Was Beyoncé Super?


Michael Stuart Kelly

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They never did that to me on SLOP.

Brant,

They use a more targeted approach over there. More agenda-oriented.

I developed a concept for an upcomiong project, but it's appropriate for their method, so I'll mention it.

They use "rhetorical math."

2 + 2 does not have to equal 4 in that system. But there has to be some belief (or some reason for the belief) that the proportions are more or lesss in the ballpark. Then it works well--not as strict math, but as a credible-sounding exclamation point or a pretext for cussing.

:smile:

Michael

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Here are some basic demographics if anyone is interested (screenshot from here and it seems to be based on Nielsen numbers):

The article highlights how the female viewership is growing, but I'm more impressed with how the lion's share goes to 18 to 65 year olds, divided up into approximately 3 equal groups.

80% or more Caucasian, too.

I never paid attention to this before.

Michael

Michael, you will accept it in context if I offer an alternative viewpoint based on "Blah... blah... blah..." The quadrillions of humanoids on all planets who watch the Superbowl are not important.

You forgot to count those who did not watch it. Dennis L. May's seen and unseen. And Frederic Bastiat's seen and unseen. You can get rich chasing the herd, but the problem is that you have to step in what they leave behind.

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You forgot to count those who did not watch it. Dennis L. May's seen and unseen. And Frederic Bastiat's seen and unseen. You can get rich chasing the herd, but the problem is that you have to step in what they leave behind.

Michael,

I didn't count anybody. I was looking at Nielsen numbers. They are the professionals at counting.

Somehow I don't see you in a career in advertising or marketing...

:)

Michael

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I'm going Team Jonathan on this one.

I don't have anything of note to add to the arguments Jonathan has already made. However, I will say that I count among my friends a whole lot of "dudes who like dudes" and all of them adore Beyonce.

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I may be desensitized. I spend a fair amount of time in a city where it's common to see women walking around with their shirts painted on. Literally, they are naked from the waist up and have elaborate designs painted on their bodies.

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Jonathan,

In Brazil, it's all good. More types of fruit than you can count. Even mundane fruit like bananas. For example, go to any farmer's market (feira, which comes around once a week in city neighborhoods and closes off a street) and you can find a minimum of 5 kinds of bananas (nanica, prata. banana maçã, da terra and pingo de ouro). but there are oodles more. And that's just bananas.

There's one fruit I miss a lot: acerola. I love acerola juice. Acerola is a small tangy cherry-size fruit that has the equivalent of about 20 oranges of vitamin C. You normally make a glass of juice out of about 10 to 15 of them--and people who live in acerola country never get a cold.

Barbecue is great. A very common restaurant in Brazil, the churascaria tipo rodizio (see here for examples using the Brazilian image search). It has an all-you-can-eat salad and veggie bar, but the main feature is they bring all kinds of meat on spits around to your table and keep cutting off slices until you holler mercy. Oh... if you think that's not enough food and want some fries, cheese bread, rice, manioc flour or other stuff like that, there is plenty.

Seafood is magnificent, both salt-water and fresh-water.

There is one dish all foreigners have to try at least once, the feijoada. This is standard for a late Saturday lunch. They cook black beans with pig leftovers (ears, tongue, etc.), sausage, and some other goodies, served with slightly cooked collard greens cut so thin they look like grass and manioc flour. Rice and salad and some other side dishes. You never tell foreigners what is in it, but instead, shut up, close your eyes and eat. It is delicious. Almost everyone who does turns into a fan. This is right before your Saturday afternoon nap, of course. You can't do anything else after a good feijoada.

I could go on all day about this stuff. It's one of the things I miss about being up here in the USA.

Brazilians always used to chide me about how bad Americans eat.They kept saying we eat out of cans. This used to confuse me until I finally moved back. I found out the problem is not actually cans, but goop. Most all foods by default here come dripped in some kind of sauce, sugar, monosodium glutamate, dressing, or other flavoring enhancer.

