More from our correspondents abroad
Lance and Erma have been using their new blog to post all kinds of interesting, actually, more than interesting, fascinating maybe?, tidbits on their autumnal sojourn in Seoul (see the sidebar for the link) (especially if you want the clearest explanation ever of the Korean alphabet, which perhaps will not be as big a thrill for you as it was for me, but has cleared up years of semi-mystified semi-wondering that I somehow never managed to get off my ass and ever do anything about). But in an amazing show of generosity, they have donated three excellent anthropomorphized food pictures to be added to the still-growing collection here.
First we have some delicious squid-flavored ramen. According to Lance, the be-aproned smilingly perky squid chef (and I wonder how she keeps her hat on while cooking, that seems like a major accomplishment) is wielding her chopsticks in anticipation and telling the consumer how much she enjoys eating this kind of seafood ramen. The cannibalistic gusto! She seems so innocent, but we can only imagine the twisted sociopathy that lurks within.
Next we have a pert running, or perhaps dancing, mushroom with one regular-sized hand (presuming there is a certain proportionality to mushroom hands) and one enormous hand, kind of like a crab, except a mushroom. The restaurant is called "Three Birds with One Stone," which according to Erma is a play on the Korean expression that translates to "one stone, two birds," with essentially the same meaning as in English, although less clear is how this relates to the fact that they are vending spicy mushroom soups. Which probably do not have three birds in them. Or stones, for that matter. I'm wondering if this mushroom's left hand is so highly developed in order to defend itself from forest mushroom collectors -- he's got a kind of smug smile, a little like the gingerbread man's "you can't catch me", except presumably he has been caught because he is sliced and diced and in broth just inside that glass storefront.
Finally, and my favorite, is Mr. Winky Octopus, somehow managing to give an energetic thumbs up with his furthest-right tentacle (tentacles really not like thumbs, and not containing thumbs either). How delighted he is that you are about to enter his cafe and eat his butchered carcass! Way to go!
Meanwhile, in a show of synchronicity, last night I met a super-cool artist/graphic designer who has himself produced images of anthropomorphized food, including evil celery stalks and bread marching two-by-two into Noah's ark. Perhaps with time and subtle elicitations, we can get some insights into the minds and hands that produce these objections of fascination...
Anyway, thanks, Lance and Erma! Anything to add?
First we have some delicious squid-flavored ramen. According to Lance, the be-aproned smilingly perky squid chef (and I wonder how she keeps her hat on while cooking, that seems like a major accomplishment) is wielding her chopsticks in anticipation and telling the consumer how much she enjoys eating this kind of seafood ramen. The cannibalistic gusto! She seems so innocent, but we can only imagine the twisted sociopathy that lurks within.
Next we have a pert running, or perhaps dancing, mushroom with one regular-sized hand (presuming there is a certain proportionality to mushroom hands) and one enormous hand, kind of like a crab, except a mushroom. The restaurant is called "Three Birds with One Stone," which according to Erma is a play on the Korean expression that translates to "one stone, two birds," with essentially the same meaning as in English, although less clear is how this relates to the fact that they are vending spicy mushroom soups. Which probably do not have three birds in them. Or stones, for that matter. I'm wondering if this mushroom's left hand is so highly developed in order to defend itself from forest mushroom collectors -- he's got a kind of smug smile, a little like the gingerbread man's "you can't catch me", except presumably he has been caught because he is sliced and diced and in broth just inside that glass storefront.
Finally, and my favorite, is Mr. Winky Octopus, somehow managing to give an energetic thumbs up with his furthest-right tentacle (tentacles really not like thumbs, and not containing thumbs either). How delighted he is that you are about to enter his cafe and eat his butchered carcass! Way to go!
Meanwhile, in a show of synchronicity, last night I met a super-cool artist/graphic designer who has himself produced images of anthropomorphized food, including evil celery stalks and bread marching two-by-two into Noah's ark. Perhaps with time and subtle elicitations, we can get some insights into the minds and hands that produce these objections of fascination...Anyway, thanks, Lance and Erma! Anything to add?
posted by Pangea at 11:58 AM
1 Comments:
If Erma and I end up going to the spicy mushroom soup place, we'll try to find out why it's called "Three Birds with One Stone". You never know, there might be a good reason for it.
In many places it seems that cute anthropomorphized foods serve to divert attention from the fact that real flesh-and-blood animals are getting cut up and served to you. But in Korea that's not the case; Korean restaurants don't shy away from also showing real pictures of the animals that you will be eating. For example, see the octopus photos at the very end of this post on our blog.
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