Being with Babish
March 23, 2019 12:55 PM Subscribe
I’m sobbing.
posted by greermahoney at 2:17 PM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by greermahoney at 2:17 PM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I’m sobbing.
Yeah, my ability to be analytical today is only because this came up in my YouTube subscriptions yesterday, and I got my weeping out of the way then.
posted by howfar at 2:52 PM on March 23, 2019
Yeah, my ability to be analytical today is only because this came up in my YouTube subscriptions yesterday, and I got my weeping out of the way then.
posted by howfar at 2:52 PM on March 23, 2019
Fun fact: this new series is directed/shot by a guy named Vincent Cross, who used to work for Bon Appetit and essentially launched "It's Alive" and a few other shows to YouTube fame.
posted by redct at 3:21 PM on March 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by redct at 3:21 PM on March 23, 2019 [5 favorites]
So it was that Vinny? Awesome! I was curious but then thought it would be too unlikely.
posted by neonrev at 3:25 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by neonrev at 3:25 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Speaking of fragile and bald skulls, I hope he slathered some sunscreen on his head before spending all that time outdoors. Those Florida UV rays are powerful stuff.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:29 PM on March 23, 2019
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:29 PM on March 23, 2019
In these cynical and cruel days, it's nice to see someone who is genuinely nice doing well. Andrew Rea is a legit great dude.
posted by Keith Talent at 5:28 PM on March 23, 2019
posted by Keith Talent at 5:28 PM on March 23, 2019
This was lovely and kind. I am sorry that David's only shot at getting on top of things is a random lucky pick by a youtube cooking show rather than support from the state, but that is not any of their faults and I'm glad he got some help, he seems like a really great guy.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:56 PM on March 23, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 7:56 PM on March 23, 2019 [6 favorites]
Seriously! David is apparently talented, productive, giving, and kind, and he can't make it in our society. And he needs so little, basic transportation, a decent tool to make his living, a $250/mo med, a good portion of which is undoubtedly pharmaceutical company profits, a roof over his head.
Fuck capitalism.
posted by Reverend John at 8:24 PM on March 23, 2019 [11 favorites]
Fuck capitalism.
posted by Reverend John at 8:24 PM on March 23, 2019 [11 favorites]
I'm a little bummed Vinny is no longer doing It's Alive, if that's the case. While I am sure Babish will give him plenty to do, I have noticed his absence has made It's Alive a little less convivial. Maybe it will recover.
posted by axiom at 11:07 PM on March 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by axiom at 11:07 PM on March 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
I wasn't a huge fan of Binging With Babish, so it was everyones comments that made me click the link. I am so grateful. And my eyes are weirdly runny.
posted by mumimor at 9:38 AM on March 24, 2019
posted by mumimor at 9:38 AM on March 24, 2019
But: that is not a quiche, goddamit.
posted by mumimor at 9:39 AM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by mumimor at 9:39 AM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
Vinny no longer being with BA at all is sad, but it's hard to see how his skills would be used by BwB, which while very well edited, is a very static and dull sort of video, and I don't actually want that to change.
Also, and I don't have a super coherent point about this, but I'm bumped a little by the idea of calling this particular form of content creation 'giving back'. I'm very glad David got some help, and I do like all involved, but it bothers me to describe this as charity rather than a kindly directed form of brand-building. At least 2 other people were involved, presumably as paid workers in some form, and even after all the gifts, I really can't imagine this was done at a loss, in the long term if not short term. It even comes with a branded name.
There's a lot of new media, internet, personal brand bullshit involved, but I keep coming back to what feels like bedrock knowledge to me, which is that the moment you make a big public announcement of an act of charity, it starts being advertising by different means. Charity as content.
I still really liked the video. David seems cool.
posted by neonrev at 2:36 PM on March 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also, and I don't have a super coherent point about this, but I'm bumped a little by the idea of calling this particular form of content creation 'giving back'. I'm very glad David got some help, and I do like all involved, but it bothers me to describe this as charity rather than a kindly directed form of brand-building. At least 2 other people were involved, presumably as paid workers in some form, and even after all the gifts, I really can't imagine this was done at a loss, in the long term if not short term. It even comes with a branded name.
There's a lot of new media, internet, personal brand bullshit involved, but I keep coming back to what feels like bedrock knowledge to me, which is that the moment you make a big public announcement of an act of charity, it starts being advertising by different means. Charity as content.
I still really liked the video. David seems cool.
posted by neonrev at 2:36 PM on March 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
The thing is, of course, that David will, given his line of work, also likely benefit from the publicity. But, yeah, I think everyone knows the score, here: businesses do nice things for business reasons; but, given that they could often more profitably be doing nasty things for business reasons, I'm not going to get too worked up about it.
There is no ethical charity under capitalism, we know this, but I don't think that a small-business owner making a few nice gestures to fans is really the main thing standing in the way of our glorious revolt.
posted by howfar at 3:01 PM on March 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
There is no ethical charity under capitalism, we know this, but I don't think that a small-business owner making a few nice gestures to fans is really the main thing standing in the way of our glorious revolt.
posted by howfar at 3:01 PM on March 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
Sorry, that possibly came off more snarky than I intended. Not meant as an attack on what you said.
posted by howfar at 3:03 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 3:03 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
Charity as content has a long, if somewhat regrettable, history.
posted by jenkinsEar at 3:33 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jenkinsEar at 3:33 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
I hadn't considered David's angle on that, and I don't disagree at all from a practical point of view, I was more musing on why I have that gut reaction to all examples of this sort of thing, and how it's weird when the company and brand are all wrapped up more or less as the same thing. Obviously this video isn't a huge problem, it's just something that bugs me a tiny bit.
posted by neonrev at 10:29 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by neonrev at 10:29 PM on March 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Also, and I don't have a super coherent point about this, but I'm bumped a little by the idea of calling this particular form of content creation 'giving back'."
I think you've already gotten the standard response to this notion, but I totally empathize with it. In this case, it's not so insidious, but the same tactics can and are often used the same way and it's shitty and the veneer of "it's charity, they're doing good even if for bad reasons" wears thin very tired. A billionaire announcing they will donate (often to their own organizations) a massive chunk of their excessive immoral-wealth (there is an amount of money that is simply immoral to even have accumulated) publicly is not a cause for celebration, I don't think the billionaire deserves any kudos for reminding us we will be better off with them dead. We all know we're better off with dead billionaires.
posted by GoblinHoney at 8:33 AM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
I think you've already gotten the standard response to this notion, but I totally empathize with it. In this case, it's not so insidious, but the same tactics can and are often used the same way and it's shitty and the veneer of "it's charity, they're doing good even if for bad reasons" wears thin very tired. A billionaire announcing they will donate (often to their own organizations) a massive chunk of their excessive immoral-wealth (there is an amount of money that is simply immoral to even have accumulated) publicly is not a cause for celebration, I don't think the billionaire deserves any kudos for reminding us we will be better off with them dead. We all know we're better off with dead billionaires.
posted by GoblinHoney at 8:33 AM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
« Older "Fountane Of" by Doranna Durgin | Every night the jungle gets closer, every day the... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
However I will say that there's something about a bald man riding pillion without a crash helmet that really makes me consider the fragility of the human skull. Something being legal in Florida it doesn't necessarily make it a good idea, Andrew!
posted by howfar at 1:45 PM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]