Recipes for laughter

Chapter 5 examines how celebrity chefs create comic personae through dialogue with their off-screen audiences. From the first celebrity TV chef in the UK in the 1950s to present-day personalities, witty banter for viewers is analyzed. Over time, the conversation with the audience has become as important as the presentation of recipes. The role of banter, including negative forms of humor in food competition shows, is explored. Evoking disgust for comic intent is widespread in TV cookery shows, including the phenomenon of “traveling chefs” who use humor to present the food of “others” typically perceived as disgusting, exotic, or bizarre.