John Early on How Bon Appétit Test Kitchen and Food-Influencer Culture Inspired His New Film 'Maddie's Secret'
By
CT Jones
Summary
Comedian John Early discusses his new movie 'Maddie's Secret,' which was inspired by the Bon Appétit test kitchen and food-influencer culture. The film follows a woman with an eating disorder trying to become a star food influencer. Early reflects on his fixation with the Bon Appétit content studio during the pandemic, and how the intersection of food content, performance, and personal struggle shaped the film's narrative.
Source
Rolling StoneJohn Early on How Bon Appétit Test Kitchen and Food-Influencer Culture Inspired His New Film 'Maddie's Secret'rollingstone.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledIt was a huge fixation of mine. I was watching it in bed before going to sleep, not even to cook.
The Bon Appétit test kitchen was a hallmark of internet optimism and a harbinger of the current pivot-to-video media model.
There was something almost pornographic about the way food influencers present consumption — it's intimate, performative, and deeply tied to identity.
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