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4B —Thursday, December 6, 2018
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Veganism in Ann Arbor
I dove head first into veganism
when I came to the University
my freshman year. There were
no vegetarian training wheels
to ease me into a major lifestyle
transition of no animal products
whatsoever. For those who aren’t
familiar with the “eat food not
friends” mantra, vegans don’t
eat any animal-made products,
including milk, eggs, any kind of
meat, honey and a jumble of other
animal-originating
produce.
There are many variations to
the vegan lifestyle, like whole-
starch, low-fat vegans and raw
vegans who don’t eat anything
cooked. Beyond food, vegans do
not wear clothing derived from
animals, like wool, leather or
fur. Definitely no Canada Goose
jackets.
Surprisingly,
transitioning
into veganism didn’t feel like
that big of a deal for me. My diet
had already largely consisted
of vegetables, fruits and all the
heart-healthy grains, and I knew
there was no way in hell I was
going to eat chicken-something-
sketchy at the dining hall.
I honestly was not entirely
informed
on
the
medical,
ethical, anatomical, economical
and environmental reasoning
behind the vegan lifestyle. I just
felt like it was the right thing to
do at the time and have stuck
with it for over a year. But now
looking into it, there’s so much
logic behind veganism, not only
for personal well-being, but
for the viability of the Earth
and every living creature on
it
(watch
any
documentary
featuring
innocent
animals
being brutally slaughtered in
extensive quantities to learn
more).
The traditional Ann Arbor
culture is rooted in an earthy,
liberal arts scene: the perfect
climate for vegan restaurants
to thrive. I would appoint
TESSA ROSE
Daily Arts Writer
FLICKR
How Weird Al kept food
parody fresh, farm-grade
There is a years-old adage
that has been spoken by every
mother
throughout
history
at least once, with a scowl on
her face and a look of disgust:
Don’t play with your food. It’s
a simple ask, but for a child,
the utmost restraint must be
used to keep themselves from
sticking stuff into potatoes
or making rice mountains on
their
plates,
pushing
their
green beans into patterns on
the white porcelain. Though
the conventions of etiquette
don’t allow for any untethered
experimentation at the dinner
table, the frustrated parents
of wild children are missing
out on one undeniable truth:
Food is funny. The need to eat
is something we all have in
common, and in that universal
appeal is an opportunity for
truly great comedy. No one
knows this more or does it
better than cultural icon and
master of parody “Weird Al”
Yankovic.
Weird
Al,
really
named
Alfred Yankovic, began his
path into parody stardom in
the late ‘70s and quickly grew
into a media phenomenon. If
you’ve ever seen a picture of
him you would not forget it,
with long curly hair and an
ultra-expressive mug that only
enhances
his
showmanship.
The man is a natural comedian,
and it’s obvious to anyone
who watches his music videos
or appearances on late-night
television. He’s a well-loved and
lauded character in American
and world media alike, someone
who has been creating songs
that parody pop culture and art
with an intelligent edge for over
40 years. For those not familiar
with Weird Al’s work, it’s worth
a listen from hits like “Amish
Paradise,” an Amish-themed
version of the late-‘90s hit
“Gangsta’s Paradise,” to “White
and Nerdy,” a geeky take on
“Ridin’ Dirty,” the songwriter
has tackled every genre and era
of music with flourish and the
kind of smart satire that sneaks
up on you through expertly
arranged jams.
Weird Al has been a solid
presence in the American pop
media through these parodies
for decades, taking on the
conventions and hits of each
time period with a consistently
funny and unique take. But the
thing that he has always done
best, even in the large scope of
his celebrated career, is craft
whimsically
hilarious
songs
about food. He even released
an album titled The Food Album
in 1993, a collection of his best
songs based on the silliness and
convention of the things we eat.
In fact, Weird Al’s first song
that played on the radio was his
version of classic ‘70s rock hit
“My Sharona,” affectionately
titled “My Bologna.” “Ooh,
my little hungry one, hungry
one / Open up a package
of
my
bologna,”
he
sings,
crooning over a ragged guitar
part.
