was looking after them. O’Donnell goes on to show how food separates the old generations from the new. She also talks about how food can give insights into how effective the government is by seeing how well they provide food for their citizens. O’Donnell shows us that food can tell us things about the government, where we can from and use those things to separate us from our community.  

            Cate and O’Donnell are very different in the way they relate food to communities. Cate shows how food can bring a community together and strengthen them. While O’Donnell writes about the way food is used to separate and tell the difference between two groups within a community. Cate gives us examples of inmates spending evenings together creating spreads. Sometimes they combine their ingredients to make and share one spread and some even share with those who didn’t or can’t contribute. On the other hand we have O’Donnell who uses food to separate groups within a community. She shows how morals and ethics can change overtime and how food relates to that.

            I found Cate’s study most interesting. The topic and community she chose to research was unique. It was something I never knew existed and is quite intriguing. The things that these inmates can concoct out of left overs is amazing. Here at school we often complain about Sodexo but if these inmates can make something so interesting I’m sure we can survive as well. One thing from Cate’s article that really stood out to me was when she shares that the anonymous Chinese inmate shares his spreads with people that don’t have the money to make their own. I don’t think of inmates as being that kind and selfless so to see an example was really awesome to me.     

SE2 - Soft Drink Advertisements

        Coke or Pepsi? That is the question on everyone’s mind. It can be asked in order to determine what is more popular in a specific region, among friends to see if you’re one of “them” or at a restaurant. Regardless of where or why the question is being asked, an answer is always given because most people have a very strong opinion of which is better. This question of Coke or Pepsi is also often asked in my house. For nine years Pepsi was all that could be found in my house, and a lot of it, approximately 48 can per week. However, over the last three years or so, my brother Ralph, decided that Pepsi was no longer good enough for him, he wanted Coke. So our accommodating mother decided that we would now buy 36 cans of Pepsi and 20 cans of Coke, because Coke now comes in packs of 20, not 12. This was astonishing to me. After six years of drinking Pepsi what made Ralph decide that Coke was what he wanted, why the change? He attributes the change to the “stronger” taste of Coke saying “You drink it [coke] and it’s like pow, ya know.” But I wonder what if it was something in the advertising or can designs themselves that drew him to the dark side of soda drinking. With that in mind I have chosen two print advertisements, one for Coke and one for Pepsi, to analyze and see if there is some difference within these ads, what those differences mean, and what that might say about my family or our culture in general.

Pepsi Ad - Google Images

                                               

              

Coke Ad - Google Images

                       
             

Above are the two advertisements for Coke (right) and Pepsi (left). Each ad has a specific design that appeals to different groups. For example, the Pepsi ad evokes a strong emotion. It shows pictures of teens or college age students enjoying life. The lively images show what is possible with Pepsi. Similarly their slogan ‘Live for Now’ grabs their attention. This generation is very much focused on the here and now, of living in the moment, let’s all remember YOLO (you only live once). Viewing this ad creates a desire to be like these people and a belief that Pepsi can create these moments. This ad relies heavily on pathos to motivate young people to buy Pepsi.

                In contrast to the Pepsi ad, the coke ad appeals to families or people more settled in their lives. There is, what I assume to be, a mom and dad polar bear sitting on their couch drinking Coke and a penguin staring at the coke bottles. There are several things about this ad that stand out. First it is a family in the ad and they look comfortable and settled. Secondly, they use their iconic polar bears in the ad; seeing the polar bears instantly links this ad to a Coke product and all that it has been. It almost gives it some credibility; for example when I see a Coke Polar Bear I expect and know that I’m getting something of value. Alongside this they feature the glass bottles in the ad, not cans. This too shows the history of the product. The coke brand has a long history that they feature and choose to remember. And as we learned from Freedman and Jurafsky consumers greatly value a product that has a history to it. The main selling point of this ad is that first there are polar bears featured and who doesn’t love polar bears but also that it is Coke and you know that it will be worth buying.        

                But there is more to these drinks than just the advertisements; we should also consider the cans themselves. After all the cans are what we see in the ads, they are what we hold in our hands as well as what sits on our tables. The designs of the can are as much a form of advertising as the actual advertisements we discussed above.

                First let’s consider the Pepsi can. As you can see the majority of the Pepsi can is blue with a red, white and blue circle featured prominently on the can. I would assume that the red, white and blue circle on the can is representative of the American flag. Having the flag, or at least a representation of the flag, on the can gives the feeling of it being an American product; letting people know this is what Americans drink. It’s a form of national pride. The blue on the can is interesting. First, according to ColorWheelPro.com, “Blue is often associated with stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom and confidence.” Under this description we can conjecture that this can appeals to people because the color allows them to trust the brand, it gives the brand credibility. Similarly they are confident in their decision to buy this brand. There is another part of the description that I find very interesting to think about. ColorWheelPro.com says: “Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses appetite.” Given this description it seems strange that Pepsi would choose to use blue when it can suppress appetite. Then again color meaning isn’t an exact science and thirst isn't the same as hunger. I just thought this little snippet of information was interesting because Pepsi sells fairly well yet it uses a color that can suppress appetite. In general the Pepsi can is sleek, clean cut and has a crisp design to it while using colors that signify trust and confidence.

