The Cult of Ina
Cult followings form when someone remains unmistakably themselves over time, attracting the right audience along the way.
I recently attended Ina Garten’s speaking tour for her memoir “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.” With little traditional promotion, nearly three thousand fans gathered in Atlanta on a random Thursday night. The audience was unmistakably Ina’s: elegant women in her signature blue shirts, millennials raised on her shows, and an enthusiastic contingent of gay men.
The NYT writer host, Kim Severson’s opening observation was a parallel drawn between Ina Garten and Dolly Parton. Both enduring and beloved businesswomen, forever above the fray, and each with their own cult following. The audience erupted with laughter at Ina’s first “store-bought is fine” and her insistence on sourcing “good” ingredients. In lesser hands, that level of discernment might feel exclusionary, but with Ina, it reads as conviction. She makes the aspirational feel accessible without ever lowering the standard.
That commitment to the bit has cultivated the camaraderie palpable among the crowd. The lovely ladies seated next to me were thrilled to ask what Ina dishes I’ve cooked, where I got my “Barefoot Contessa” ballcap, and what audience question I submitted. When I returned home, the love continued. A simple TikTok I posted, Ina on stage with the caption, “This is why my standards are unreasonable,” garnered thousands of views as fans shared their own experiences with Ina. “Our children buy her cookbooks, she is amazing. She crosses generations!” “She taught me how to cook and how to love.” “She is warm and gracious, I’m a fan for life.” Along with some of their favorite Ina quotes like, “You can’t be miserable while eating a cookie.”
By being so steadfastly herself, Ina didn’t chase an audience. She allowed her tribe to form around her, a fan base that now shows up with the devotion you might expect at a Lady Gaga concert.
P.S. The audience question I submitted: “When your biopic is written, what key scene from your life must make the cut?”