Blech...

What's worse, that stuff is addictive and without any nutritional value. All right, I love fast food, but I realize this is my addictive brain talking, not the wholesome appetite I cultivated in Brazil (at least, now, Kat and I are on a kick where we longer eat it).

More recently, people around here are starting to become interested in eating healthier.

And I say hallelujah.

Michael

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Thanks, dglgmut!

I'm going Team Jonathan on this one.

I don't have anything of note to add to the arguments Jonathan has already made. However, I will say that I count among my friends a whole lot of "dudes who like dudes" and all of them adore Beyonce.

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I may be desensitized. I spend a fair amount of time in a city where it's common to see women walking around with their shirts painted on. Literally, they are naked from the waist up and have elaborate designs painted on their bodies.


fine... I like art, too. What if they groped themselves while hopping around like frogs?

I mean, if you stop and think about it, why would anyone buy pornography when you can get a gynecology textbook?

A few years ago, in an anthropology class, we saw a film about the Niue of east central Afria. They are all naked all the time. So, I asked the professor, because you know, if we took our clothes off, well ... you can imagine... And he said, "It's probably the 'come hither look' a certain lilt of the head that does it."

My point is that sexuality is cultural and Beyonce seems to be a troll or orc or something, but not human as I know it.

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There is one dish all foreigners have to try at least once, the feijoada. This is standard for a late Saturday lunch. They cook black beans with pig leftovers (ears, tongue, etc.), sausage, and some other goodies, served with slightly cooked collard greens cut so thin they look like grass and manioc flour. Rice and salad and some other side dishes. You never tell foreigners what is in it, but instead, shut up, close your eyes and eat. It is delicious. Almost everyone who does turns into a fan. This is right before your Saturday afternoon nap, of course. You can't do anything else after a good feijoada.

Sounds delicious (like a lot of things that you don't want to know what's in it, or see how it's made).

Brazilians always used to chide me about how bad Americans eat.They kept saying we eat out of cans. This used to confuse me until I finally moved back. I found out the problem is not actually cans, but goop. Most all foods by default here come dripped in some kind of sauce, sugar, monosodium glutamate, dressing, or other flavoring enhancer.

Blech...

Then I'd probably fit in well with the Brazilian gastronomical mindset. I agree that a lot of Americans have really nasty eating habits. You're right about the sauce thing. I know so many people who put ketchup, mustard, steak sauce and/or hot sauce on everything. My wife and I went to a very nice steakhouse recently, and in looking around the dining room, I was shocked to see how many people were soaking their perfectly prepared $80 steaks in one sauce or another. Have they no appreciation for the taste of a fine cut of meat? Why spend the $80? Why not just buy a $5 bottle of the sauce and drink it? With as much of it as they put on their steaks, that's all that they're tasting anyway.

J

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My point is that sexuality is cultural and Beyonce seems to be a troll or orc or something, but not human as I know it.

I've got an idea. Let's post side-by-side of images of people in which we try to make them look as bad as we can by choosing images in which they were caught in out-of-contex moments with odd expressions on their faces, next to images of them looking their absolute best.

We've already seen the atttempts to make Beyonce look bad, so here are some images that I think more than balance it out:

tumblr_ln8wybPiYN1qkfv7uo1_500.jpg

1250530413_beyonce_knowles_290x402.jpg

beyonce3n-1-web.jpg

beyonce-star-1.jpg

Now, let's see images of you guys at your best and worst. And of Ayn Rand. And of the people with whom you've had sex. After you post the images of yourselves, we'll compare them to Beyonce's and decide who is really "a troll or orc or something, but not human as I know it."

