I had to read this article three times to check it for both hidden irony and a heavy dose of tongue in cheek...I found neither.Until I noticed the contributer was a part time lecturer at Essex University(?)....Now I get it!!!!!
9
N.B. Moral introspection is what mature adults do to keep their own egos in line. It is in no way equivalent to self-loathing.
4
Just reading this is making me crave carbs like an addict. That's the real secret of the show. The universal human attraction to easily digestible carbohydrates.
8
Ok sure -- "It’s the passive-aggressive niceness of it that I find so grating" -- but so much better than watching American reality TV where every other word is bleeped so there's no discernable dialogue (not that anything of value is being said anyway). The GBBS doesn't have the backstabbing and all around ugliness that we are so used to seeing on American TV shows. The politeness is refreshing to me, even if not entirely genuine.
21
I don't think the Empire has anything to do with it. It is just that we British like, as the kids in 'Oliver' sing, "food glorious food".
17
It is more telling in way, that the Author cannot enjoy a simple and thoroughly engaging TV cooking competition without first rationalising away his guilt feelings for the British empire
It is my view that the very principals of social justice, with which he would seek to condemn the British empire. were logically transcendent from it, because of the principals of chivalry, fair play, equality under god, governance by democratic parliament and a free Judicatory, which stuck. notions of dominion over others, conquest by military force and slavery did not. Nevertheless the Author sees union jack bunting and evocations of village cricket and can only think of the atrocities of the Boer War and the potato famine, as if Sue Perkins should issue an apology at the start of each episode such that the liberal middle class can watch guilt free!
"what did the Romans ever do for us" I think future Historians will be Kinder to Britain and its rise and decline in Empire, than current scholars.
It is my view that the very principals of social justice, with which he would seek to condemn the British empire. were logically transcendent from it, because of the principals of chivalry, fair play, equality under god, governance by democratic parliament and a free Judicatory, which stuck. notions of dominion over others, conquest by military force and slavery did not. Nevertheless the Author sees union jack bunting and evocations of village cricket and can only think of the atrocities of the Boer War and the potato famine, as if Sue Perkins should issue an apology at the start of each episode such that the liberal middle class can watch guilt free!
"what did the Romans ever do for us" I think future Historians will be Kinder to Britain and its rise and decline in Empire, than current scholars.
18
As an American, I sometimes wish Her Majesty would take us back. Even with problems, Britain remains a bulwark of democracy , leader for responsible environment and respectable government. AND , a hard-working , gracious Monarch, dedicated to her country, to her people. Long live the Queen.
16
Tom Whyman may well be a part-time lecturer in philosophy, but he is clearly a full time fun-hating snob. The Great British Bake-Off is wonderful entertainment, and any navel gazing on the subject of Empire is so irrelevant as to be utterly meaningless in context. Furthermore, you have not yet experienced the unbridled joy of The Great Pottery Throw Down - cakes replaced by clay.
Tom Whyman's head may explode.
Tom Whyman's head may explode.
25
Actually, I don't think the British empire was even "arguably" the most brutal in history. The Mongols? The Germans in eastern Europe? also, I think the author would struggle to support his assertion that the papers attempted to link Nadia to ISIS. This doesn't work even as hyperbole. This whole article is a sad missed opportunity. Where is Sarah Lyall, she would have been perfect for this!
15
as an addict who devoured every episode, it is just plain interesting to learn about the history of the cakes and breads that the contestants bake, to appreciate baking on another dimension, in a pretty English countryside setting, so don't go bonkers reading into hidden messages, just bake or watch amateur bakers sweat it out. (And by the way, BBC just aired the best british potter competition, and it was thrilling!!!)
18
Britain hasn't been Britain for a long time, something which John Cleese noted in an interview about 10 years ago - from his home in California. What honestly amazes me is that no one here seems to know why, and it's obvious. Labour Party documents from the 90s that were leaked a few years ago, showed a deliberate attempt to open the borders and flood the electorate with immigrants that would vote for Labour (sound familiar?). Add to that, the fact that the most popular baby name for the last 8 years has been Mohamad, and now over 80% of London is foreign born...and I think it becomes pretty obvious where Britain has gone. A political party in Britain sold out the country's culture for votes...just like the Left and the Democrats want to do here. Maybe the in NYTimes in 2050 will run a piece by a foreign-born reporter lamenting "where has America gone?"
4
Protectionist xenophobia at its ugliest.
15
Er sorry to blow you illusions.But three quarters of London is actually white British and as a country as a whole the figure is nearly 89%.
Don't worry yourself too much from your armchair,Brittain is still pretty much is how it always has been.
Don't worry yourself too much from your armchair,Brittain is still pretty much is how it always has been.
11
I don't even bake, but enjoy the beautiful surroundings, the lovely set, the info about food, but more than anything the cordiality, sportsmanship, kindness, and civility of the program. Paul can be edgy and cranky and snarky, but he wants to see excellence and skill and artistry in the contestants and often melts when
he sees it reached for and accomplished to that personal best of any one of them. Mary can be a bit rigid and traditional, but you sense she wants to share her insights to bring more joy into the process of making food for others. In the English speaking world there is an absence of civility and grace which is the glue that makes everything from a bank loan to a failed souffle what highlight the moments of the days in spite of the challenges that may arise. It is why the BBC is the BBC and PBS is LCD (lowest common denominator). It is what brings the fresh air into the differences of points of view and inclusion. It's the best product the British have and I hope will keep exploring and expanding. It's what cuts through fear and intolerance and ego mania and focuses of the grace available in each moment.
he sees it reached for and accomplished to that personal best of any one of them. Mary can be a bit rigid and traditional, but you sense she wants to share her insights to bring more joy into the process of making food for others. In the English speaking world there is an absence of civility and grace which is the glue that makes everything from a bank loan to a failed souffle what highlight the moments of the days in spite of the challenges that may arise. It is why the BBC is the BBC and PBS is LCD (lowest common denominator). It is what brings the fresh air into the differences of points of view and inclusion. It's the best product the British have and I hope will keep exploring and expanding. It's what cuts through fear and intolerance and ego mania and focuses of the grace available in each moment.
16
I have not seen latest episodes, but throughly enjoyed last season on PBS. A varied assortment of earnest contestants, representing varied profession, sex, ethnicity, age with typical reality tv annoying ( with exception of Mary) hosts. I learned about some sweets about which I was not familiar and cooking techniques. intelligent and entertaining.
5
Blimey, Tom....you are spot on and we love it all just the same!
8
I for one find - seeing if the "lemon comes through properly" more amicable escapism than how victim X being bludgeoned to death every-night in every city by a multiplicity of crime show clones. Maybe it's a bit quaint and embarrassing for the over intellectualized author but for us, its just entertainment.
27
We loved the PBS season. Without reading too much into the cultural aspects, my fiancee became a good baker thanks to it.
Maybe it's like Downton Abbey, Jane Austen, or a good Victorian flic. We all secretly wished we belonged to that upper crust. But now, as I feel in the author's regrets, the crust has crumbed and the pie is equally shared.
Happy Boxing Day!
Maybe it's like Downton Abbey, Jane Austen, or a good Victorian flic. We all secretly wished we belonged to that upper crust. But now, as I feel in the author's regrets, the crust has crumbed and the pie is equally shared.
Happy Boxing Day!
10
What the article fails to mention is that these bakers have mad skills. I work in an upscale french bakery and these "amateurs" are taking on pastries that can give my professional colleagues fits.
37
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. As a person who has very
limited baking skills, I marvel at what great bakers the contestants
are.
limited baking skills, I marvel at what great bakers the contestants
are.
13
I fell in love with the show because it actually taught me something about baking! And I don't bake. But learning about some of the chemistry and physics involved was really interesting, and there was much more of that in this show than in shows like Top Chef. And I join others in my preference for less shouting and producer-provoked personality clashes. There is more than enough opportunity for disagreement among normal people to satisfy my tastes.
For another BBC version of "quieter is more interesting than bombastic" I recommend Foyle's War (detective story set in WW2 civilian south-coast England) and Scott&Bailey (Manchester=based modern version of Cagney and Lacy)
For another BBC version of "quieter is more interesting than bombastic" I recommend Foyle's War (detective story set in WW2 civilian south-coast England) and Scott&Bailey (Manchester=based modern version of Cagney and Lacy)
34
May family caught the first episode of the GBBS when it aired on PBS. We were "camping" at my newly graduated eldest son's freshly moved into apartment, getting ready to fly out to the Rose Bowl (2014) as our youngest is in the Michigan State Spartan Marching Band. We huddled around his TV that evening and truly enjoyed the positivity and joy that radiated out of Mary Berry. Even if a contestant totally messed up the challenge, the judges don't tear them down. It's a lovely show.
