by Charlotte Beal
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- New York Observer contributor Joe Pompeo coined a new word to describe the 20- and 30somethings who are obsessed with food talk: foodiots (Observer.com 9.22.09).
- You know the type: constantly posting status updates about eating and drinking, blogging about cooking (the more pedestrian concoctions, the better), sending digital pics of last night’s restaurant dishes. Mobile tech is their great enabler.
- Grub Street’s New York edition weighed in the next day, saying that foodies “passed the torch” to foodiots once gourmet chefs starting selling burgers and fried chicken (NewYork.GrubStreet.com 9.23.09).
- When Conde Nast announced it was closing effete Gourmet magazine, bloggers and print columnists started lamenting the death of the elite foodie (AP 10.5.09).
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Most consumers have gotten very sophisticated about food, democratizing once-haute cuisine. It’s not surprising that a subsequent culture war (high vs. low; legit vs. inauthentic) might be brewing.
- Everyone’s an expert — or are they? Traditional foodies, who value artisanal craftsmanship and years of training, tend to scoff at opinions offered by everyday Joes.
- Millennials (and some younger Gen Xers) like to express their passions, especially online. Older gens might call it self-absorption, but the younger set just calls it being and sharing.
