Diners, Dudes, and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide in Food Media and Culture

Studies in United States Culture

by Emily J.H. Contois

The phrase "dude food" likely brings to mind a range of burgers stacked impossibly high with an assortment of toppings that were themselves once considered a meal; crazed sports fans demolishing plates of radioactively hot wings; barbecued or bacon-wrapped . . . anything. But there is much more to the phenomenon of dude food than what's on the plate. Emily J. H. Contois's provocative book begins with the dude himself—a man who retains a degree of masculine privilege but doesn't meet traditional standards of economic and social success or manly self-control. In the Great Recession's aftermath, dude masculinity collided with food producers and marketers desperate to find new customers. The result was a wave of new diet sodas and yogurts marketed with dude-friendly stereotypes, a transformation of food media, and weight loss programs just for guys. In a work brimming with fresh insights about contemporary American food media and culture, Contois shows how the gendered world of food production and consumption has influenced the way we eat and how food itself is central to the contest over our identities.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Feminism, History, Politics, Health, Sociology

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2020

About the author

Emily J.H. Contois was born in Australia and raised in the Big Sky Country of Montana, where she spent a bit over a decade training in classical ballet. She is now an assistant professor of Media Studies at The University of Tulsa. From Guy Fieri Americana to Vegemite, women who eat Activia yogurt to men who diet, her writing spans the breadth of food, health, and identity in American popular culture and media. Often a guest expert in national media, she has appeared on CBS This Morning and Ugly Delicious with David Chang on Netflix. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and their rescue pup, Raven. Diners, Dudes & Diets is her first book.

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like reading a really long research paper about Guy Fieri.

[Nathan Shuherk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick hitting and very interesting. Weakest point is that this could’ve been longer and the dynamics of dudes being two categories (the mindless, lazy, uncaring types vs the macho, aggressively masculine types) could’ve been more fleshed out. But each chapter is fascinating and would be a very good book to read with a friend because the book lends itself to discussions. 4.5

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super interesting topic, that had me re-evaluating some of my own experiences with the dieting industry, especially in the early 2000s. I do wish the book was written in way that was a little more accessible and a little less "someone's thesis" but that's a bit on me, I think.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For people interested in this fascinating topic, I highly recommend this interview with the author: https://christyharrison.com/foodpsych...

The book covers a lot of thought-provoking territory, but I didn't enjoy the research paper style of writing as much as I enjoyed listening to the author talk about it. She kept returning to the same ideas to tie everything together, which started feeling repetitive. (Be prepared to read the phrase "hegemonic masculinity" about a bajillion times.) She's raising important points, though, and her passion for the subject shines through.

[Livvy Whitmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s about time someone wrote a thesis about both guy fieri and why men think yogurt is girly

[Kripa Vyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saying this is a thesis about guy fieri is reductive. It’s also about yogurt

[Bernard Lavallée · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this academic essay on the links between food and gender. Each chapter explores a different angle: cookbooks for "dudes", gendered food marketing or the diet industry. My least favorite chapter was the one on Guy Fieri, used as an example of the "dude chef", maybe because I am not familiar with this man. I particularly enjoyed the diet chapter when she compares two Weight Watchers ads, one for man and one for woman. It was fascinating!

[Meilin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fear this was a bit too academic for my enjoyment, but nonetheless really interesting deep dive into gender and food marketing! The image of the dude (think guy fieri or the big lebowski) rocked the food industry as a new reinforcer of gendered marketing with diet soda, yogurt, cooking, hard seltzer, and dieting, and was amplified during the recession. But over this new image of masculinity still reinforced traditional gender roles and expectations that hurt everyone by contributing to sexism and showing masculinity as meat, toolbox, and not developing emotional intelligence. This book could've been longer and at times I wish it was to discuss about more topics (alternative meat, coffee shops/culture, plant-based milk), but quick and intellectual read!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it too soon to say I think I found my favorite nonfiction read for 2023! I love learning from a sociological perspective how food impacts us politically, economically, and influences gender norms. Emily J.H. Contois was able to provide readers this info within 130 pages. I will warn you that this does read as an academic article/journal. I even tabbed a pages where I was able to learn new info. I’ll be rereading in the near future.

[Wesley Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like I learned a lot about recent cultural history around gender in the US, and I have a new appreciation for the significance of advertisement as a barometer of our culture’s sense of identity

[Annie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

[Shant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from how angry every example of male/dude targeted advertising was written made me, this book was very good.

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

more like a 3.5 for the "expectations vs reality" of it all but damn if it wasn't interesting

[Sara George · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounding up for Goodreads. had some interesting points but was so dense and was like 50% about guy fieri 50% about marketing diet coke

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting analysis on food advertising and gender. The writing style is a bit dry as it reads like a research paper. My biggest takeaway was the ick factor in how much advertising affects behavior. Coke Zero sales dramatically increase due to changing the can's color from silver to black. It is very disconcerting how susceptible we are to various forms of messaging.

