This Post Isn't Core, It's Informal - Dan Lark, Week 3

Since my homework for this class has been to watch more TV (challenge accepted), last week I binge watched the fourth season of The Great British Bake Off. I really enjoyed the show and I thought I would try to highlight some of my observations:

GBBO is a good show to observe a ritual negotiation of British identity and family life in the United Kingdom. In the beginning of the series, we are introduced to the contestants, who in my understanding are supposed to represent the cultural heterogeneity of British society. The contestants come from a range of places within the UK, which is  noticeable through the linguistic diversity of the contestants’ accents - They don’t all speak the Queen’s English. The contestants are predominantly white, but in the fourth season, there are a few people of color, including a Sikh man and a Ghanaian man, and the class positions seems to run from working class to high class professional. Through the shared hobby of baking, the show displays an idealized version of British identity, where differences in British society might be both reflected and overcome through a wholesome domestic activity. An example of this can be found in the season finale showstopper, where contestants were asked to make a 48-piece picnic basket fit for the Queen.

The signature dish challenge often takes the form of a traditional English food, such as Yorkshire pudding or a Queen Victoria sponge. Through the baking of these dishes, traditional British food ways are reinscribed and potentially expanded. The Sikh contestant, Rav, would incorporate his own culturally specific foods and practices into the traditional English dishes, perhaps making these “foreign” spices and flavors palatable (pun intended) for an Anglo audience as well as elevating them to national prominence for a south Asian audience.  Here, we might see how former colonial subjects are able to be incorporated into broader British culture.

I like how this show takes a very hectic and stressful event and edits it to make it appear less stressful. The contestants and judges and hosts all seem to be kind and supportive and while the competition is evident, they aren’t competing for a cash prize or a chance at their own bakery or anything.  We are consistently shown the contestants encouraging each other and standing in awe at the talents of their fellow competitors. Compare to a show like Chopped, which uses a heavy amount of editing to heighten the sense of anxiety and competition. This isn’t to say that GBBO isn’t competitive, but that the show is deliberately crafted to spur a sense of unity through competition. This unity is also a distinctly “British” aspect of the show, contributing to its affirmation of British national identity and family life.