Snowflake Challenge - Day 4

[dizzojay]

Challenge #4

In your own space, add something to your fandom’s canon.
Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

For this challenge, I'm going to talk about my take on one of my favourite aspects of Dean Winchester’s personality, his appetite.



Throughout the whole show, Dean has been depicted as a voracious eater.  He loves his pie, he loves burgers, he loves bacon.  (The fact that despite eating all this crap he still manages to look like a bloody adonis is one of those little eccentricities of the show that we love!).

Dean's appetite is one of the many quirks that makes the character so endearing, and there appears to be no origin story to why Dean eats the way he does.

However, I have a headcanon to fill the gaps:

I believe Dean has his complicated relationship with food because of his difficult upbringing. 

When his father was off hunting, leaving him to be mother, father and brother to little Sam for days on end, Dean's first focus was always Sam.  When there was only one tin of spaghettios or one slice of bread in the larder, it was Sam that got it.  Sam ate, Dean got what was left - if any.  Basically, he didn't know where his next meal was coming from and  so when food was available, he gorged on it, and savoured every mouthful.  This could also account for why Dean grew up shorter and slighter than Sam - again, my headcanon.  (As you can see, I've given this a lot of thought!!). 

Now, as an adult, although Dean's in control of his own food supply, that self-preservation instinct has never left him.  So when he has a plate of food in front of him, he tucks into it with gusto, taking huge mouthfuls and making the absolute most of it.

I love to watch Dean eat, because it's wonderful to see the sheer joy and satisfaction he takes from his favourite meals.  He loves his food and , I believe that once the brothers discovered the Bunker, and the facilities it provided, Dean found that he really enjoyed cooking and became very good at it.  I think it would have become the nearest thing to a hobby that Dean had ever had.

Although he's a tough guy badass hunter, Dean is a nurturer, and I totally believe that Dean equates food with love.   There are many examples of Dean providing food for Sam, for Kevin, for Clare, for Jack, and for many other of the waifs and strays that have crossed the Winchesters' paths throughout the show. 

When Dean makes you food, he's basically saying 'I love you'.

And that's why I believe Dean deserves all the love and food he can get!

Comments

[shipperslist]

*nods* Makes so very much sense.

I believe that once the brothers discovered the Bunker, and the facilities it provided, Dean found that he really enjoyed cooking and became very good at it.

Isn't there at least one scene where Dean makes breakfast or something else in just his bathrobe? I have a feeling I've seen clips like that.

[dizzojay]

There were a few scenes where Dean was mooching around the kitchen. My favourite scene like that was when he made that delicious burger for Sam, and Sam was all blissed out while he was eating it. Dean was so adorably proud!

[tsuki_no_bara]

that is entirely believable. dean's love of food was one of the really endearing things about him. i remember showing some of s1 a friend of mine way back when and her comment was that he needed to eat a vegetable or his teeth were going to fall out. i just laughed, but she wasn't wrong!

[dizzojay]

He really does have divine teeth for someone with such a disastrous diet, doesn't he!!

[fairyniamh]

Yes, this! I am honestly surprised that he isn't a food hoarder. My neighbor and I both grew up food poor and went without for younger siblings and... yes, we are both guilty of being food hoarders.

I can easily imagine a Young Dean going dumpster diving for dented or unlabeled cans of veg/food. (Yes, I did this as a child.)

[dizzojay]

Oh totally, I think poor Dean's got a whole load of baggage from his upbringing - he'd be a psychologist's dream!

[apachefirecat]

Very true on all accounts, and I couldn't agree more on Dean being a nurturer and learning and loving to cook!

[dizzojay]

I think it's probably quite a popular headcanon in the fandom!

[spiralicious]

I love this and I totally agree

[dizzojay]

Thank you, I've heard others talk about this, so I think it's quite a widespread headcanon in the Spn fandom.

[spiralicious]

I believe you're right

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I think you nailed it.

There was one episode where Dean said something like, "Funyons are vegetables."

Also, look at their activity level. They have no home until later in the series. They are constantly investigating things, hiking around towns or woods, and getting into fights. They never know when they'll have time to stop and eat, and it's not like they can keep a healthy pantry. They have to eat what they can get, which is usually diner food if they're lucky, and hope they have time to finish it before something else blows up. And they're probably burning like 3000 calories a day through all that. Before you even count the mystical shit, some of which burns calories like crazy.

Re: Thoughts

[dizzojay]

It's a good job they lead such an active life! (And aren't we lucky that it results in two delicious guys to fawn over!) :)