The latest web publication to cater to an exclusively millennial-based audience is the new VICE product Munchies. In partnership with Fremantle Media, the online channel is going after young foodies who they believe are bored of the food-battle type programing that currently dominates the industry. This comes just months after Food and Wine launched their own millennial food outfit FWx. So what’s with all the young, hip, food-centric media these days? As it turns out, young people are one of the largest drivers of the food industry. In addition, the popular perception is that this demographic is leaving traditional television programming en masse to consume media online. As a result, companies are looking to cash in on the changing of the tide by presenting online content with a youthful, boundary-pushing field. But is the latest offering from VICE up to snuff?
VICE as a company is notable for their willingness to explore topics that are considered controversial or taboo. Their foray into food media is no exception. So far they have announced production of five new shows including Fresh Off the Boat, Girl Eats Food, Being Frank, CHefs Night Out and F*CK, That’s Delicious. The emphasis here is on wild, colorful personalities that have a passion for food. That kind of food reporting carries over into their written articles which have titles like “Seattle Has a Haunted Soda Machine” and “Why Having the Balls to Dine Alone Makes You a Better Human.” The features are centered on the crazy, cool and weird aspects of food in their appeal to a generation that it hopes will retweet and share content that shocks them.
Munchies is currently divided into Watch, Eat, Think, Drink and Make. They each include a combination of written pieces and video content that profile food trends, teach you how to make pour-over coffee and muse about the national phenomenon of ivy-league grads working as bartenders. As a whole, the site is still very new and they seem to be working on producing a large amount of content. The content that is currently live seems very entertaining, in particular an article titled, “The ‘World’s Hottest Curry” Made Me Hallucinate,” and it is likely that the site on the whole will be able to attract a steady stream of a new generation of food fiends.
Do culinary television programs influence the way people cook at home?