Photo from Bon Appetit.com
You’ve heard it before and I will say it to you now, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Case in point, the muffin top. The once delicious part of an actual muffin, the term has now come to (according to Wikipedia) “describe the phenomenon of overhanging flesh when it spills over the waistline of trousers or skirt in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing. This generally occurs when an individual wears low-rise, hip-hugger pants, or midriff-baring tops that are too small.” Meaning just because you can squeeze yourself into a size 8 pair of jeans, if your ass is a size 12, it ain’t going to look pretty.
Bon Appetit has made their own muffin top as of late. Whoever they have chosen as their photographer is going in a direction that, though he/she can, they really shouldn’t. Let us use this month’s cover as our first example. When I took that out of the mailbox I just stared at it. My first thought was, why is there poorly lit dog food on the cover. Yes, that was my real thought. For my dog, yes, CCS, has food that comes in a can that looks better than that. Why make shit brown stew, put it in copper pot, with harsh lighting and harsh shadows? What was even worse were the photos that went along with that segment. A close up of the stew (which probably is tasty but I wont be trying it) that made it look worse than the cover, and the most craptastic picture of macaroni and cheese I had ever seen. I love macaroni and cheese and this picture made me want to not eat it ever again, I find that sad. I am sure it serves some sort of great photographic purpose, I just don’t get that purpose, and more importantly I don’t want to eat that purpose.
Photo from Bon Appetit.com
And then there is the suspending of food. Though I think the idea of food being able to fly up to my mouth appealing as it saves me energy from lifting utensils, I don’t really find it appealing in any other sense. I think the photograph as a photograph is neat. However, I am suppose to want to eat this? And showcasing it how you are doesn’t say eat me. It says how the fuck am I going to eat that when it is in the air like that?
I have had a subscription to Bon Appetit since I was a sophomore in college. I used to look forward to getting the magazine in the mail. Now to be honest, it hardly gets read. I skim through it when it first comes in. But since nothing good seems to grab my attention, I seldom go back to actually read it. And I used to read it cover to cover. But now that cover to cover is mostly thin. Filled with ads, though the ads have better pictures than most of the stuff in the magazine now a days, I don’t want a magazine full of ads. My subscription is coming up for renewal and for the first time in 16 years, I will not be renewing my subscription. Maybe I am becoming old and this does really appeal to a younger generation, who knows, all I know is that it doesn’t appeal to me.
So Bon Appetit, I encourage you to find some new talent, there is a lot out there. Just check out the numerous food bloggers who take pictures, Bea and Aran alone should be in your magazine, along with many, many others. Please go back to taking pictures of food that looks like food people eat.
Peabody (your former subscriber)
Kristen says
I canceled my subscription after the horendous ice cream cone cover issue. What are they doing and why are they ruining a perfectly good magazine? Ugh!
I hadn’t seen this issue yet, but ick – doesn’t look like it is getting any better AT ALL.
VeggieGirl says
You know, I have not been able to read Bon Appetit magazine for quite some time now, for the same exact reason – the photographs make food look highly unappetizing!!! I’m glad to read that you too agree with this, and that I’m not just a “highly sensitive foodie” 😉
kim says
lol… hilarious rant. from a photography standpoint i think they are cool and innovative photos, but yea… definitely not appetizing! they must be taking trends from fashion/product photography and trying to apply them to food… doesn’t always work.
Wandering Coyote says
I subscribe to Bon Appetit as well as Gourmet. You’re right, this month’s cover isn’t their greatest. The pot looks dirty on the outside and the stew looks unappetizing. Now that I take another look, I also have to agree about the other photos in the segment. Hm. I’ve been getting ticked with the amount of advertising in both BA and Gourmet, but Canadian Living is also full of ads these days. It seems like you can’t escape them. I still in general like BA, though, and it does have some good articles. The flying baking/desserts was strange, but I didn’t find it off-putting. I know didley squat about food photography (as evidenced by my own blog!) or food styling, so I don’t have as good an eye as many, but still, this issue is a bit bleak.