27
I'm an avid home cook, but I avoid the US cooking shows because of the fighting and the lack of true amateur cooks. I loved this show. It was diverse in many ways-skills, looks, ethnicity. When I watch a cooking show, I don't care about who is fighting with whom or whether they are good looking or not-I just want to watch people cook and possibly learn something-which I did on this show. It was great. It was all about the bake.
30
Tom Wyman’s hand wringing over a television program about baking is strange. To use it as a cultural indicator and drag the darker side of British history into it shows he truly doesn’t understand the program, show business, or British history.
Let me put it this way, Tom: the program is entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less.
Let me put it this way, Tom: the program is entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less.
24
I thought so too. The very good things about Britain are on full display on the show. And who could not be moved, inspired by, the Queen's Christmas message?
9
I began watching this show from the former British colonial margins while living in Singapore. What the author fails to mention (or perhaps see) is that there is a material legacy of British culture in its satellites, which have followed some of its better practices in governance and stability. British county culture may be schlocky with its doilies and lemon tart obsessions, but the aspirations that those represent are materially real in other parts of the globe. Britain still exists, for sure; and it existed every time I purchased sticky buns in a very safe and efficient country for my children on a Saturday.
16
The more I work in the global economy, the more i see the influence of England through its former satellites. Despite the cruel aspects of colonization, the left over British-based governance has done us well in many far-flung regions. It has provided islands of democracy that have acted as seeds of economic success and sane societies.
I love the Great British bakeoff and have been watching it for years (BBC version), but failed to see how it is an indicator of the health of Britain! But I'll take it.
I love the Great British bakeoff and have been watching it for years (BBC version), but failed to see how it is an indicator of the health of Britain! But I'll take it.
14
The last season included the famous Baked Alaska bin incident. PBS confuses viewers by showing the season before last year this year.
2
Within seconds of beginning this article I was willing to bet that the writer was British. Why? Few people speak of their own country with such cynicism and self-loathing as the British, which is a pity as it's really a great country and could be greater. The "British home counties middle-class way of life" that the writer was born into and finds "grating" is one that many people from around the world would love to have been born into, but all this guy can do is whine about it. As someone once said, Britain is wasted on the British.
28
Mr Brewster ... some Americans are also rather good at self loathing. Which is at fault ... subject or object?
The beauty of this show, and a lot of British cooking shows that we don't get to see here, is that it's not full of all the cut-throat, conniving, competitive hype that the American cooking competitions have. And even when there's no competition, the American shows (cable, non-PBS) feel the need to try to make cooking more exciting than it really is, as far as spectator sports go. If you have a genuine interest in cooking AND really do cook, there is nothing more relaxing, entertaining and informative, than watching a low-key, British or PBS, cooking show.
17
I've never watched this show, but I enjoy it more than I did this column.
Having spent a fair amount of time in Britain and having many British friends, I find that it exists and is different from other English-speaking countries. And I like the British people, be they from London, the North, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, or Pakistan.
Having spent a fair amount of time in Britain and having many British friends, I find that it exists and is different from other English-speaking countries. And I like the British people, be they from London, the North, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, or Pakistan.
7
All of the Americans commenting here about how refined the British bake-off show is are apparently totally unaware of of the very very very low-brow Britains's Big Brother show. Which is also enormously popular.
The bake off show is a bit of a put on in its amiability, but everyone British KNOWS that. This year's winner as a Muslim is both a big deal and also a projection of what Britain wants to be. It is both things.
The bake off show is a bit of a put on in its amiability, but everyone British KNOWS that. This year's winner as a Muslim is both a big deal and also a projection of what Britain wants to be. It is both things.
5
Big Brother was a Dutch invention (and originally supposed to be a social experiment)
1
Yes, like most British things, it originated somewhere else, and was perfected by the British.
2
I loved the show, I wish I could bake and try to get some inspiration from the contestants. However, I cringe when I see the dental issues of many of the contestants and Mary Berry. it is a true testament to British dentistry!
GBBO: Civilized decency, food, humor, kindness, and did I say food?
21
I have to admit I like it for the niceness mentioned in the article, and the way it, and other British reality shows, are much more low-key than the versions on US television. (For example, the original UK programme Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is more low-key and less shouty than the US television series Kitchen Nightmares.) And I particularly enjoy Paul Hollywood's technical explanations of what went wrong with the contestants' bakes.
18
...and the American version really tanked because in Great Britain, it's about people who know how to bake, and in America, it is "cast" for personalities, and baking is a framework. It is a microcosm of what each country holds up to reflect its character...substance vs pretense.
22
While I love the show, please don't fool yourself that there's not an editing hand involved in selecting the contestants. The show is definitely interested in projecting a certain image.
1
I love British tv because it embraces or at least features older women and its culturally diverse citizens unselfconsciously.
You NEVER see middle eastern or Indian races in US tv unless they are really Americanized 2nd generation. You would never see a burka or hajid wearing woman with or without an accent on a mainstream US tv program. Or a black or Indian woman with an accent or any residue of her culture of origin still intact. America, the melting pot, haha - is still terrified of diversity and older middleclass women.
You NEVER see middle eastern or Indian races in US tv unless they are really Americanized 2nd generation. You would never see a burka or hajid wearing woman with or without an accent on a mainstream US tv program. Or a black or Indian woman with an accent or any residue of her culture of origin still intact. America, the melting pot, haha - is still terrified of diversity and older middleclass women.
26
Itsa fad - a year or two ago everyone in Australia was riveted by TV cooking shows - My Kitchen Rules, MasterChef on competing channels - we still have UK's Jamie for Xmas - but we've stopped watching and it no longer seems to be a topic of conversation.
I believe in Japan, new fads last about a week - so if you ask about something you saw last year, they are like 'huh ?' - no memory - too long ago already.
I believe in Japan, new fads last about a week - so if you ask about something you saw last year, they are like 'huh ?' - no memory - too long ago already.
It's a fad now 6 years old and getting stronger in its homeland. It does require the viewer to pay attention, and Australians don't have much ability to concentrate, being highly distractable. More likely they would stay tuned to The Great Australian Brewup, or something else about alcohol.
3
thanks for the unnecessary insult - but hey I'll get over it in a second - it's another perfect summer day in Sydney - blue sky, 21C - warm sun, gentle breeze - how's the weather where you are ?
I don't recognise half of what Tom Whyman has written. For a start 'Britain' will always exist as it is geographical name for all the islands (including Ireland), the largest island being Great Britain and is composed of England, Scotland and Wales. Hence the United Kingdom. In fact I would be embarrassed to be lectured by this man - no wonder he is only a part time lecturer! The rest is non-sense. Your correspondent RK sums up the UK, Britain, and the article pretty well.
11
It's nice to see the middle class happy -- somewhere.
9
In the US Xmas version, Mary Berrie has to say goodness gracious me, how sumptious and bisquit.
Any TV show, particularly kitchen shows, are the outcome of a total collapse of Western culture. One day we will watch Trump baking a soufflé on PBS.
3
I became an American citizen when on a visit home I found myself a stranger in my London. I think I lived the best of the post war years before leaving the UK in 1970 for a lengthy industrial career in Western Europe and the Americas. I still love Parliament, the Royals, the country side and the company of old friends. As the old song goes "There will aways be an England" but for whom?
4
London has certainly changed, it is now a place for hyper rich Russian Oligarchs and equally dubious Gulf Oil wealth, otherwise its pretty grim and I suppose thats why GBBO is not located in London
2
Umm, well, okay. I for one, along with many of my family members,
love "The Great British Baking Show", and am looking forward to
the next season. For one thing, the actual baking is very interesting as
are the contestants, along with Mary and Paul, and the 2 women hosts
(hostesses?) are a hoot.
love "The Great British Baking Show", and am looking forward to
the next season. For one thing, the actual baking is very interesting as
are the contestants, along with Mary and Paul, and the 2 women hosts
(hostesses?) are a hoot.
17
"In the grounds of some indeterminate country estate, at the height of summer, a group of people are gathered in a tent full of bunting and flags and a pair of hosts all wry jolly-good-ness, to ... bake some cakes and bread. It’s the exact distillation of everything awful about the British home-counties middle-class way of life that, for whatever dreadful sins I committed in a previous existence, I was born into."
Wow. You could have been born in Somalia, or Afghanistan, (or any of the Stans, for that matter). Be grateful you got Britain. Millions would trade with you in a heartbeat.
Wow. You could have been born in Somalia, or Afghanistan, (or any of the Stans, for that matter). Be grateful you got Britain. Millions would trade with you in a heartbeat.
17
My assumption was that the author was writing this with tongue-in-cheek. At the end of the article, he does come around to loving the Great British Bakeoff!
3
Regarding "there’s not really a whole lot else we do well here anymore": of course this is hyperbole for entertainment, but I can point out that the UK produces an incredible amount of good science and engineering, way-way beyond their size and even beyond their past history. Not sure why -- probably something to do with their graduate prep and research culture.
