Reporting live from my balcony,
yet again, for another literary event
coverage. This time it’s chef and author
Bill Buford’s appearance in the “At
Home with Literati” series, presenting
his latest book “Dirt: Adventures in
Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and
Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French
Cooking.” Today I’m not drinking
Roiboos tea but matcha! This was my
first time trying it, and it will most
probably be the last. Apologies for any
grass-tasting milk lovers, but I will
stick to my former choice of drink.
Before tuning in on this April 5
evening to Literati’s Zoom webinar, I
did a fair bit of research on the author in
question. Before I realized it, I had spent
almost an hour watching his cooking
videos on The New Yorker’s YouTube
channel, such as this one, where he
cooks a delicious apple pie with the help
of his twin sons in his home kitchen.
The event began with a brief
introduction by John Ganiard, the
event director for Literati, who gave
the audience a bit of background into
how Buford’s “Dirt” came to be and
the unanticipated abandonment of
the chef’s life in New York City for
a five-year adventure in Lyon, “the
gastronomical capital of the world.”
Then it was Buford’s turn to elaborate
on the marvel of that voyage, and how
a filthy bakery run by a man named
Bob, as well as his apprenticeship in a
storied Michelin-starred restaurant,
broadened his culinary skills (and his
archive of great anecdotes).
Buford’s book, which serves as a
sequel to “Heat” (2006), a memoir of
how he left his position as editor of
The New Yorker to dive into Italian
restaurant kitchens, was described
by Ganiard as more “conversational
storytelling” than the actual heavy
reflection normally associated with
memoirs. Buford read the opening
pages, and I could instantly tell what
he had meant by that — it was written
in a humorous conversational manner.
I felt like I was at a dinner table and he
was telling me an anecdote about his
life — a vivid narrative situated in the
heat and stress of a Michelin-starred
kitchen, with smells and sounds
accompanying his interactive way of
depicting the scene.
The anecdote was about artichokes
— and I love artichokes — so I instantly
drew my ear closer: Buford had
botched the preparation of the green
buds so badly that he had the whole
staff in the kitchen buckle in laughter.
All but the head chef, who was serious
in the way French chefs are: “Arms
crossed and frowning, because nobody
smiles in kitchens.”
Buford explained his experience
in two very different workspaces, a
Michelin-starred restaurant and an
eccentric bakery, both of which taught
him a great deal about French cuisine
and the important role it plays in the
country’s culture. He emphasized
his admiration for the farm-to-table
custom that has proliferated in France
and the emphasis on fresh, local and
unprocessed food. The title of the book
stems from this notion that it is the
soil in which the food is growing —
ingredients that haven’t been ruined by
modern life — that makes it so special.
Buford puts it beautifully: the marvel
of the hundreds of different kinds of
cheeses and the “poetry in every kind
being tied to a place and not another.”
The webinar turned into a Q&A
and I posed two questions, although
I could have asked him many more. I
wanted to know what dish, out of the
ones he had learned in Lyon, had been
his favorite. “Chicken,” he laughed. He
also mentioned mastering (and loving)
making sauces.
My second question, and the one
which concluded the event, posed
whether he ever thought of opening up
his own restaurant and where he would
locate it. Buford said he had a fantasy of
going back to France and then opening
up a restaurant with fellow chef Michel
Richard upon his return to New York.
Or maybe a pop-up restaurant in Lyon.
A potential location he mentioned
was Piedmont, the region bordering
France and Italy, as a place where
he could put his “love for the way
in which the French and Italians
conversed” into work — a place where
his genius and his apprenticeship
could come together. Additionally, he
did say he loved Spanish cuisine as
another potential future project — a
completion of his Mediterranean trio.
As a Spaniard, I would love to see that.
My stomach rumbles at the thought
of Bob’s bread, of my grandma’s
artichokes (which I like to believe are
well-cooked) and of Buford’s pastas.
Now I log off for the day, happy to have
hopped, once again, into an Ann Arbor-
run literary event and extending the
list of book recommendations that I
will read when I have more time in
my hands. Hopefully alongside some
delicious apple pie and Rooibos tea (not
matcha).
