As a post-script to my previous post, I should note that Bon Appetit was gracious enough to reply to my letter to the editor. I must admit, I almost feel bad for being so snarky. To wit:
Dear Natalie,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. We value your opinion, and we understand that not all of our readers will agree with every editorial choice we make, including our choice for the June 2011 cover. Gwyneth is someone who cooks for her friends and family, promotes eating healthfully, and has produced a smartly written cookbook. We can get behind that.
We hope that whatever your feelings about Ms. Paltrow you will read the other great stories in June, including a visit to the home of London chef Fergus Henderson, a definitive guide to wild American shrimp, Andrew Knowlton on the Mint Julep, and over 70 great recipes. And while we may put people on the cover occasionally in the future, but it will be an exception, and we're back to delicious food on the cover in July.
Changes are happening at Bon Appetit, but our focus on good food and recipes remains of utmost importance to us, in addition to publishing gorgeous food photography, excellent writing, and useful tips and tricks that inspire and educate our readers. We truly hope that you will continue reading, and that BA can be a part of your morning commute for years to come!
Thank you again for reaching out to share your feedback. We are listening.
—The editors of Bon Appetit
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage!
Well, I have been away from this blog for an awfully long time, which is a shame. However, there have been several recent developments that are bringing me back, with renewed determination. I will address them all in due time, but let me get to the first - I have a burning need to express how I feel about Bon Appetit's horrifying June cover. Here is my letter to the editor:
Et tu, Bon Appetit? I have been a subscriber for nearly a decade, and I have always looked forward to seeing the enticing food images that grace your covers and set the tone for the issue every month. I was horrified to discover that June’s cover instead featured the self-satisfied sneer of Gwyneth Paltrow, Hollywood’s most pernicious phony. If you were going to break ranks from the food magazine industry standard, and replace the usual image of the actual topic at hand – food – with an image of a food personality, why on earth didn’t you choose someone who actually deserves the honor? With the sharp increase in food journalism and food television in the past few years, there are a wealth of famous faces you could have chosen to celebrate – celebrity chefs, groundbreaking food pioneers, activists, artisans – and instead you go with a movie star who happens to have written a kids’ cookbook? I feel betrayed. I really thought Bon Appetit was above this sort of Hollywood pandering. I ride the subway to work in Washington D.C. every day, and I have always been proud to read Bon Appetit, with its usual mouthwatering cover art, as I did so. I’ve even received questions from fellow riders about the magazine, based on one particularly delicious-looking cover image or another. But now that Bon Appetit can’t be distinguished at a glance from a trashy celebrity gossip magazine, I can assure you that the June issue will not be making the commute with me.
Et tu, Bon Appetit? I have been a subscriber for nearly a decade, and I have always looked forward to seeing the enticing food images that grace your covers and set the tone for the issue every month. I was horrified to discover that June’s cover instead featured the self-satisfied sneer of Gwyneth Paltrow, Hollywood’s most pernicious phony. If you were going to break ranks from the food magazine industry standard, and replace the usual image of the actual topic at hand – food – with an image of a food personality, why on earth didn’t you choose someone who actually deserves the honor? With the sharp increase in food journalism and food television in the past few years, there are a wealth of famous faces you could have chosen to celebrate – celebrity chefs, groundbreaking food pioneers, activists, artisans – and instead you go with a movie star who happens to have written a kids’ cookbook? I feel betrayed. I really thought Bon Appetit was above this sort of Hollywood pandering. I ride the subway to work in Washington D.C. every day, and I have always been proud to read Bon Appetit, with its usual mouthwatering cover art, as I did so. I’ve even received questions from fellow riders about the magazine, based on one particularly delicious-looking cover image or another. But now that Bon Appetit can’t be distinguished at a glance from a trashy celebrity gossip magazine, I can assure you that the June issue will not be making the commute with me.
Here's hoping that you return to your senses!
Foodnerddc.blogspot.com
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