A food website called “Munchies” featured an article discussing how Brooklyn barbecue is becoming a worldwide sensation instead of Texan barbecue, which is usually thought of as the best place to go to for barbecue. The article made southerners upset, since they do not agree with the argument that Brooklyn BBQ is better than southern BBQ. They claimed that it was not “authentic”. People defending Brooklyn, on the other hand, said that Brooklyn did not claim to have authentic BBQ and that hipsters don’t represent Brooklyn.
I thought this was very interesting because people seemed to be very concerned with the word “authentic” being used. I often see the word being used with Brooklyn, and after reading the chapter of Zukin’s novel, I realize that it is because Brooklyn has somewhat humble beginnings. The people who were living in Brooklyn before it was gentrified had hard lives as immigrants. It was also a very diverse borough, with African, Asian, Latino, and Caribbean immigrants. These people began to be pushed out with the hipster movement though. The book makes an interesting and very real distinction between the Brooklyn of the past and new Brooklyn.
New Brooklyn is characterized by the hipsters and the middle class residents who moved in and brought fancy cafes and stores with them. Brooklyn’s image has changed from a gritty place of hardworking immigrants to a place that is “up and coming” and great for parents who want to raise their kids. While some people think that that means Brooklyn is no longer authentic, others see it as a different kind of authenticity.
The Twitter argument was interesting to me for two reasons. While it seems pointless to be upset at which place has better barbecue, authenticity really matters to people. To be called authentic is a sign of being better or having some kind of extra value. Also, the tweets to me represent the change in Brooklyn after the effects of gentrification. This is the hipster side of Brooklyn, and I someone who was raised in Brooklyn for my whole life, I am definitely able to see that Brooklyn has been going through a transition and is different now.
Munchies Article by Nicholas Gill
That #BrooklynBBQ stuff is NOT authentic Brooklyn. That’s some hipster stuff y’all are unfortunately being deceived into thinking is Brooklyn.
— Michael Rain (@michaeljrain) March 5, 2018
There’s a reason why overseas BBQ restaurants are copying Brooklyn BBQ, and it ain’t because it’s better—it’s because it’s easier to pass off as authentic, because Brooklyn BBQ itself lacks authenticity.
— James Curle (@JamesCurle) March 5, 2018
