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There's Always "Good Eats" With Alton Brown
By Anna
Chlumsky
ovies, music, theater, and... FOOD?
That's right. Food is the new kid on the pop culture block, and
it's about time. Before camera
reels, before the gramophone, and even before the Greek tragedy,
folks gathered around and entertained themselves with what was
on the table. Dinner was the original form of media. Stories were
told, music was played, and the day's happenings were all shared
around the most basic human need; food.
Nowadays, masterminds of the kitchen have created countless ways to make food more entertaining, dramatic and enjoyable. The phenomenon started with theme restaurants, followed by the celebrity chef and... "VOILA!" the Food
Network. Bringing it all to a boil, cooking programs made food
downright fashionable. Food has always been the heart of every
world culture and, with modern society's obsession with entertainment,
the other "basic human need" food is now pop culture.
Now, as VH1 has aptly proved,
every element of pop culture deserves an icon, and I hereby dub
the "Icon of Pop Food Culture"... Mr. Alton
Brown.
On his addictive show, Good
Eats, Alton manages to meld his wacky sense of humor
and his insatiable curiosity with the love of simple good food
know-how. He believes that educating and entertaining go hand in
hand. And, entertaining is exactly what this show serves
up. He has been likened to the Bill
Nye of the kitchen, or the
MacGyver of eating. Good
Eats has come into such popularity and
loyalty on its own (just ask my manicurist, my frat guy buddies,
or your friendly East-Side dandy) that Alton Brown indeed deems
no comparison.
Alton is no newbie to the entertainment industry, either. His extensive
background as a commercial Director is one reason why he's able
to meld all of the ingredients of the perfectly fresh Good Eats.
That and passion. It's not every day you hear of a nerdy-cute Director-Cinematographer
drop everything and move to Vermont for the grueling experience
of cooking school at the New England
Culinary Institute. You can
sense that zeal while watching the show. He is so darned excited
to show us how much he loves what he's cooking, and what he has
found out about its history, chemistry, and physical nature, that
you can't help but sit on the edge of your couch and just want
to slap the guy a high five.
"Wait a minute!" You interject, scratching your head and twisting your brow into a wiggly caterpillar, "Pop culture icon? Have you even heard of Emeril? What, do you live under a rock?" Emeril
has certainly put food shows, and their beloved cable network on
the proverbial map, but his live, Regis-like show is missing one
pop culture element that I believe is absolutely necessary to be
called an icon; the cool factor.
Alton Brown, on the other hand, is a cheeseburger loving geek who
will unabashedly refer to Martha
Stewart or Elizabeth Taylor to get a point across. The difference between his pop-culture savvy and the other food TV guys is that Alton delivers from a genuine (albeit nutty) spot in his heart that doesn't crave applause or praise from critics. He is his own self-proclaimed mechanic, hacker, or home economics teacher who merely wants to share yummy food while wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Alton Brown, or "AB" as he refers to himself, isn't afraid to be kitsch, corny, witty, or even callous. He is just as willing to cut "W", the show's knife expert, with a clever insult as he is unafraid to use fake blood and vampires for a Halloween garlic episode. He is unpredictable, yet completely trustworthy and his viewers can dig it. The script and concept of his show and dishes are his own, and he doesn't compromise them for trends or beg his audience for approval. "As long as people watch," he says, "I'll go on doing what I'm doing," noting clearly that his desire is to continue with two of his greatest passions... filmmaking and food. In addition, he will be penning a food column for Bon
Appetit magazine titled "What Every Cook Should Know" and release a new cookbook in Fall 2004.
As Alton goes about doing what he does best, educating and entertaining, his fans remain steadfast in a mutual understanding that says "it's okay to be wacky as long as you enjoy good eats!"
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Article Sources
AB Studio Photos:
Pelosi & Chambers
Photography
AB Location Photo:
Polly McKinney
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