Watching this episode was difficult. Extremely cringy.
Phil Rosenthal makes goofy faces as he oohs and aaahs over the food and architecture and the "exotic", non-white society he never bothers to understand or unpack.
It's really upsetting that Phil doesn't provide any cultural or political context for the countries he visits and the food he consumes. In fact, it's more than upsetting. It's extremely irresponsible and the height of white privilege, even when Phil (in the Mississippi Delta episode, says to his Beverly Hills Son, that "we're the lucky ones.") Recognizing that you're lucky doesn't absolve you of a responsibility to at least TRY to meet these cultures from a place of open intellectual curiosity.
Take a moment to look at the Anthony Bourdain episode in Singapore -- Season 10, Ep. 1.
The difference is night and day. It's fine for a white man to traipse about the globe eating, but there is a responsibility that comes with that. That's what Bourdain did. He put aside the notion that the West is Best. He met these cultures head on and with honest curiosity and critique.
But Phil does it in a way that's irresponsible. He mugs for the camera and marvels at this "city of tomorrow" in a way that is simply dumb. And does nothing to bring us closer as people. He never asks what it was that formed Singapore. What made it what it is today? Phil says of a certain old area of town that it used to be known as a seedy part of town, but it's gotten so much better now!!! Wow, Phil, really? Why is that? Gentrification? What does that mean?
And no mention of the totalitarianism that built Singapore? That is simply NOT okay. Is Singapore a City of Tomorrow? If so, that City includes no political dissent, no right to assembly, limited freedom of speech and a government controlled press.
Instead of looking at that, Phil just cruises down the Singapore river admiring a view that will never impact him in any way.
If Phil is going to bring his persona of a dumb American white privileged male to non-white countries or non-white areas of the US, then it's not enough to make funny faces and say everything he puts in his mouth is THE BEST THING EVER!!!! Then he has a responsibility to tell the story of that food in a way that is not so culturally tone deaf.
I suspect Phil would feel bad to know that he is condescending to the people he meets. I hope that he will perhaps take a moment to truly THINK about what he is putting out there.
I am not saying that every successful food journalist must be serious and philosophical and deep. But they at least must take some responsibility for how the cultures they exploit are portrayed.
Please, Phil. Do better.