12
You did get one thing right there— towards the end
"a television baking show is a fairly limited material basis for anything"
"a television baking show is a fairly limited material basis for anything"
3
I hate to cook, and really, really, hate to bake. BUT.....I love this show. The judges, the bakers, the hosts, the tent, the English countryside, the creativity.
What would be better though, if at the end of each episode, they would somehow push a piece of the winning 'bake' thru the TV screen for me to enjoy.
What would be better though, if at the end of each episode, they would somehow push a piece of the winning 'bake' thru the TV screen for me to enjoy.
21
Takes some of the pressure off Adele.
12
Contrast this show with Top Chef. Top Chef is mean. It highlights foibles and is designed to bring out the worst in contestants. The British show, on the other hand, celebrates small victories. Sure, someone goes home every week. But they do so with grace and hugs. Not curses. To me, it's refreshing to watch something that doesn't bring out the worst in everyone involved just to boost ratings. Plus, who knew that letting your dough rise too much was a bad thing? I was enthralled and binge watched the entire season.
91
The "niceness" - that's exactly what we loved about this show - it's very soothing and homey, even in loss. We binged the whole UK AND US versions this holiday week and the UK original in particular was so "comfortable" it was just hard to stop watching! (The US version, as someone noted above, seemed more "cast" and not as genuine.)
Mr. Whyman's piece is hilarious. If this show truly represents the decline of the British Empire, bring on more TV like it!
Mr. Whyman's piece is hilarious. If this show truly represents the decline of the British Empire, bring on more TV like it!
6
There is no comparison to Top chef and this show. Top Chef is just nasty. I've finally given up Top Chef.
This show i just wonderful. We could never do this show in the United States. And that is a real shame for America.
This show i just wonderful. We could never do this show in the United States. And that is a real shame for America.
2
It's one of those things that should definitely not work, and yet it really does. I've seen only two seasons of this show, yet I am an ardent fan. Presumably participants perform some sort of preliminary tests to qualify for the final group: I don't know how it's done. It is obvious, though, that the producers cast each "role" to represent one segment of the rich, thousand-layered torte that is modern Britain. We've seen the strong and hardworking country girl, the bubbly Welsh lass, the stolid county housewife of a certain age, the cheerful schoolmaster, the probably-gay-shy-artistic-quiet sweetheart of a man, the quick-witted-and-effervescent young woman of color, the ruddy Scot with a glorious beard and a lovely accent, the young man with roots in east Asia...and on and on and on. I was quite taken with young Ruby, a student of mixed race blessed with great beauty, a talent for baking, a charming personality, and a striking lack of confidence. The would-be-mom in me wants to tell a girl like that to stand up and believe in herself. You just get caught up in the story arc, which I suppose is true of any reality television. The fact that in this one they are making deliciously buttery, gooey, sticky things is just the -- ahem -- icing on the cake.
22
It's a show where you can eat your cake and still have it.
6
The BBBS is far superior to US counterparts. For example, Cupcake Wars has an overdrawn energy that feels like a High School pep rally. The challenges are rushed and there is no time taken to discuss the relevant baking concepts. This is unfortunate since the US has many culinary baking traditions which could be showcased in such a program. From one season to the next, they could be hosted by different regions of the country with a finals, akin to the World Cup, pitting all the regional winners against each other.
5
"... as if this lifestyle could ever be made possible without the violent exploitation of around one-third of the population of the earth."
Thank you for printing that. One of the great truths we don't like to think about or see written down.
Thank you for printing that. One of the great truths we don't like to think about or see written down.
6
At least representations of that 1/3 are included in the contest as members of the family...you raaaarely see diversity with any of it's home culture left included in US tv. US tv is still terrified of diversity.
4
"... as if this lifestyle could ever be made possible without the violent exploitation of around one-third of the population of the earth.
Thank you for printing that. One of the great truths we don't like to think about or see written down."
Just like your lifestyle without the genocide of Native Americans.
Thank you for printing that. One of the great truths we don't like to think about or see written down."
Just like your lifestyle without the genocide of Native Americans.
3
Wow, what a lot of hand wringing on the part of the author--and as I read, I thought how British it was with all that whinging. I like the show because it gives us Americans a view into a range of desserts (e.g., Victoria sponge, Opera cake etc) that you do not get to see on the Food Network. There are definitely a goodly range of participants which is also true for Chopped on FN. I cannot tell whether the range of ethnicities is a result of choice on the part of the producers for both shows or a true reflection of greater diversity across the board--maybe it is a bit of both. I am a bit tired of the perspective from across the pond that seems to get trotted out frequently about Americans' naive view of the old Empire that was quaint and civilized. As we all probably know too well, everyone understands that empire building comes with brutality and deprivation clothed in some ideology for the good and rational. The search for a national identity post Empire for the Brits (and soon for Americans) cannot be signified in a baking contest.
20
I live over there. Let me tell you, only a Brit could rationalise his affection for a show as dull as this one. That's the thing with Brits. They find that they don't really deserve 'good', they feel a bit nervous about 'good' like the hammer is about to fall; so they find something crap, and they cherish it in all its crapness. And won't be swayed. They will dig and dig to find a nugget of charm in a large pile of....well, you know.
12
Its fascinating to read what others project onto a programme which has essentially become bit of a phenomenon. I really can't be doing with Mr Whyman's hand wringing self loathing. It seems that the more academics, commentators or whoever judges the endless death of empire, the more it lives. Go figure.
To me GBBO reminds me more of all the lightness and natural bonhomie of a country/garden fete where you'll often find stalls of all manner of baked produce and much jam. Empire is as much removed from these events as it's possible to be. True, a stately pile is not often the backdrop but this is television after all.
The chemistry (just like the bread and cake) and expertise of the judges and presenters is all important, without it we wouldn't even be discussing this programme. The thing is baking is a craft central to many cultures, whether it's a passion or a necessity, it's pretty fundamental stuff practiced by amateurs gifted or not the world over. It's this universality that I feel resonates. The style here maybe British, selling a particular view of Britain but it wouldn't take too much to transfer this show to any country so long as the judges/presenters were right.
To me GBBO reminds me more of all the lightness and natural bonhomie of a country/garden fete where you'll often find stalls of all manner of baked produce and much jam. Empire is as much removed from these events as it's possible to be. True, a stately pile is not often the backdrop but this is television after all.
The chemistry (just like the bread and cake) and expertise of the judges and presenters is all important, without it we wouldn't even be discussing this programme. The thing is baking is a craft central to many cultures, whether it's a passion or a necessity, it's pretty fundamental stuff practiced by amateurs gifted or not the world over. It's this universality that I feel resonates. The style here maybe British, selling a particular view of Britain but it wouldn't take too much to transfer this show to any country so long as the judges/presenters were right.
19
I do think the show's success is as much due to the casting -- what you call the chemistry -- as to the framework of a baking competition. They could be making almost anything in that tent, really, and the rather twee vibe would be the same. But I don't know that such a (superficially, at least) sweet atmosphere could be recreated in the US. We just aren't that polite here. I think someone would end up with fondant in her hair extensions, or royal icing poured over his head, you know? Perhaps in Canada it would work -- The Great White North, land of nice. But not here.
3
The American version of the show which just ended was pretty good. In my opinion, however, the Cake Boss show, "Next Great Baker," is much better. Buddy's knowledge and creativity seem never-ending. Buddy Valastro and family are much more interesting than the judges on the British and American shows.
The British Empire ended with Indian independence in 1948. No one under 75 even remembers it, let alone laments its loss. (And when do the Native Americans get their homeland back?)
9
The debate over the New Zealand flag suggests that the Empire has not yet faded from the popular imagination, and we're rather a long way from 1948 these days.
1
As a lover of food tv, a reader of the Times, and a curious observer of Britainers, I made it through this article, but failed to discover a coherent point. This is a directionless, angsty questionmark, but I do love the quote about enslaving a third of the world making that nostaligic dream possible. I guess, ultimately, this article is just a British person showing that Americans do not have a monopoly on generalized white angst.
14
This is very timely since I just pulled two loaves of povitica out of the oven as a special holiday treat! Thank you Chetna and Paul for your examples, I never heard of it before I saw it on your show! Any serious amateurs who wonder over the technical challenges, give that one a try, but allot yourself twice the time the bakers had. It may be the best sweet bread I've ever tasted.
Seriously, this show manages to bring out so much of the charming, diverse cast of bakers, that it is the most inspiring show on television right now. The fact that the challenges would be difficult for me and I am the most serious amateur baker I know is just an extra bonus. I have lived in London and traveled extensively in Britain, and it reminds me of everything I love about it. I am only disappointed that it takes so long for the new seasons to make their way stateside.
Seriously, this show manages to bring out so much of the charming, diverse cast of bakers, that it is the most inspiring show on television right now. The fact that the challenges would be difficult for me and I am the most serious amateur baker I know is just an extra bonus. I have lived in London and traveled extensively in Britain, and it reminds me of everything I love about it. I am only disappointed that it takes so long for the new seasons to make their way stateside.
