The Unhealthiest Obsessions

http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/28/tabloid-paula-deen-hiding-diabetes/

One of my many guilty pleasures when it comes to television would be just about anything on the Food Network or Travel Channel. Their laundry lists of shows that depict our country’s glutinous demeanor are, like South Park parodied, in a strange way similar to pornography. We watch these shows to fulfill some strange void, although watching people demolish unimaginably delicious food doesn’t benefit me in any way, but instead just leaves me severely hungry at eccentric times of the night. There has been a recent news leak/rumor that Paula Deen, known for Paula’s Best Dishes and other Food Network classics, was diagnosed with diabetes. Hopefully it is no more than a rumor for the sake of her health, but it is interesting to see the result of her success. Paula’s personality is that of a sweet Southern mother, and watching her make meals out of essentially pure grease and sugar makes my taste buds quiver and my internal organs gag. Is it a problem that her show has continued despite these rumors, and despite the fact that her lifestyle (if it does really consist of these meals) is extremely dangerous? Or should her enjoyment for good food and ignorance of major health issues speak for itself? In a way Paula Deen getting diabetes is very symbolic of our current popular culture. We live in an era of excess and overexposure, where in order for a woman like Paula Deen to thrive she is forced to constantly create over the top meals to cater to our fascination with food. Over the few seasons of Travel channel’s Man vs. Food you can almost feel Adam’s health deteriorating, and it is visible in his appearance. If, and hopefully when, our country grows out of his phase of obesity will these shows continue their dominance major network’s or will they die as the country diets? It will be interesting to see what the future holds for them, and the disturbed viewers like me who can’t get enough. Best wishes to Paula. – C.S.