Analysis Of Thug Kitchen

The contemporary generation is living in an era where life is very fast-paced. People are always in a hustle bustle mode because they have a lot of commitments from work, family to hobbies. However, when in a constant hurry, there is never enough time to eat a proper meal. Therefore, convenience overtakes nutrition and fast, convenient foods have become extremely popular. The authors of Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook aimed to “inspire people to eat some goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle” (Holloway and Davis 13). The cookbook hit the shelves in 2014 and has been a New York Times bestseller ever since. It is a crowd favorite because of its unique gimmicky way of enticing readers to take charge of what’s on their plates.

Many recipes in Thug Kitchen are inspired by TexMex cuisine, which reflects the Texan-Mexican culture. The word “thug” is associated with people who acted bad, specifically Black Americans. Thug Kitchen is incorporating vegan TexMex cuisine together with presentation style associated with Black culture. In the present time, the word “thug” has shed most of its negative connotation and is associated with being cool, which may be a reason why this cookbook adopted this casual style. Surprisingly, Thug Kitchen is written by two white bloggers and readers were appalled when they found out. The authors faced some backlash as they were criticized for racism and cultural appropriation (Green). The intent was to create a fake thug persona that is vulgar and arrogant to instill confidence in readers to rethink food and elevate their kitchen game. However, the use of the word “thug” has enraged many people and is now seen as something that is commercialized based on the capitalization of certain cultural groups. On the ideological level, the authors simply want to share their philosophy of healthy eating that debunks veganism as a pretentious lifestyle by using casual profane language. Yet, it has triggered many readers’ beliefs and ensued food politics. On the opposing side, some think they are appropriating cultures for economic