Trading Spouses: Cajun vs. Vegan

[Rinsewind]

I am somewhat embarassed to say that for the last two weeks, I watched a FOX network show called Trading Spouses. Can't even remember how I stumbled across it, but was intrigued by the cuisine and culture oriented match up: California Vegan (and fairly militant about it) trades with Louisiana lives-on-the-bayou-and-eats-'gators Cajun. Even though this is FOX and one suspects that many, if not most, of the reactions are staged, did anyone see this and have thoughts about program? The California Vegan woman was portrayed as a somewhat whacko control freak (with a kind but put-upon husband), while the Louisana Cajun woman was portrayed as rather rustic yet fairly sympathetic (with a kind but stupid husband). Given the conservative nature of FOX, would you deem this cultural show-down as a slam against Vegans? Liberals? Californians? Two ridiculously one-dimensional stereotypes of regional cultures and cuisines thrown together for explosive potential and ratings only? Admittedly, I did find it an interesting theme that did at least capture how important culturally-bound foodways can be.

Then again, I might have been the only one out there watching it...

[NulloModo]

I haven't seen it, but I wouldn't assume anything was staged... I mean, perhaps the people were hand picked so that their reactions would be what fox wanted, but I think if there was some behind the scenes reality show conspiracy we would have heard about it by now.

Besides, based on the Vegans I have known, I think being a control freak sort of comes with the lifestyle.

[PopsicleToze]

I watched the show -- twice. It originally aired about 6 months ago. I live in Louisiana, and I watched it because I thought they would really play up the Cajun back-woods angle -- alligators as pets, dumb country people, and they did just a bit. However, what they really played up was the differences between the mothers. It didn't matter if one was a vegan and another a meat-eater, and it didn't seem to matter about the California v. Louisiana lifestyle (and not many people here live the lifestyle of the portrayed family).

What the show portrayed to me is the difference between the two women. On one hand, you had a totally self-absorbed, hypocritical woman who is miserable and treats her husband and children horribly. She has no clue how to treat people with kindness and courtesy, and I have no idea how her wounded her children are going to be when they grow up. If you noticed at the beginning of the show, her children were interviewed and her sweet little girl (about 8) said she wished her mommy wasn't so angry all of the time. Her parental skills consist of screaming at her children and belittling them. Her husband gives into all of her demands and doesn't seem to have much of a backbone. It was just because of her desire to become a vegan that the whole family had to become vegan, and her daughter actually cried at the end of the show in total devastation when she found out her mother had tasted fried alligator.

On the other hand, you have a woman who lives what some would consider a total back-woods existence. This lady was a very caring, loving, giving mother who puts her family first. I fell in love with that little Cajun boy -- and he is ALL country boy who loves to hunt, fish, etc. What a character. It was evident his mother had good parenting skills when at the beginning of the show the little boy had done something he knew he shouldn't do. She discussed the matter with him and asked him what he thought his punishment should be. He was red-faced ashamed of what he had done, and he gave her the punishment that would hurt him the most, i.e., not allow him to go fishing for several days. Awww. Gotta love him!

The Louisiana woman also tried her best to treat the family with kindness and respect, even when she wasn't shown that in return. She came off as a loving woman who always does her best in any given situation. I respect that.

[Mnehrling]

I am somewhat embarassed to say that for the last two weeks, I watched a FOX network show  called Trading Spouses. Can't even remember how I stumbled across it, but was intrigued by the cuisine and culture oriented match up: California Vegan (and fairly militant about it) trades with Louisiana lives-on-the-bayou-and-eats-'gators Cajun. Even though this is FOX and one suspects that many, if not most, of the reactions are staged, did anyone see this and have thoughts about program? The California Vegan woman was portrayed as a somewhat whacko control freak (with a kind but put-upon husband), while the Louisana Cajun woman was portrayed as rather rustic yet fairly sympathetic (with a kind but stupid husband). Given the conservative nature of FOX, would you deem this cultural show-down as a slam against Vegans? Liberals? Californians? Two ridiculously one-dimensional stereotypes of regional cultures and cuisines thrown together for explosive potential and ratings only? Admittedly, I did find it an interesting theme that did at least capture how important culturally-bound foodways can be.