Jessica says
I was also a longtime Bon Appetit subscriber and canceled several years ago. I was on the verge of resubscribing (mostly to get the Dorie Greenspan columns again) but…thanks, you’ve talked me out of it! I love eating homely-looking stew, but I don’t want to see it on the cover.
Mojito Maven says
Ok, seriously this post is hilarious and I totally thought the same thing about the dog food when I saw the cover!!!
Sweetcharity says
Thanks for this! I’m so glad I wasn’t sipping tea while reading this coz I would have done that spray-laugh thing and probably would have wrecked the computer.
You’re so right about those pictures… awful! Now what would’ve been wrong with putting that flying cookie/cake/biscuit/macaron/whateverthehellitis on a plate and sticking that on the cover in place of the Purina?
MyKitchenInHalfCups says
Hey we all agree food is not art . . . well, no all art is not food . . . that’s it.
Maybe they just don’t remember what they are there for.
Hey wait . . . there’s no recipe or any of your photos to eat . . . 🙁
clumbsycookie says
When I hear the expression “muffin top” all I can think is a Seinfeld epysope. But I also read that wikipedia description once… Anyway, food photography. I really admire people like Bea or Aran that can make beautiful, elegant pictures. They do belong in magazines. I don’t get Bon Appetit here, but sometimes I’m disgusted with the pictures I see in some magazines. I allways though Bon Appetit was a good one…
Baked Perfection says
I definitely agree with you! I received s free subscription this year and when I was given the option to subscribe at an extremely low price I passed. Not only have I been disappointed with the photos, but lately the recipes have been uninspiring.
cindy says
i had similar thoughts about the cover when i pulled it out of the mail. couldn’t it look more like comfort in a bowl than mysterious cafeteria fare?
Psychgrad says
I don’t subscribe or read Bon Appetit – but I agree that the cover looks like dog food. Maybe they were so enamoured with the dirty-looking copper pot that they forgot to look at what was inside of it.
This is hilarious –> “Though I think the idea of food being able to fly up to my mouth appealing as it saves me energy from lifting utensils, I don’t really find it appealing in any other sense”.
Manggy says
Oh yes. Thank you for this. I haven’t seen this new cover yet but I have to say that is the worst this year. And it hasn’t been lovely so far. I actually started a forum thread about this. I remember there used to be a time when the stylists and photographers at BA could sell the sh*t out of the brownest stews in the world. They set tables, they took pictures of people enjoying them (I LOVE those!). Now it’s just… Not a lot of effort. Not very appetizing (hah, irony).
Angela says
well said (and hilariously put)! i used to really enjoy reading bon appetit, but the last issue i picked up (i don’t subscribe) didn’t do anything for me – where it used to inspire me, even as a teenager just learning how to get creative in the kitchen. i was extremely disappointed with the few recipes and page after page of ads. needless to say i won’t be picking up another issue for quite awhile…
Irene says
Oh my God, SO TRUE. I’ve been increasingly more and more perplexed by their photographs over the past few months. And their avant-garde minimalist cover last month?! It felt more like film noir than appetizing dinner. Although (haha) my husband thought the stew looked appealing, but he was really hungry at the moment and probably would have thought a shoe in a pot was a good dinner. We also get Food & Wine, and *their* covers make me want to mmmmm…..
Mrs. L says
I noticed the suspended food in one of the last issues and said to myself “great photograph but it doesn’t want me to make the dish”. I have the new issue but honestly haven’t even looked at it yet.
Rebecca says
I completely agree! I was just telling my husband how I thought Bon Appetit has been going downhill lately and I don’t want to renew my subscription.
When my husband saw the cover he also told me it looked like dog food (along with something else)!
Thanks for a great post!
Lynn says
LOL – Dog food! Yes, I thought similar thoughts when I looked at the cover. What happened to the luscious tempting foods that used to grace their covers? This is not appealing!
Dana McCauley says
Ah, but they have you (and the rest of us) ‘talking’ about their magazine – looks like they are doing something right.
