Food Odes that Bore Career Gold
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
I don’t think it’s any great secret that food writing/restaurant critiquing, while most certainly a fabulous way to while away a day (and possibly a lifetime), does not come with a license to print money.
In fact, once the columns get axed and the expense accounts dry up, some of us ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO GET REAL JOBS.
Sure, there’s the odd food scribe who nets a Pulitzer prize or perhaps pens a string of wildly successful socio-sustenance tomes. But most of us toil away in relative obscurity, just happy to have someone else pick up the check while we rack our brains for yet another way to say “delicious.”
That is, unless you happen to be a comedic genius–intentional or not–with a penchant for food ditties.
Take “Weird Al” Yankovic.
The exuberant oddball has turned song parodies into a highly profitable art form, spawning over a dozen studio albums, various greatest hits compilations–including the all-epicurean anthology, “The Food Album”–a manic Saturday morning TV program, a cult film and legions of tongue-in-cheek imitators.
And how did he break onto the scene? Perhaps you’ve heard of a little The Knack knock-off known as “My Bologna”?
(Video: YouTube)
Accomplished comedian/movie star/George H.W. Bush impressionist Dana Carvey will most likely be forever associated with the catch phrase-coining crazies (the quick-to-judge Church Lady; musclebound, marble-mouth Hans) and cripplingly shy cable access co-hosts (Garth Algar) he brought to life during the creative zeitgeist that were his Saturday Night Live years.
But do you know how he landed that cherry gig? Choppin’ Broccoli, of course.
(Video: YouTube)
To wit, Hollywood lore suggests that Carvey was up against comedy chameleon Jim Carrey for that SNL class’s final spot.
In the current era, we have Tay Zonday–arguably one of YouTube’s earliest stars and the archetype for viral video fame seekers. Since bursting onto the social media scene in 2007, Zonday has soared from meme recording artist to product pitchman and late-night TV fixture.
His in? You better believe it was “Chocolate Rain”:
(Video: YouTube)
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go purge my brain of all the dead-end dining reviews still swirling about so I can concentrate on composing the next record-breaking, booty-shaking, cash-raking food anthem.
–Warren Rojas
Tags: Chocolate Rain, Choppin' Broccoli, Dana Carvey, food writing, Gut Check, Jonathan Gold, Michael Pollan, My Bologna, Northern Virginia Magazine, song parodies, Tay Zonday, Warren Rojas, Weird Al Yankovic