The food, the place and the ‘real’: Italy’s representations in Master of None | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 8, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2046-9861
  • E-ISSN: 2046-987X

Abstract

The US success of (2015–17) has been partly due to its credible mainstream depictions of Indian American life. However, in its second season, the show’s work on identity stereotypes focuses on Italy, specifically describing customs and traditions, language and food through the eyes of the character Dev, who attends some cooking classes in Modena. From the perspective of an Italian viewer, this creates a sense of disorientation in seeing one’s world represented through stereotypes, and therefore through multiple overlapping cultural filters. The relationship between television and everyday reality is challenged when shows act as ‘food and travel’ tourist guides, a concept that also emerges from a comparison between the Italian setting of and the pilot episode of the documentary series (2015–present).

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2020-10-01
2024-04-26
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