On the topic of muffin tops, I always laugh to myself when I hear that term because it reminds me of the show 30 Rock when the JEnna character has a hit top 40 song on the charts in Europe that is called Muffin Top and Yo Yo Ma is one of the musicians. Very funny stuff. Do check it out if you haven’t already.
Erin says
It’s funny, I was looking through the past couple issues of the magazine and there were several photographs that jumped out at me for poor quality. There were still a few recipes that I wanted to make, but I expected much better photography from that magazine, especially after seeing so many good pictures on blogs.
Wandering Coyote says
I’ve just noticed that the US cover is different from the Canadian cover. If anything, ours is darker.
Karen says
Yeah, I finally gave up on BA a few years back… now I just flip through them at the grocery store and maybe buy 2 a year. Sad.
Best wishes and all good juju to the LFB!
By the way, I made the Whopper cupcakes and they were delish. Could NOT find plain malted milk powder around here anyplace (went to 3 grocery stores!) so was forced to use Ovaltine, but they were still darn good. Thanks!
Ron Merlin says
ROFL, “poorly lit dog food” ….. I love it Peabody….I couldn’t agree with you more, I quit subscribing to Bon Appetit years ago…..
timhenk says
Too funny. I was a little surprised when I saw the cover too. Very unappetizing. How about a llttle color, and not in a pot that looks like it came out of some meth-heads trailer.
But I have to disagree (slightly) with the trend of the magazine. Several years ago I thought it was going downhill and the only reason I kept receiving it was because my mother renewed it every Christmas. But over the last year or so I’ve been impressed that at least they’re doing something different.
I’ve more or less lost my interest in Cooking Light, too. I guess I’m just more into the know-how and sciene from magazines like Cook’s Illustrated and Fine Cooking. And, of course, the wit of Culinary Concoctions By Peabody. 🙂
Kelsey says
I thought this month’s cover was dog food, as well. Glad I’m not the only one!
Sara says
I am very confused by that second picture. Why suspend food like that? Is it supposed to make it more appetizing?
Kate says
I literally had to run over to the counter to see the Bon Apetite. I haven’t even looked at it yet this month!
Hannah says
Wow… This makes me glad I didn’t fork over the money for a subscription. I can’t believe such photographs would really be published- anywhere- let alone in Bon Appetit!
mimi says
and didn’t they do the suspended food thing for their burgers an issue or two ago? and then martha did it for hers? BORING!! and yes, that stew pot of is craptastic!
Marie says
I’m with you on this. Part of the reason I buy cooking magazines is the scrumptious photography! Well, if I’m being honest, it’s probably 90% photography and 10% everything else.If the photos are crap, I’m not buying it.
Carole Resnick says
I agree the pictures are awful. I have received and kept evey issue of BA and Gourmet for the past 25 years. It is fun to pull out old issues and track the popularity of the time.
Although the pictures are bad I will continue my subscriptions. I get the magazines for the recipes. With my subscriptions the magazines cost about $1.50 each per issue. If I can find one recipe in a issue that is worth trying and saving I feel I have gotten value from my subscription.
Think of all the cookbooks you have and compare the cost of the book against the number of recipes tried.
And, in my humble opinion, most stews, as well as meatloaf, look like dog food.
Patricia Scarpin says
Amen, my friend.
I hope they would listen to you.
I’m sad because there are other better magazines that don’t offer subscriptions to Brazil (and there are not many good food magazines here, unfortunately). But that doesn’t mean I’ll put up with the mess Bon Appétit is doing.
Madam Chow says
THANK YOU. It’s not just the photography, Peabody, it’s the whole stinking layout of the magazine. They changed it this year, and started playing around with dozens of fonts, different sized typeface, and horrible drawings. I used to read the magazine on the elliptical machine at the gym, and now I barely look at it. I have 20/20 vision, and I need a freaking magnifying glass to read some of the recipes.
dawn says
I do hope others agree with you here. I am one of them. I’ve always wondered why those two magazines were so popular. I always thoguht it was the ‘norm’ to have a subscription–never mind the recipes, just the fact that you had a subscription to these then you were in the club.
