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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