18
I love this show for multiple reasons:
1. It's British and I love the humor and the accents
2. They're baking things we aren't familiar with in the States
3. They use terms like "tray bake" for a pan of brownies
4. Through the hard-core competitiveness, real kind human-ness shows through
5. My mouth waters through all the episodes
1. It's British and I love the humor and the accents
2. They're baking things we aren't familiar with in the States
3. They use terms like "tray bake" for a pan of brownies
4. Through the hard-core competitiveness, real kind human-ness shows through
5. My mouth waters through all the episodes
61
#6, It is the new Agatha Christie without deadly nightshade stirred into the soup with a poisoned arrow.
2
After seeing the world's horrors played out on the nightly news, watching this show is sheer, simple pleasure and a blessed relief. I sit, salivating on the couch, admiring the skill and even more, the wonderful creativity of these amateur bakers. I enjoy their quirky personalities, their sense of humor and their appealing self-deprecation. A welcome contrast to the American baking competitions with their obnoxious, aggressive contestants, each one bragging that they "have what it takes" and predicting that they will win. Ugh. A little humility goes a long way. Give me the Brits any day!
78
WaW, I agree. Many years ago I was a loyal watcher of a super-hokey, low-budget gardening show on a local cable channel. It was one of those portly-woman-with-a-trowel, one-camera deals where the overly simplistic information provided was secondary to the mood created. This gardening show existed to spread the love of all things garden. The Bland Woman With a Trowel was the spiritual leader of a Holy Church of Loam. I was mesmerized. In truth, the lady looked very much like a koala bear, in both shape and color. Her voice was, well, if koalas talked they would probably sound like she did. Her show came on during the dinner hour, when one needs to wind down after a long day's work. My husband once came in when I was watching this, listened for a bit, and said, "That lady is too nice." Like it was a bad thing that weirded him out. I told him that the niceness was the point. We need these small respites from life.
4
creativity? they have to follow a recepe, as precise as possible in a very fixed time slot. where is the creativity?
The Great British Bake Off must be the most entertaining reality show on tv bar none, the reactions are fresh, the judges are direct but kind, the hosts are hilarious, and the contestants are truly a cross section of the world we live in today, but still decidedly British. In US reality shows, the competitors are all about how 'i'm gonna win, and wipe out the competition,' in the Great British Bake Off, they're always surprised that they win the round or make it to the next round, very proper, very self effacing, very British.
69
The author, Tom Whyman is a part-time lecturer in philosophy at the University of Essex.
Says it all really.......what a dough-head.
Less than 10%of the voting population in Britain took part in the Scottish independence referendum. Less than 5% of the UK voting population voted "YES". Cannot possible construe this as a "moral victory".
Can't wait (or probably I can - for ever) to read his views on the similar BBC programme "The Great British Throw Down". And it's nothing to do with wrestling Stateside subscribers...........
Says it all really.......what a dough-head.
Less than 10%of the voting population in Britain took part in the Scottish independence referendum. Less than 5% of the UK voting population voted "YES". Cannot possible construe this as a "moral victory".
Can't wait (or probably I can - for ever) to read his views on the similar BBC programme "The Great British Throw Down". And it's nothing to do with wrestling Stateside subscribers...........
10
Tom Wyman, you are really reading far too much into this show. Not everything must be intellectualized to the Nth degree; try putting your brain in neutral and just enjoy it.
Like the author I am an ex-home counties resident, now living some 20 years in California (I'm a climate migrant - couldn't stand the British weather any more...) I love this show and not especially because of nostalgia, I'm really not a nostalgic person. I love it because it's a nice, temporary, pleasant and undemanding escape from the frantic realities of a demanding job, nose to tail traffic, yet another gun massacre on the news and Donald Trump all over the internet. Genuinely talented cooks who look like real people, competing seriously while displaying good manners, hard work and sportsmanship.
It's the small pleasures in life that make it livable.
Like the author I am an ex-home counties resident, now living some 20 years in California (I'm a climate migrant - couldn't stand the British weather any more...) I love this show and not especially because of nostalgia, I'm really not a nostalgic person. I love it because it's a nice, temporary, pleasant and undemanding escape from the frantic realities of a demanding job, nose to tail traffic, yet another gun massacre on the news and Donald Trump all over the internet. Genuinely talented cooks who look like real people, competing seriously while displaying good manners, hard work and sportsmanship.
It's the small pleasures in life that make it livable.
112
I'm wouldn't be auprised if this show became reasonably popular in America. The talk in this article about Britain fading is true, at least of the image America had of Britain (and it seems much more prevelant in the US than the UK). As far as I can see the notion of what British culture IS has evolved in the UK as time as gone on. For better or worse people in UK attribute things like getting hammered at Christmas, music genres like Grime, Indie Rock, Drum and Bass, and a sense of humour that emphasises self deprivation and aggressively insulting friends as more relevant and intrinsic to British culture. (to be clear I as a Brit are proud of the above- I appreciate they look negative when written down!). It seems it's America and American people who focus and glorify aspects of British culture like the Queen, the tweeness and "Pimms on the Lawn", aspects that British people do not yearn for feel is relevant or realistic or has any bearing on their life. The image of Britain I feel is prevalent is many American minds is a saccarine , totally unreal and totally uncared about image that British people hold.
11
It's a baking show -- and a very good one at that. The author clearly has too much time on his hands.
78
Exactly! Thank you! Why must everything have a hidden meaning nowadays?
5
Unlike people who comment on the article about the show...
1
Compare the Great British Baking Show to any of the competitions on the Food Channel- which are all so reflective of the Ayn Randian mental disease permeating our society- cut-throat competitiveness, winning is everything, ridiculous self-entitlement. I much prefer the civility of the British show, as I paraphrase from another poster - people working with humor, modesty and good faith- none of which I see in the U.S. food competitions, in which everyone boasts how they are so much better than everyone else and how, of course, they are going to win. Another feature to discuss is how the American shows always have prize money. The British (as far as I can tell) compete only for the prestige of winning. I can't help but see the American contestants as desperate pawns of the American style Darwinian free-market system- who will do anything to win that bucket of money that will either keep or project them into the middle-class.
175
"American-style Darwinian free-market system"?
Which country are you referring to? Certainly not the USA, where businesses are over-regulated, over-zoned and over-taxed by multiple layers of government do-gooders.
Which country are you referring to? Certainly not the USA, where businesses are over-regulated, over-zoned and over-taxed by multiple layers of government do-gooders.
1
never been out of CA or the US, maybe?
2
As the Brits might say--spot on!
I pity those poor Koch brothers. Imagine having to pay 15% or even more!! in taxes. It's really a wonder don't they just pack it in--what with evil Muslim socialist Obama confiscating all their hard-earned money. I hear they're considering going where all the smart money is going nowadays. They've been fitted for a couple of custom rocking chairs and they're gonna take advantage of lots of "free stuff" (unlike what they're doing now).
I pity those poor Koch brothers. Imagine having to pay 15% or even more!! in taxes. It's really a wonder don't they just pack it in--what with evil Muslim socialist Obama confiscating all their hard-earned money. I hear they're considering going where all the smart money is going nowadays. They've been fitted for a couple of custom rocking chairs and they're gonna take advantage of lots of "free stuff" (unlike what they're doing now).
4
The U.K. might be in a bit of a mess at the moment, but this is cobblers. Of all the many people I know I can only think of two who've ever admitted to watching Bake Off. I haven't. As for dreaming of Pimms and Cricket etc etc give me a break! Perhaps there's nothing better to do in Essex. We're a bit edgier up here in the north if you fancy a traipse up.
8
you've just made the same point as my woffle in half the text.
2
Since I've only VISITED Britain but am not British, I can't relate to every point that the author makes however I appreciate his insight. I love the show because it's simply a "genteel" (aka British) program that showcases average people who have some pretty good talent in the kitchen being judged by people who likewise seem to know what they're talking about and usually make the right decisions. The really fun part is that there's no prize money involved and yet the tears flow freely when someone is sent packing. As the author states, it all appears as innocent fun but it's still a competition that everyone wants to win (not least because of the celebrity and money that come AFTER) and the competitiveness is just barely hidden under the veneer of niceness. The funny thing is that I would have considered the show to have VERY LITTLE to do with CONTEMPORARY Britain - after all, no sensible person believes that all that "quaintness" REALLY still exists in a land that's become most famous for the astronomical prices of it's capital which is now mostly owned by Russian oligarchs. It's the FANTASY of times past that I find fascinating. I love the contestants PRETENDING they don't mind being sent home and the hugs aplenty when they are. When I learned that the "baked Alaska fiasco" was edited to heighten the drama, I felt deflated but soon recovered and watched anew. No baker, I always have my tea and store-bought crumpets ready with each new episode. Now THAT'S British!