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 — 5
My least favorite subgenre of film and
television doesn’t have a name, and I don’t
think I would be able to give it one if I had
to. I have to use a lot of words to describe
it, something like “movies or shows with
famous white people in prosthetics playing
Republicans.”
The films “Vice” and “Bombshell,” along
with the Showtime miniseries “The Loudest
Voice,” all came out within one year. They
epitomize this strange genre phenomenon
through their depictions of former Vice
President Dick Cheney, various former
Fox News anchors including Megyn Kelly
and former head of Fox News Roger Ailes
respectively.
The three projects were released as if
they were on a schedule, with almost exactly
six months between each of them. It’s like
Hollywood had a Republican biopic quota
and was trying to fill it as quickly as possible.
It was quite the trend. I remember looking
up at a massive billboard for “The Loudest
Voice” in the summer of 2019 and thinking,
“this is that Dick Cheney movie’s fault.” When
I watched the first trailer for “Bombshell”
later that year, I thought, “this is that Roger
Ailes show’s fault.” It’s not that movies about
Republicans hadn’t been made before (Oliver
Stone’s “Nixon” and “W.” come to mind), but it
was the first time that I’d seen them churned
out so quickly.
The entertainment industry is liberal:
Everyone knows that. When a movie or
TV show is about American politics, the
protagonists are usually Democrats, but no
one really makes a big deal about their party
affiliation. In “The West Wing,” President Jed
Bartlet (Martin Sheen, “Judas and the Black
Messiah”) and his successor are Democrats. In
“The Ides of March,” George Clooney’s (“The
Midnight Sky”) character is a Democratic
nominee for president. Even in “Definitely,
Maybe,” a romantic comedy, Ryan Reynolds’s
(“Deadpool”) character is an enthusiastic
volunteer for Bill Clinton’s presidential
campaign.
Democratic politics are so casual in
Hollywood that whenever someone makes
a movie about Republicans, it really has to
be about Republicans. There has to be a
spectacle — i.e. putting actors like Christian
Bale, Charlize Theron and Russell Crowe
into heavy prosthetics to make them look like
carbon copies of the people they’re portraying.
It has to be something gimmicky that will
win awards and underscore the inherent
“otherness” of movies about conservatives,
which stand out in an industry that so
obviously leans left. And Hollywood usually
takes the bait — Bale won a Golden Globe for
“Vice,” and “Bombshell” won an Oscar for
makeup and hairstyling.
It’s almost like movies about Republicans
and conservative media are thought of as
boundary-pushing. As far as turning politics
into entertainment goes, I can understand
why the Republican Party and the vast
media empire that props it up might be more
fun to write about than their Democratic
counterparts. I’m pretty confident that no
one is writing spec scripts about the lives of
Al Gore, Rachel Maddow or whoever the
head of MSNBC is. Republicans are just more
entertaining, even if it’s not for good reasons.
But there’s something so insidious about
making Republican politics seem subversive
through film and TV. It’s not that “Vice,”
“Bombshell” or “The Loudest Voice” are even
particularly generous to their subjects — “Vice”
blows up Cheney’s villainy into Shakespearean
proportions at the end — but none of these
attempted revelations actually reveal anything.
Cheney’s warmongering and Ailes’s sexual
misconduct are well-documented, and Kelly’s
move from Fox News to NBC after Fox News’s
#MeToo moment created a massive media
stir. The people who care to see these stories
fictionalized are most likely people who are
already somewhat informed on the stories’
realities, not people who might be coming in as
a blank slate.
So what is the value of retelling these
stories on screen? Is there any at all?
The conservatives who might watch
these movies will find that they’re perfect
fodder for their perceived victimhood,
something to point to and whine that
they’re being oppressed by the liberal media.
But they’re also great for feeding liberal
superiority complexes, which thrive off all
of the finger-wagging the movies do. They
also allow a self-satisfied Adam McKay
(“The Big Short”), the director of “Vice,”
to comment directly on exactly how edgy
and groundbreaking he thinks his movie is
through an unnecessary, meta, mid-credit
scene in which a focus group argues over the
film’s political biases.
