CONNECTIONS November 2016 Thanksgiving Issue 19

CONNECTIONS ISSUE 19
Myconnectionsmagazine.com
bypassed by the usage of #foodporn. Food
porn is used collectively by the online users
and is does not exclude or privilege one food
over another.
It is important to realize that the term food
porn does not strictly deal with the connection,
often established throughout history, between
food items and sexual contents. In the United
States, food porn is a term applied when "food
manufacturers are capitalising on a backlash
against low-calorie and diet foods by
marketing treats that boast a high fat content
and good artery-clogging potential". [3] The
origin of the term was attributed to the Center
for Science in the Public Interest [3] which
began publishing a regular column called
"Right Stuff vs. Food Porn" for its Nutrition
Action Healthletter in January 1998. [6][7]
In the United Kingdom, the term became
popular in the 1990s due to the TV cookery
programme Two Fat Ladies after the shows
producer described the "pornographic joy" the
pair of them took in using vast quantities of
butter and cream. [8]
Taking a picture of food became one of the
norms for younger generation in the world.
Study from YPulse shows 63% of people
between thirteen years old to thirty two years
old posted their food picture while they are
eating on social networking services.
Moreover, 57% of people in the same age
range posted information of the food they
were eating at that time. [9] From the
percentage, food and social media are starting
to connect together as trend. People using the
hashtag #foodporn helps the food industry to
track audiences on social networking services.
Uses/community
The term food porn has shifted throughout its
first appearances. Articles mentioned food
porn as early as the late 1970s. The phrase
food porn was used in a literal manner,
describing food that was unhealthy for human
consumption, directly comparing it to
pornography. Its use then took on a new
meaning, being used to describe food that
was presented and prepared in a manner that
was aesthetically appealing. [10] It took on this
use for over a decade, until the social media
boom that was created by the internet. Once
the early 2000s hit, the terminology evolved
into a way of documenting meals that are
recognized for their presentation. This desire
for food has flooded the internet, having
significant effects on social media sites that
provide the ability to display such
as Instagram, Flickr, Snapchat, Facebook,
and Twitter. The popularity of displaying food
in a physically appealing manner is driven by
the users that create these communities. The
use of hashtags that the users of these sites
have adapted to, allow food porn to connect
people in a way that documents anything
about the food such as, foods that reflect
cultures, calories, presentation, preparation,
delicious taste, and anything else that adds to
the authenticity of the meal.
Whole milk yogurt with granola, coconut,
figs, strawberries, honey, and steel-cut
oatmeal
3