9
If you can look beyond the typical "we're all just rubbish -- pardon me for living" mock-sincere, post colonial, politically correct, self-denigrating codswallop so typical of contemporary British attitudes, there's actually more than a grain of truth in the article. The Great British Bake-Off shows ordinary people working with humor. modesty and good faith to create something harmless and delicious. So what's not to love?
38
Well I had to look up "codswallop". Thanks for that!
1
I found this show by accident and am so grateful I did. I was thrilled to hear that Mary would be on the limited run ABC show. I watched for perhaps 5 minutes and turned it off. The hosts, Mary's co-judge were just horrid, American television ruined another British masterpiece.
39
Try it again....I thought the same thing for the first five minutes, but now have made it through the 3rd one...somehow the contestants seem weaker bakers overall than the British contestants, but the Americna judge is warming up and he's very likable. Not sure on the Nia & husband team; they don't seem to know anything about baking but it is not as charming as the British co-hosts.
4
The American version of the show was really bad, like the Disney version of Winnie the Pooh. Some things are better left un-americanized.
14
most things are better left un-americanized!
2
the dispute over the writer's claim that the British Empire was the "cruelest" brings to mind the finest contribution of the U.K. to modern life, Fawlty Towers, in the episode where an irate American tags the hotel as "the lousiest joint in all of England." The Major objects, saying that was " place in Brighton!"
The fact of the matter is that the British in their effort to keep so Imperial holdings after WWII killed thousands in Malaya, and practiced torture in Aden and Kenya, not to speak of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Belfast
The fact of the matter is that the British in their effort to keep so Imperial holdings after WWII killed thousands in Malaya, and practiced torture in Aden and Kenya, not to speak of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Belfast
2
As a former professional baker, pastry chef and cake decorator I've been impressed by this show. How much experience do the contestants have? They must be very passionate amateurs to be able to complete sophisticated recipes in such limited time. (And without clear instructions, apparently).
Can someone fill me in on how it works - they seem to get practice time at home before each show - correct?
What I love about all the British TV imports is that the actors and contestants are not all beautiful, hip twenty- and thirty-somethings, but come from all age groups and all walks of life.
If you channel surf American TV, you can barely tell one show from the other.
Can someone fill me in on how it works - they seem to get practice time at home before each show - correct?
What I love about all the British TV imports is that the actors and contestants are not all beautiful, hip twenty- and thirty-somethings, but come from all age groups and all walks of life.
If you channel surf American TV, you can barely tell one show from the other.
101
It's my understanding that the first and third challenges they know about ahead of time, and are given some time to practice at home prior to the show's taping (but those challenges are also the ones that most rely on their own creativity or experience to determine format, decoration, or flavors). The second challenge—the "technical" challenge—they know nothing about beforehand, and are given only a basic outline of the recipe, along with the required ingredients. They need to "know their stuff" as bakers in order to complete it at all, much less under a time limit.
8
There are three challenges in each episode. For the Spotlight and Showstopper challenges, they know the brief and can practice it at home before the actual competition. For the Technical challenge, they have no advance notice and are given very minimal instructions (often without bake times, temperatures, etc.) on how to complete something that, quite often, none of them have ever even seen let alone made.
4
Signature Bake. :-)
1
My family and I love this show. Unlike American reality tv, The Great British Baking Show is fun, funny, quirky, surprising - a delight. No childish rants, no name calling, no fists. It's utterly refreshing.
118
No cursing, bleeping or vulgarity either. It's fun to watch and it makes me hungry!
13
For me, the pleasure of “The Great British Baking Show” invariably comes down to the participants -- it's all so civil that I can scarcely call them "contestants." Compare that to many American TV cooking contests that seem deliberately cast for drama! I wouldn't want a single one of those contestants in my home for five minutes. By contrast, any British baker could chat about types of pastry for an hour, and I would just keep giving them more tea. Utterly delightful.
39
I agree, but you know what else I find so wonderful about it? They're not competing for anything in particular, other than to be the last baker standing. The obsession in American reality TV with showering winners great piles of carefully cross-marketed prizes and satchels full of cash somehow takes away from whatever the dubious achievement may be. Here, the goal is simply to be as good of a baker as possible, and at the end, be the star of a lovely gathering on the lawn of a lavish if anachronous estate. Nice.
35
I have to laugh, too, because the British are to be attributed with the spread and adoption of Caribbean sugar, which helped build their empire. A baking show is a faint reminder that without the sugar, the whole premise is on shaky ground!
2
Sugar grown by slaves, a practice where the French and the Dutch made the British look like amateurs.
5
Not that America hasn't had a hand in that, either.
What a as self satisfied misery guts! The viewing figures show how many people enjoy the lighthearted simplicity of a show which is, after all, just about making nice things to eat, sometimes successfully, sometimes with soggy bottoms. It's baking, not brain surgery. Epic poem? Only a university lecturer would talk such nonsense.
69
Wow, Tom sounds like a fun guy.
"The show is a reality-TV competition in which charming amateur baking enthusiasts are challenged to make lavish cakes and torts, savory pies and obscure European loaves. Each week, the least successful baker is sent off with hugs and well wishes, until a winner emerges." Exactly! Why build a column around the premise of finding fault with such a harmless entertainment?
Oh, and the "exactly two" people who decide which baker won't return? They're called judges, widely recognized as experts in their field. Offering advice about balancing flavors is an example of how they share their expertise with the contestants. Finding fault with this show requires a long, long stretch.
"The show is a reality-TV competition in which charming amateur baking enthusiasts are challenged to make lavish cakes and torts, savory pies and obscure European loaves. Each week, the least successful baker is sent off with hugs and well wishes, until a winner emerges." Exactly! Why build a column around the premise of finding fault with such a harmless entertainment?
Oh, and the "exactly two" people who decide which baker won't return? They're called judges, widely recognized as experts in their field. Offering advice about balancing flavors is an example of how they share their expertise with the contestants. Finding fault with this show requires a long, long stretch.
60
I've only seen a few of the shows but happened to see the final when Nadiya won. She was so sweet and excited, it was a pleasure to enjoy her success. And at the same time it was a fascinating moment - a fairly dark-skinned Bangladeshi woman living in GB, once the Empire, so very capable of making uber-traditional English food. Was her interest in the cooking all about the internalization of colonialism? Was she just a happy Brit with a sweet tooth? Does she also make fantastic Bangladesh meals? Could we see a brand logo with her face on the packaging, selling 'authentic' Brit goodies? It's a crazy new world, and sometimes in a good way.
7
Whoa, Gaston! At least the author *warned* us about a spoiler in his column - please don't ruin the next season in the comments section!
But Naydia was identified as the winner in the article, your ladyship.
9
She's British Gaston, born and bred, and lives with her British born husband and family in Bradford. Which exemplifies the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society that is Britain. Which is great! Oh, and it has bugger all to do with fading Empires.
5
The writer's thoughts on what being British means are very personal and don't represent the zeitgeist.
6
I consider myself a liberal in most issues but I am beginning to get tired of the liberal 'script" that so many - this is my term - robotic liberals follow wiithout question; where everything white, traditional, Christian, and western becomes cruel, foul, and passe.
Like liberals who will embrace Muslim refuges but reject Christian refuges because it is not fashionable to shelter Christians.
The writer does not know what he is talking about when he calls the British Empire the most cruel. Of course there is an element of ruthlessness in empire building but of all the colonial empires in history, the British was probably the most enlightened. The British went into Central Africa to stamp out slavery; for every Rhodes, there was a Livingstone. In India, they kept the peace between Hindus and Muslims, essentially created an Indian identity, and united the country, which was a mosaic before Clive.
Plus they built a network of rail and created the Indian civil service: At Independence in 1947, Indians already ruled India.
The mother of a Pakistani friend once told me that Pakistan was better off under British rule. Let that be the epitaph.
Like liberals who will embrace Muslim refuges but reject Christian refuges because it is not fashionable to shelter Christians.
The writer does not know what he is talking about when he calls the British Empire the most cruel. Of course there is an element of ruthlessness in empire building but of all the colonial empires in history, the British was probably the most enlightened. The British went into Central Africa to stamp out slavery; for every Rhodes, there was a Livingstone. In India, they kept the peace between Hindus and Muslims, essentially created an Indian identity, and united the country, which was a mosaic before Clive.
Plus they built a network of rail and created the Indian civil service: At Independence in 1947, Indians already ruled India.
The mother of a Pakistani friend once told me that Pakistan was better off under British rule. Let that be the epitaph.
23
Well Andrea, if you are truly interested in "enlightened" empires I might suggest reading up on the Ottomans or perhaps Kublai Khan's China but inasmuch as they were not "white, traditional, Christian, and western," it does not sound as if you would be interested.
