Your long read article on The Great British Bake Off and the cultural role it has carved out for itself (Crumbs of consolation,6 October) neglected one explanatory factor for its success, which is its celebration of craft and craftsmanship. Like Strictly Come Dancing too, or for that matter,not far beneath the showmanship lies a genuine respect for baking (or dance) as a genuine craft with genuine commitment to mastery of skills without concession or compromise.
There is never any doubt that beneath the jokes Paul and Mary (like Strictly’s Len, Bruno, and Darcey and Craig) consume what they are judging with genuine seriousness. In our current day world of zero-hours contracts,celebrity, Twitter, and spin and all that,both shows’ commitment to the values and meaning of craftsmanship and skill is a refreshing contrast and a core part of their appeal.
Dr Rupert Evenett
LondonContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com