The Language of Food: Potato Chips

Another linguistics blog, this one all about one of my favorite things, food.  Today's article, potato chips!

In his famous book "Distinction", sociologist Pierre Bourdieu showed that our position in society heavily influences our tastes, whether in food, music, film, or art. He argues that "hip" or "fashionable" tastes are just a away for the upper class to display their high status, to distinguish themselves from other classes. Taste, says Bourdieu, is "first and foremost... negation... of the tastes of others". The fact that expensive chip advertising is full of comparison (less fat, finest potatoes) and negation (not, no, never, don't) suggests that Bourdieu is right, that the notion of upper class taste in food advertising is defined by contrast with tastes of other classes; what it is to be upper class is to be not working class.

via The Language of Food: Potato Chips.

I found this blog through an article on NPR talking about a linguist they interviewed, whose name I recognized.

I'm recognizing the names of linguists now ><