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The Forum > General Discussion > MasterChef: A reflection of Australian society?

MasterChef: A reflection of Australian society?

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Hi everyone,

What is it about MasterChef that makes it so successful?
Have you ever considered the real effect of this show on our society?
What about the rise of so called 'food porn'?

I'm a student writing a major work on how MasterChef reflects social change in Australian society, and it would be great help if you could spare a few minutes to complete my survey?

Here's the link: http://SurveySurvey.com/?s=OLKJHG_33cf6a46

It's a great chance to write down all of your thoughts anonymously, and learn something new in the process!

Thanks for all your help! I really appreciate it! :D
Posted by Cynnamon, Sunday, 3 June 2012 12:05:23 AM
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Just a thought, Cynnamon.

I had a quick look at your question set, and it limits responses to people who have actually watched the programme. You might like to consider the fact that there are many times more people who don't watch, as those who do. By eliminating the views of this cohort, your survey is automatically skewed to the responses of those who have already made a relatively positive decision as to its potential value.

All the best with it, though. It is definitely a question that needs to be asked, even though the answer might be somewhat depressing.
Posted by Pericles, Sunday, 3 June 2012 3:13:25 PM
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I do not believe it to be a good show, The use of animal fat rich ingredients puts me off. AU has an enormous obesity problem and shows like this do not help. The use of cream, oils, and cheeses is for an era that was uninformed.
Posted by 579, Sunday, 3 June 2012 3:21:53 PM
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*The use of cream, oils, and cheeses is for an era that was uninformed.*

579, I remind you that people have been eating these things, long
before anyone developed an obesity problem. Good French cooking
is indeed one of the joys of life, but suit yourself, stick to
damper, for you clearly don't know any better.
Posted by Yabby, Sunday, 3 June 2012 4:12:10 PM
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The French style is to have very small portions, this is not the Australian way of eating, it's stuffing yourself until it runs out between your ribs. That is the difference.
Posted by 579, Sunday, 3 June 2012 4:33:52 PM
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Ah 579, that post makes more sense than the previous one, for indeed
it is all about moderation. That does not mean giving up on great
food, which is what Masterchef is all about. The Americans and
Australians did not become obese because of great food, but huge
quantities, as food is basically too cheap.
Posted by Yabby, Sunday, 3 June 2012 5:00:21 PM
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"You might like to consider the fact that there are many times more people who don't watch, as those who do. By eliminating the views of this cohort, your survey is automatically skewed to the responses of those who have already made a relatively positive decision as to its potential value."

@Pericles, thanks for bringing up this point! Yes, this is one limiting aspect, but it is interesting also that over 50% of respondents to my survey only watch 0-1 episodes of MC per week, yet are still able to provide some sort of opinion on the show. Considering over one fifth of Aus's population watched the show at its peak, this proves one of my hypotheses, that MC has had so much of an influence that even those who are not regular watchers know so much about the details.

@579, I also think its intriguing that this food craze exists at the same time of the body size pandemic.
Posted by Cynnamon, Sunday, 3 June 2012 5:36:36 PM
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I can't stand MC. All that "concocted" drama over mere food is an intellectual embarrassment, and a sign of how easy it is to manipulate the modern audience. I've watched several episodes in full, and because someone in my household watches it regularly I've seen quite a few snippets of it. It simply makes me cringe. To me it screams out "fake, fake, fake, concocted drama".
Posted by Nhoj, Monday, 4 June 2012 1:00:01 AM
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Cynnamon, all these reality TV programs are self correcting. If MC makes you obese you can do the Great Race, The Block, Talent or Dancing to work off those extra kilos.

If that fails you can volunteer for Medical Procedures such as suction or lap banding or if you have no embarrassment gene, Biggest Loser.

It might be much more meaningful if your research covered the appeal of generic reality TV shows?
Posted by spindoc, Monday, 4 June 2012 7:33:04 AM
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I could write a theseis on it myself.

The general theme is that people are tired with the consumer culture, and want to go back to some kind of domestic simplicity, but need to do it in a consumer-oriented way and a competetive way.

Dancing with the stars, dancing on ice!, dancing with your spouses lover (I have copywrited that one), Master Chef, My Kitchen Rules, The Iron Chef, The Block, Better Homes than yours...

