Significance of Waffles in Modern Television

Today's television choices are far from ordinary. We see glimpses into the future where people are living in an advanced world, both technologically and genetically. We watch extraordinary drama where people survive and fight against all odds, yet their breakfast food remains the same.

Michael Bluth asks his son George Michael in the premiere episode of Arrested Development, "What do I always say is the most important thing?" George Michael immediately answers, "Breakfast." His father replies, "Family," to which his son answers, "Oh, I thought you meant of the things we eat."

Yet, there is some strange breakfast phenomenon bringing our television families together. For some reason, breakfast is the most important thing, and in the breakfast genre, lies the waffle. This mountainous region of breakfast food reigns supreme. Maple syrup lakes and butter puddles overflowing onto our plates, into our mouths, and, as I will argue, our hearts.

Some of our most recognizable television shows include numerous reoccurring waffle references, as described here:


1. Gossip Girl. In about every episode of this hit CW high school drama, two of our characters, Dan and Jenny Humphrey awake to the smell of waffles in their Brooklyn loft. Sometimes, they even come home from school to the smell of waffles cooking for dinner. It appears their father Rufus does not know how to make any other type of food, and that a waffle iron is the only appliance gracing their kitchen.

2. a.Heroes (early episodes). One of the first episodes in season one, Claire's mother exploded in rage at her because she wouldn't come eat the waffles she had made for breakfast before school. Claire sat on the staircase in her Texas home sobbing, while her father stood before her, demanding she go eat the waffles her mother had spent all morning making.

b.In other early episodes of Heroes, we see Claire's father making her waffles before school. This not only implies that the Bennett family has a passion much like the Humphrey family for waffles, but that also they seem to have an abundance of time in the morning*.

c. Two of our Japanese heroes on this television series marvel at all the American food they find themselves eating on their strange journeys to save the world. In the midst of their fatty, fried food extravaganza, they find themselves enamored by the waffles they eat while at the Burnt Toast Diner. Hiro remarks that his new favorite food is waffles**, to which is father greatly disapproves.

3. Heroes (later episodes). Yes, it's true, even bad guys are weakened by the sight and smell of waffles. We see Sylar, wearing an apron and standing in front of a waffle iron making breakfast for his young son.*** He says to Uncle Peter, who has arrived suddenly, "if I had known you were coming, I would have made more." Which indicates for us a few things:
i. Peter also loves waffles
ii. Sylar is skilled at doubling the waffle batter recipe
iii. His waffle iron is probably a top notch brand to handle such frequent and intense waffle making batches.

And in conclusion we must ask ourselves, "what is our obsession with watching people make and eat waffles??" When did waffles become such an elitist breakfast food? What happened to the simple minded makings of the pancake and the french toast? All are eaten with similar toppings, similar utensils, and with similar passion. Yet, something keeps luring us and our television families to the mystique of the waffle.

Perhaps George Michael was right in saying that breakfast was the most important thing. Clearly, we see evidence that the act of eating breakfast food, more specifically waffles, brings us together as a family, together as a nation, and together as viewers.



* The Bennett family sits happily around their breakfast table enjoying waffles.
**Hiro is not ashamed of his new favorite food, as seen here.
***Here, we see an image of Sylar standing in his kitchen, waffle iron proudly displayed behind him.