Frederick Kaufman, author of A Short History of the American Stomach, contributing editor to Harper's, and associate professor of journalism at CUNY graduate school, and Alan Madison, TV producer for the shows of Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Rocco DiSpirito, Jacques Torres, Sara Moulton, Rick Bayless, Charlie Trotter, and others, will lead the discussion, which will center on food television and the idea of food porn.

Fred's article Debbie Does Salad

Alan's reel

In Fred's own words: "I would like to discuss the idea of what it means, in American culture, to be obsessed with eating -- on the radio, on television, in grocery stores, in restaurants, at home. I would like to discuss the history of our focus, and if there is something particularly American about it. I would like to discuss the idea of eating as a paradigm or model for other body obsessions of our culture."

Alan would like to start by discussing whether or not Food TV is really on the frontiers of porn.