The real purposes, then, of productions
like “Vice,” “Bombshell” and “The Loudest
Voice” are first to employ every white
actor in Hollywood, and second to indulge
their creators and the misguided creative
instincts that tell them what they’re making
is somehow valuable to political discourse.
In practice, they just end up either preaching
to the choir or to a congregation with pre-
drawn conclusions, both of which render the
sermon needless and empty.
As far as I know, nothing else has come out
that fits the very specific criteria of famous
white people, prosthetics and Republicans,
so I’m hopeful that Hollywood has learned
something from the fact that both “Vice”
and “Bombshell” underperformed at the box
office, if nothing else. I’m crossing my fingers
that they represent a bygone era, because if I
ever see a billboard advertising a biopic about
Mitch McConnell, I might try to rip it down
myself.
Lil
Nas
X’s
latest
single,
“MONTERO (Call Me By Your
Name),” is much more than a hollow
pop song from an internet personality
— it’s a statement. As the most
musically and thematically complex
song from the artist, whose given
name is Montero Hill, “MONTERO”
is a triumph in self-expression. The
luscious production and danceable,
Latin-inspired groove compliment
Lil Nas X’s vocal performance, which
ranges from lustful to pleading. Lil Nas
X clearly sings from the heart as he
meditates on codependency, sexuality
and secrecy within relationships.
The song has gained attention since
it was released on March 26 in part due
to its colorful, campy and controversial
music video laden with riffs on biblical
and literary allusions normally used to
villainize queerness. Lil Nas X plays
every single character in the video, and
at one point, literally (lap) dances with
the devil.
In three tightly packed minutes,
Lil Nas X plays a long-haired Adam
in the garden of Eden. There, he is
confronted by a snake, who seduces
him with a third eye. After, a pink-
haired Adam is taken to a trial where
he’s stoned to death (alluding to Plato’s
“Symposium”). Lil Nas X then pole-
dances down to the deepest layer of
hell, where he enters the devil’s palace,
gives him a lap dance, snaps his neck,
takes his horns and assumes his place
on the dark throne.
In a Twitter statement, Hill opened
up about the inspiration for the song
and video: mainly, his feelings of
religious self-loathing while in the
closet. He publicly discussed the
bigotry he’s experienced, especially
from the religious right, which has told
him he’ll burn in hell for his sexuality.
In the music video, Lil Nas X bravely
decides to silence his inner devil and
embrace his sexual orientation; if he
must go to hell, so be it.
Alongside the song, Lil Nas X
partnered with art collective MSCHF
to create a limited number of “Satan
Shoes.” These shoes, which were
modified Nike Air Max 97’s, featured
a bronze pentagram, were inscribed
with “Luke 10:18” (which states, “I
watched Satan fall from heaven like
lightning”), and contained a drop of
human blood. Nike, who played no part
in manufacturing these shoes, filed a
restraining order against MSCHF in
response to widespread confusion over
their role in the stunt.
The video and the accompanying
shoes sent shockwaves through the
internet. Many internet conservatives
took to Twitter to voice their concerns
over the shoes and the video’s
homoerotic
and
satanic
content.
Kaitlin Bennett — better known as
the “Kent State gun girl” who became
famous in 2018 for bringing an AR-10 to
her graduation photoshoot — was very
vocal about her outrage over the music
video. A heated Twitter exchange
broke out between Bennet and Hill
which ended in Bennet’s bigoted
tweet: “Do you still see your dad?” Lil
Nas X responded: “yep and i might fuck
yours.”
Other right-wing commentators
like Candace Owens, Gov. Kristi
Loem, R-S.D., and Pastor Mark
Burns were very outspoken with
their condemnation of “MONTERO.”
Celebrities
like
basketball
player
Nick Young and quarterback Trevor
Lawrence publicly criticized the
“Satan Shoes,” with Young stating,
“My kids will never play Old Town
road again.” Singer Joyner Lucas took
issue with the influence Lil Nas X has
on little kids, to which he responded,
“i literally sing about lean & adultery
in old town road. u decided to let your
child listen. blame yourself.”
