Revisiting Food Porn

By Jan Wahl –

Like my friend and colleague, David Landis, The Gay Gourmet, I just love food. The only thing I like more than eating is talking about it. Once, while lecturing on Crystal Cruises, I met a food archeologist. She would dress in period costumes and talk about the food of the time. Very cool gig!

I’ve written about “food porn” before in this column, but, for me, it is a topic worth revisiting!

Movies and television shows have discovered how to make food look amazing on camera. Productions may celebrate food as a source of joy, cultural exploration, and artistic expression. Have you ever talked to anybody who had just seen Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and were thrilled with and made hungry by his exploration of the regional cuisine of Italy? That series is a perfect example of food porn, where, instead of many viewers becoming horny for sex, they may become aroused at the thought of food.

Right alongside that is Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. This travel and food series explored culture and tradition through the lens of a free-thinking chef and storyteller. I have read everything I can about Anthony Bourdain. His alleged suicide never stopped his series from being radical and remarkable.

Moving on to the silver screen, my first thought is of Audrey Hepburn, at the window munching a bagel in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Of course, she probably only did that once because she looks like she had never had a bagel with cream cheese or butter in her life, but it’s a great fantasy.

My eyes well up with tears when I see the Tramp rolling a meatball with his nose to his Lady in Lady and the Tramp (1955). That Disney animated classic gets the sweetness of dogs perfectly.

Sometimes the use of food in film is very profound. Babette’s Feast (1987) shows in food porn-like detail how people who have never experienced a great meal awaken to the extravagance and beauty of taste. Another example is Chocolat (2000). You’ll be licking your lips when Juliette Binoche turns a small French village upside down with her exotic chocolates. She also meets Johnny Depp, a sexy gypsy who enjoys the experience of changing people with her.

The best Rodney Dangerfield movie is Back to School (1986). At a glittering party’s hors d’oeuvres table, he decides he hates small food and makes a humongous sandwich. In The Godfather Part II (1974), they make spaghetti puttanesca at a safe house that will have you hungering for pasta. (“Don’t forget to leave the gun and take the cannoli!”) And, in everybody’s favorite, 2007’s Ratatouille, Remy creates a dish for a food critic that takes him on a powerful moment of childhood emotional connection through food.

There are too many food-centric films to mention here, but let’s include Big Night (1996), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Julie & Julia (2009), and Eat Pray Love (2010). Bon appétit!

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com

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Published on September 11, 2025