4
I think you have the most liberal opinion about colonialism! That is from a colonialist's point of view. Being an Indian I know that the British contributed to make India what it is today. But they never planned to make India better as a colony, other than for their own economic reasons. At the time of independence average life expectancy in India was 32 years. Does not say much about the liberal attitude of colonial Britain, does it? The same goes for general economic condition in every sphere of life in an occupied colony - the occupier nation is there for some economic gain. Please don't be overly patronizing while thinking of times past, especially when you talk of matters you are not fully aware of. Colonialism was a kind of economic slavery, and no matter how liberal we get, we should remember that. I am fully aware that these are matters of past and the world has moved on. India is still languishing because it lacks political will and determination, and as an Indian I hope it will rise over disgraceful politicians and their petty squabbles to become a better nation and society. However I doubt if it will ever have much to thank Britain for.
18
"everything white, traditional, Christian, and western becomes cruel, foul, and passe."
Better get that considerer looked at.
Better get that considerer looked at.
1
I love this show. I wish Heidi Klum and Harvey Weinstein would watch it because I find the manufactured and unmanufactured interpersonal drama on most US reality shows to be so boring and uninteresting when really, all I want to see is the talent and creativity that the participants possess...whether with clothes or food. I only wish that I was able to see some of the prior seasons.
31
Netflix currently streams Season one.
3
It's frustratingly hard to legally watch prior seasons of this show. You can find one or two seasons on Amazon Prime and Netflix, and I think the rest are only available on iTunes. I would love the ability to purchase them for streaming on Google Play or Amazon Instant Video, but no such luck. I've been forced to try to cobble together the episodes on YouTube before they get taken down for copyright infringement, even though it makes me feel dirty. Take my money, BBC!!
2
The hyped up cutthroat (but utterly constructed) conflict on most shows on the Food Network make the food an afterthought. The Great British Bake Off more properly measures and seasons its interpersonal dynamics: the result is a spongy confection of diverse delights with an emphasis on baked goods rather than cooked up conflict.
41
I think an even more accurate definition of America can be found in reviewing the American spin-off of this British gem of a show. Our version was rushed to the air before it was ready, all but one of the bakers were inept and the hosts were either ham-handed or we obsequious in the face of the inedible. America; ta da!
13
I found myself binge watching season 1 on Netflix. The contestants brought back fond memories of my coworkers when I worked for a British company. But unlike the author of this piece, loved every one of them. They were kind, quirky, charming, human and, yes, very British. And oh, those confections! Can't wait for season 2.
19
It's a baking show. I dont know this academic sounds
like the sort of lecturer who would request his students to write a thesis on the effects of Pumpernickle on the Franco-Prussian War!
like the sort of lecturer who would request his students to write a thesis on the effects of Pumpernickle on the Franco-Prussian War!
12
Already done: British Policy and Opinion During the Franco-Prussian War. (Dora Neill Raymond, 1921).
2
When Tom Whitman claims that the British Empire, "was the largest, most effective and arguably the most brutal empire the world had ever seen," I knew not to take anything else in the article too seriously. (More brutal than The Mongol Hordes?) The bake-off might be worth an amusing article, but to have it puffed up with irresponsible historical opinion is really boring.
13
Pay no attention to this frustrated non-inheritor of Empire moaning about his national identity. Just watch the show. The show is absolutely fabulous!
I am gluten intolerant and could not taste a crumb, and yes, there is an element of wistful wishing in watching the show, possibly similar to a celibate porn addict. But no one else watching the show is eating a crumb of these stunning creations either! so don't judge.
Just watch the show. It is marvelous. We've now graduated to the non-colonial spin offs from Ireland, Australia, and South Africa. All of the shows preserve the format, the niceness, and the lovely music, but the bakers are not quite at the lofty level of the Great British. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood reign supreme!
I am gluten intolerant and could not taste a crumb, and yes, there is an element of wistful wishing in watching the show, possibly similar to a celibate porn addict. But no one else watching the show is eating a crumb of these stunning creations either! so don't judge.
Just watch the show. It is marvelous. We've now graduated to the non-colonial spin offs from Ireland, Australia, and South Africa. All of the shows preserve the format, the niceness, and the lovely music, but the bakers are not quite at the lofty level of the Great British. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood reign supreme!
18
Biased, naked contempt of one of the greatest European cultures to emerge in the region, giving the world great universities, great playwrights, literary traditions, the single greatest writer in the English language still after 450 years, painters, poets, evolving law away from powerful monarchies to democracy - and all this writer, like every other one of his ilk, can focus on is some "twee folksy ideal that never existed". Actually, Mr Whyman, a great English culture characterised by a profound respect for law, for example, did exist. No one ever suggested it was "ideal" but it was great. It is gone now - thanks to the endless drumbeat of contempt from blindered leftwing ideologues who understood it and despised it because is wasn't "multicultural" enough. Well, now it is: Theresa May has had to launch an investigation into the sharia courts now proliferating across Britain and setting up a parallel legal system in which women are getting short shrift, and an England in which more than 100,000+ women have been affected by FGM over the last 40 years (including in Wales) and a capital city in which whole neighborhoods feature women in full niqab and the only unveiled women are interlopers from outside. Why don't you talk about that instead of Nadiya's winning of one edition of a very silly television program.
Today's Britain is a sadly Balkanised, identity-politics ridden, incoherent, increasingly lawless ugly shadow of its former self - thanks to people like you.
Today's Britain is a sadly Balkanised, identity-politics ridden, incoherent, increasingly lawless ugly shadow of its former self - thanks to people like you.
9
See, that's part of Britain's problem right there. "a great English culture." You don't describe it as British, but English, leaving your Scottish, N Irish and Welsh compatriots wondering what they've been doing for the past few hundred years.
3
They've been colonized by England for the last few hundreds years. Before that they were free.
1
Gosh, Elizabeth. I'm sorry you seem to have so much to be angry about. Like you, I miss some aspects of the nation into which I was born, but I suspect the members of every generation feel the same way as they grow older. The past is a foreign country.
Personally, I trace the loss of much that used to be good about the UK to the rise of Mrs. Thatcher. During her decade in power, greed became good, ostentation and boastfulness went from being anathema to de rigueur and it was decided that there is no such thing as society. But my view is no doubt a result of my being a "blindered (sic) leftwing (sic) ideologue."
Don't panic too much about Sharia law in Britain. The proposal (made by, among others, the then archbishop of Canterbury) is just for Muslim arbitration panels that can hear only civil cases -- so no beheadings or chopping off of hands -- when both parties elect to use that forum. These panels would still be governed by English or Scottish law but could make decisions within that framework based on the principles and teachings of the participants' faith. Dissatisfied parties could appeal to English or Scottish courts.
In other words, Muslims would be afforded precisely the same privileges that Jews have enjoyed under British laws for many decades with their Beth Din courts. Of course, home secretary Theresa May knows all that already, but needs some political grandstanding to boost her chances of succeeding the prime minister. Sounds like she'd have your vote.
Personally, I trace the loss of much that used to be good about the UK to the rise of Mrs. Thatcher. During her decade in power, greed became good, ostentation and boastfulness went from being anathema to de rigueur and it was decided that there is no such thing as society. But my view is no doubt a result of my being a "blindered (sic) leftwing (sic) ideologue."
Don't panic too much about Sharia law in Britain. The proposal (made by, among others, the then archbishop of Canterbury) is just for Muslim arbitration panels that can hear only civil cases -- so no beheadings or chopping off of hands -- when both parties elect to use that forum. These panels would still be governed by English or Scottish law but could make decisions within that framework based on the principles and teachings of the participants' faith. Dissatisfied parties could appeal to English or Scottish courts.
In other words, Muslims would be afforded precisely the same privileges that Jews have enjoyed under British laws for many decades with their Beth Din courts. Of course, home secretary Theresa May knows all that already, but needs some political grandstanding to boost her chances of succeeding the prime minister. Sounds like she'd have your vote.
4
I must admit, watching someone try to arrange a caramelized structure on 7 thin layers stacked with ganache is as stressful as it is tasty. I've put my face in my hands upon the collapse of a baked good.
7
Listen, I barely know how to cook, although my French wife and I make a wicked good Galette des Rois, but I enjoy this show immensely. Funny thing is, I don't know why exactly, although I suspect the diversity of the contestants is one good reason. And, they all have such a stiff upper lip in defeat, and victory.
17
I didn't even know that Brits could cook anything! I only knew that they made clotted cream and scones and fish and chips. This show is a very nice publicity stunt though.
1
At my house, when something tastes extra good, we now call it "scrummie" (short for scrumptious), because if Mary can use it to describe a particularly "good bake", then I can. She is the best reason to watch the show. She knows a lot about baking. She is unapologetic, always direct, but very polite and kind.
29
"It’s the passive-aggressive niceness of it that I find so grating"
You do? Bless your heart.
You do? Bless your heart.
77
@Lorem Ipsum - Touché!