[Mikey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book unravels the role of food and diet marketing in the establishment and perpetuation of gendered stereotypes in food; particularly, the perceived femininity of yogurt & diet soda.

The loss of the male market share due to gender contamination of diet foods is not lost on food manufacturers. Concerted manufacturing and marketing campaigns—often doubling down on gendered stereotypes—have attempted to recast these products into male-acceptable versions. One example: Dr. Pepper Ten with its "10 Bold Calories" which was explicitly marketed as "not for women."

Industries deployment of the "dude" (slacker) archetype for marketing was the most helpful in bridging the taboo'd threshold of food and masculinity. The "dude" abides, with a non-committal, nonchalance. He is engaged, albeit impartially and ironically, with food and cooking. The "dude" is known for *his* penchant for "dude foods" which are defined as “comfort foods, but with an edge of competitive destruction." It is greasy, spicy, meat-heavy dishes that surpass culinary formality and express masculinity: hot dogs, hamburgers, hot wings. It is not only cuisine réputée of dude chef extraordinaire Guy Fieri but it's his ascent to FoodTV stardom and the responsive and transformative male viewership growth.

The uninvested, irony of the "dude" allows for engagement with feminine diet foods (yogurt, diet soda, etc.,) through permissive (albeit still hegemonic) masculinity. Industry marketing can even push the paradox of "diet foods" and calorie-laden, fat-laden "dude foods" into the sphere of irreverent irony (characteristic of the slacker). This latter oxymoronic blending is notably a marketing style specialized in the highly gendered approaches towards attracting men to weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig.

This was a great read.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing style (highly academic, mostly a research paper) isn't what I like in nonfiction, but if you're cool with it, the subject matter is fascinating. An entire chapter (of only 4) on Guy Fieri! And dudes who won't drink diet coke or eat yogurt because they are lady foods! It's exasperating.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Diners, Dudes, and Diets,” author Emily Contois explores the cultural history of America through the lens of “gender contamination,” or what marketing scholar Jill Avery describes as “consumer resistance to brand gender-bending.” (1) Contois walks us through the gendered landmines of marketing strategy that attempt to increase market share while simultaneously creating objects of American consumerism that define our culture through our interpretations.

Contois begins our journey introducing us to gender within our social structures and then the general marketing sphere. In this introduction she gives us our first taste of “the dude,” defining him as the guy who resists “the demands of manhood like competitiveness and breadwinning, the dude relaxes.” (4) Next, the reader and “the dude” get a little history lesson, showing us briefly, American Consumer culture and the gender crisis throughout history up to 2000. Contois’s focus for the book really starts here as she shifts the tone of the book away from historical consumerism and into modern marketing techniques directed at gendered products from 2000 to today. She quickly whisks us through the crafting of “the dude” in food media in everything from advertisements to men’s cookbooks and their influence on the masculine American identity.

Of course, what would dude food be without the dude chef? We are taken on a quick tour of the early days of dude chefs like Emeril Lagassi, quoting Food Network president and CEO Erica Gruen as saying, “Sociologically I think the biggest thing we did was Emeril. I think it’s Emeril who made it possible for men to cook.” (39) But it’s the king of Dudetown himself, Guy Fieri, and his rise to the top of dudeness that Contois seems to focus her energy on. Next on the menu is the production of dude foods and how marketers work to masculinize traditionally “feminine” products like diet soda and yogurt. But products aren’t the only thing to be masculinized to gain dude sales, and Contois takes her time explaining the delicacy of the male health and diet industry. For the final course, we are brought back to our classic dude, Guy Fieri, and the value the dude provided the marketing and consumer industries and the ever-changing world that “he” finds himself in as gender fluidity becomes more dominant in our culture.

Contois utilizes a large array of sources to support her arguments throughout the book, pulling information from print media like Men’s Health and Esquire Magazine as well as scholarly articles, books, and online resources. She also uses information and anecdotal evidence from numerous television shows like the Next Food Network Star and Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Her method feels as if she utilized genderized products and media within her daily life and then built from there, pulling from sources to support her arguments such as the book Watching What We Eat by Kathleen Collins for analysis of race in Food Network programming.

Contois’s easy writing style seems relatively accessible to most readers. It felt a bit academic even with her use of humor and brands readers may relate with like Dr. Pepper, WeightWatchers, and WhiteClaw. And although I wouldn’t say that anything Contois wrote was overly surprising since I think most people know that gendering products to increase sales and influence our behaviors is a thing in our society, it was interesting to see it laid out in this way. At only 130 pages it’s a quick read and I’m inclined to recommend it to friends or family who might be interested in this subject, but I don’t think it’s something a wider audience would likely read.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not into watching food or cooking shows, don't know much about food/chef personalities/celebrities, etc. but the title caught my eye, as I assume it's a parody of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and it made me chuckle. However, how food and eating have changed and have been subject to shifts in media, science and medical studies, economics, climate change, etc. so this seemed like an interesting book.