People really are into nesting and cooking and domesticity at the moment. Perhaps it's a plot to make us buy something as with such a high standard of living we need to be going down to that chinese grocer and finding exotic new ingredients, or throwing out perfectly good lounge rooms and remodelling them.

It's not the consumerism that interests me but the focus on the domestic.

I think you can sum it up by saying that it's every yuppie or sea changing baby boomer's dream to live in a 19th century Tuscan village with slow food and colourful local characters sitting around a piano at nights.
Posted by Houellebecq, Monday, 4 June 2012 8:18:14 AM
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I think that a whole lot of Aussies are belately waking up to the fact
that great food exists, you can cook it yourself and its not that
difficult, if talented chefs show you how to do it.

Let's face it, even today, travel down our highways and the roadhouse
food is truly crap. More like British food, bland and boring. That
was our culture, but with other influences, it is luckily finally
changing.

As people travel more through central Europe, as migrants influence
our food, more and more Aussies realise that great food is one of
those joys of life, like great sex or great music! No need to
settle for a chiko roll or a pie anymore. So all sorts of cooking
shows have taken off, so have suitable ingredients etc, opening up
whole new industries
Posted by Yabby, Monday, 4 June 2012 9:04:23 AM
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That whole new industries really gave me a chuckle yabby, just thrown in there like that at the end, I hope it was deliberate.

It's not just cooking Yabbs. It's all sorts of homeliness. The 'outdoor room', 'alfresco dining', Home Improvement, and the simple entertainment of dancing.

I remember coming back from the UK after many years, to find Australia had 'fallen in love' with dancing. There were about 7 or 8 dancing shows on the tele. The Straya I knew before leaving would never have embraced something as daggy as ballroom dancing. CSI I could understand, but dancing? The country of people who used to shuffle to Jimmy Barnes?

Anyway, I'm sure Poirot would agree, there seems an innate need to reconnect to some sort of basic living. Like I said, it's not the remodelling and renovating, it's how and in what way I find fascinating. It's a window into the yuppie soul.

Like I say, the bogan is easily seduced with anything new and shiny, a buy now pay later big screen hardly Normal Home Theatre, but the yuppie has to be seduced with a little story about the rustic charm of Tuscan villages before they hand over their money for the latest in picnic blankets. Throw in some environmental concerns and it's a done deal! No more pesky self flagellation and they can buy heaps and heaps of unnecessary stuff and still be better than the 'consumerist' bogan.

I think you'll find the average 'working family' still eats at pizza hut and their Better Homes than Yours wood-fire oven out the back yard next to the water feature is slowly being broken down by the elements.

PS: Look up Shabby Chic
Posted by Houellebecq, Monday, 4 June 2012 9:43:57 AM
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Which raises another question, Cynnamon.

>>...over 50% of respondents to my survey only watch 0-1 episodes of MC per week, yet are still able to provide some sort of opinion on the show<<

It would surely have been more useful to separate out the "no, I don't watch the show" people from the "yes, I manage to catch an episode about once a week" crowd. The former can have only a tangential view of the show's impact, like being exposed to passive smoking. The latter category on the other hand might be in the "I'd watch every episode if I could" brigade. Two entirely different agendas, that you have slapped together into a single category.

So, a gentle word of warning, if I may.

>>...this proves one of my hypotheses, that MC has had so much of an influence that even those who are not regular watchers know so much about the details<<

Your tutor might possibly not share your view that this constitutes proof of any kind, given the breadth of possible characteristics in the "watch 0-1 episodes" response category.
Posted by Pericles, Monday, 4 June 2012 9:56:28 AM
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Houllie, I don't actually see the dancing and the cooking as the
same thing. I suspect that dancing with the stars is more about
the stars. Personally I don't know too many males who go dancing,
unless they are trying to bed down a few extra females. But perhaps
its different in suburbia, where people are bored.

I often check out what is in peoples shopping trollies at Coles.
There seems to be a direct correlation between the amount of
American packaged, processed food in their trollies, and the size
of their arses.

Great cooking however, is catching on with a percentage of Australians,
which is growing. Plenty of blokes are into it, as
plenty of blokes are also top chefs and plenty of blokes like to
eat well. So its a challenge, more interesting then yet another game
of footie.

