17th Apr 2012 5:15pm-6:30pm
M2, Grand Parade, University of Brighton
Dr Mike Goodman, Senior Lecturer in Geography, Kings College London
This paper explores the cultural, political effects of a recent ‘good food’ campaign in the UK headed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, one of its most famous ‘celebrity chefs’ designed to make the fishing industry more sustainable. Part of Channel 4’s yearly ‘Food Fight’, this ‘Fish Fight’ - backed up by separate, but related programmes by Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and other celebrity chefs - sought to bring attention to ‘bad’ EU fishing policy, ‘by-catch’ and the need to change consumers’ tastes in order to reduce the impact of fishing on the planet.
Seen through the lens of the long and growing ‘celebrity networks’ of philanthropy, capital, personalities, media corporations, public policies and ecologies, this paper engages with the media context of the 'Fish Fight' and the impacts of its programme, website and campaigning to get a sense of the growing sophistication and political impact of celebrity chefs in the UK in the context of environmental and food policy. In particular, this paper discusses the ways that celebrity chef ‘capital’ is able - in conjunction with environmental NGOs and the performance ‘space’ of Channel 4, in this case anyway - to ‘discipline’ retail capital (eg Tesco) in important and far-reaching ways.
For further information contact Julie Doyle, j.doyle@brighton.ac.uk