8
This piece seems disingenuous at best -- even the author is clearly charmed by the show and heartened that a Muslim, hijab-wearing woman won the latest competition and yet he insists on tying the show to the evils of Empire, the supposed smugness of the middle class (and, apparently, his own middle-class guilt) and the hyperbolic idea that "Britain" has ceased to exist.
7
I'm a Yank working in the UK and I don't watch this show or Downton Abbey. Most Brits have a more advanced view of their unique civilization and culture than the author of this article gives them credit for. But the UK does love to sell this quaint vision of itself abroad to lure the tourists across. I love the UK and wish the US were half as civil, as well as more societally focused.
15
As a life-long baker, I enjoy this program for the baking, period. I'm not a professional baker, and neither are the contestants, so we have much in common. I could do without the competition aspect though, and as far as seeking a deeper meaning, or looking for an explanation of the collapse of the British Empire in this, I look for technique and occasionally beautiful bakes.
By the way, torte is spelled incorrectly in the article. I don't think the writer was writing about legal matters.
By the way, torte is spelled incorrectly in the article. I don't think the writer was writing about legal matters.
8
I've lived in Britain (well, England) for the past 9 years and I find little in this article that bears on the reality that I've experienced. Sure, gin, tea & cricket are popular, but these are symbols of Empire only in the eyes of intellectuals suffering a particularly acute case of post-colonial guilt; flags are not at all popular. The self-deprecation of Brits is famous, but this article fails to transmit the subtle pride that accompanies it. British people and the UK do many things well. In higher education, scientific research, engineering, and creative arts for example, they punch far about their weight. The country is safe and relatively harmonious; the government is highly functional and informed public debate is respected; there is no Donald Trump (UKIP fizzled); refugees are welcomed and accommodated; transportation is efficient; healthcare is good and free; gun control is sane. The search for a national identity as portrayed in this article is real, though, and I think that the question of muslims (and immigrants more broadly) is a big part of it. How can a country that has enshrined tradition as culture incorporate multiculturalism? How can it turn away from multiculturalism after its colonial sprawl? The optimistic lesson of the British Bake-Off, I think, is to not be too concerned: inclusiveness, time, and sugar will lead to assimilation of any exotic spice into a cake that somehow retains its Englishness, and that goes well with tea.
257
Beautifully written sentiments! Well done, that man...
5
You, RK, are a very astute observer.
5
Well said sir.
3
There are cooking and bake off show galore. I don't get the point of this article, especially as the author notes "Admittedly, a television baking show is a fairly limited..."
Reality television shows, irrespective of their “realness” in terms of scripting, editing, etc., are really about cultural anthropology. It does not matter from what country or even region they draw their participants, they reveal very fundamental truths. In this British version the author initially expresses some embarrassment in “… the passive-aggressive niceness of it that I find so grating — the tedium of a competition whose outcome is decided by whether or not exactly two people think the lemon comes through properly, in which everyone is a good sport …” But then he discovers, “The contestants themselves … become like the people you might work with at a boring, unsatisfying job …” i.e., ordinary folks but definitely with that “I’m OK, you’re OK” sensibility associated with the British middle class. In other words, merely watching ordinary folks bake a few things tells one quite a bit about contemporary Britain. By contrast consider some American reality offerings like “Survivor,” “The Great Race,” or even the absurdist “Naked and Afraid,” in which the idea of winning (however defined by the producers) at all costs and where people lie, scheme, place their priorities first, and are hardly ever “good sports, opens a window onto the American psyche in the 21st century. Indeed, it has come to the point in America where a reality show host who is never a “good sport” remains the front running candidate for the most important position on the planet.
100
Jason I applaud your points but you have to include the raging popularity of other UK shows like Big Brother. As with any larger and long historied culture, the UK is socially multi-various.
2
Over the years, the UK has developed an insatiable interest in new foods, tastes and cuisines both local and foreign, driven by programs such as this.
So a number of inspired Brits would have made their way to the kitchen armed with cake tins and piping bags ready to inflict their own unusual concoctions upon willing family and friends.
Others, would have marveled at the ingenuity of everyday artists on these shows, while attempting to admire a shop-bought affair the way a program judge might.
Unsurprisingly, as described, there were a few who assumed victim-stance with predictable shouts of 'PC gone mad'.
But in reality, I suspect most Brits focused upon the remarkable creations and showmanship.
After all, food is a great leveler.
So a number of inspired Brits would have made their way to the kitchen armed with cake tins and piping bags ready to inflict their own unusual concoctions upon willing family and friends.
Others, would have marveled at the ingenuity of everyday artists on these shows, while attempting to admire a shop-bought affair the way a program judge might.
Unsurprisingly, as described, there were a few who assumed victim-stance with predictable shouts of 'PC gone mad'.
But in reality, I suspect most Brits focused upon the remarkable creations and showmanship.
After all, food is a great leveler.
1
"...Britain was the largest, most effective and arguably the most brutal empire the world had ever seen — one of the fundamental political "
Tom, do you mean to tell us that Britain was more brutal than America's Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc etc etc?
Tom, do you mean to tell us that Britain was more brutal than America's Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc etc etc?
4
Difference being the U.S. has never run an actual empire. Otherwise I suppose you could put Germany on top of the list?
2
I rather envy the current iteration of Great Britain. It is almost as though they've made a deliberate decision to remove themselves from world affairs and enjoy their dotage, much as would many retirees. Would that the United States had the luxury to do so. From the vantage of this show (which I love), it seems as though the populace has decided to go about enjoying daily life. I have family in South Africa and they seem to have the same mind-set. Can't do anything about the dreadful state of the world; may as well bake a nice cake and have friends in for tea or over for a brai.
8
Channel M6 in France airs a similar French version called Le Meilleur Patissier. The level of amateur expertise is really amazing, and from a sociological point of view of France, the messages seem to me very different from those described in this article. French cooking requires incredible patience and attention to detail, which is evident in each episode. Like this author's experience, wanting to know who wins is so compelling that I watch it to the end. It makes an interesting comparison.
1
The Brit version is great fun. And much better than the US offshoot. If I were the author, I'd get past all the silly Empire stuff, and be glad the Brits will always have the ability to make fun of things and people. The US just doesn't. Alas.
9
I still wonder what the conversation at BBC HQ must have been during the pitch for this show: "So we have a competition where slightly boring people bake things in a tent and then cry whilst some very old people judge them, and then hug them at the end..."
"Solid Gold, will definitely become the most popular show in the UK and will be sold across the world."
That's why everyone loves the BBC really.
"Solid Gold, will definitely become the most popular show in the UK and will be sold across the world."
That's why everyone loves the BBC really.
30
Just another university leftie who loathes his culture. I mean, Britain the most brutal empire the world had ever seen???
11
I have had many Brit friends over the years from Wales, Scotland, the West Country, the Midlands, and the North. They have shown me that there is a rich texture of life in the UK and a strength of character that persists but sometimes goes unrecognised to them.
It's only upon self reflection that some reveal a level of doubt and self depreciation that is unworthy. This article shows that in spades.
It's only upon self reflection that some reveal a level of doubt and self depreciation that is unworthy. This article shows that in spades.
6
This world is truly 'upside down' ...it's become a lunatic asylum, whether in Great Britain or Timbuktu. Those with head in sand ...just prove it. Don't forget, the orchestra played right up until the moment the Titanic sank...
Oh Tom, how very Corbynesque of you. And the bah humbug rootless Christmas tree allusion? Rather than hand-wringing over the loss of empire, followers of this delightful program are more interested in the very serious British pursuit of the art of baking, and the charming diffidence of the contestants, who for the most part exude genuine niceness. There is plenty of gritty alternative programming for those finding it not quite their cup of tea.
9
Where is "Great Britain?". Once upon a time,Great Britain ruled over the world,and a number of nations were its colonies,and this included even the present USA. Now,only Britain remains,and not "Great Britain". In a few years,the locals will be under-populated as people from other nations across the world have settled down in the UK. The sword of Scotland breaking away from Britain, hangs over it,and the chapter is still open. Britain was forced to hold a referendum on the issue is a testimony to this. Changing political scenario,and the reducing economic clout are reasons responsible.
What a shame that the writer only sees negativity and his English self-analysis in a show that comports itself in a civilized manner, with sportsmanship, challenges and fun.
This show is not earth shattering, but it is a perfect antidote to the flashing lights, fake upbeat manner, screaming, temper tantrums and tears that have become de riguer for mainstream television today.
This show is not earth shattering, but it is a perfect antidote to the flashing lights, fake upbeat manner, screaming, temper tantrums and tears that have become de riguer for mainstream television today.
14
Everything became clear when I reached the end of this tedious and clichéd article: Tom is a part-time lecturer. I suggest that in future the NYT hires Jonathan Meades, AA Gill or Peter York to get a keener perspective on popular culture in today's Britain.
12
Enough self-flagellation already. Here, where I discovered the show in the darkness of a northern late autumn, it has been a delightful reprieve from the mostly awful American broadcast telly. (So far, I've refused to pay for cable tv, some of which is worthwhile.) The sunshine and the fascinating skills of homegrown bakers are good for my blood pressure -- I'm sure of it!