I like other food magazines that really teach you how to cook, create, try, test,etc… Like Cooks Illustrated or Donna Hay magazine (you might like this one Peabody). Her cookbooks are fabulous.
Carrie says
I think that you should write them a letter and become their head photographer!!
katie says
Oh dear that front cover fo the ‘dog food’ does look a little offputting. Don’t like the cherry thing suspended in the air either, it looks as though its been shot. Maybe they were trying something different?
nina says
Well done, you are the first person to be brave enough to talk about this..I often look at food photography and then wonder why are these photographs in a magazine and I am trying my guts out to even get an innings at a magazine..I have submitted some of my better photos(not that I am great, but…) but the editors are not very open to even look at new talent…I think most people in the magazine business, worked so heart for their positions, that they are hanging on for dear life, while here in the blogosphere, sharing is the in-thing!!!
nina says
hard not “heart, oops!!!!No wonder they do not want me near a magazine, with spelling like that!!!!
Eileen says
Your point would be better made without all the cursing. Not that I don’t curse from time to time… okay probably every day, but when venting that something is going down the tubes, a cleaner line is always taken more seriously.
Anita says
I’m glad I’m not the only one, Peabody! I’ve been drawing most of my magazine inspiration from the Australian mags lately – Donna Hay, delicious, Vogue Entertaining and Travel. I’m not sure *what* is up with the American food magazines – it’s been very disappointing! Even though the Australian mags are $$$ to buy here I still do it because they actually get my mouth watering!
Landa says
I saw this magazine and couldn’t even be bothered to pick it up. Nothing appealing about it at all.
Stacie says
If you don’t mind me asking, what magazine subscription do you get that is your fav?
I’ve gone through BA a couple times b/c a co-worker has a subscription. The recipes seem way complicated and have too many ingredients for my taste.
Blond Duck says
I think you said it all! The suspended food creeps me out too…
peabody says
Eileen-LOL, I actually took away some of my swear words…so that was tame version. Oh and most people don’t take me seriously, I have a dog and bunny running for president on this blog. 😉
Carol Peterman says
My copy is still on the counter, unread. I will get to it, I just haven’t been dropping everything to pour through immediately lately. What are you reading these days that is impressing you?
Lynne MA says
I used to work in prepress so I’m pretty okay with changes in the art direction of publications, even my favorites, but what an awful mess they’ve made of BA. I’ve been reading BA for at least 20 years, been through other style, art, content changes but really what are they thinking??? Lousy pictures! How can you sell food with unappetizing pictures? I’m not renewing subscription either. My sister sends me the loveliest food porn daily from her blog list. Made these tonight as a matter of fact. http://blogchef.net/taco-stuffed-shells-recipe/
If I need a recipe or want to see spectacular food pictures, I know where to go-bloggers. You guys rock.
krysta says
yeah, i have to agree with you. everything you have said is spot on… i don’t want dog food on the cover and i don’t want flying food that looks like is dripping blood.
Deborah says
oh dear oh dear! how right you are. Bon Appetit’s pictures have been going downhill for awhile now, but this past issue really is the worst. It’s actually gross. I wonder if anyone at BA reads this blog. I really hope so.
giz says
Somebody needs to send them a text message and say “eat with your eyes first”…wonder if they would want it. Blech.
breadchick says
What everyone else said about this spot on rant against the new, hipper BA.
I’m in the process of deciding which two of the eight food magazines I get I will renew and I can tell you right now which one ISN’T in the running to be one of the two.
I actually thought it looked like the new cat food with real veggies I’m feeding LB 😉
jasmine says
I rarely pick it up–as I don’t really enjoy the writing and (as you’ve noted) the photos can be pretty unappetising.
