Is an interest in food in the UK, "elitist"?

[macrosan]

If I want to buy a car or a DVD player and I know someone who knows a lot more about them than me then I'm only too pleased for their suggestions and advice. I don't get all defensive/aggressive because they know more than I do.

But this is to miss the point of the discussion, Tony. Suppose that you want to buy a car or a DVD player and you know someone who knows a lot less about them than you, then how do you feel when they offer their suggestions and advice ?

[Simon Majumdar]

If I want to buy a car or a DVD player and I know someone who knows a lot more about them than me then I'm only too pleased for their suggestions and advice. I don't get all defensive/aggressive because they know more than I do.

But this is to miss the point of the discussion, Tony. Suppose that you want to buy a car or a DVD player and you know someone who knows a lot less about them than you, then how do you feel when they offer their suggestions and advice ?

Much the same as when I read your reviews of a restaurant

[Kikujiro]

How much is this thread still about the UK?

[Tonyfinch]

But this is to miss the point of the discussion, Tony. Suppose that you want to buy a car or a DVD player and you know someone who knows a lot less about them than you, then how do you feel when they offer their suggestions and advice ?

That would be me dad. I humour him.

[macrosan]

But this is to miss the point of the discussion, Tony. Suppose that you want to buy a car or a DVD player and you know someone who knows a lot less about them than you, then how do you feel when they offer their suggestions and advice ?

That would be me dad. I humour him.

... yeah, mine too. But the question is at the heart of the discussion, and warrants a full answer. In my definition, an elitist is one who looks down on people with less knowledge than he has, and loses no opportunity to boast of his own knowledge for the purpose of self-aggrandisement. In the case of your dad, I guess it depends on exactly how you "humour" him

[Tonyfinch]

In my definition, an elitist is one who looks down on people with less knowledge than he has, and loses no opportunity to boast of his own knowledge for the purpose of self-aggrandisement.

No. That's a snob. Or an arrogant bastard. But he is not an elitist if he is not taking steps to exclude you from participating. All elites are exclusionary by definition. Only by excluding can they maintain their elite status.

If someone says me and my friends know more than you and we're not going to tell you what it is we know- THAT is elitist

If he says we know more than you and THIS is what we know-not elitist.

[Gavin Jones]

More details on the split by income of food consumption in the UK are available here.

[i don't think an interest in food in the uk is elitist - but might be seen as 'snobbish' - I do think trends in food consumption are interesting.]

[Adam Balic]

Very interesting. I don't remember eating that many spuds in the '70s though.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Well for example, I've been called a snob because I refuse to eat frozen food. Is that elitist?

[Wilfrid]

If you look down on those who do, surely yes. I don't mind eating food I've made and frozen myself, but eschewing manufactured frozen foods, if you can, seems sensible. Not to mention canned beans.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Well what do you mean by look down on?

[Wilfrid]

Hold in obloquy?

[Gavin Jones]

Clearly elitist has the same construction as, for example, sexist. It means to disparage or disadvantage someone purely because of membership of an elite.

So someone calling Steve P a snob for not eating frozen food is surely an elitist.

[peterpumkino]

Living in London does tend to colour ones vies of what is or is not "normal" or standards

Restaurants of all levels are more abundant and ( I am guessing here ) eating out is more prevalent.

there are one or two restaurants that would happily exist in London.  But, they are few and far between

Nice to see you are in good company for once Simon. AA Gill says exactly the same things about food in London versus Oop North. But what does he know?