Although
Weird
Al’s
songs themselves offer funny
perspectives on food, the kicker
is really their accompanying
videos, some of which have
been ingrained in pop culture
to the same extent as their base
material. Part of the hilarity of
food is its visual effect, and Al
knows this better than anybody.
Although it would probably
be considered insensitive today,
Weird Al’s song “Fat,” a parody
of Michael Jackson’s pivotal
single “Bad,” is probably the hit
that most people would know
him for. Much of the tune’s
success is due to its music
video, a vision of Al’s ballooned
body flying through the subway
tunnels in a comedic version of
the original Jackson video. The
musician sings, “When I go to
get my shoes shined / I gotta
take their word / Because I’m
fat, I’m fat, sham on,” in the
same style as the iconic MJ,
with a comedic twist that plays
and contrasts with the canon
to create a lasting hit. If you
ignore the obvious fatphobic
issues with the song, you can
see Weird Al’s originality and
interesting relationship with
food shine through. Though
there are some songs, like “Fat,”
that may not have aged well as
society has changed, they are
still an example of how food
and eating have always been
undeniably funny, no matter
who is listening.
This attention to detail and
creative take on food parody
is even more apparent in songs
like “Eat It,” another Jackson
parody of “Beat It,” “Addicted
to Spuds” (“Addicted to Love,”
Robert Palmer), “I Love Rocky
Road” (“I Love Rock and Roll,”
Joan Jett), “Spam” (“Stand,”
R.E.M.) and even more. Lyrics
include: “Spam in the back of
my car (ham and pork) / Spam
any place that you are (ham and
pork) / The tab is there to open
the can (spam any place that
you are),” “Just eat it, eat it /
Get yourself an egg and beat it,”
“ I love rocky road / So won’t
you go and buy half a gallon,
baby / I love rocky road / So
have another triple scoop with
me.” With lines like these, any
audience would know exactly
what Al is talking about from
the first word. Not only is his
writing
refreshingly
simple,
but it also plays on a childlike
curiosity and interest in food
that hides inside all of us. Weird
Al knows the value of silliness,
and is a clear supporter of
playing with your food, no
matter what your mother may
have said.
CLARA SCOTT
Daily Arts Writer
STYLE NOTEBOOK
Kerrytown the vegan hotspot,
with The Lunch Room, Detroit
Filling Station, People’s Food
Co-op and many others scattered
across the neighborhood. The
Ann Arbor restaurant scene
puts any myth that the vegan
diet is unappetizing or boring to
shame.
The Lunch Room:
The Lunch Room will always
be Ann Arbor’s vegan gem.
From seitan-made hot dogs (2
for $10) to vegan pad thai ($12),
The Lunch Room demonstrates
vegan culinary creativity at its
finest. They also serve a spread
of vegan desserts, like ice cream
sandwiches ($6) made with
coconut milk and your choice
of cookie outsides (ginger and
fudge being my top choices). Not
to mention The Lunch Room’s
charmingly snug location nestled
in the middle of the Kerrytown
Market two streets away from
the notorious Ann Arbor raised
sandwich
stop,
Zingerman’s
Delicatessen. Walking into The
Lunch Room, you’ll be greeted
by string lights, cobblestone
pavement and kombucha. Vegan
paradise awaits you.
Detroit Filling Station:
Head
up
another
classic
Kerrytown cobblestone road,
past the Kerrytown Farmers
Market and you can find the
Detroit Filling Station, situated
on the corner of Detroit Street
and Catherine Street. For Sunday
brunch, check out the Greek
scramble ($13) bursting with
tofu-based scrambled “eggs,”
bell peppers, Yukon potatoes
and herbed aioli toast, vegan
pancakes ($3-$12) and almost
any other breakfast item you
crave. I really give kudos to the
Detroit Filling station for nailing
a solid vegan breakfast, the
hardest vegan meal to master, as
nearly all traditional breakfast
plates center on animal sourced
ingredients. Plan a visit on a
Wednesday night for live jazz
music or Thursday night for live
bluegrass.
Fred’s:
Walking into Fred’s, you’ll
find yourself in a bright space
lined with quirky wall art and
wooden furniture displays that
must have come straight from
a ‘Boho-mod’ Pinterest board.
