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I can't read that article because there's no site pass today!

Good find.

Like all scenes, I imagine the foodie scene can be irritatingly insular and over-wrought. But there is something in the tone of this that I don't like -- I suspect it's my lack of sympathy for the narrator.

At the same time, I still occasionally say that I wasn't able to really enjoy music until I stopped writing about it, so I can see where the strange guilt in this piece is coming from.

Towards the end, she gets to a more thorough critique of the food writing industry, and this is the damning quote for the local magazine:

"'Food porn,' I was told at the Monday editorial meeting. That was key. Enough with the essays about science and art; no more interviews with God-fearing conductors. Starting immediately, the magazine was slashing word counts and doubling the number of photos. Also, we needed more chefs. Cute ones. Funny-looking was fine if they were ethnic; but for the most part, we were looking for young, white, rock star guys."

[Also, a cross-reference: a post from July about Ann Bauer's book.]

I liked the article (especially the title, as I am a self proclaimed Food Slut), I don't think she came off as an elitist at all. Sounds to me like Ann is a former food critic moving on to other writing ventures...

I for one wish her well...

Hey Ann, get in touch with me and lets go split a nacho and a pitcher at Cuzzy's to celebrate this new chapter in your life!

I actually have little to no opinion at all about the article. Other than this, I suppose: Someone is actually surprised that the members of the upper echelon of any scene -- food, art, music -- become apathetic towards what was once their passion? Doy.

Yeah, but does she tip at the bad waitress?

Speaking as Ann Bauer's equivalent (loosely) at her (former) competing magazine, I find her essay maddeningly cynical and ironically self-hating. Why would Minnesota Monthly hire a restaurant "critic"/editor (they were mostly features, not real reviews) who had no knowledge of the topic or real passion for it? What must they think of their readers? And what are we to think of Ms. Bauer, who went from just looking for a meal ticket to enamored with the most vain, least meaningful trappings of her beat, to complete and utter indifference, but still had to be pryed from the beat. Her insights into the editorial process at MM are amusing, and should be spotlighted for its readers. The people who we write for do actually merit some consideration in my shop, where, whatever its flaws, the cynical realm of "food porn" has never entered the discussion. The Twin Cities is full of engaging food journalists, many of them highly eccentric, all with their strengths and weaknesses, but I've never seen anything from any of them as cynical as Ms. Bauer's tell-all.

Evidently, I have to see Klute.

You should. Jane Fonda can make herself cry until she's dripping snot. Paging Oscar!

Predictable? Granted. Flamewar? Hardly.