Freedman and Jurafsky

P3: Read Freedman and Jurafsky. Explain the connections you see them making between food, language, and culture. What do you find most interesting in their analysis of potato chip advertising? Beyond potato chips, where else can you imagine applying their method of food advertising analysis and what do you think you’d find?

             According to the Freedman and Jurafsky article, there are multiple correlations between potato chips, language and culture.  They propose that the advertisements on different brands of potato chips are directed various socioeconomic classes based upon the language used on the packaging.  They explained that more expensive chips use longer sentences and longer words on their package to attract the upper class, while the less expensive chips use shorter sentences and shorter words to appeal to the less wealthy members of society.  Advertisements also tend to appeal to the logos of the consumer. They found that the higher end chips usually have more references to health than the cheaper chips.  It was also found that cheaper potato chips referenced the location of production rather than the ingredients or process of production. 

            The aspect of their analysis I found most intriguing was how historical and location remarks actually referred to the less expensive potato chips.  Personally, when I hear that a product has survived since the seventeen or eighteen hundreds I would imagine that it is a fairly high end product because if it wasn’t, why would it have lasted so long?  Typically longevity in a product or institution signifies its success.

            Their method of food advertising could be applied to restaurants.  I believe the same conclusion would be made.  Most restaurants that boast about when it was established or the original location normally indicate that it is not a very expensive restaurant.  In fact, many times it refers to more fast food joints and local mom and pap restaurants.