female chefs are great

Julia Child was a feminist when the word “feminist” was not even part of the english lexicon. She embodied courage at an unparalleled level— I mean, how many people wanted to be a spy during WWII? Beyond being one of the first great female chefs, she was also the first female to have a culinary TV show. 

After our class discussion, I thought more about the reasons behind the lack of great female chefs in the 20th century, and I believe it has to do with the personality traits commonly associated with women. One quote by Julia Child that stood out to me was: “Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you’ll have a marvelous time!” Stating one’s position with “utter conviction” takes courage, and generally speaking, is something men would be more comfortable doing than women (especially in the 20th century). By overcoming the stereotypical passive nature a woman of the 20th century possessed, Child stood out and was able to ascend to her status as one of the greatest female chefs. 

Child’s association with French cuisine also helped her redefine the stereotypical way of female cooking. Like we talked about in class, female cooking is often associated with motherly cooking— the nostalgic taste of comforting home food. But, with French style cooking, Child was able to present her food as luxurious and sophisticated, a style of cooking that people commonly associate great male chefs with. 

I believe the lessons behind her success can be extrapolated to other careers. As more and more women embody her fearless personality and begin to assert themselves with confidence and utter conviction in the work space, there will inevitably be more great female leaders.