An Examination of Food Aggression

It is a familiar scene. It may start with a one person playfully tossing a grape at another. In turn, that person may giggle and flick a potato chip at the offender. But then when the instigator accidentally misfires and, instead of hitting the friend with a baby carrot, accidentally pelts an unaware individual, this seemingly playful game becomes an ugly fight. A food fight. 

Food fights can be the source of humor in movies, entertainment during the lunch hour, or even childish flirting in the movie theater. However, a food fight is often not recognized for what it really is: an act of aggression. Food aggression is an act of violence that is executed using food as a weapon. It is regularly seen as humorous instead of threatening and violent. 

The food fight is a device used in movies that would occur under the category of slapstick humor, which in itself lends itself to making pain and violence into comedic material. By substituting mash potatoes for a baseball bat, food fights and other forms of food aggression are not seen as threatening. 

The food fight is not just a comedic American device used in movies. Food fights have been occurring in other countries with much more tradition than seen in the basic kid’s movie. The Tomatina Tomato Throwing Festival, known natively as La Tomatina, is a yearly food fight that occurs in a town called Buñol in eastern Spain. The historical significance has been lost throughout the years, but it is known that the first tomato battle occurred in 1945. Some believe it was just a game between friends, others believe that it is mimicking an anti-Franco rally. Whatever the reason, the festival has survived and has made its permanent place in the town’s tradition. Both tourists and locals will gather in August on the last Wednesday of the month to throw over-ripened tomatoes at each other. The Plaza Del Pueblo becomes covered with tomatoes as thousands of pounds of the vegetables are dumped and then heartily thrown at everyone in sight (Pilot Guides).