Then again, I might have been the only one out there watching it... 

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I wouldn't look any deeper than this is these people's personalities... No slams intended.. The so called 'conservative nature of Fox' is actually a myth that keeps being repeated until people think it is reality.. I've seen several studies on the bias in media (by Right and Left groups) and Fox generally comes out very much in the middle when you analyze time given for both sides of a view.. The seem 'conservative' because that side is often left out of the network news. Their network programming is often accused of leaning more toward the left...

IMHO, I think people will see what they want to see in terms of bias.. the studies I read simply analyzed the airtime that was given to people of stated viewpoints.

[Rinsewind]

I would certainly agree that the Cajun woman was a far more compassionate, respectful, and caring woman. That's part of what I was wondering about-- is there a message behind choosing a sympathetic person for the Cajun woman, and the stereotype of the shrill liberal vegan California control freak for the unsympathetic character? And how is food central to the different regional cultures and do we associate it with certain personalities?

As for Fox not being on the more conservative end of the available network stations in terms of news reporting, I'm afraid I disagree. It is my perception that, at least on the 24 hour news channel, the commentary is quite conservative compared with CNN or MSNBC. Is it Rush Limbaugh? No, of course not. It's more mainstream. But it is owned by a notoriously conservative man, and I think that shows. I live in central Oklahoma, and our locally owned paper (Daily Oklahoman) is much the same. Is it bad to have a range of networks from conservative to liberal? Of course not. There's a wide range of opinions out there, and different networks can serve different audiences in their news reporting. As for studies showing FOX isn't on the more conservative end of the spectrum, I would be interested in reading them if you have the references. I'm certainly willing to change my mind about the above opinion.

Having said all that, I would take Cajun food over vegan any day of the week.

[Mnehrling]

is quite conservative compared with CNN or MSNBC.

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That's the key phrase... The point was the studies showed that they showed an almost equal time to conservative and liberal viewpoints versus the other channels that are imbalanced.. (here is a very detailed analysis: http://mason.gmu.edu/~atabarro/MediaBias.doc )

But.. back on topic.. I still think that too much is being read into this.. These may just be these people's personalities..

If woman A is a vegan because she is against all animal cruelity, then it is understandable that she would act a certain way around a cajun household where anything that doesn't bite back is fair game..

Woman B (the Cajun), on the other hand, doesn't have an emotional connection with tofu, thus they won't get emotional over that being on the plate.

Edited June 24, 2005 by Mnehrling (log)

[PopsicleToze]

But.. back on topic.. I still think that too much is being read into this.. These may just be these people's personalities.. 

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That was the point -- it was their personalities. One was self-absorbed and cruel, and one was loving and compassionate.

If woman A is a vegan because she is against all animal cruelity, then it is understandable that she would act a certain way around a cajun household where anything that doesn't bite back is fair game.. 

Woman B (the Cajun), on the other hand, doesn't have an emotional connection with tofu, thus they won't get emotional over that being on the plate.

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Woman A was such a convicted, righteous vegan that she ate fried alligator.

Woman B wanted to make gumbo for the family, but respected the fact that she was in a vegan household and instead tried her best and made gumbo d'herbes, which the family wasn't shy in telling her they didn't like it.

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Edited to fix the quote links.

Edited June 24, 2005 by PopsicleToze (log)

[Jaymes]

Did y'all know this is the third thread on this one show? Certainly seems to have struck a nerve here, eh?

[CaliPoutine]

But.. back on topic.. I still think that too much is being read into this.. These may just be these people's personalities..  

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That was the point -- it was their personalities. One was self-absorbed and cruel, and one was loving and compassionate.