The belief that Lil Nas X lost his
kid-friendly appeal by embracing
his sexuality has parallels to the
public backlash over Miley Cyrus’s
“Wrecking Ball.” However, while
Cyrus took a full beating of hate in
2013, Lil Nas X has been clapping back
with just as much shade as what’s been
thrown at him. Even before “Old Town
Road,” Lil Nas X has been an expert
at playing the internet game — his
internet persona is just as important as
the music he has released. The success
of his songs can partly be attributed
to their virality on TikTok, where his
extremely online presence allows him
to engage with millions of fans.
On TikTok, where Lil Nas X began
his career, he reposts hilarious fan
“MONTERO”-themed
TikToks
multiple times a day. He contributed to
this content by starting a TikTok trend
where people pretend to be stuck at
the gates of heaven or hell, as Lil Nas X
quickly slides past on his pole, causing
them to confusedly hear a fraction of a
second of “MONTERO.” Additionally,
Lil Nas X used TikTok to promote
his free browser game called “Twerk
Hero,” which challenges the player to
twerk along with the avatar on-screen.
It’s clear that Lil Nas X understands
how to game social media with a fresh
sense of humor; his TikToks receive
hundreds of thousands of likes and are
often reposted to other social media
platforms. Many people may not be
familiar with “MONTERO” by name,
but have tangential knowledge of the
song from the explosion of memes,
tweets and TikToks strewn about the
internet.
This isn’t a happy coincidence —
“MONTERO’s” publicity explosion
on the internet is by design. It’s how
“Old Town Road” went viral, and
how so many people are familiar
with “MONTERO.” In contrast to the
genuine, raw nature of the song, Lil
Nas X uses cheeky social media humor
to publicize his work. In addition to his
many social media exchanges, Lil Nas
X posted a video titled “MONTERO
but ur in the bathroom of hell while lil
nas is giving Satan a lap dance in the
other room,” following the popular
YouTube meme format.
In the comments, many noted they
were surprised to see that Lil Nas
X himself posted the video — many
stated that much of the content that Lil
Nas X posts aren’t reminiscent of an
advertising campaign, but instead, that
of a viral meme page. With his excellent
marketing skills, Lil Nas X might be
one of the few artists who understand
the psychology behind Gen Z internet
usage: make people laugh, and you
have their attention.
For Lil Nas X, who has yet to release
a full album, the divisive release of
“MONTERO” at this point in his
career is a testament to his bravery.
It’s worth noting that the backlash
he has faced is disproportional to that
of other artists who’ve used satanic
imagery, like Madonna, AC/DC or
literally any rock band. As a Black, gay
man who tells his story honestly, Lil
Nas X is targeted by right-wing media
for not staying within the “acceptable”
boxes created by the music industry
and beyond.
A certified bop like “Old Town
Road” appeals to everyone — many
of Lil Nas X’s original fans come
from across the world and political
spectrum, even many who harbor
hateful views towards the queer
community. Lil Nas X is aware, yet
doesn’t shy away from unapologetically
celebrating his identity.
He uses his wide platform for good
by normalizing content that empowers
queer people of color in a world that
seems to despise both groups. Lil Nas
X knew he would make a polarizing
statement, but to him, it was worth
others feeling less of the self-loathing
he did growing up. Statements like the
video of “MONTERO” spur important
discussions about the acceptance of
queerness. Through “MONTERO,”
Lil Nas X displays boundary-breaking,
society-shaping artistry in its truest
form.
Make no mistake: Lil Nas X isn’t a
passive product of internet algorithms
— he’s a social media master. With
“MONTERO,” Lil Nas X uses his
platform, artistic talent and playful
nature to celebrate queerness with a
video that’s sure to go down in internet
history.
As a little kid, Jimmy Neutron was always
one of my favorite characters, thanks to the 2001
cinematic experience “Jimmy Neutron: Boy
Genius.” At the age of four, I even recommended
that my parents name my little brother, Sacha,
“Jimmy.”
Yes, the television show, “The Adventures of
Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius” was great, and I
remember enjoying the reruns, but it finished
airing when I wasn’t even old enough to read.
Thus, episodes of the show were not easily
accessible. On the other hand, the movie was
readily available via DVD anytime I wanted it.
