The Not So Much More-atorium

Enough with the "not so much". I've always disliked the phrase, but I'm growing to detest it on a loathing, hate curdling, rage brewing, bile regurgitating level. Whereas it was once found mostly in the realm of pop culture and entertainment, it is now ubiquitous - a constant refrain in the realms of sports, politics, music, and everywhere else that VTK treads. Of course, there is an article devoted to its origin, which suggests:

Though the phrase has become widely identified with [Daily Show host John] Stewart, it appeared on several other television shows dating back to the early 1990s, including "Mad About You" and "Friends." But it didn't achieve widespread popularity until the beginning of the current decade, when it began to appear on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Boy, what a fucking legacy. Born from the loins of the comic geniuses Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt, raised by the populist quirks from Friends and the powder puff bad ass, Sarah Michelle Geller, and now spread to the world by the increasingly not funny (and never really that funny, to be honest) John Stewart.

So the VTKid (I'm trying that new name on; came up with it last night when duffless mentioned I had a quick trigger on the comments), the VTKid is throwing down a moratorium on use of the phrase in question. I'm not sure what that means, but it definitely means that there will be repurcussions for using it within the VTK. I'm not sure what that means, but it probably means a scolding for the first offense, a severely stern warning for the second, a suspension for the third, and a lifetime ban for the fourth. And if you're thinking you've got 3 to waste before you get the bounce, think again. The VTKid don't play. And if you think giving myself a name like the VTKid and delivering free-speech-limiting ultimatums in a frivolous blog is akin to topping off the old hubris tank in preparation for a shark jump, you haven't seen the t-shirts yet. Now that's ridiculous. But VTK is about nothing if it's not about sugar coated delusions of grandeur, wrapped in prosciutto, and dipped in gumbo.


Other tid-bits:

on the recent election - many people (VTKid included) commented on how many of the Dems elected were pretty conservative and cited VA's Webb as an example. But check out this op/ed by Webb in the Wall Street Journal today, tipped and commented on by Kos. Work it, Webby. I love the attention to minimum wage in the election and its aftermath. It's even led to editorial comment within the sports pages (1/3way down), where writers tend to stay apolitical in order to not alienate readers.

on the stove - speaking of gumbo, check out this brilliantly easy way to make a passable gumbo: heat 2 punctured andouille sausages in 1/2 inch of water, save water, slice up sausages and return to water with a can of minestrone soup, reheat. serve. it's not gumbo, but it's fairly close and damn tasty for about $3.

on the random - Hoogerbrugge - probably the last cool thing I found through Screenhead (months ago). If you're bored and looking for some internet diversion, check out these great little twisted interactive animations: the neurotica series, and the website/blog (see the animation, nails, and prostress sections). I wouldn't recommend looking at these things for more than an hour though. There's your entertainment, duffless.

(images by Hoogerbrugge on this post from top to bottom: botoxer, pin-up, fuck death, barber)