Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition
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The recent TikTok trend of showing off perfectly organized and styled home pantries is rooted in a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures, according to one Chicago professor.
Through her research at Loyola University, Associate Professor of Marketing Jenna Drenten noticed a recent uptick in what she calls "pantry porn," a plethora of social media videos where women show off their fully stocked kitchen and methodically organized home supplies.
While minimalist designs used to represent an anti-consumption mindset of using less and buying less, the "new minimalism," according to Drenten, means "more is more," so long as it is not dirty or cluttered.Historically, Drenten says that tidiness is intertwined with status and a person’s messiness often breeds assumptions about a person’s capacity to be responsible and respectable.
Drenten claims society believes disorganization calls into a question a person's responsibility and respectability. (iStock)
"Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness’: nice people, with nice yards, in nice houses, make for nice neighborhoods," Drenten writes. "What lies beneath the surface of this anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance is a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures."
Tracing the pantry to the late 1800s, Drenten says the butler’s pantry acted as an architectural touchstone of the wealthy.
"This small space, tucked between the kitchen and dining room, was a marker of status – an area to hide both the food and the people who prepared it," Drenten writes.
Drenten, citing her research, claims these viral videos of uniformly labeled and symmetrically placed supply bins, ingredient containers and shelves are created by predominantly White women and act as a "new status symbol" for what it looks like to maintain a "nice" well-kept home.
"Perhaps it’s not surprising that pantry porn found its foothold during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shortages in the supply chain surged," she adds. "Keeping stuff on hand became a symbol of resilience for those with the money and space to do so."
Drenten also claims this "pantry porn" obsession also sets the societal standard for an ideal mother, wife or woman.
Professor Drenten:
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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The recent TikTok trend of showing off perfectly organized and styled home pantries is rooted in a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures, according to one Chicago professor.
Through her research at Loyola University, Associate Professor of Marketing Jenna Drenten noticed a recent uptick in what she calls "pantry porn," a plethora of social media videos where women show off their fully stocked kitchen and methodically organized home supplies.
While minimalist designs used to represent an anti-consumption mindset of using less and buying less, the "new minimalism," according to Drenten, means "more is more," so long as it is not dirty or cluttered.Historically, Drenten says that tidiness is intertwined with status and a person’s messiness often breeds assumptions about a person’s capacity to be responsible and respectable.
Drenten claims society believes disorganization calls into a question a person's responsibility and respectability. (iStock)
"Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness’: nice people, with nice yards, in nice houses, make for nice neighborhoods," Drenten writes. "What lies beneath the surface of this anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance is a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures."
Tracing the pantry to the late 1800s, Drenten says the butler’s pantry acted as an architectural touchstone of the wealthy.
"This small space, tucked between the kitchen and dining room, was a marker of status – an area to hide both the food and the people who prepared it," Drenten writes.
Drenten, citing her research, claims these viral videos of uniformly labeled and symmetrically placed supply bins, ingredient containers and shelves are created by predominantly White women and act as a "new status symbol" for what it looks like to maintain a "nice" well-kept home.
"Perhaps it’s not surprising that pantry porn found its foothold during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shortages in the supply chain surged," she adds. "Keeping stuff on hand became a symbol of resilience for those with the money and space to do so."
Drenten also claims this "pantry porn" obsession also sets the societal standard for an ideal mother, wife or woman.
Professor Drenten:
@George-K said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition::
You know, @Horace contention about almost all of this stuff being driven by middle aged upper class white women “intellectuals” is picking up a LOT of steam. I’ve seen a lot of that reasoning out there since I started my Twitter journey (and it is a dark, dark land). I have even seen it coming from TERFS…
The Brad
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I demand that the Masters golf tournament change it's name.
The original name was the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, they should return to this name.
The only reason they changed it is because they are racist nazis.
And they should invite more golfers that aren't very good at playing golf.
