Americans
have started to grow softer and softer. We like to pretend that we are tough
and strong, but after taking a look at food values and culture in America, I have
come to realize the truth. We live in a society where we eat our feelings, have
designated food groups as being “comfort” foods, and have access to food at
nearly every street corner. All of this points to a change in how we as
Americans value food. It used to be that food was just that, food. But now, it
has changed into something much more than that. Food has become an emotional
experience. Each meal is different than the last, and with our growing tastes
and preferences, we attempt to shape each meal to our specific wants for that
day. It is made apparent that food has a very strong connection to emotion
through both the examination of food advertisements and the analysis of the
setting and atmosphere of various restaurants.
One instance of where we can see
America growing softer is in its advertising. Advertising has become an
enormous part of our society and has become increasingly necessary due to all
of the various products that are now available to consumers. After examining a
few food advertisements, I noticed what was most effective in advertising was not
sex appeal, it was not humor, and it was not the promise of a better life
style, instead, it was raw emotion. According to article out of a scholarly
journal, “understanding consumer behavior is critical since food purchases are
driven more by human emotion than by a pure physiological need.” (Westphal) Ads
that showed the softer side of human nature are beginning to become much more
prevalent in American society than just a decade ago. Two ads that do just this
were put out by Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper. The Coca-Cola ad goes through and
shows scenarios where people are caught doing kind things by security cameras.
This evokes an emotion in people watching this ad that causes them to feel
happy for society and maybe believe that some people actually do care about
others. This emotion is then connected to the product which will then make
people think happy thoughts whenever they see Coca-Cola. The second ad worked
in a similar way, but evokes a different emotion. The Dr. Pepper advertisement
displays people doing strange things, but emphasizing the fact that everyone is
an individual. By examining these ads and even a few others, one can easily see
how there is a strong connection between food and emotion, “even in ads that
are not selling a food product, the mere mention of food contributes greatly to
the emotional idea of the moment and conveys a story” (Westphal) The article
gave examples of both AT&T and Procter and Gamble of using food to evoke emotion
in their advertisements. All of this is evidence to the idea that food and
emotion have become very heavily connected in our society and has played a very
larger role in the softening of America. This softening goes even further than
just advertising though.
Even when it comes down to the actual
eating, Americans need to be completely comfortable to fully enjoy their meal.
I discovered this fact on my own, while I was dining out for lunch. When I had
lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, I observed my surroundings and how people were
reacting. According to the article “Generation Y Consumers: Key Restaurant
Attributes Affecting Positive and Negative Experiences”, written by Robert J.
Harrington, “Atmosphere includes many aspects: cleanliness, odor, lighting,
temperature, color, decor, and music”. (Harrington) All of these factors were
things that I noticed were spectacular within the Cheesecake Factory. The
restaurant was very clean, it was brightly lit, but not too bright, it was a
relaxing temperature, it was painted mostly gold and dark yellow, which was
very calming in that setting, it was decorated in a contemporary style, and
they played modern, yet relaxing music. Even though it was such a fantastic
experience, I later found out in the article by Harrington, that in a study
done by Beth Chung and Douglass Hoffman, customers are more likely to remember
a negative experience of atmosphere in a restaurant rather than a positive
experience. (Harrington) One of the most important factors to consider in
regards to the atmosphere is the comfort of the seating. The Cheesecake Factory
definitely had comfortable seating. They had nice booths with cushioned seats
that I was extremely comfortable sitting in. A study done by Julie Baker and
Michaelle Cameron in 1996 showed that if seating is uncomfortable, wait times
are perceived to be longer. (Harrrington) I completely agree with the findings
of that study. Too many times I find myself waiting for a table and either I am
forced to stand and wait, or I have to sit on a hard wooden bench. It seems
like the wait takes forever. There was none of that at the Cheesecake Factory
though. I had a wonderful experience with this meal and I cannot wait until the
next time I am able to go there.
Places that have calming music, dim
lighting, comfortable seating, and friendly staff members are more likely to
leave customers with a pleasing experience. This is in part due to the change
in American food culture as well. Eating is no longer just about the
consumption of food. Eating is an experience. More often than not, when we eat,
it is with people we enjoy and we talk about our days and life in general. The
table has become a place of social gathering and a place to reinforce community
values. In Americas past, people ate just to eat. They would get their food,
sit down on a hard wood chair or a bench, eat their food, and then just go back
to the rest of their day. But these values have changed since then. Even in
prison, meal time is something special. To the inmates, sitting down and eating
their spread with each other is a way to form relationships with the other
inmates and could mean the difference between a tough time in prison or not.
According to inmate Devon Gray, “sharing spread is a ‘community thing’”. (Cate)
People like to be comfortable in
everything they do, especially during meal times. Some food is even prepared
around the idea of being comfortable. This growing softness of Americans is not
necessarily a bad thing either. It shows that we as a nation have discovered
that we like food and we would like to enjoy it as much as possible. Of course
you always have your exceptions to the rules, but as a majority, Americans
respond most heavily to comfortable experiences in regards to their food. Some
people may disagree with this theory that Americans have been growing softer,
but the evidence is all out there. You could go to any restaurant and depending
on the atmosphere, you will probably be able to determine for yourself the sort
of experience the people will have. Though being comfortable is not a bad
thing, our necessity to be comfortable may have negative impacts on the future.
Sources
Cate, Sandra. ""Breaking Bread with a Spread"
in a San Francisco County Jail." Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. 8. (2008): 17-24.
Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/gfc.2008.8.3.17
.>.
Harrington, Robert. "Generation Y Consumers: Key
Restaurant Attributes Affecting Positive and Negative Experiences." Journal of Hospitality &
Tourism Research. (2011): n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
Westphal, Linda. "Food Promotion - Catching the
Consumer's Attention." Direct Marketing. (1997): 18. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
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