Is There an App for Kissing My Shiny Metal Ass?

[vovat]

All right, here's another television report. First, the new Futurama episode, which was largely an extended parody of Twitter and YouTube. It started out pretty well, giving us futuristic versions of the iPhone and social networking. I think it touched upon a few elements that weren't really explored, though. I thought, for instance, that they'd do something more with Flexo throwing himself away. Also, while amusing, the Mom scenes didn't really amount to anything, and the ending with the zombies was very abrupt. I did like the running gag with the two-headed goat. The Futurama writers are pretty skilled at doing gross-out humor that's somewhat smarter than what you'll see on other somewhat comparable shows.

The other show I'm addressing here is one that's actually a few weeks old, but bethje and I just got around to watching it. It's the second episode of the current season of Penn and Teller's Bullshit!, about fast food. I liked this one a lot better than the cheerleading one, but there were a few flaws and straw man arguments that I noticed. Overall, though, it had basically the same view I do about fast food, which is that the stigmatization of it is usually just yet another attempt to demonize fat people. They made a valid point about how, while fast food isn't great for you, neither is what you'll get at most non-fast-food restaurants. People who patronize fast food joints tends to have a better idea how many calories what they're eating has. (Don't ask me about that, though, because I have no clue when it comes to calories.) I did think the statement that the President wants to place mandatory calorie counts on fast food was a bit of a mislead, because you'd obviously be free to ignore that. I don't know of any serious movement to BAN fast food, but there is an incredible level of guilt involved with it. Penn continued on his anti-tax screed with the soda tax. He's probably right that it would place an additional tax burden on poor people, but it's not like the prices don't keep increasing anyway. It often seems like arguments over tax increases are making mountains out of molehills. ("I say your three cent titanium tax goes too far!") If I'm paying more money, why do I really care where it's going? Overall, though, I think the episode made a valid point.

Comments

[bec-87rb.livejournal.com]

It's not the fast food itself, it's the serving sizes. The McD's regular hamburgers, while not being low-fat are tasty, fresh, and that is a serving size for a hamburger. If you combine that with a little salad, say, apple slices, skip the fries, get unsweetened tea or coffee, and it's a decent diet meal.

The problem comes in with the big sloppy burgers with double patties slathered in mayonnaise, which have like four times the calories, and the giant french fries. You can occasionally eat a small fry without dying, by the way.

From what some friends of mine tell me, they have to avoid fast food because they mean to get something sensible if they go in, but mysteriously end up ordering a Big Mac. So they cross themselves, mutter a prayer, and speed past. :)

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with this! However, I try to order the Caesar salad with grilled chicken, but I always have a taste for the chicken strips. At least I'm not eating the 1000-calorie sandwiches?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I tend to get too much food no matter where I go, though, so I'm not sure that only applies to fast food.

[revme.livejournal.com]

I thought the Susan-the-Boil thing was super lame... and the payoff for the Mom TwitWorm thing was a little... eh. But yeah, the intro was a lot better than the rest of the episode. Still, even bad futurama is better than about 99% of TV.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I have to wonder how no one could have seen this boil before, when pretty much every other character has seen Leela naked at some point.

[revme.livejournal.com]

She did say that she kept lancing it, but... yeah. She also said that the boil came back every couple months, but it seemed that after that lancing Susan returned immediately.