Haters Gonna Hate W8

B. R. Myers' “The Moral Crusade Against Foodies” attempts to argue that foodies are heinous gluttons, but he never explains himself more than sounding like a sour apple, tearing down popular food writers and chefs for simply lavishing upon strange foods. Myers' article is nonsensicle and bitter, and one gets the impression he's simply venting about the excesses of those he perceives as food elitists. Reading the comments on The Atlantic's web page shows readers also struggling to find the point of this diatribe; one says:

The point is simple. 1) Find a group of people with a large constituency, but not a majority one. 2) Create a straw man by painting the entire group with the worst characteristics of a few members of the group, even if you have to make them up. 3) Pen a screed in which you knock down the straw man. 4) Get page views. 5) Profit.

I'd have to agree. The semblance of an argument found in the essay is that appreciating your food more than what he deems 'normal' is gluttonous. He fails to support his own definition of either normal or gluttonous, and the article simply quotes 'gluttonous' passages from Michael Pollan, Anthony Bourdain and the Best Food Writing 2010. He argues that foodies are a subculture that get too much media attention, mainly from other foodie writers, that they hypocritically enjoy cruel animal dishes, that they eat too much, that they eat food too expensive and rare for mainstream eaters.

Well, they are foodies, aren't they? If they truly live for food, so be it; at least they know their life purpose. What's more, Myers' seems to be ignoring the basic fact of life, that food and eating is the one commonality between our human species. Therefore, there will naturally be those, our chefs and culinary explorers, that are in the business of trying all there is in the wide world to eat. After all, why close your mind to the customs of others, to enjoying the various ways our fellow humans serve their food? But his article seems to heap shame upon enjoying the practice too much, but how much this is he can't say.

OK, I concede with Myers that foie gras and ortolan are ethically dubious, and factory farms should have no place in the foodie diet. Yet most everyday foodies I know, the 'normal' ones that don't fly to France for cheese, take no part in foie gras and even reject the factory farmed meat Myers bemoans. He's making a big case against a small minority, and this cadre of foodies who have access to try such dishes are almost required to take part, if they truly live to cook and write about food.