The Pioneer Woman

I was watching the Food Network while I was running on the treadmill the other day. Since I don't have a television at Smith, the only time I watch TV is when I am at the gym. That day, an episode of "The Pioneer Woman" was on. I have seen this show many times before, but I watched it in through a different lens this time after what we have been discussing in our classes recently.

The Pioneer Woman is a "city girl turned country gal" named Ree Drummond. She writes a blog (http://thepioneerwoman.com/) that combines photography and recipes that are "purely country." On her website she describes herself as follows: "My name is Ree. I'm a desperate housewife. I live in the country. I channel Lucille Ball, Vivien Leigh, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!"

It is all kind of creepy actually. She blogs about how her children actually like wearing "civilian clothing" and about candles and household tips and tricks. It perfectly feeds into this fascination we have with cowboys and farmers and seeing a real live family being so happy living this life, we can't help but want it too. It reminded me a lot of the farmer portrayed on Food, Inc. There he was chopping heads off of fresh chickens in the beautiful country side. It just can't be true.

On her show, she portrays an idealistic way of living. Her husband is a true cowboy and they own hundreds of acres of land. They have cattle and she home schools her four beautiful children. Yet, when she was making the recipes - which are always rich and meaty - she uses eggs from a carton, potatoes from a bag, and meat from a Styrofoam tray.

What is our obsession with this idealistic farm image? We know what the meat factories actually look like. We know it is all a hoax. I watched her show and felt a little scammed as well.