: A rhetoric of barbecue…
In Kansas City, barbecue is more than just something to eat. We can quickly dispense with the quality issue. KC barbecue is the best, and no amount of bellyaching to the contrary by lesser locals can dent that hard fact. That said, there is also a rhetoric of barbecue.
Presidential candidates are required by local custom to eat at no fewer than one barbecue joint when they visit Kansas City. And the usual haunt is the famous Arthur Bryant’s. But KC is brimming with good barbecue joints. And making a choice is making a statement–but not about ribs.
John Kerry says he prefers Gates Barbecue:
Most people, when they take sides in the ribs wars, do it a little more delicately.
But before John Kerry blew town with a full belly Friday night, the candidate declared his vote in front of at least 20,000 fans.
Barbecue baron Ollie Gates was standing alone in the back of the throng outside Union Station when he heard Kerry ask,
Do you think his advisers considered the effect of this on the PETA vote?
hahahaha!
Here’s what “local coverage” of Kerry’s campaign looked like in Las Vegas. Check out the “rhetorical choices” on this - I think Jodi Wilgorn needs a new assignment! http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/11/politics/trail/11TRAIL-VEGAS.html
Beltway Traffic Jam
A rainy Thursday linkfest:
Black-5 presents The Night Before Christmas (Cambodian Version).
Erick-Woods Erickson gives an insider’s account of cloak-and-dagger exploits in a small political campaign.
Courtney Knapp gives some helpful tips for…
Interestingly, as others have pointed out, Kerry also said he had just eaten at the Hereford House (this after Edwards said he had eaten at Strouds). So this is a very food-oriented campaign rhetoric, indeed!
The woman behind me at the really said, “No! No! No!” with quiet emphasis when Kerry said Gates is the best BBQ in town.
As a vegetarian, I remain agnostic on the issue.
Re: no no no
About the choice or the rhetoric?
More interesting to me is the “rhetorical choice” of the KCStar in not mentioning Gates’ being a”political powerhouse” in KC’s black community. Why did the Star fail to include that in their story? Not important? Blacks overwhelmingly vote Dem anyway? Everybody knows Gates is black? A Dem activist? In the bag for Kerry? Why are we doing this story instead of something useful? Don’t ask us, we only report the news, useful or not? We don’t want to get into Kerry’s policies since there might not be any “there” there. Hey, don’t ask us, we’re just playing the game. Just don’t blame us!
Rebecca…all those things would be obvious to most Star readers. But I first read the story in the Springfield News-Leader. Being recently from KC, I was aware. But where else might this article have been published. I think the Star should have fully identified Gates and his context. But, my third point at the end tells why they published this: it’s good drama in a BBQ town.
I moved to New Orleans-great food all over town BUT barbecue is not just in the repetoire. The local weekly ran and article about some places that might be ok but so far-not so good. I came from Chicago which had its fair share of decent places but nothing that compares to the cookers that are in KC or Memphis.
The Rhetoric of KC BBQ (Rhetorica)
The Rhetoric of KC BBQ (Rhetorica)
Daveb - New Orleans is not barbecue country. For a true discussion of such matters, I’d suggest Joe Bob Briggs’ ode to BBQ from 1983:
http://www.joebobbriggs.com/drivein/1983/onedowntwotogo.htm