                Now let us examine the Coke can. Noticeably the can is red with white accents. The color red “is associated with energy, power, determination as well as passion, and desire” according to ColorWheelPro.com. These are all strong emotions that get results. For example ColorWheelPro.com says red “stimulates people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for ‘Buy Now’ signs.” If this is true and the color red can influence people to make quick decisions and is also associated with power and desire then impulse buying of this product can be expected. With such strong associations it is now wonder why so many people buy this product, it has a catchy color scheme. The word ‘classic’ is written on the can just under the brand name. I believe this to have significance because going back Freedman and Jurafsky: people prefer a product that has authenticity to it. To me the word classic implies that it is authentic, it has a history and people have enjoyed this product from the beginning of time. This kind of assumption and association with the words on the can alongside the strong color scheme are undoubtedly related to the popularity of this soft drink.      

                The advertisements these brands chose to use and the way they design their cans says a lot about American food culture. Both of the ads show how Americans use food to reach a certain emotion or create atmosphere. The Pepsi ad demonstrates how Americans value having a good time and living in the moment and enjoy food and drinks that lead to that type of atmosphere. The Coke ad shows how Americans use food to relaxation and enjoy themselves. For Americans food is very much based on the emotions they are feeling or hope to reach and these ads very much represent that idea.

                After looking into their different advertising methods, it’s time to see how that has affected Ralph and his change to Coke. Both cans use strong colors that symbolize good feelings. Both use advertisements that emphasis relaxing and having fun via pictures. The only real difference is the commitment to history that Coke holds. When you drink Coke you feel the connection to its past and the changes it as undergone as times have changed. Even Ralph acknowledges the “heritage” that coke holds. In conclusion, while advertising does have some effect on which brand is bought I think it ultimately comes down to taste and Ralph simply prefers the taste of Coke. 

P3 - Potato Chips, Who Knew?

Freedman and Jurafsky use a study of potato chips to make connections between food, language and culture. The first connection they make is between language on potato chip bags, specifically the type of words chosen, and who buys those bags. For example bags with more complex sentences that contain uncommon words are bought buy the upper class; whereas bags with simple less complex sentences are bought by the working class. This gives way to the idea that the working class usually has less education than the high class. The second connection made is health. When viewing the type of health comments listed on the bags Freedman and Jurafsky found that “expensive chips talk about health six times as much as inexpensive chips.” (49) This type of health talk includes statements such as zero grams of trans fat and no MSG. The third connection is all about distinction. Upper class people buying potato chips want to know that their chips are better than other chips they could be eating. “Distinction is used five times more frequently in expensive chips.” (49) The more distinct that the chips are, the more confident the upper class is that they are separating themselves from the working class. The final connection the authors make is authenticity. Although, unlike the other connections made authenticity is not clearly working or upper class. Both of the classes want to know that their food has a history, it has a past and that there is some tradition behind the food that they are eating. In general this article shows that the food advertisements very much represent the differences in the socioeconomic statuses. The upper class likes things that are complex, healthy, and are natural; while the working class likes things that are simple, traditional and aren't as concerned with health.           
              The thing I find most interesting about this article and its analysis of potato chips is that first of all they chose to use potato chips. I don’t exactly see the upper class chomping down on potato chips every night. Then again when I think of potato chips I visualize Lay’s and not Kettle Chips. That thought I just shared really proves what this article is trying to convey. Popchips, Kettle Brand and Boulder aren't really what I would consider potato chips. They seem too complex, healthy and upscale to be considered potato chips. These chips are the more expensive chips associated with the upper class and I have always been very working class. Until just now I had never really thought about potato chips and their associations with different class but now it makes a lot of sense. I guess I find it interesting that potato chips can shed so much light into the different socioeconomic statuses.

            When considering Freedman and Jurafsky’s study I would like to see it applied to toothpaste. I've always spent way too much time standing in the toothpaste isle trying to determine which kind I would buy. After reading this analysis of potato chips I would love to see what I could tell me about toothpaste and maybe explain why I buy what I buy and what that implies about me. I’m not sure what the study would find but I can image it would be similar to potato chips. For example the toothpaste with more complex wording would be sold to the upper class and toothpaste with a rich history would be sold to the working class. I think it would be interesting to see.