Author Contois takes up what is often perceived as "dude" food or more "masculine" foods (grilled foods, bacon, burgers with lots of toppings, etc.) and then looks at the changes that have come with time. Finding new audiences and consumer pools meant a shift in marketing and making foods, dieting, cooking, etc. more "dude-friendly." Plus how you have chefs like, yes, Guy Fieri and his style (compared to say Julia Child or Jacques Pépin, who were admittedly working towards different audiences).

That said, this book was horribly dull. It was someone's academic thesis wrapped up with a fun title and premise but I honestly did not feel was for a "regular", or "layperson" audience. There are some really interesting thoughtlines and themes that would be great to explore, but this is for an audience that is probably not your average library patron or casual fan of Fieri, etc.

I was incredibly curious, am somewhat aware (like I haven't studied it or anything) about the differences in marketing, the sexism and gender divide when it comes to cooking, food, etc. but ultimately this was very disappointing. This would, however, make a really great reference for someone looking to write a book about this for a more casual reader or in general for another academic paper, etc.

Library borrow was definitely best and would only recommend it if you need it as a reference. For a casual reader there are probably more accessible books out there.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's that time of year again where my AP kids are reading non-fiction books, which, in turn, motivates me to read non-fiction. This year, I even typed up a list of all of the non-fiction books I've read as a resource for them if they wanted personal recommendations. It was unexpected (but, I guess, not surprising) that almost every book on there was a memoir. So this year I wanted to broaden my horizons and read something more informative and less narrative.

I had so many thoughts reading this. As a woman, the points that Contois makes about how food marketing directed at "dudes" perpetuates and upholds misogynistic gender stereotypes was super frustrating and sort of foreign to me. As a queer woman with very little interaction with men, I found the values/ideals of "dudeness" fascinating but unbelievable. I have a line up of questions for my straight friends all along the lines of "do guys really act/think like this in real life?!" While this wasn't book as a whole wasn't as compelling to me as I thought it would be, it has me feeling motivated to read about the historical significance of food generally and the ways it reflects, shapes, and comforts us throughout different social contexts.

I give this book 3 stars because I have very few other means of comparison in the non-fiction genre to compare it to, and because I felt at times that Contois was beating a dead horse with her examples of greek yogurt and diet sodas. I think it was necessary to spend so much time on it from a structural standpoint, but man did it sometimes feel like a slog to get through it.

[Amber Sauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive, fascinating look at the gendered marketing/ branding of food, food practices and dieting. If you ever thought that companies were in it for the nutrition or wellness, this book will very quickly disabuse you of that naïve notion. Yes, Guy Fieri features prominently in the book but it's not about him. Guy represents a particular market for brands and Contois uses him to illustrate the lengths brands will go to capture this particular market. I Definitely recommend this read.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've admired Emily Contois's thoughtful analyses since we were classmates in a graduate food anthropology course. In Diners, Dudes, and Diets, Dr. Contois explores male diet culture, gender roles, and societal change in an original, concise, and compelling narrative. This decidedly academic book brings an understudied subject ("dudes") to the forefront. I am eager to see what Dr. Contois has in store for us next.

[Alex Berman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more academic than anticipated

I thought this book would be much less academic than it is. That's not a bad thing! The examination of the dude and how it's inserted into all the little crevices of food culture is fascinating. This book is super interesting and it's central thesis is wellvargued even if there's no conclusion or judgement.

[Maisie Wrubel]

finally! this book took me forever to get through -- mostly because it's essentially an extremely long academic study on the concept of the dude in food advertising -- but it was a really fascinating read. my only problem was that it could be somewhat repetitive at times. not going to rate it just because i read it so sporadically and for honors research, and it's essentially a research paper

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I read this book! I’ll admit at times, I had to put it down as it incited such righteous indignation when discussing dude centric advertising of the early aughts. I wrote a paper in college about my hated of Dr. Pepper Ten commercials and this stirred a lot of those feeling back up for me. I loved this Antalya day examination, though, and am so glad I finished the book.

[Veronica Lozada Tucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect to keep the excistential anxiety at bay during a global pandemic. It has a fun and light way of exploring gender theory, while also being smart, thought provoking and engaging.
I do think she probably spent too much time on Guy Fieri.

[Cheyenne Antell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little pretentious at times. However, the core concept is interesting and the author has a LOT of great facts and photos to oomph up the writing. I recommend as a great starter book into this concept.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, not very thesis-focused in my reading. I hope that I’m just unfocused at this time and maybe I’ll try again later.

This seems like more of a survey of male-branded food and Guy Fieri’s autobiography than a thesis-driven book.

[Mark Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, analytical, thought- provoking

[Haley Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a critical media analysis book, so if that’s your thing definitely pick it up