Abstract
The chapter begins by defining the concept of authenticity and discusses different types of authenticity. The concept of commoditization is then introduced, followed by a review of the literature on commoditization in terms of its positive and negative aspects. As a result, it seems obvious that a broad consensus on topics such as definition, classification, effects, precautions, or management decisions to be made on the idea of authenticity in tourism and the commodification of culture or cultural elements is not yet achievable. While it continues to be discussed in the relevant literature whether tourists today seek authenticity, it can be noted that certain cultural elements have become commodities and started moving away from authenticity in tourism destinations. Some cultural elements that provide a competitive advantage have become ordinary; and this situation is mostly accepted by local people who acquire an income from tourism. Moreover, when the relevant literature is reviewed, there are also studies claiming that commodification positively affects cultural authenticity.
TopIntroduction
In the 21st century, the effects of capitalism have increased with rapid production and living conditions, urbanization, modernization, and globalization (Novak, 1982). Slow, valuable, and need-oriented production and consumption have been replaced by profit and purpose-oriented overproduction and consumption (Preteceille & Terrail, 1986; Ritzer & Jurgenson, 2010). Food is one of the most affected phenomena by sociocultural and economic developments related to society, has been exposed to this wild production and consumption (Hasan & Yu, 2020). Traditional and healthy food production has turned into a fast, unhealthy, and untraditional production (Wells, 2012; Rose & Lourival, 2019). On the other hand, food has become a hedonic pleasure tool beyond meeting the need. All eating requests that are not intended to satisfy the need for nutrition and hunger are termed hedonic eating (Schneider‐Kamp, 2021). Hedonic eating is defined as the consumption of delicious and appetizing food for pleasure. In this context, food turns into an emotional satisfaction tool (Lowe & Butryn, 2007). This food that provides hedonic pleasure is generally unhealthy and non-traditional food contained intense calories, fat, and sugar (Paul, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2015). Also, food consumption has turned into a purposeful consumption activity in the last decade. Individuals give certain messages to the social environment through the economic values and symbolic meanings of the food they consume (Little, Newton & Beveridge, 2016). Although the consumption of food has changed according to different groups of society over the past centuries, it is not possible to explain with natural consumption distinction that case. The consumption that enables individuals to show themselves as rich and to be attributed as wealthy in society is explained by Veblen (Veblen, 1988) with the concept of conspicuous consumption. It can be stated that food has become a pretentious product consumed to create an artificial status distinction in the last two decades. Considering Bourdieu's study (Bourdieu, 1994), food consumption is related to a distinction and the opportunity to resemble an upper segment, as in every consumption phenomenon. In this context, individuals who the majority of society, live in the city away from traditional production and values, and are socio-culturally and economically in the middle class perform conspicuous consumption.
Mass media are the most important tools that have supported this production and consumption. It is an important public relations tool for individuals and businesses and is widely used by all segments of society (McBride, 2010). Especially on social media, remarkable images and videos related to food have been actively shared by individuals, businesses, and dominant groups. Social media is where any post can spread and extremely difficult to control ethically urges sharing that have destroyed the traditional, healthy, and valuable things about food. While the food media on social media has been used by individuals for ostentation purposes, it has been used by business and capital groups for customer acquisition and sales increase purposes. So, it has become commoditized and a hedonic tool (McDonnell, 2016).
The commodification of food and it has become a tool of hedonism and status, can be explained by the concept of food porn in the literature (Dejmanee, 2016). Although food porn was first used in 1977 in the sense of similarities between food, its preparation and presentation, and sexuality (Dechmanee, 2016), food that is untraditional and unhealthy, becoming a status tool are issues that should be examined within the scope of food porn. In this section, food porn history and the socio-cultural and economic reasons that cause the commodification of the food phenomenon were explained first. Then the concept of food porn was explained with its dimensions.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Food Porn: The fact that food becomes a digital commodity and a marketing and status tool by moving away from its content, conventionality, meaning, and value.
Social media: Social media is a mass communication tool where people can interact with each other on digital platforms and share content.
Conspicuous Consumption: Consumption of luxury products and services aimed at obtaining and maintaining status.
Hedonic Eating: Eating for pleasure and satisfaction purposes other than to meet the nutritional needs of the body.
Traditional Food: Food that belongs to the culinary culture of some destination with its content, preparation or processing type, cooking method and presentation.
Thermopolium: Food and beverage establishments where people ate fast food during the Ancient Roman Period, which are like artisan restaurants today
Mass Communication Tool: Highly effective mean of communication usually managed by sovereign capital groups, through which all kinds of information can be transmitted to the masses such as radio, television, internet, and social media.
Hedonism: An approach that argues that people should perform activities that they enjoy.