If the zoomed in image of the food looks delicious while aimlessly surfing different channels of the TV, your thumb will automatically stop tapping the button of the remote. You will start following what the chef is demonstrating. If you have missed a substantial part of the program there are high chances that you would tolerate the advertisements to get a glimpse of the recap. Interestingly, it is not just women but also men are watching cookery shows with great interest because today men spend more time cooking than what their fathers did. The changing gender roles, the accelerated pace of women’s emancipation and progress in consumerism contribute in making cookery shows popular amongst men.
If anything is exotic it attracts more attention. The cookery shows on television are lapping up new ideas and trying to transfer the exoticism of the restaurants to the television screens and this is why men are also hooked. There is also an exotic feel to how the shows are being presented. The different light settings and camera angles add drama to cookery shows and result in the increase of viewership for both the genders. Most of the chefs are men. The male audience is able to relate to the show because of their presence.
The respect for multiculturalism has increased. We like to understand the cultures of different nations and food plays an integral role in understanding different cultures. This makes watching cookery shows a sensible activity for men. Moreover, watching someone cook is not a new behavior for them. If we get into the memories of our childhood, we would vividly remember how interesting it was to watch our mothers chop, cut, cook and clean. Whenever there were guests at home; a great part of the conversation revolved around food. The women folk even demonstrated each other the way a particular food item was cooked; with children jostling around to have a peep of what was in the pan.
Men have grown up seeing their mothers so involved with cooking that somehow that habit has got imbibed in their personalities. Hence they love watching how the chefs meticulously transform raw food items into cuisine that is from all over the world. The growth of society, media and technology mirrors their interest in cookery shows appropriately.
