Reading this article in the New York Times initiated a whirlwind of thoughts in my head. According to the author, Hollywood faces a strange dichotomy: on the one hand, diners have taken the concepts of ‘dressing on the side’ and ‘low-fat’ to a whole new extreme–demanding high grade restaurants to alter the preparation style of some of their signature dishes. On the other hand, LA is also home to a wide range of gourmandaise: high-class burger joints, 5 star restaurants, hot dog stands, taco shops, and a seemingly endless array of the latest craze–cupcake shops that never seem devoid of customers. It seems that Hollywood is sending us mixed messages (yet again). In the pages of Self magazine, celebrities claim to eat only nuts and the occasional piece of broccoli. On the other hand, they claim that Sprinkles Cupcakes is their second home.
What gives? The article talks about the gluttony/deprivation complex in Hollywood, but what about the rest of us? It is amazing to me that eating disorders seem to occur most in places where food is the most abundant. Yet, these same girls that shiver at the sight of bread, secretly lick their fingers after allowing themselves ‘a bite’ of chocolate cake. San Francisco is a good 5 hour drive from Hollywood and distinguishes itself of its ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ appearance, but it seems like a lot of us still come across the same interesting mix. The question that comes to me is, have we come to believe that punishment and reward can be dealt by the food that we eat? And if so, as we allow ourselves to indulge in the ever growing list of bountiful food one day while asking the waiter to hold the bread another, is guilt the predominant emotion in our lives?