If woman A is a vegan because she is against all animal cruelity, then it is understandable that she would act a certain way around a cajun household where anything that doesn't bite back is fair game.. 

Woman B (the Cajun), on the other hand, doesn't have an emotional connection with tofu, thus they won't get emotional over that being on the plate.

←

Woman A was such a convicted, righteous vegan that she ate fried alligator.

Woman B wanted to make gumbo for the family, but respected the fact that she was in a vegan household and instead tried her best and made gumbo d'herbes, which the family wasn't shy in telling her they didn't like it.

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Edited to fix the quote links.

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That vegan woman isnt cruel if you compare her to the hetero black woman who switched places with the white lesbian. Now that was a cruel, cruel woman.

[Jaymes]

That vegan woman isnt cruel if you compare her to the hetero black woman who switched places with the white lesbian.  Now that was a cruel, cruel woman.

Trying hard to figure out who would be who regarding the supposed "Fox political bias" in this scenario.

[Rinsewind]

That vegan woman isnt cruel if you compare her to the hetero black woman who switched places with the white lesbian.  Now that was a cruel, cruel woman.

Trying hard to figure out who would be who regarding the supposed "Fox political bias" in this scenario.

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Fair enough. Hadn't seen the show before these two episodes. Anyone know if this was the first one to focus so much on food? Certainly there's plenty out there in print and visual media that deals with the subject of food as exotic vs. familiar. Just never thought of it in terms of "reality tv" programming before!

And nope, didn't know there were other threads! I'll go find 'em. Thanks!

[Milagai]

Having said all that, I would take Cajun food over vegan any day of the week. 

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really? is it that good?

(i'm serious, please educate me?)

milagai

[Mnehrling]

Having said all that, I would take Cajun food over vegan any day of the week. 

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really? is it that good?

(i'm serious, please educate me?)

milagai

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Imagine French with the Soul of Africa, the brightness of Brasil, and the spice of Cuba.

[Milagai]

[

Imagine French with the Soul of Africa, the brightness of Brasil, and the spice of Cuba.

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Thanks: that was very vivid.

But my impression of both French and Cuban food is : BLAND!

I hope Brasilian food adds some much needed spice :)

Also: similar descriptions could be applied to vegan food:

bright, sparkling, fresh, savory, etc etc.

I thought vegan was not a regional style, but a lack

of animal ingredients.

One can have Vegan Cajun food no?

And why can vegan food not be tasty?

(I guess that's what your remark implied?)

Thanks for your patience with my questions

Milagai

[Mnehrling]

[

Imagine French with the Soul of Africa, the brightness of Brasil, and the spice of Cuba.

←

Thanks: that was very vivid.

But my impression of both French and Cuban food is : BLAND!

I hope Brasilian food adds some much needed spice :)

Also: similar descriptions could be applied to vegan food:

bright, sparkling, fresh, savory, etc etc.

I thought vegan was not a regional style, but a lack

of animal ingredients.

One can have Vegan Cajun food no?

And why can vegan food not be tasty?

(I guess that's what your remark implied?)

Thanks for your patience with my questions

Milagai

←

The Cuba analogy sounds like it was wrong.. I was thinking of the spice like you would find in Jamica (or southern Mexico).. Cajun can be mind blowing in its spice or it can be mild, depending on the Creole influence versus the Southern Soul influence. IMHO, it is one of the original fusion (yes, way overused term) foods..

I've had very good vegan food, but it never seems to reach into the soul like Cajun does. (just my opinion)..

Here is a good link to explore:

http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html

Edited June 25, 2005 by Mnehrling (log)

[Jaymes]

[

Imagine French with the Soul of Africa, the brightness of Brasil, and the spice of Cuba.

Also: similar descriptions could be applied to vegan food:

bright, sparkling, fresh, savory, etc etc.

I thought vegan was not a regional style, but a lack

of animal ingredients.

One can have Vegan Cajun food no?

