Friday, February 16, 2007

Southern Pride

I'm staying up late tonight (It's 1:20 am right now), to watch one of my favorite singers, Joshua Radin, performing with another great singer, Schuyler Fisk, on Conan O'Brien.

Anyways, Christina Ricci was on talking about her new movie - I don't remember the name of it - and how it was filmed in Memphis. She was talking about the South, and saying how while she was there she was introduced to corn dogs. I thought..."What? Corn dogs aren't available everywhere?" **Which, I know that's not true, because I've been to Hot Dog On A Stick in Santa Monica. Yes, it's called a hot dog, but it's really a corn dog.** Then she was talking about how it's like a hot dog wrapped up in a doughnut. I'm sorry, but doughnuts are not made out of corn meal. She then went on to say that she learned the phrase, "Bless his/her heart," is a sarcastic phrase, and that when you say it, you make a lightning bolt gesture over your head? Honestly, I don't know what she was talking about. It made no sense to me. I know plenty of people who say "Bless her heart" and not meaning it in a sarcastic way. Maybe some people mean it sarcastically, but I don't think that's the standard use of it. And I've NEVER seen ANYONE make a weird gesture over their head, if I did, I would probably think they were a little crazy. Maybe some people mean it sarcastically, but I don't think that's the standard use of it. So basically, Christina Ricci knows nothing about the South, but she acted like she learned so much, and it bothered me.

All of this reminds me of how some of my friends in Albuquerque had never heard of a groom's cake at a wedding before, which completely shocked me! I had no idea that this was mainly a Southern tradition. Until I moved to Albuquerque, I had never been to a wedding where there wasn't a groom's cake - it's just as expected as the regular wedding cake. They usually have a theme. For instance, my brother-in-law plays the saxophone, so their grooms cake was in the shape of a sax; if you're a golf freak, the cake would look like a golf course, etc. (think - armadillo wedding cake from the movie Steel Magnolias). We got married on the beach, so ours had a beach theme. It's a great tradition, and should be more widely accepted.

So I want to ask my readers a few questions:

1. Have you ever heard of/eaten a corn dog?
2. What is your interpretation of the phrase, "Bless her heart"?
3. Have you ever been to a wedding with a groom's cake?
4. Have you ever seen the movie Steel Magnolias?
5. Have you ever heard of Joshua Radin or Schuyler Fisk?
6. Do you think this is the most random senseless posting of mine ever?

Well, that ends my late-night rant/ramblings. I'll probably read this tomorrow (today?) when I'm more awake, and realize that it doesn't make much sense.

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:07 AM

    1. Who hasn't heard of a corn dog? That girl must have been really sheltered as a child. She must have grew up in a cave.
    2."Bless his heart" is something I think of sweet little old ladies saying.
    3. A groom's cake isn't a must-have, but definitatly not unusual.
    4. I really like the movie steel magnolias.
    5. I have never heard of those singers. but that isn't saying much.
    jfogle

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  2. Christina Ricci grew up in Hollyweird...which, I think, explains everything!
    1. I grew up in Colorado, and we definitely had corn dogs in our school lunches.
    2. I spent 1/3 of my life in Alabama and Georgia, and while I did hear people use "bless his/her heart" in a sarcastic way (like, blessing instead of cursing) ("I blessed her out!"), I also heard it in a genuine, sweet way.
    3. Dave had a groom's cake, at the rehearsal dinner...and since he loves ice cream, it was an ice cream cake. We were married in Georgia, but I think we would have had a groom's cake wherever we were married.
    4. Have seen and liked Steel Magnolias, but I definitely understood it more after I moved to the South!
    5. I've never heard of those singers, but I live on the other side of the planet now, so I'll use that as my excuse.
    6. This is a really long and babble-y comment to match your post!

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  3. well, i'm glad i'm not the only one that thought these things. and i'm glad to see that at least 2 people who lived west of the mississippi have heard of groom's cakes!

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  4. 1. Why in the world would you ever describe a corn dog as a hot dog wrapped in a donut? She's crazy!
    2. "Bless his heart"-never thought it to be sarcastic.
    3. Yes, I'm one of those people that had never heard of a groom's cake before.
    4. I have seen Steel Magnolias, and loved it, but didn't realize the nasty armadillo was a groom's cake.
    5. I have never heard of those singers, well maybe the Fisk guy sounds kind of familiar.

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  5. megan, schuyler fisk is a girl! :)

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  6. Anonymous10:19 PM

    1. Is she saying she's never had corn bread before? ps--I hate corndogs.
    2. I hear people say bless her heart, but they're usually fake people who don't really mean it... I don't think I'd call that sarcastic, though. The whole hand gesture thing is totally random, though.
    3. None of the Maryland weddings that I've been to have had a groom's cake--I guess it's not a tradition in MD. However, Sean and I are going to have one. Because we're cool like that. And www.theknot.com says I should :)
    4. I've never seen it. My life was sheltered from anything other than Anne of Green Gables.
    5. Sorry, I am so not up on the music the cool kids are listening to.

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  7. Anonymous9:12 AM

    as if there needed to be more evidence proving christina ricci is a moron.

    and i've had a corndog. even though i grew up in new england. see we in new england take the best of everywhere and make it awesome and cool. then we make fun of you. it's great.

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  8. 1. Yup -- not fond of them. Never saw them in NY.
    2. Yup -- and it's not sarcastic, but closer to condescension: "He's a complete loser...bless his heart." as if to make up for the nasty thing you just said. "Bless Him" is the phrase here.
    3. Yup -- but now that you mention it, they're not ubiquitous. I enjoyed Dave's groom's cake, as I recall :-)
    4. "Gray icing?!? I didn't know you could make GRAY icing."
    5. I have no idea who they are.

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  9. 1. Yes, I have had a corn dog and our mall in Farmington, NM even had a Corn Dog 7 in place of a food court.
    2.I'm with Mike on the condescending thing.
    3. I have never heard of a groom's cake or seen one until your post! Where have I been?? Did you display all your gifts and then people came to tour them? Some of my Southern freinds here in Austin have talked about that.
    4. I have not seen Steel Magnolias, but we did live next door to some people that had a large tree that grew Magnolias? Who knew they grew on trees??
    5. Never Heard of them, sorry. :(
    6. This is a fun post! I think I've learned a lot. :)~Jazzy

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  10. 1. Okay that's really weird b/c I have been Craving corn dogs lately! Mmmmm!!!
    2. My family has always said "bless your heart," mostly my Dad & the KY relatives
    3. We completely missed the groom's cake
    4. Love Steel Magnolias; it reminds me of our Virginia years
    5. Never heard of the singers
    6. I think you're asking a good question & I want to try it for the Midwest

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  11. 1. I know what corndogs are, but I don't like cornbread so I've not eaten one.
    2. Bless her heart means "that poor girl" or "she meant well."

    3. Have you ever been to a wedding with a groom's cake? Yes, but it was fairly recent, and he was from the south.

    4. Have you ever seen the movie Steel Magnolias? YES

    5. I know of Schuyler Fisk because she plays the girlfriend in the movie Orange County (not the tv show), which I own and love. :)


    6. Do you think this is the most random senseless posting of mine ever? NO.

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  12. yay for knowing who schuyler fisk is!! i love that movie, too.

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