COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Director of Copyright Services sydney.edu.au/copyright Celebrity chefs: class mobility, media, masculinity Nancy Lee A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Gender and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney 2014 Amuse-bouche Abstract There is an unprecedented construction of contemporary celebrity unique to the figure of the chef. This thesis considers the position of chefs in celebrity culture, and the construction of a particular kind of authoritative celebrity identity, with an emphasis on empirical research. I examine the effects of celebrity culture on the work of chefs and in terms of gender, taste, and class. I argue that the commercial kitchen is a space that institutionalises masculinity, and that popular media and celebrity culture augment the process of institutionalisation. This thesis also considers the production of economies of cultural capital across different platforms and in different forms. I position social media as a key site that produces global economies of cultural capital, and that facilitates diverse modes of consumption and production of cultural capital. Celebrity culture has altered the way chefs are perceived by consumers and the media. In response to celebrity culture, chefs’ work has moved outside the kitchen and is becoming increasingly abstract. Intellectual labours enable class and social mobility and articulate taste, positioning celebrity chefs as middle class rather than working class. Celebrity chef culture has created what I call the ‘chef economy’, within which restaurants trade on the brand and celebrity status of their chefs. This thesis provides a close examination of celebrity chef culture, drawing on principles of ethnographic research and one-on-one interviews with chefs who have extensive experience working with popular media and have negotiated celebrity culture in their work. My ethnographic approach and empirical research responds to suggestions for more empirical data in celebrity studies (Ferris 2010; Turner 2010b, 2013). Through developing a multimedia, multi-sited ethnography, in addition to in-depth interviews with chefs, I offer a discussion on the changing nature of celebrity culture and the changing labours of the chef. ii Ethics Approval Research for this project included in-person interviews with working chefs. Ethics approval was granted by The University of Sydney Human Ethics Committee under the working title ‘Masculinity in the kitchen: intergenerational ideas about masculinities from Sydney chefs’, protocol number 12854, on 18 June 2010. Ethics approval was renewed for one year by The University of Sydney Human Ethics Committee under the revised title ‘New labours of the chef: media, celebrity and spectatorship’ on 16 July 2013, protocol number 12854, project number 2012/2526. iii Acknowledgements To express my thanks and appreciation to each and every person who has contributed in some way to the following pages would far exceed the word count of this dissertation; therefore what follows is merely an abridged expression of my gratitude. This work wouldn’t exist without the contributions of some of the busiest and best chefs in town: my deepest thanks goes to Colin Fassnidge, Analiese Gregory, Hamish Ingham, Jonny Lake, Felicity Martin, James Parry, and Jowett Yu. Our conversations have shaped every paragraph; thank you for your patience, time, and insight. You are all really great. Someone else who was integral to the production of this thesis is my supervisor, Dr Anna Hickey-Moody. Her tireless enthusiasm, sharp mind, and steadfast commitment to scholarly work are unparalleled. Anna’s unwavering confidence in me was the North Star that guided me through my candidature, and her empathy for the research process kept me afloat. Writing a PhD can be a strange and confusing process; often I was overwhelmed and could not see the forest for the trees. Anna always saw the forest. Anna and I have worked together since my Honours year, and over that time she has been a mentor, counsellor, and friend. We finished the thesis over Skype after she had moved to London, having been snapped up for a fabulous new job. Over different time zones, Anna’s patience and wisdom guided me to the finish line. I will always be grateful that she stuck with me, and am absolutely certain that this dissertation would be worse without her and all of the hard work she put in. I am a better writer and a better thinker for the time we have spent working together. It is not possible to thank her enough for everything she has done for me, though I suppose I could give in to her cajoling and turn this thesis into a book! You have never steered me wrong, Anna – thank you. You couldn’t ask for a better place to work than the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney – it’s a wonderful, supportive, and close-knit group of very clever people with extraordinary minds. A chance encounter in my undergraduate studies grew to something that informs my life in profound ways, and I am privileged to have learned and worked with this group of brilliant scholars. I want to thank Dr Melissa Gregg, my first associate supervisor, who read drafts when Anna was on sabbatical and gave my work (and me) a much appreciated re-charge and some sage advice. Thank you Dr Anthea Taylor, who stepped in as associate supervisor in the last stages, and gave iv invaluable insights on celebrity studies and generous feedback on my final drafts. I am also grateful to have been a recipient of the Australian Postgraduate Award, and to have received travel and research grants from both the School and Faculty during my candidature. I am so lucky to have many generous and excellent friends. Justin Grant is a steady rock on which I frequently lean. Proof-reader, dinner companion, truth-teller – he’s always there for me, a decade after our first adventures in titration. Thank you to Chris Heaton for your kindness, support, and enthusiasm for 1D. Justin and Chris – you have sustained me through so much over the years, I love you both. Thanks and love to Vivienne Egan for always being an excellent feminist cheerleader, last minute proof-reader, and encouraging me to think outside the square. Your friendship means more than you will know (we’ll always have Toby). Thank you Karen Grant, for giving me kicks up the butt when needed, and also for getting me into one of my all-time favourite jobs ever (in my pre-thesis life). For being a pillar of reason and ramen buddy, there’s no one better than Milli Savann – you’re rad. Milli and The Gin Club, a.k.a Jacquie Drewe and Von Terkes, thank you for being there during dark days and keeping me going when it all got a bit too much – you guys know how to make a girl feel better about anything. Jacquie – Taylor Swift/Emma Stone forever. To my fellow PhDers, especially Sean Cosgrove and Sophie Virachit, thank you for your empathy, coffee dates, and pep talks. You guys will be here soon and I’ll be right there cheering you on. I’d like to thank my family for their love, support, and encouragement over the last three years while I was wrestling with this thesis. Jenny, Sam, Eva, Richard, Harry (my cat) and Belle (Eva’s dog) were lovely rays of sunshine when I needed them. Y’all mean the world to me. Thank you Anne and Uncle Phil, Aunty May, and Grandma for feeding me and making sure I was feeding myself. And last, but never least, thanks mum and dad for letting me crash at your place for the last three months with my thesis – I couldn’t have finished it without you, and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am without you. My mum and dad taught me everything there is to know about hard work (and good food). This thesis is dedicated to them both. v Menu Amuse-bouche Abstract ii Human ethics approval iii Acknowledgements iv Menu vi List of figures vii Introduction 1 Snacks Chapter One Mise en place: Cooking with celebrity culture 18 Chapter Two Social media and participatory celebrity culture: A multimedia ethnography 52 Mains Chapter Three The Brigade: Institutionalised homosocial masculinities 86 Chapter Four Make or break: Food criticism and cultural capital 126 Chapter Five Cooking with Convergence Culture: Twitter, Instagram, and multimedia celebrity chefs 162 Chapter Six The chef economy: Class mobility and labour 197 Dessert & cheeses Conclusion Mobility, media, and masculinity 237 References 253 vi List of figures 1.