Music made us get up and dance, or occasionally throw a rock. Food, especially if combined with wine, encourages a state of satiety and repose. Most conversation about food is studiously nonpolitical and removed from controversial social issues. There is a layer of left-wing critique of food corporations, genetic modification and food-associated pollution, but its impact on broader American culture has been marginal. These days, it could be said that food is the opiate of the educated classes. Anecdotally, I observe that the contemporary preoccupation with a particular kind of food fanciness and diversity has penetrated black communities less, and those are also the groups where music might in some cases remain politically important.
I don't know about that last sentence; rap music is every bit as big among young whites as it is among young blacks!
I like to think music might win back its social and intellectual resonance, but in the meantime please pass me the green mango chili fish sauce.
Give me my cell phone. I want to listen to Peter, Paul and Mary.
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