Tina Turner, Keith Richards, and David Bowie being sensible…
When group five conducted their activity about extreme diets, I couldn’t help but think of David Bowie’s infamous one in the mid-70s of red peppers, full-fat milk, cigarettes, and ‘mountains of cocaine[1]’. This, along with the Angry Chef’s remarks, made me think of our relationship with foods that have no real nutritional benefit and are dangerous to our health, but which we choose to consume anyway.
One of these foods is alcohol (yes, alcohol is a food – I looked it up). While some of our guest speakers (like Tom Bishop) briefly alluded to it, it was when food critics Simon Wilson and Madeleine Chapman visited that the subject of alcohol really appeared on my mental radar. This was not because either of them spoke about it at any length (although they both write about it in their provided reading[2]), but rather because I wanted to heed their advices in hopes of improving the quality of my own Booze Reviews Instagram page.
I was especially pleased to learn from Madeleine that once a page reaches a certain number of followers, it begins to be treated as an ‘influencer’ account. What’s exciting about this is that companies begin to send gifts to the owners of such accounts in return for generous reviews.
This brings up a tricky question of authenticity. Well, perhaps not that tricky – would I fake a positive review in return for free booze? Honestly, yes, I think I would….
[1] In the words of Tony Visconti (https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/124744/even-mick-jagger-was-worried-by-how-much-cocaine-david-bowie-was-doing/)
[2] https://thespinoff.co.nz/auckland/08-12-2017/the-critic-and-the-rookie-dining-out-at-one-of-aucklands-most-expensive-restaurants/
This is absolutely amazing. I completely agree with what you say on the relationship we hold with food and how authentic someone can be, dependent on the reward they can get out of it. If it was down to getting rewarded for doing something typically unvirtuous, would I be surprised if the majority of people did it? No. Because if we really took a hard look around, the majority of people do it today anyway. Working a 9-5 job they have no interest in, that could conflict with their own values too, yet they do the job anyway because they’re getting paid. Is this a sustainable way of living? Probably not. Are we expected to stay in that job forever? its questionable, depending on the job. A lot of what we do is so fast paced, that nutrients role now really seems to be whatever can keep us afloat for the necessary amount of time. Did Bowe’s diet work for him? As funny and slightly concerning as it is, it seems people do what works for them.
I hope your BoozeReviews page goes well! well enough so that you can see where the line is between reviewing and paid alcoholism hahaha.
I agree with the previous comment; this post is definitely insightful and also, really interesting. You tackle issues that people often do not refer to openly, such as diets that are judged and deemed ‘immoral’. Although, as you pointed out, no matter how ridiculed some diets may be, they are still, for some, a way of life. It is important for us to be critical thinkers, and even more so, open minded. I think you have definitely done both in this blog. David Bowie is a great example to use here. Celebrities are often undermined in their influence, and yet, they are the ones that often set the trends for greater society. The picture really emphasises your written points too. It is crucial that we question: do people, or should people, partake in diets because they are ‘moral’ or ‘trendy’? Or, alternatively, should they do them for themselves, without caring what others think?
Well put – this was a really interesting and insightful post. I thought it was really valuable that you brought up the idea of authenticity, especially with regards to online influencers as I think this is extremely important to consider within today’s society. As you mentioned, when page reaches a certain number of followers, it gains the status of ‘influencer’, therefore I think it’s vital to consider the ways in which we interact with this type of media, especially as sponsored posts become more prominent. On such a democratised platform, it may become difficult to balance the same levels of authenticity that we have associated with social media in the past, as brands become more integrated within these platforms.
Well put. In your blog post, you brought up an incredibly relevant issue in regards to social media and the influence that it has in modern society. Celebrities have always had an undeniable impact on the general public, and with the growing importance of social media, personalities on those platforms now hold this power too. It raises the question of whether or not these celebrities and influencers have an obligation to be a good role model to society due to their influence, but as seen with David Bowie’s extreme diet, it often appears they disregard the strong sway they hold over their fans and the community. On the other hand, the decision of copying the questionable diets of celebrities is ultimately up to the individual, and they must live with the consequences of their decision.
Weird that alcohol is technically a poison too. Poisonous food. Funny that, but I have to say I enjoy your blog post a lot. Not only are you bringing up the point of celebrities and silly diets, but where alcohol slots in there. Its a topic that’s always talked about but never talked about, so an ‘influencer’ posting about alcohol only ever briefly touches on it. No one would ever talk about alcohol the way someone would talk about KFC or a five-course meal on an Instagram account or in a review…for this reason, I would love to see a review page for booze. Just to get this idea out there. As a viewer or a reader however, I would personally be annoyed if you lied about something so you got paid, yet I would completely understand. In other words, you’ve got yourself a follower for your booze review Instagram if you ever make it! (Then again, everything is rather censored these days so you would probably get removed; now that would make for an interesting conversation!!)
Loved this blog post Daniel! So interesting to read and perhaps the very basis of this article reflects part of the human nature- the interest and borderline obsession with celebrity. Is it part of human nature to emulate what the rock-stars of the past have done? What is so rock and roll about drugs bar the consumers of them? And with the shift to social media influencers and “IG Baddies” and “Models” is the “What I Eat in A Day” another platform for awe-struck on-lookers to aspire to a level of celebrity and prestige that their idols hold/held? This blog post raises questions about human nature and our obsession with fame and fortune- wherein we highlight the lowlights and aim for the sparkling doom.
On the aspect of authenticity I highly applaud you for theoretically making use of free alcohol- if I was offered a celebration box, I would hope I wouldn’t promote it but I would most certainly consume it.