Freds’s menu thrives on clean
eats that you will crave for
days after. They serve unusual
but inventive açai bowls, like
the Mermaid Bowl ($10) with
pineapple, coconut milk, blue
algae and a medley of other
superfood toppings, plus a line
of freshly made smoothies each
costing around $7-$8. And, as
always, this vegan spot has a
filling avocado toast ($7.50)
served on sourdough bread,
because healthy fats and carbs
are a must.
Argus Farm Stop:
I only discovered Argus Farm
Stop this year, but now you can
catch me there almost every
morning
drinking
a
golden
turmeric latte with almond
milk ($3.25) alongside a vegan
energy bite ($3) from Juicy
Kitchen. Two of these farm-
centric locations have found
homes across campus, one on
Packard St. and the other on
Liberty Street. Part cafe and
part market, the Argus Farm
Stop offers an array of artisanal
products to purchase and taste,
all of which are sourced from
local farms around Michigan.
They have lentil stews, baked
goods from Juicy Kitchen and
Tasty Bakery and crackly fresh
bread provided daily. Argus
is
a
low-profit
organization
with a mission to support local
food
systems.
According
to
informational plaques displayed
around Argus, “our country has
lost 93% of its farms growing
food since 1950.” While not
all products here are vegan
friendly,
purchasing
locally
sourced
food
products
are
ultimately more economically
and environmentally sustainable
than most other commercial
options.
COURTESY OF THE LUNCH ROOM
MUSIC VIDEO : ‘THANK U, NEXT’
Ariana Grande’s “thank u,
next” is a sensation of such
magnitude that it’s easy to
feel like Ariana has always
been this cultural behemoth.
Yet “thank u, next” is
Ariana’s first Billboard
number one hit. It’s easily
her best performing single.
What puts this song and its
music video apart is Grande’s
masterful execution and
understanding of the social
media hype machine. Both
the single and music video
have managed to drum
intense fervor through
references to pop culture
without seeming insincere.
In the video, Ariana
recreates iconic scenes
from “Mean Girls,” “Bring
It On,” “13 Going on 30”
and “Legally Blonde.” She’s
the centerpiece of these
recreations, but fills in the
spaces with so many cultural
fixtures that it’s hard to keep
your eye on just her. The
opening scene, taking place
in the halls of Upper Darby
High School, features several
students voicing their
intense obsession with the
pop star, who is playing the
role of Regina George. One of
those students just happens
to be Troye Sivan.
In a later scene, Kris
Jenner fills in as Ariana’s
irresponsible mother,
videotaping the “Plastics” at
their Christmas show. She
holds the camera out and
gleefully yells “Thank you,
next, bitch!”
Moments like these
are where Ariana and
her team show their total
understanding of how
culture works today.
The movie was released
three years before Kim
Karadashian’s sex tape, yet
eerily predicted the rise of a
“Plastics”-like clique in the
form of the Kardashians.
By conflating Kris Jenner
to shameless stage-mother
Mrs. George, Ariana and
her team essentially skewer
our culture, in which people
we love to hate become
paramount. Using Kris as
her fill-in is a genius move of
reference, where the source
becomes the material.
That sort of self-
awareness makes this
video perfectly 2018. It’s a
visual representation of the
constantly referential world
of Twitter, where everything
is simultaneously about
something else and yourself,
like when we post photos
of reality TV stars like Kris
Jenner saying incredibly
heinous things with the
caption: “Me.”
In the “thank u, next”
video, Ariana literally
becomes pop culture, and
pop culture becomes her.
— Matthew Gallatin, Daily
Arts Writer
REPUBLIC RECORDS
“thank u, next”
Ariana Grande
Republic Records
Weird Al has
been a solid
presence in the
American pop
media through
these parodies for
decades, taking on
the conventions
and hits of each
time period with a
consistently funny
and unique take.
The traditional
Ann Arbor
culture is rooted
in an earthy,
liberal arts scene:
the perfect
climate for vegan
restaurants to
thrive.
MUSIC NOTEBOOK