The suspended one looks like they’ve forced artism into the composition and are trying to evoke Dali’s Persistence of Memory but instead knocked the cake over.
j
Jude says
Pretty strong language but I totally agree with you. I don’t mind the s— brown stew but that floating thing is ridiculous.
Erin says
I thought I was the only one that wasn’t getting the gimmicky shots of late. The photo’s purposes should be to make the food look appealing. That’s the only statement that I as a subscriber appreciate.
Mary says
Thank you for not making me feel all alone in thinking the photography lately has been weird. I thought the cover was unappealing, but I figured beef stew was hard to photograph. And the flying food photos are creepy and starting to annoy me. Like last month and all those flying hamburgers. It reminded me of something McDonalds would do in the back room to show employees how to assemble them. But the hamburger on the cover looked much more appetizing.
Now I have to go find my magazine so I can look for the mac and cheese photo. I’m not sure how I missed it.
Debbie says
Hi
I made that dish on the cover on Bon Appetit, the Texas Brisket. It came out very tasty, but took so long to make. I had the same reaction when I pulled the magazine out of the mailbox, I just starred at it and thought, who puts food in a pail? That’s not going to make people want to make this dish. It wasn’t the photo that made me make this dish it was the use of ancho chilles that had me intrigued. It has to be the worst picture I’ve ever seen on a food magazine cover. I love Bon Appetit regardless of that error in judgement. 🙂
Jen Yu says
I don’t subscribe to BA. Nor do I subscribe to their “new look”. It looks like ass, really. And the font and the coloring of the letters and all of the junk they’ve been tinkering with. So put on!
That’s why I like my bloggy pals. They keep it real and they keep it DEELISH. I’m so glad you and I reserve our cuss words for a lot of the same things 🙂
Chez US says
This is fantastic! I walked by the recipe holder in my kitchen where I stuff my new foodie magazines, this morning & thought the same thing, “this cover looks like crap, who took this photo?” I just got invited to be on some panel with them as well (just today) to voice my opinion and to share my thoughts & cooking … I was going to send a note about the cover! I will have to show them your post! Brilliant writing peabody!
Sarah says
Peabody, have you tried Cuisine at home magazine? They have wonderful recipes and photographs. I like them much more than BA.
peabody says
Sarah, yes, I subscribe to that magazine. It is my favorite. That and Taste of the South.
Andrea says
I totally agree with the new style of photography with harsh lighting and the overall design of Bon Appetit. It’s all gone way down hill since they changed the look of the magazine a year or so ago. I’m seriously considering cancelling. My favorite magazine right now is Fine Cooking. You should check it out.
Emily says
I am sad to say that my subscription will not be renewed this year either, nor will my mother-in-laws.
When Bon Appetit used to hit my mailbox, I would curl up with a cup of tea and read it cover to cover. It was like having a chat with an old friend.
Sorry friend, this friendship has grown stale and you do not add to my culinary life in any meaningful way.
Staria says
At first glance, that pot of stew looks like someone filled a trash can with stew, horrible. I actually liked the floating food in a past issue on an article about new innovative ways to make hamburger. But it would suck if they did that for every issue, with the hamburgers it was cool, because it accompanied well the intention of the article, but that’s it… i don’t want to see floating pies on every issue.
Meadow McKinley says
LOL!! I have to share this… not but just an hour ago I sat down and read my first every Bon Appetit! I then thought..I wonder what Peabody is up to…and WhaLA!
I had the exact same thoughts as you…WTF is this? Texas Chili? HUH? Highly disappointed…and the recipes that were in there that I want to try don’t have a corresponding picture… I have a few mags that I read from front to back, bookmarking places I have stopped or tearing out recipes to try. It would be sad if this is my first and last subscription, we will have to see!
Nice to know there is a Foodie connection out there..
**my Texas Chili looks much more appetizing
Erin says
I picked this up to read on vacation and said the very same thing to my husband. Did you catch the creepily dramatic black and white portraits of the chefs they were awarding? I looked at the Bobby Flay picture and my thought was, is this some sort of parody where they’re mocking him because this surely is a joke.
