Is it me, or has there been a lack of serious cultural writing about Cake Boss? Wherefore art thou, A.O. Scott? This wildly successful reality show, set right here in our mile-square city, has folks lined up from around the world – in the broiling heat of summer or the icy chill of winter – to get a sacred glimpse inside of what is, essentially, an ordinary Italian bakery.
But, as any lover of art or literature will tell you, the true artist is one who can bring out the magic in the ordinary, unveiling a curtain to the sublime beauty of the everyday that we often overlook.
The genius of Cake Boss, what sets it apart from so many “dumb reality shows” that it could easily be lumped in with at first glance, is that far from being just a show about cakes, it’s also a complex celebration of family, community, and the fast-vanishing small local business (where the proprietor knows your name). Those businesses are being knocked out like ducks in a shooting gallery all across America by the big anonymous chains. Might Cake Boss, which is an advertisement for the opposite of alienated mall culture, be the “Bada Bing” opening salvo in the war against Walmart-ization?
When performance activist Reverend Billy (he of the church of Life After Shopping) ran for mayor of NYC in 2009 – as the official Green Party candidate – he pledged to reclaim the neighborhoods from the boring “sea of identical details” being imposed upon them by the chain stores. Though the good Rev is a hero among the progressive, avant-garde intelligentsia, and Buddy is a regular guy from Hoboken, their core philosophies are essentially similar: to celebrate the local, the particular, the non-generic… the non-corporatized, in other words.
Once, in his quest to save the Jones Diner (a beloved East Village dive frequented by the starving artist crowd) from its greedy landlord who wanted a slick, high end “chi-chi” place there instead, Rev Billy talked in his “sermon” of the need to preserve community spaces where you can share a story, where the people know your middle name. As any viewer of Cake Boss will tell you, Hoboken’s Carlos Bakery (est. in 1910) is just such a place. No wonder America has become enchanted with it.
At the center of the show’s success, of course, is Buddy – a man whose basic sweetness is evident, despite the fact that he loses his temper once in a while. But as anyone who has spent time around a traditional, old-fashioned Italian family will tell you, sometimes things get loud and heads will roll. Somehow, though, Buddy always seems to solve the problem – whether it’s a last-minute birthday cake for his sister to “keep the peace” as Mama Valestro hovered nearby; or a cake for the local Italian social club boss that resembled an Atlantic City gaming table (complete with a spinning, edible wheel), causing Buddy to joke: “Better be perfect so I don’t get whacked!”
As for Buddy’s potential in politics: Hey, the guy’s got charisma to spare. He also seems a lot nicer than the bunch now running the show. And he always gets the job done! As Buddy’s self- appointed political Mephistopheles, I can hook him up with my political club in NYC – the Village Independent Democrats, who launched the career of Ed Koch. I think Buddy’s first move should be mayor of Hoboken. Fiorello LaGuardia, one of NYC’s most beloved mayors, was a sweet but tough Italian man whose nickname was “the Little Flower.” Buddy’s can be “A Little more Flour.” Ba-dum-dum.
After securing the mayoralty of Hoboken, one term as New Jersey governor will set up a Buddy White House run in 2020. I can imagine Buddy would have the guts to stand up to big business, bring the factory jobs back, and look out for the working stiffs for a change. Who would argue with Buddy, since he’s the boss? As a foreign policy, he might outlaw all wars and substitute cake baking contests instead.
And if they need to take out their frustrations, the presidents of countries can throw flour at each other (a standard joke on Cake Boss) instead of bombs. – John Bredin
The author is a teacher, real estate agent, and host of the cable TV show “Public Voice Salon.” He currently resides in Hoboken. Reactions to this essay are welcome at jfbredin@hotmail.com or editorial@hudsonreporter.com. Submit your own essays to editorial@hudsonreporter.com. Put “Midweek Essay” in the subject head.