(Sports Illustrated started this ball rolling 3 years ago. DEI has not happened yet, but it is coming)
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@George-K said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition::
You know, @Horace contention about almost all of this stuff being driven by middle aged upper class white women “intellectuals” is picking up a LOT of steam. I’ve seen a lot of that reasoning out there since I started my Twitter journey (and it is a dark, dark land). I have even seen it coming from TERFS…
@LuFins-Dad said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition:
@George-K said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition::
You know, @Horace contention about almost all of this stuff being driven by middle aged upper class white women “intellectuals” is picking up a LOT of steam. I’ve seen a lot of that reasoning out there since I started my Twitter journey (and it is a dark, dark land). I have even seen it coming from TERFS…
Truth resonates.
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The recent TikTok trend of showing off perfectly organized and styled home pantries is rooted in a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures, according to one Chicago professor.
Through her research at Loyola University, Associate Professor of Marketing Jenna Drenten noticed a recent uptick in what she calls "pantry porn," a plethora of social media videos where women show off their fully stocked kitchen and methodically organized home supplies.
While minimalist designs used to represent an anti-consumption mindset of using less and buying less, the "new minimalism," according to Drenten, means "more is more," so long as it is not dirty or cluttered.Historically, Drenten says that tidiness is intertwined with status and a person’s messiness often breeds assumptions about a person’s capacity to be responsible and respectable.
Drenten claims society believes disorganization calls into a question a person's responsibility and respectability. (iStock)
"Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness’: nice people, with nice yards, in nice houses, make for nice neighborhoods," Drenten writes. "What lies beneath the surface of this anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance is a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures."
Tracing the pantry to the late 1800s, Drenten says the butler’s pantry acted as an architectural touchstone of the wealthy.
"This small space, tucked between the kitchen and dining room, was a marker of status – an area to hide both the food and the people who prepared it," Drenten writes.
Drenten, citing her research, claims these viral videos of uniformly labeled and symmetrically placed supply bins, ingredient containers and shelves are created by predominantly White women and act as a "new status symbol" for what it looks like to maintain a "nice" well-kept home.
"Perhaps it’s not surprising that pantry porn found its foothold during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shortages in the supply chain surged," she adds. "Keeping stuff on hand became a symbol of resilience for those with the money and space to do so."
Drenten also claims this "pantry porn" obsession also sets the societal standard for an ideal mother, wife or woman.
Professor Drenten:
@George-K said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition:
Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness . . . What lies beneath the surface of this anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance is a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures."
Yup, yup; when you see the word cultural, can the words classist, racist and sexist be far behind?
Drenten, citing her research, claims these viral videos of uniformly labeled and symmetrically placed supply bins, ingredient containers and shelves are created by predominantly White women and act as a "new status symbol" for what it looks like to maintain a "nice" well-kept home.
I can corroborate this. As a predominantly white woman, I am proud to store my flour in a cannister that started life as a container of protein powder (vanilla, of course). WITH a band of duct tape to distinguish it from the currently-used container of protein powder. When that one is empty I shall use it to store another foodstuff, maybe teabags, at which point I shall display symmetrical placement in my pantry in my "nice" well-kept home.
None of your Pottery Barn matched sets for me, thank you. I ain't no classicist.
I can hardly wait!
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@George-K said in Everything is Racist - Pantry Edition:
Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness . . . What lies beneath the surface of this anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance is a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures."
Yup, yup; when you see the word cultural, can the words classist, racist and sexist be far behind?
Drenten, citing her research, claims these viral videos of uniformly labeled and symmetrically placed supply bins, ingredient containers and shelves are created by predominantly White women and act as a "new status symbol" for what it looks like to maintain a "nice" well-kept home.
I can corroborate this. As a predominantly white woman, I am proud to store my flour in a cannister that started life as a container of protein powder (vanilla, of course). WITH a band of duct tape to distinguish it from the currently-used container of protein powder. When that one is empty I shall use it to store another foodstuff, maybe teabags, at which point I shall display symmetrical placement in my pantry in my "nice" well-kept home.
None of your Pottery Barn matched sets for me, thank you. I ain't no classicist.
I can hardly wait!
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@Catseye3 even my canisters are white. Williams Sonoma no less.
But I have a large Tuscan scene tile in my backsplash. That’s like Latinx-adjacent.
