CMV: I think the whole slow food concept is ridiculously overrated

A great deal of consumer culture, high-end consumer culture, particularly, is based less on the objective merits of that which is being consumed and more on the experience being delivered. Furthermore, some of the greatest experiences that people can have are enacting elements of deeply-held stories, regardless of if these stories are accurate or not.

Working in wine, you are probably aware of the studies which show that blind taste-tests show that, for the vast majority of people--amateur wine aficionados included--, there is no correlation between how much people enjoy a wine and how much the wine costs. However, when they are told that one glass of wine is much more expensive than another, the expensive wine tastes better, even if it is poured from the same bottle. It is the story that people believe about the price of wine and its quality which actually makes the experience of drinking the 'expensive' wine better and the less expensive wine worse.

Slow food is a set of largely arbitrary restrictions which influence the food and its consumption a bit, but more importantly produce a story which is compelling for many. Enacting this story actively changes the perception of the participants in a way which is highly subjective, but seems to have value for many involved.

Your perception of it being 'overrated' is based on your not adopting the story. It is likely not sympathetic with other stories in your life or you may be one who is skeptical of new stories more than others.

I have struggled with what to think of this observable phenomenon, as the power of these stories to enrich lives is evident just as they are able to destroy them. When evaluating the slow food story, it seems relatively benign and those who are in to it seem to draw quite a bit of pleasure from it. It is also important to recognize that if they didn't have this story, they would likely have another which seems similarly silly to those on the outside.

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