J

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Sure, when you get made over for camera work, the studio is a controlled environment. Appearing at an awards ceremony puts you in a context. I agree that anyone can be caught looking bad. In Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life is a snapshot of Nathaniel Branden caught with a quizzical, comical look. There he is labeled as "the deceiver." At a local meetup of Objectivists one of the younger people echoed that when Branden's name came up: "Of course, he was the deceiver.' So, I understand how one bad snapshot can unfairly paint a person. My wife hates the camera so I have to catch her when she is not aware. Not all the snapshots are flattering. I just keep the good ones. So, I get that about Beyonce ... perhaps...

The problem is the reality of peak experience. Alcohol or running, drugs, emotional stress from an automobile accident fender-bender or much worse, accidents, emergencies, divorce court ... you name it... when your inhibitions are removed and the internal censor cannot act, then we see the real you. Is Beyonce complicated? Most likely so because high achievers are complicated. Mike Tyson might also be complicated. Moammar Qaddafi took over Libya when he was 27. Fame is just another wine that brings out the real you. Engaged in the peak experience of high physical exertion in front of a crowd of 80,000 with one-third of America watching, Beyonce could not control her facial expressions and she just opened up the window to her soul.

(Or maybe not... I really do not know her. She is just a name to me, like the Pope.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think I should visit New Orleans and Brazil. I've never been to either. What's the best food to eat? What would you recommend?

J

I don't even know where to start! Local dishes have both French and Spanish influences, with soul thrown in. Seafood, seafood, seafood - crawfish, oysters, crab, shrimp, redfish, catfish. Gumbo, jambalaya, etouffe, etc - all the things you think of as typical Cajun or Creole dishes, with lots of spice (the hot kind). Because of the diversity of the population, we also have very good authentic ethnic foods. Not much time now, but if you're really interested, let me know.

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I love gumbo, at least the versions of it that I've had here in Minnesota. The one item that you mentioned that I've never tried is crawfish. Well, not directly or whole -- I once had some crawdaddy casserole in De Soto, WI, but it was more casserole than crawdad, just bits and flakes of meat among other ingredients, sort of a local river-rat-chef's version of crab cakes.

If you do find the time, and have the interest, yes, I would very much enjoy hearing more on authentic ethnic dishes from your area. Whenever I get the chance to travel, I love tasting the local fare, especially if I'm armed with some good advice on what to look for.

J

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I think I should visit New Orleans and Brazil. I've never been to either. What's the best food to eat? What would you recommend?

J

I don't even know where to start! Local dishes have both French and Spanish influences, with soul thrown in. Seafood, seafood, seafood - crawfish, oysters, crab, shrimp, redfish, catfish. Gumbo, jambalaya, etouffe, etc - all the things you think of as typical Cajun or Creole dishes, with lots of spice (the hot kind). Because of the diversity of the population, we also have very good authentic ethnic foods. Not much time now, but if you're really interested, let me know.

No soul! No thank you!

--Brant

no, no thank you!

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I love gumbo, at least the versions of it that I've had here in Minnesota. The one item that you mentioned that I've never tried is crawfish. Well, not directly or whole -- I once had some crawdaddy casserole in De Soto, WI, but it was more casserole than crawdad, just bits and flakes of meat among other ingredients, sort of a local river-rat-chef's version of crab cakes.

If you do find the time, and have the interest, yes, I would very much enjoy hearing more on authentic ethnic dishes from your area. Whenever I get the chance to travel, I love tasting the local fare, especially if I'm armed with some good advice on what to look for.

J

Gumbo is definitely a staple in southeast Louisiana, served over rice, of course. There's some debate over what makes the best gumbo, but it's pretty much just a matter of preference. Some prefer seafood which would typically include, at minimum, crab and shrimp, but often includes fish and oysters, as well. Where seafood gumbo is concerned, pretty much whatever you have on hand gets thrown in, and usually the oyster and crab shells go in, too. Some prefer sausage gumbo, understanding that it could be andouille, boudin, smoked, polish, deer or any other number of types of sausage or... all of the above. Sausage gumbo often includes chicken, too. Another big gumbo debate is whether or not it ought to include okra. I prefer it with, some prefer it without. Then there's file. (I don't know how to properly mark up that word so that there's the little accent mark over the e in file.) It's an herb made from sassafras leaves, and it provides a very distinct flavor. I prefer my gumbo without file. In any case, the roux is the key to good gumbo.