It doesen't have to appeal to everyone and plenty will still focus
on their pizza and bic macs. But if say 20% of the population are
interested, that is a huge market share and indeed new industries
open up.

The thing is, there is a market for cheap food and a market for
top food, they are quite different. I know a bit about it as its
how I made some serious money with only the best seafood.

Marketing that food has now moved from supplying the best restaurants
to supplying an increasing share of the public for home cooking.

If you want to cook your Waygu aged beef at home, its still going to
cost you some serious money.
Posted by Yabby, Monday, 4 June 2012 10:40:00 AM
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Master chef and similar show have caused a huge rise in wannabe cafe owners, who, due to their faulse perception, have lost everything.

It takes them four hours to cook a three course meal, but in. Reality, you need to prepare 100 of these in a few hours if you wish to survive.

Being a confident cook myself, I used to enjoy the show, but I don't watch anymore due to the suspension they put you under.

You can put that down to Eddy McGuire and his millionaire show.
Posted by rehctub, Monday, 4 June 2012 1:04:38 PM
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Hey - all you grumpy nay-sayers - you don't really appreciate food! Yes, I admit I am very overweight, but I do love my food! Unfortunately, MasterChef just introduces me to more delectable food ideas! I think the success of the show is due to the fact that younger people (hopefully) are exposed to a wider range of food than the ghastly, English-inspired meat & 3 vegs! I am retired but I have always had an adventurous approach to food! Cooking shows are great at educating people out of their 'comfort zones'!
Posted by NannaK, Monday, 4 June 2012 1:31:18 PM
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For me that show about cooks (in no way real chefs) promoting eating and arguing about the minutae of the ingredients and process is a perfect counterbalance to Australia's Greatest Loser, where people stand around crying in their underwear. Maybe one is the result of the other.

Both seek to be "inspirational" but it all comes down to media contrivance, product advertising and entertainment dressed up as some kind of human drama.

In the end it's all just bread (sourdough perhaps?) and circuses and as real as any other fictional programme.
Posted by wobbles, Monday, 4 June 2012 1:47:41 PM
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"It would surely have been more useful to separate out the "no, I don't watch the show" people from the "yes, I manage to catch an episode about once a week" crowd"
Pericles, that's a really valid point I wish I had considered. Thankfully, the majority of respondents who ticked the 0-1 category have indicated later on in the questions whether they watch, or don't watch MC.

However, putting a "I don't watch MC" option may be problematic as well - many respondents are not regular watchers of MC, but have caught an episode once or twice, which means at least they know what the show is about. The point of that particular question was more to gauge the amount of exposure respondents had to the show, and whether this would have a siginficant impact on my overall findings.
Thanks for the feedback!

"It might be much more meaningful if your research covered the appeal of generic reality TV shows?"
Thanks Spindoc, my research does cover the changing social attitudes towards reality TV - how and why these perceptions change over time, and the fundamental reasons why humans like reality TV in the first place. I will be referring to a range of reality TV shows, but MC is the only one I chose to look at in detail, for the simple reason that it is the 3rd most watched show in Oz TV history (the top 2 were sporting events)
Posted by Cynnamon, Monday, 4 June 2012 10:11:09 PM
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*Being a confident cook myself, I used to enjoy the show, but I don't watch anymore due to the suspension they put you under.*

Rehctub, I doubt that the show was created with specifically you
in mind. The person behind Masterchef, Farmer wants a wife and
similar, is none other then Elizabeth Murdoch and her Shine Group,
which I gather that she recently sold to dad Rupert for a few hundred
million.

No doubt about it, Fremantle Media, which is owned by Shine, knows
how to get bums on seats and rating and drama is what the punters
clearly want, as a well oiled machine such as theirs would know.

I think its a huge improvement on that other reality show where millions
of people tuned in just to watch a group of people living
in a house and the highlight of the week was if a couple of the
contestants shagged each other in the middle of the night.

As far as Masterchef goes, I enjoy their friday night Masterclasses
as its more about chefs showing off a few recipees and tricks. I always learn
something or other. That is the fun and challenge of
cooking, there is always something new to learn and if you like
great food as I do, you might as well cook it yourself, rather then
pay 100$ a meal.

Otherwise you can always watch Justine Schofield on Everyday Gourmet,
as she is really cute :)
Posted by Yabby, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 3:50:36 PM
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