Summary of What THE MENU Is Really About

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

The "What the Menu is Really About" video series satirizes the way that culture and food intersect, with a particular focus on how foodies have turned art into something else, robbing the chef of an artistic experience. In the climax of the series, we see that even without the chef's direct command, suicide was a distinct possibility for one of his followers, Tyler. The series covers different aspects of life that can be seen as "empty pursuits."

• 00:00:00 The movie "What the Menu is Really About" satirizes the way that culture and food intersect. Tyler, a food critic, is one of the characters in the movie. He is trying to reclaim his lost glory and the movie points its satire at foodie culture. In particular, the movie highlights how Tyler and other foodies have turned art into something else, robbing the chef of an artistic experience.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses how Chef Slowik's restaurant is actually broken and how the only people who can really enjoy his food are the people who won't be able to fully appreciate it. The video also discusses how the subjectivity of taste is in the mouth of the beholder, and that this is represented in the characters written as stereotypes bordering on caricature.
• 00:10:00 In "What the Menu Is Really About," chef Slowik explains to his audience that he is just as guilty as the rest of them in terms of the restaurant's poor quality food and lack of attention to detail. However, he also knows the power he wields as an influencer, and one side effect of his content creation is that his followers gain a following and tremendous influence. In the movie's climax, we see that even without the chef's direct command, suicide was a distinct possibility for one of his followers, Tyler. The chef has humiliated Tyler numerous times and given him a chance to cook, but Tyler is ultimately unsuccessful. This leads to the chef's declaration that Tyler has no life worth living, and the patrons in the restaurant seem to agree.
• 00:15:00 The "What the Menu is Really About" series of videos covers different aspects of life that can be seen as "empty pursuits." Tyler, Margot, John, Ted, Felicity, George, and Lillian all end up in a bad situation because of their pursuit of something meaningless.