Eating crawfish is definitely an experience, one that I, as a non-native Louisianan, do not fully appreciate. Timing is everything. Crawfish is good eatin' right now because it's in season. I know a lot of people come to town and wonder why they can't get good crawfish, but that's usually because it's the wrong season. Late "winter" through mid spring is when you want it. An acceptable crawfish boil will include sausage, corn on the cob, mushrooms, whole new potatoes, and whole heads of garlic. Some people, if they're being fancy, also add celery and assorted peppers. Oh, and there's lemons but you don't eat those. :-) Eating a crawfish is just like you've heard, as in "suck the head and pinch the tail." Rip it's head off, suck the juice and brains and other assorted gunk out of the skull and discard. Loosen the first "rib" of the tail a bit, pinch thumb and finger at the base of the tail, and pull the meat out of the shell with your teeth. If you've been practicing that since age 18 months, you're pretty dang good at it. The rest of us.... get frustrated and decide it's more work and mess than it's worth and move on to the other stuff. My favorite is the sausage and garlic, just cause I like sausage, and because the garlic squeezed onto fresh French bread is to die for. Don't plan on kissing anyone later, though.

There's a couple of ways to eat crab here. The usual way, and the softshell way. When the crab have recently molted, their immature shells are soft enough to eat. These are lightly breaded and deep fried and you eat the whole dang thing. I admit it is delicious, but something about eating things with that many legs still attached is just not palatable for me.

I'm not an oyster lover, so I can't say much about that except that I do love them chargrilled in the shell and the best are from Drago's.

Some of my favorite restaurants and why:

Three Muses on Frenchman Street in the Quarter. Frenchman is just a really cool area, first off. It's hard to get a table here and the table's are small. You order at the bar and the food is brought to you. It's all small tasting plates, the idea being that you order lots of things to get a good taste of it all and share with whomever you're with. I always order the scallops because they're grilled just right and the sweet potato thing they're served over is yummy. I almost always order this crazy little dish that they call pizza, but it's not like any pizza you get at Domino's. It has duck and spinach on flatbread and even though it's not on the menu you can order a fried duck egg on the top.

Angeli's on Decatur, also in the Quarter. Spicy Italian food. 'Nuff said. I love the pasta salad, but if you don't like cold salads they'll warm it for you.

Drago's - see above reference to chargrilled oysters. It's located in the Hilton at the end of Canal Street. Take a ferry ride to the West Bank afterward.

Que Rico in Slidell which is 30ish miles outside of the city. Fabulous authentic Cuban food, but go early because when they run out of what they've cooked for the day, they close up.

Mona's uptown on St. Charles for Lebanese. Stuffed grape leaves are my favorite dish there.

I'm running out of time and steam now! There's so many good restaurants here it's hard to decide what to list. As a general rule, I tell most people to avoid the restaurants that have long lines of tourists waiting to get in. Go to the places that it seems the locals are gravitating towards. Also, you can spend a lot of money on upscale dining at places like Tommy's and Emeril's and Commander's Palace, and you will get excellent food and service. However, you can get just as good of food, perhaps even better, on a budget. Service, meh, well that is sometimes hit or miss, but hey, that's part of the of experience, right?

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I can't tell from the above whether Gumbo is from the lazy for the insane or from the insane for the lazy.

--Brant

so I put 'em both in the pot!

Ha! I guess I've been living here and eating gumbo long enough that it doesn't strike me as odd anymore. Like the po-boy sandwich, gumbo, I think, was born of the necessity to make use of every scrap of food that comes into the home. Probably lots of stews, soups, and casseroles from many cultures originate thus.

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