And why can vegan food not be tasty?

(I guess that's what your remark implied?)

Clearly vegan food can be tasty. And bright, sparkling, fresh, savory, etc.

But, by eliminating at least half of what most folks think of as a common food source, is obviously decidedly more limited than Cajun. Which includes practically everything that grows, swims, flies, crawls upon this earth. Cher.

[Rinsewind]

And why can vegan food not be tasty?

(I guess that's what your remark implied?)

Thanks for your patience with my questions

Milagai

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I suppose I should answer that since I'm the one that said I would rather have Cajun. Firstly, I'm not terribly big on vegetables. I've been working on that one for twenty years, but I come from an Irish household where everything had no spice and was boiled into submission. We never had any fresh fruits or vegetables, and it's taken me quite a while to acquire a taste for them. I have learned to like many different cuisines, mainly in self-defense (also why I learned to cook!) I have had some cuisines which would, at least in some dishes, qualify as vegan-- some Indian dishes, for example-- which I think are quite tasty. But my experience of vegan cooking has been with friends who cook a certain way because they are vegan, not because they come out of a cultural or regional cuisine which is vegan. Because of that, I have eaten a lot of bland, boring, or unidimensional (as in spicy, but like vegetables just covered with hot sauce) vegan food. That's not to say that interesting vegan food isn't out there, I just haven't had any real experience of it.

On the other hand, *everything* I have had from Cajun and Creole cuisine has been at least interesting, and usually delicious. To me, something that comes out of a tradition has had a chance to develop into a real cuisine-- rich, often complex, refined. Cajun (and Creole) cooks start with what they have available and have built it into a great cuisine. My experience of vegan cooking is that the people cooking it were often more concerned about what they were going to leave *out* than developing something out of what they *had.*

My apologies to any vegan cooks out there who feel they are part of a tradition, and/or are good enough cooks to make something really tasty and complex. Want to have me over to dinner??

[Jaymes]

Well, as far as I'm considered, you shouldn't have to apologize for saying that you would much prefer typical Cajun cuisine over typical vegan cuisine.

We all have our preferences and there's nothing wrong with that.

And in this case, I suspect you're part of a vast majority.

[Milagai]

Well, as far as I'm considered, you shouldn't have to apologize for saying that you would much prefer typical Cajun cuisine over typical vegan cuisine.

We all have our preferences and there's nothing wrong with that.

And in this case, I suspect you're part of a vast majority.

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no need to apologize for your food preferences.

my questions were to clarify what is typical cajun

cuisine, and what is typical vegan cuisine.

i have 0 experience of cajun cuisine; and i eat a lot

of veg*an cuisine, and the latter to me is totally

yummy, tasty, spicy, fulfilling etc etc.

perhaps i may find the former (=cajun) to be so too,

if i can get some.

can you recommend any good veg*an cajun dishes?

or does cajun cuisine focus on the creepy crawlies

and omit stuff that grows in/on the ground ?

and rinsewind, any time you are in my neck of the woods

you are welcome for dinner

milagai

[Jaymes]

Spicy Cajun-style fried okra. Y'all.

[Jaymes]

can you recommend any good veg*an cajun dishes?

or does cajun cuisine focus on the creepy crawlies

and omit stuff that grows in/on the ground ? 

With Cajun, as with most cuisines, it's not really an either/or proposition.

"Omit" is not a word one often hears when discussing the legendary cuisine of bayou country.

[Milagai]

can you recommend any good veg*an cajun dishes?

or does cajun cuisine focus on the creepy crawlies

and omit stuff that grows in/on the ground ? 

With Cajun, as with most cuisines, it's not really an either/or proposition.

"Omit" is not a word one often hears when discussing the legendary cuisine of bayou country.

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OK: thanks for the spicy fried okra suggestion;

i'm off to google a recipe.

Any other suggestions? What would a veg Cajun meal look like?

Thanks again

Milagai