Post 6

In continuing our study with magazines and culture, I've examined Bon Appetit magazine, a magazine on food.  It not only reflects culture, but also how food has affected culture and vice versa.

Bon Appetit is an American magazine on food that is published monthly.  The title of the publication is a French phrase literally translating to “good appetite”—or “have a good meal.”  It was founded by M. Frank Jones in 1956 as a simple food magazine with good recipes and cooking tips.  After switching publishers to Pillsbury Company in 1970 and Knapp Communications in 1974, Bon Appetit is now owned by Conde Nast Publications (the same company that owns Vogue).   

Perhaps most eventful in Bon Appetit’s recent history was the assigning of Adam Rapoport as editor-in-chief in 2010 (Moskin, 2010).  Adam Rapoport was previously an editor for GQ Magazine.  Rapoport’s vision is to “build on the massive in food in this country” (Moskin, 2010), and he certainly has—since 2010, he has transformed the whole look and feel of Bon Appetit to market toward a broader audience, keeping its traditional focus on food, but also using food as a medium in exploring new areas such as restaurant dining, health and nutrition, travel, entertainment, people, and so forth (Bon Appetit, 2012).  It is interesting to compare the difference in brand name and editorial design between Rapoport’s Bon Appetit and an older edition of the same publication and automatically see the difference in feel just in the type, photography, and visual design.  It is also interesting to see the intersection of popular culture and food.  Indeed, as food is becoming a “part of being an informed, stylish, with-it kind of person,” (Moskin, 2010) the change to a modern design with a more lifestyle approach seems wise and appropriate in attracting this main-stream audience.  

Food is such an inherently connected aspect to culture, and is a subject that everyone loves.  In creating a magazine that is focused on food, it is necessary to be keen on what a culture considers appealing and attractive, and to know how to stretch those boundaries and horizons by introducing new concepts.  In seeing how Bon Appetit has changed its brand as of late, we can see how the view of food has changed in culture and society.  Food is now not only something you eat, but it is also a symbol of culture, of class, and of a life that is good—a life that we can aspire toward.  Bon Appetit magazine has recognized this, and has adapted to the culture around food to attract the modern patron and lover of food.  The inclusion of these new lifestyle elements into their magazine have given Bon Appetit  the ability to explore new ways of influencing culture through food.