One thing you Brits still do better (and there are many) is television: more and more I turn to BBC productions via PBS. Thank you, thank you.
One thing you Brits still do better (and there are many) is television: more and more I turn to BBC productions via PBS. Thank you, thank you.
27
We in DC are lucky...our PBS station has a channel called WETA UK...British TV 24/7!
7
Don't own a television but Bake Off is one of 3 shows during the year that I pick up on iplayer. Too much mindless trash on TV these days. But guess what Tom, if I don't like them, I don't watch them. I don't go around pontificating on my projections on what this means for the state of Britain, or any other country. Bake Off inspires me to try new things. And the celebrity version last year with Joanna Lumley, Dawn French and Lulu had me in tears of laughter!
9
The celebrity version sounds hilarious...love all three you mentioned...PBS, please take note!
6
It's also a TV show. And very good. Hardly a ripple of violence, no stalking, killing and eating of other animals, no graphic descriptions of medieval despots sadistic ways; along with Strictly it's practically all that's worth watching anymore.
2
I still recall the time I took the Eurostar to London for the first time (2000). Very fast, that train. Astonishingly fast, actually -- until it hit Cheriton on the UK side of the Channel. For the rest of the trip it crawled like a snail impaled on a toothpick to allow UK Customs and Immigration to work the cars, check passports and ask those inevitable stupid questions.
I curbed my growing impatience by reading The Atlantic magazine, travel documents spread across my seat tray. After twenty minutes passed I sensed someone beside my seat and heard a woman say "passport" in a perfect English accent -- so perfect that Susannah York briefly came to mind.
My nose still in my magazine I handed it to her from the tray, then looked up and saw a stocky wide-faced Han Chinese towering over me.
I curbed my growing impatience by reading The Atlantic magazine, travel documents spread across my seat tray. After twenty minutes passed I sensed someone beside my seat and heard a woman say "passport" in a perfect English accent -- so perfect that Susannah York briefly came to mind.
My nose still in my magazine I handed it to her from the tray, then looked up and saw a stocky wide-faced Han Chinese towering over me.
4
Enough with the angst of little Britain. There is a certain type of Brit (usually the sort who habitually sneers at the US) that, as the writer here does, seems to enjoy extended and public navel-gazing. Enough already. The bake-off is a very entertaining and charming show, nothing more. It isn't a sturdy enough vehicle to carry all this after-empire angst...to those Brits who still have dreams of manifest destiny, like Mr. Whyman here, get over yourselves.
9
When will some in Britain stop making excuses for Britain being Britain? Britain is big; it has a rich and wide yet ever so unique "being" in our world. For God's sake, just be proud of it. It completely deserves it!
12
It would be refreshing if at least once in a while The New York Times could look beyond the pages of The Guardian for someone to comment on the state of the UK. Maybe you're just too hooked on the simplistic analysis of 'evil empire in decline' to find alternatives to the rantings of self-hating left-wing commentators.
13
I rather know the key to understanding ISIS because that's something that's actually relevant to real life, now.
Notfooled; is there some reason it can't be both? We are such an either/or country. What's wrong with 'and'?
1
I couldn't disagree more: I love the show. And there are very few shows I am even interested in these days. Not to even include reality TV in general with its manufactured drama, idiotic characters and ridiculous premises. I'm delighted to see people caring about a job well done by hand and about the quality of bread in a world of plastic bags.
It's more a comment on television today (and its critics) that a program featuring people being decent to each other and focusing on basic tasks and skills (vs. ridiculous ones that bear no relation to any reality we know - race around the world, anyone?? dance with a celebrity? survive in the wilderness?) is worthy of a complete essay cutting it down for its failure to redeem the British Empire's past and future. Sigh. Lot of time on your hands this week then?
It's more a comment on television today (and its critics) that a program featuring people being decent to each other and focusing on basic tasks and skills (vs. ridiculous ones that bear no relation to any reality we know - race around the world, anyone?? dance with a celebrity? survive in the wilderness?) is worthy of a complete essay cutting it down for its failure to redeem the British Empire's past and future. Sigh. Lot of time on your hands this week then?
8
What a tasty job the crew of that show must have.
1
Like so much in contemporary Britain, this show (I saw part of an episode last winter and one episode this fall) struck me as very trashy.
It's no epic poem, it's a respite. And that's all it needs to be.
7
This is a lot of claptrap. This is a show without a lot of rudeness and hyped drama. I love it. I hate American food programs. Jeez, wish I could just move to a country with more civility. My ancestors came to America in the 1640s. In the last 40 years I have begun to wish they had stayed put. We are not a fine example of democracy or civility. We are a fine example of how to take advantage of your fellow humans to get rich without caring about anyone else. I dunno. Maybe this writer is just trying to make a name for himself. I suggest he move to America and carry on but not bother to keep calm as it gets you nowhere here.
14
So how did we go from baking to "violent exploitation of around one-third of the population of the earth"?
3
I love this show after a long day and I think like most viewers, take it for what it is - entertainment that's meant to be fun if lighthearted. I was excited to have a fun read about it. I can't believe how negative this person is about this topic. It's a baking show for God'd sake's man, pick your battles!
12
OMG--you revealed the name of the winner of the series that hasn't even been aired here yet? The spoiler alert was much too close to the information. Unforgivable.
But what might one expect from a writer who doesn't know that only lawyers "make torts"?
But what might one expect from a writer who doesn't know that only lawyers "make torts"?
7
We enjoy this show so much! We love that the contestants are clearly given the week between shows to learn and practice their next challenges. It makes such a more expert and more clever show. It means that no one is humiliated or embarrassed. The judges are very real, polite but firm; and the two hosts are hilarious, we laugh and laugh at their silly jokes. We are just crazy about it, would never miss it!
49
I'm a Brit, and though I haven't lived there in 40 years. I love this show, for the very Britishness of it, the regional accents, the universal politeness and bonhomie that almost masks the red-in-tooth-and-claw reality beneath.
But what embarrasses me is the the sartorial elegance of the hosts and judges ABOVE the waist, while below they all wear ill-fitting jeans that make them all look like winners in a doodie-in-the-pants competition.
But what embarrasses me is the the sartorial elegance of the hosts and judges ABOVE the waist, while below they all wear ill-fitting jeans that make them all look like winners in a doodie-in-the-pants competition.
12
Love the British Baking Show, and also loved the original british masterchef series. The niceness is the point; the US shows like Cutthroat Kitchen could learn a lot from the show. But apparently American shows must have loud mouth classless people..
94
Can't we just like something without having to (over)analyze it? If I wanted to understand Britain I'd go back to school. I just want to know if too much butter in the tray-bake will lead to disaster!
107
You have to understand that the British left loses not a single opportunity, no matter how silly, to take aim at a Britain to which there was far more than an English sahib colonel twirling his handlebar moustache while ordering Indian servants around.
8
Oh, i dunno, seems like analyzing cake-bake shows is as good as anything anymore. Civilization as a whole everywhere is in death throes, so why not? More absurdity, please!
3
Agreed - and at least watching a bake show doesn't involve ingesting any calories (unless you just cannot put that bag of popcorn away).
1
Okay, well at least Britain has bakers with the chops to make scratch items we normally get out of a box or freezer. And how relaxing to watch a competitive reality show where politeness and humor rule. I love this show!
144
You nailed it in two sentences. I also appreciate that plump, dowdy, middle-agedness has no relevancy in the competition (judges or contestants).
17
Yes indeed, the American version just aired totally dumbed-down the skill level.
10
Here we go again ! Yet another piece about 21st Century Brits supposedly lamenting the “death of empire”, this time in the guise of a TV baking show critique. Actually, bake-offs in a gorgeous summer garden are a blessed relief from much of the abominably sensationalist claptrap found elsewhere on the telly. That's one of the reasons why it's so popular. It's rather like saying the American barbeque somehow symbolizes the decline of global influence. Poppycock ! It doesn't. More cake, please !
177
Wow! "like a chrismas tree, it has been cut off from its roots but continues to give the the illusion of life, as it stands in a bucket of water, nourished just enough not to lose all of its needles while it is still in the living room"..........I am speechless.
2
Best best insightful comment here N.O. Kudos.
1
The Little British Baking Show seems to be a sign that multiculturalism is very much alive in the UK. However that very much depends upon how the good old BEEB selects the initial candidates. Is the racial/religious mix of the competitors really a reflection of the applicants. If so we are in deed going the right way. If on the other hand the selection merely reflects the choices made by politically correct producers we may have a very long road ahead of us.
Apart from that the show is very much a throwback to a lifestyle that I though was long past. It does have a fifties feel about it. What is interesting is the fact that before 10:00 pm you see nothing violent or erotic on the BBC. Everything is competitions, games, quizzes.