I Don't Think Jesus Done it That Way

Crunchy Shrimp Tacos

Just when you think you know things, by chance you catch a late night video of two gals making tacos in a new way that changes everything.  America's Test Kitchen approaches cooking scientifically.  They try 500 ways before reaching the best baked potato recipe, for example.  Initially I sneered at their methods and ingredients.  They aren't approaching food with soul, I thought.  It Has to come from the gut.  Their ridiculous notion of baking tacos had me in a spin.   Which in hindsight is silly on my part because I have been baking tostadas now for some time. Um...a taco is just a folded tostada lady.  Don't bother me kid, I'm trying to defend some hard core Mexican traditions here. 

But in recent years I've learned, you don't have to do things as they were done in the past simply to keep the tradition alive if indeed a better, healthier way is discovered.  These folks are paid to waste food in order to trial and error every possible technique.  Home cooks could never do that, but we can benefit from their labors.  Baking tacos works, it totally works.  Might I add, a true bonus to be able to do a sheet pan full of tacos at once.   Less oil is used, it's definitely less messy and I love a crispy shell.  Brushing on the oil and baking at high heat, saves you calories and accomplishes the same, perhaps better, results.     

Sometimes we can get a thing all wrong.  Morgan Wallen, the country singer, is banned from attending the CMA awards this year, where ironically he's nominated for Album of the Year.  They refused to nominate him for an individual category, such as Entertainer of the Year based upon his social rating, which is fair if you look up the criteria for the award.  Banning him from attendance, is another thing entirely.  

Back in February, he came home stinking drunk with friends and some sick individual video taped his private farewells to friends and shared them with news stations and social media.  We don't know anything about that person.  That neighbor, who deliberately set out to ruin a life.  I'd like to take away that person's career and social standing but that's just me.  Because when you really consider this story, yes, people could be hurt hearing that word but remember, no one would have heard it, other than that white friend that he said it to in a non-derogatory way (which, for me, is key), from his own yard, if some prick opportunist wouldn't have taped it and shared it to the world=TMZ.  What's the more evil of those two acts?

What kind of world are we living in right now?  Shouldn't our first consideration be context?  And the second, to prove intent?  This guy is guilty alright but of what half of our youth is and that is assimilating the black culture by using the brotherly slur that dudes address each other by every day on the streets, in music, everywhere you go.  I hear that word said in non-derogatory slang allllll day long, at least here in Brooklyn.  He's wrong to use it, but it's certainly not cancel worthy and it sure the hell is not my definition of a racist.  Black men have learned to reverse the N word and use it for bonding, thus giving it power.  They did something unique and necessary for their own.  Somewhere in the story, it became part of our US culture.  You sell enough records using this word as a bro-descriptive, then fauxpaus are bound to be heard.    

I would never say it, but I grew up in another time when and where that word was said most definitely in a defamatory way.   And yes, I do get why it should be off limits. Words can matter but not sure I agree they always do or should.   Maybe Wallen needed to learn some history, why it's not okay for him to joke with his friends in private.  Or, or just maybe we need to understand that when a free individual is with family and friends, no matter what color they are, they should be free to say any of the words, right or wrong.   

What could have been a quick easy self correction has click baited itself into a shit storm.  How much did the media make off of that non-story?   Companies, in this case, the CMAs are cowering to the shut down crew, operating out of fear they'll be targeted or boycotted, financially hurt.   The social justice progressives gain more power, the media sees the high financial opportunity and we all know they have no scruples and then the coalitions and organizations stand to gain big financially as well.  It's become a true money making scheme machine.

Meanwhile, real people are hung out in the public square as if to demonstrate our own loss of freedoms.  It's a bully tactic, that I've become well aware of in my workplace.  The real story might just be this guy has a heavy drinking problem that went along with his new star rise. (as I sit thinking, God forbid, a camera followed me and my chosen words at 27)  To say he's an evil, white, country redneck racist is a sexier picture for sure.  

He's being used as an example that if you are going to be a successful anything in America going forward, you better bow down and stay between the approved ideology lines and never be caught, even in the wee hours of the night, of your own private life, committing an unapproved behavior.  You can lose everything, even if nothing is related in the least to your craft.   And by the way, these rules are not in effect for everyone and that is one of the more disgusting facts of this new game.  What is allowed is not controlled by common decency laws either, but by some unlimited cyber collective's ongoing, ever-changing whim.  You want to degrade the Catholic Church?  No problem!  You want to take away the rights of others?  If it serves the cause, absolutely.  Can you openly joke about those who believe in God?  Go right ahead friend.  Just be sure to look the other way when real atrocities are being committed by protected groups.

I don't know much about this Morgan kid, only that his fame rose very quickly and he has an interesting voice.  Based on that video, I think he's carrying the cross for true card carrying racists in his industry, which I don't doubt exist but don't see anything pointing to his guilt.  He's just a bit ignorant, like a LOT of people, including you and me.  But I do believe he was guilt tripped if not coerced into donating a shitload of money ($500,000) to Black organizations, probably by non-black progressives.  

Think about that, now not only can you be removed from all privileges of life and career but its commonplace to also have a social 'fine' to pay. This is getting very dark and not enough people are speaking out against these perverse practices.   I wouldn't be surprised if not one needy black person saw one dollar of that money.  Yep, a real lucrative shit storm. 

                                         

I abhor racists and hateful speech.  I love diversity, in fact I moved thousands of miles just to be around people of other ethnicities and am myself a person of color.   But, I also loathe hypocrisy and double standards and people that operate under false pretenses.  I realize I might be totally wrong about this guy but I do see and what is clear is there are a hell of a lot of people throwing stones right now.