"She's so famous!" If the use of an exclamation point indicates strong feelings or high volume, my friend's remark ended with a bold and very big exclamation point. She uses this phrase a lot. In the syntax of her generation you are either famous or irrelevant. I have come to understand that "Famous" implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known. You become famous when you command a high degree of public and media attention. There are degrees of fame, or lets be honest, celebrity status, which vary based on an individual's region or field of notoriety. While someone might be a celebrity to some people, to others they may be completely unknown.
On the other end of the spectrum, those that seek out publicity for themselves are often called a media tart whereas those that use their private life as a vehicle for enhanced celebrity status, sometimes desperately, are referred to as a media whore.
Today there are few if any prerequisites to achieve fame. One is not required to have added value to society, actually "value" is an anachronism. In 1674 someone decided Richard Starr "aged about 34 yeares" was deserving of a headstone. Something in Richard's life or bearing had risen to a high enough level to warrant the expense and effort of a stone carving. Maybe he was a loving husband, a caring father or a valued citizen. More than 300 years later visitors to Boston ponder the life of Richard Starr.
The "she", of my friend's "she's so famous" was Rachel Ray. At the time I did not know the name or face. My friend could not tell me much about her except that "everyone" knows who she is. Subsequently I have learned that Rachael Ray shills her services to Dunkin' Donuts as an official "brand representative" (the Latin term meaning "To sell out at the altar of saturated fat"). She is also a successful talk show host and author, winner of 2008 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show-Entertainment. She is a "brand".
Her status of "famous" for me is her work with Dunkin Donuts. I've grown up with Dunkin Donuts. A big reason for my success in reaching 240 plus pounds at 5'7" were their donuts (honey dews and bear claws). I have reduced my weight to below 200 pounds and have set a goal to reach 175. The thrill I felt on crossing the threshold of a Dunkin Donuts shop has been replaced with a sense of fear and trembling. Family road trips still have a Dunkin stop built into the itinerary.
We have thankfully reached the point where even McDonald's is trying to stay ahead of concerns over obesity as well as the healthfulness and safety of food supplies around the world. The goal, says Mary Dillon, McDonald's global chief marketing officer, is to "create unique personalities for our menu items by telling a story about each one." Full-color photographs of ingredients are intended to remind customers that, for instance, a Quarter Pounder is, indeed, made of real food. The company's iconic red, yellow and white french-fry package now features a partially peeled potato on the front. Smaller sandwiches will retain their simple paper wrappers, though new versions are adorned with block text similar to boxed products. Says Dillon: "This demonstrates the authenticity of the locally grown ingredients we use."
It seems to me that Rachel Ray simply allows her name and face to be associated with deep-fried sugar, shortening and caffeine? Dare I say she is transitioning from media tart to media whore? How about doing some thirty second commercials that help someone like me faced with real world Dunkin Donut choices. Do I go with A or B?
A) Multi grain Bagel with Lite Cream Cheese
- Calories 500
- Fat 15 g
- Saturated Fat 7 g
- Sodium 930 mg
This healthy-sounding bagel is actually one of the worst on the menu. If you must order a bagel, stick with the reduced-carb or plain varieties.
B) Ham, Egg, & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich
- Calories 310
- Fat 10 g
- Saturated Fat 5 g
- Sodium 1,270 mg
English muffins have a fraction of the carbohydrates of a bagel, and none of the trans fats of the donuts and croissants. Speaking of donuts...I know that I will be faced with a daunting array of choices.
Glazed Donut
- Calories 180
- Fat 8 g
- Saturated Fat 1.5 g
- Sugars 12 g
Glazed Cake Donut
- Calories 350
- Fat 19 g
- Saturated Fat 5 g
- Sugars 18 g
I'd be happy to tell my friend: Yeh, she's not only famous, but she has been a positive force in the media. She's helped me make healthy choices. As of now Rachel Ray's a face in my mind's eye sucking down a coffee and stuffing a muffin in her mouth.
You may also enjoy reading: Vegetable indispensable.
Also, may I recommend for your enjoyment:You wouldn't get any with just an "I luv u".
Whether they are made of pork, as is most often the case, or of beef, veal, buck, goat, chamois, venison, sheep, wild boar, or horse, cured meats (salumi in Italian) were born of a need to conserve meat for months after the slaughter of the animal. Salting, smoking, and air-drying are the three processes by which fresh meat is transformed into a long-keeping staple.
While all meats are salted, some are smoked, and others are simply air-dried. Italians have been making an amazing array of cured meats for thousands of years using both noble and humble parts of the animals they raise. The ancient Romans prized the spicy pork sausages crafted in the southern region of Basilicata (called Lucania then, and giving rise to sausages named Lucaniche still eaten today). And, fond of intensely tasty foods, they smoked or salted whole pig thighs, yielding savory Prosciutti not unlike those still made in mountain villages across Italy.
Two thousand years later, pork remains Italy's favorite meat for curing. Pigs are especially prevalent in areas where there is a notable cheesemaking tradition: after all, wherever there is cheese, there is excess whey, which, combined with bran and corn, becomes perfect feed for pigs.
Stumble It!
website: Time-less-image
web blog: Comics Legends and Lore
web blog: Time Less Images
web blog: Tom's Cats
web store: Time-Less-Image Ebay Store
Technorati Tags: Fame
Blogs are ranked in various ways, and one of the more significant ones (besides linking or subscribing) happens via Technorati. In brief, Technorati tracks millions of blogs and lets users search them, tag them, and rank them. If you own a blog, or if you read them, I recommend signing up with Technorati (it's free and takes a couple minutes). And if you enjoy this blog, I encourage you, please, to "favorite" it. 