The film follows Jimmy Neutron, a brilliant
inventor, and his elementary school friends, as
they attempt to rescue their abducted parents
from a planet of gooey aliens. The parent-
napping was made possible by Jimmy himself,
as he sent the coordinates of Earth into space in
hopes of making contact with friendly aliens.
Before the kids find out why their parents
are missing, they partake in a heinous darty
and wake up with massive kid hangovers,
which include tummy aches, boo-boos and a
desperate need for lunch. They subsequently
realize the value of quality parenting and, led
by Jimmy, orchestrate a plan to fly to space to
save their folks from the throes of the gooey
aliens and their chicken monster-god, who has
an appetite for humans.
Before re-watching the movie, the moments
that had stuck in my mind were the silliest
ones, such as Jimmy’s friend Sheen peeing in
the shower (and proclaiming it to no one in
particular), and Jimmy’s accidental shrinking
of the shrill teacher Mrs. Fowl. However, upon
rewatching, I realized that the movie offers
several valuable and wise lessons for kids that
are still exceedingly relevant for children today.
In the animated TV realm of the 2000s,
most protagonists were extraordinary because
of some sort of supernatural power. Whether
it be Timmy Turner with his fairy godparents,
Danny Phantom with his ghost powers or Aang
with his bending powers, all of these characters
benefit from otherworldly abilities. Conversely,
“Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” introduced a
hero whose only superpower is his intellect
and ambition. Many of Jimmy’s inventions fail,
such as his bubble transportation device and
jetpack. However, he never gives up and keeps
working on new devices and strategies until his
goal of saving his parents is complete. Jimmy’s
work ethic and self-made nature is inspiring
for kids who are used to seeing characters with
unreal powers.
And during times of adversity, Jimmy
demonstrates the value of perseverance and
searching for a solution instead of sulking. In his
lowest moments of the movie, Jimmy has the
two most groundbreaking realizations of the
film (the first being that all the kids’ parents have
been abducted, the second being a strategy to
escape an alien dungeon). This may be an overly
simplistic way of looking at the world, but it is
a usefully optimistic portrayal of struggle and
redemption for kids, who will undoubtedly face
misfortune at certain points in the future.
Jimmy also exemplifies the adage “with
great power, comes great responsibility.” He is
a genius, but he does not let his greatness get to
his head. He remains humble and treats his less
intelligent friends, Carl and Sheen, with respect.
Through his creation of silly inventions, such as
burping soda, Jimmy maintains that he is not
above his friends or audience.
Several lessons from “Jimmy Neutron: Boy
Genius” feel ahead of their time. For example,
the importance of privacy and not sharing
personal information is made clear through
Jimmy’s blunder of sending his coordinates
to space. This lesson is pertinent to kids today,
many of whom have smartphones and are on
social media by the age of 11.
Similarly, the issue of actively seeking out
popularity, or clout chasing, has worsened with
this increase in social media use by kids. One of
Jimmy’s classmates, Cindy, originally falls into
this trap by obsessing over the class’s cool guy,
Nick, even though she and Jimmy share more
in common, such as an adoration of space. By the
end of the movie, Cindy becomes disinterested
in Nick, and a future relationship with Jimmy
is alluded to, which emphasizes the importance
of finding a relationship based on the right fit as
opposed to popularity.
It may seem like this analysis is too in-depth
for a kid’s movie. However, while I may not
have been able to point out all of these hidden
values at the age of four, it does not mean that
I was not subconsciously absorbing them.
You don’t always need to be aware of why
you are drawn to great art. This is the beauty
of good child entertainment in particular.
Like “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” it should
impact its audience in ways they cannot even
fully comprehend at the time of first viewing
it.
The place where prosthetics and Republicans meet
‘MONTERO’ makes Lil Nas X one of the defining artists of our generation
The TV beat talks Nickelodeon: The lasting
value of ‘Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius’
KATRINA STEBBINS
Daily Arts Writer
AIDAN HARRIS
Daily Arts Writer
MEERA KUMAR &
KAI BARTOL
Daily Arts Writers
Design by Brianna Manzor
Design by Brianna Manzor
Lyon, artichokes and filthy boulangeries: Chef Bill Buford for ‘At Home with Literati’
CECILIA DURAN
Daily Arts Writer