Marcel Vigneron is not a plagiarist

I am constitutionally unable to watch Top Chef, or much TV at all, for that matter. So I don't care too much about  plagiarism scandals  because they involve former Top Chef contestants. I do care about plagiarism,* and I do care about the language, which is why it's worth pointing out that Marcel Vigneron is not a plagiarist. An asshat, quite possibly, but not a plagiarist. The OED defines plagiarism as

"The action or practice of taking someone else's work, idea, etc., and passing it off as one's own; literary theft."

The second part is key. In order to plagiarize, one cannot simply appropriate another person's idea, but must also make a fraudulent representation as to the origin of the idea. Quarterflash, for instance, owes a good deal to Pat Benatar. Similarly, Guadalcanal Diary and R.E.M. You may well feel that Quarterflash and Guadalcanal Diary do not number among the great artists of the twentieth century, because their styles are derivative, but unless they tour as R.E.M. with special guest Pat Benatar, they are not committing any sort of crime.** From reading the Wired feature, I can't see where Vigneron makes any assertion that the ideas are entirely his. Similarly,  in a recent multimedia feature on falafel, Bittman does not make any assertion that he invented falafel.*** What, then, is the difference between falafel and "yolk of carrot-cardamom purée ringed by a white of hardened coconut milk, garnished with carrot and cauilflower foams"? The tradition of falafel is more established than of "cyber eggs," but if we had to invent a totally original dish for each meal we cook, we would starve. But that's ok. If you order a Caesar salad, truite au bleu, or a Denver omelet, you expect the cook's interpretation of a preexisting idiom. To expect otherwise would be like leaving a Sinatra concert disappointed because he did not sing original material.

I'm belaboring this point precisely because it is so obvious that it is easy to miss. I suspect it is the molecular gastronomy that gets things twisted. There are fields, like print, where presenting the work to the public implies that it is original, or at least the author's work. As we've seen above, there are fields, like food, where there is no such presumption of originality. Vigneron is a cook. If the staff at WD-50 wants to beef about plagiarism, this beef depends on a presumption that the rules are inherently different for them, or perhaps for molecular gastronomy, than for all of the other chefs in the world. Grub St. gets it right when it says that Vigneron "rips off" Dufresne.  I am no fan of Vigneron, but what he does, appropriating and adapting a dish, is no different from what we've been doing as a species since we discovered fire. Vigneron is biting Wylie's style, sure, but he is not a plagiarist. In a culture where plagiarism seems to be more and more commonplace (see above) it's worth remembering what it is, and what it ain't.

*Here's what it says on the syllabus of every course I teach:

In its essence, a university is a marketplace of ideas. Plagiarism is the theft of ideas. It is a crime against everything a university stands for. Plagiarists will automatically receive a grade of “F” for the semester and be subject to additional sanctions, including expulsion. In any case of plagiarism in this class, I will energetically pursue the most stringent penalty possible. If you have a question about the appropriate use of sources, ask me. It is far better to turn in an assignment late than to risk your future at [this university].

 

**It's actually not clear to me that plagiarism is a crime unless copyright is violated. So Cartman may be off the hook.
Also, you know Jesus & Mary Chain would be on this bill.

***Evidently, asking who invented falafel can be a real conversation starter on the eastern Mediterranean.

Comments

[Melanie]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this blog entry. I hate to see someone taking heat for something they're not guilty of (particularly when it's someone I like), simply because people are ignorant of what the facts are. You've presented a sound case.

[Fritz B.]

It is ironic that there is so much ado about this Marcel cat's stupid egg. But maybe Wylie is the real "plagarist." He stole the egg from Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame. See for yourself: http://www.thegluttonist.com/welcome/2007/05/now_will_the_re.html

[Melanie]

Marcel has come forward and given a full explanation that discredits the charges that he stole Wylie Dufresne's/WD-50 cyber egg--different techniques, different ingredients, different timelines of inspiration. His response was published in Wired Magazine's Underwire blog on 5/29/07: http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/cyberegg_contro.html

Please be sure to read the last paragraph of the piece, which plainly states that Ilan, and particularly Sam, cheated by taking credit for recipes that were not their own.

[Trisha Moody]

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