Glad to hear others share my opinion.
p.s.-keep up the good work Peabody! This is my go-to food blog and I’m never disappointed.
Anonymous New York says
You make a good point about the photography. What is funny, though, is that my husband and I were just saying that the past few months the recipes are things we would want to cook (pictures notwithstanding). Before, the recipes in Gourmet and Bon Appetit were so complicated and not suited for our fast-paced lives. Now they’re a little more time friendly.
I completely agree with you on the photography point and I’m sorry you don’t find the magazines gratifing anymore.
kellypea says
Okay, okay. I’ll be the fat head on the block on this one. I LOVE it when people get all flustered over changes in their favorite magazines. Hell, my favorite part of reading Gourmet now is all the bitching that goes on about wrecking a great magazine. I remember being so sad when Martha was thrown in the slammer and all the gorgeousness went out the window and the advertisements seemed to be “first come, first serve, and the uglier the better.” I agree with the interesting change in the photos in BA — especially when if I shoot photos like that, I don’t post the recipe. BUT — I have been trying to discontinue my subscription for nearly a year now. They keep threatening to cut me off and keep sending it. I decided to stop mine because there’s enough material available on line now, and I can’t see wasting the trees anymore.
I AM, however, currently making that can of shitty brown dog food for our dinner this evening. Hahahahaha! Seriously. I’ll try to do the photos justice. Kay?
I just love it when you let it rip.
Lisa magicsprinkles says
My letter to the editor:
When I first glanced at the cover of this magazine I asked myself “Yuck! Why is there a picture of dog food on the cover”? I rechecked for the “bon appetit” magazine title and was horrified to see that yes, this was correct. I don’t think the photographer (Hans Gissinger) could have made this recipe any less appealing. In fact, the majority of the photographs in this issue are rather dark and dreary, conpletely lacking any anticipatory mouth watering reaction. The “vegetarian feast” hardly strikes me as colorful or healthful, but rather dark, ashy, without any life and not worth the trouble of preparing. Where are all the glowing, vibrant autumnal colors? Even the pic of the tree on page 127 which is described as a “stunning shade of orange” is flat, dull and lifeless. The holiday season is gearing up and you’d never guess it from these articles. All in all a very disappointing issue. I had hoped for better from you. Please consider a different stylistic approach in future issues that make your readers actually salivate and want to prepare these recipes.
Diane says
Unfortunately, I’m a huge fan of the new changes taking place at Bon Appétit. While I haven’t been a reader for 20 years (hell, I was 4 y/o 20 years ago), I’ve been keeping up with the articles/recipes for the the last few years. I’ve seen the magazine through the recent upgrade (yes, I did say upgrade) and I can’t help but love all the risks they are taking with the photography and even some of the writing. One thing’s for sure, regardless of the aesthetic transformation, the recipes are still tried-and-true, and the content- still interesting and educational. The cover does not scream “dog food in a can to me”, but a delicious comforting stew in a chic/vintage hammered copper pot (because if you’re a kitchen wiz, you know that copper’s ideal for cooking). While the magazine is definitely for the looking, it’s also service oriented. You read Bon Appétit because you want to know what the latest food trends are and want to experiment with the recipes… and for someone who subscribes to “all of them”, I’d say that I always get the best results from Bon App. Even if it means throwing my cranberry bread pudding in the air. Or maybe I’m just part of the “generation” that doesn’t quite get why food has to look gussied up with faux garnishes, surrounded by ostentatious tableware/decor.
PS: Not sure if you all have been keeping up with the current publishing madness but I’m guessing all the advertisements are pretty crucial in keeping these magazines in business. But I guess if you want a zine with fewer ads, they give out these free zines at my local bookstore with cat food articles and overzealous religious rants. Email me and I’ll let ya know where to find them. Just a thought.
Megan says
I thought I was the only one who thought this. They switched food designers and photographers or something. I totally agree with you that their photographs are horrible. Yuck! It’s almost like they want to turn you off from buying their magazine. Thanks for saying something!