[Something tells me this is not going to go as planned.*]
The next stop on my new status as a member of the media elite (for those of you with wee memories visit my wayback machine for The Nasher, Picasso and Me): I got an e-mail today from someone named Wendy from Room 214 urging me to blog/tweet about the show "Man v. Food." Honest to Freud I've never seen this show before and only barely have some memory of this guy appearing in Raleigh last year to eat 3000 hot dogs or something like that.
Anyhow, the episode Wednesday night features this wild man's adventures in eating in Durham, or so that's what the release I got said. I'm sure it's going to be a fascinating show but today kids I'd like to talk about this press release-e-mail-thing. Here are some snippets that I really enjoyed:
Durham has been called the "Cradle of Cue", so Adam starts his journey with a search for some good ole Eastern Carolina BBQ.
Oh, where to start. To my knowledge Durham has NEVER been called the "Cradle of Cue." After Googling I found that North Carolina has at times been called the "Cradle of 'Cue" (note the apostrophe, Wendy!) but Durham? Locavore? Sure. Foodie? You bet? But I doubt we'd even make the top 20 in barbecue localities in the state. We certainly get no love from my new favorite food site BBQ Jew. Regardless, if you make it all the way to the Triangle, you pick Backyard BBQ Pit?
And "good ole?" C'mon, Wendy, y'all not frum 'round here, huh? And it's eastern, not Eastern. And it's eastern North Carolina, not eastern Carolina. Catching on?
They're known for their chopped BBQ pork, which btw isn't really chopped, it's stirred (that's how tender it is!). In Adam's own words, the pork "coats your tongue like velvet".
btw? Are we under Twitter length restraints now? And, um, if it's not chopped, it's not chopped. Find me some other NC barbecue restaurant that refers to their meat as stirred. Also, the last word you should ever use to describe eastern North Carolina barbecue is velvet -- that's for fine paintings, not food.
Next up, Adam heads to Wimpy's Grill which is known for big breakfasts and big burgers.
Okay, I've had a burger or two at Wimpy's, and I enjoyed them, but they weren't ecstasy-producing. In the YouTube clip Wendy sent along the focus at Wimpy's is far more on the toppings than the ground-at-Wimpy's hamburger. Look at all those toppings! And more toppings! They're messy.
Also, they serve breakfast at Wimpy's? Maybe they do, but never in my life have I heard of Wimpy's as being "known for big breakfasts." You?
And did you know Wimpy's ...
"is a hot spot for tailgating?"
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WHERE? In that incredibly narrow all-asphalt parking lot? Or does she mean the Dukies are all grabbing some burgers on their way to the big football games? (Insert your own Duke football joke here.)
This burger is so messy Adam says, "I feel I ned to eat it in the shower".
Ned? And proper use of quotation marks?
On a more personal note, I hope you do not find this email offensive. I try to reach out to people who would be interested to know that Man V. Food is coming!
No, Wendy, I don't find this offensive at all. I do worry that in the battle of good writing vs. social media that social media seems to have the upper hand at the moment. Good luck wherever the next episode takes you.
--Steve
P.S. Oooh, that Room 214 group seems a bit, I don't know, white, don't you think?
[*On the other hand, I'm writing about -- and you're reading about -- a show I knew nothing about mere hours ago, so perhaps their job is done. Someone at Room 214 is no doubt smiling and noting the irony ... while sending someone else to pull up the clip of "Reality Bites" where Ethan Hawke defines irony so everyone remembers what it is.]
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2 comments:
I have been aware of this show which is now in its second season. It is a plebian, blue collar, non esoteric display of gluttony. This is otherwise known as mindless entertainment. In this instance, it is quite harmless and maintains an air of a travel show. Authenticity and accuracy aside, it's benign, if you find a physically nondescript chubby fellow with a modicum of personality alluring enough to watch.
Intellectually challenging...I think not. Overall, he most likely needs the Social Network Marketers though I hate the sly disguised manner in which they operate to falsely inflate the popularity of any show or agenda.
Thank you for this little peek inside the so-called infotainment industry. These clever "Marketeers" are destroying our young people and our collective intellect with their misuse of the language and their Wikipedia-influenced lack of ability to do actual research.
This is a looming threat to all of us who are outside of the NY-LA Entertainment Industry Axis. We must resist the temptation to objectify ourselves for the amusement of others. These myths become reality in simple ignorant minds. Keep it real, NC people.
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