Luke 22:19-20 – And Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper, Jesus took a cup, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Top Chef: American reality series that first aired in 2006. New chefs compete in a cooking showdown to see who can create the most original dish. In subsequent episodes, the proverbial pink slip, known as “progressive elimination,” takes place, with contestants falling off one by one like hot potatoes.
Bunny’s Mother: A retired Playboy Bunny oligarch who is responsible for hiring, firing, training Bunnies, mandatory daily weight monitoring, and scheduling Bunnies’ work shifts. Points were deducted if one’s appearance did not meet the standards of perfection. “A clean, well-fitting outfit, matching ears and shoes, a clean, fluffy cottontail, spotless cuffs and collar, Playboy cuffs, name plate, and bow tie.”
Wilson, Clerow (Fripp) Jr. (1933 – 1998): American comedian and actor who was declared “television’s first black superstar” by Time magazine. One of 10 children, Wilson was raised primarily in foster homes and juvenile halls before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as a teenager. Wilson’s cheerful personality and “flipped” good nature earned him the nickname “Flip”.
As you might expect, when you apply for a Playboy Bunny position, you’ll be asked to bring a bikini. Dehydrated from your rapid diet, you’ll be paraded in front of the bunny mother in stilettos who will hopefully adopt you, and before you’ve gained a minuscule amount of fat, your costume will be custom-made to your current measurements, telling you to “proudly wear your world-famous, glamorous Playboy Club image.” it’s over. If you take too deep a breath, you are doomed to be thrown into a stone and your eyes will pop out. The only wiggle room is right next to your back and its faux fur “cotton tail”.
The bunny costume, resembling a thinly veiled torture chamber, was the first military uniform to be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution. According to the official Playboy Bunny manual, “Eating and drinking while in costume is prohibited.” No kidding. While you’re in costume…or even all the time. “Bunny must wear false eyelashes and bright, vibrant lipstick accented with lip gloss. Your bunny mother will help you choose style and color for maximum flattery.” And it’s all documented, filmed at 11:00.
Able to identify 143 liquor brands (blindfolded) and artistically decorate 20 festive cocktail variations, the bunnies (with their hands tied behind their backs) concocted a hypnotic, intoxicating elixir while performing their famous “bunny dip” in a dimly lit lounge. She “lifts her left knee and tucks it behind her right leg, then leans back gracefully while bending her knee. This motion allows her to serve the drink while keeping her low-cut outfit in place.” Translated, your cleavage erases the invisible, drooling antics of your keychain. Compared to “Bunny Dip”, “Bunny Stance” and “Bunny Perch” were easy. But if you even look at food, forget it.
As a card-carrying baby boomer, it’s interesting to take stock of the cultural trends of the second half of the 20th century, especially regarding humanism and its despicably persistent maintenance. Let’s review the scope of our social behavior.
Exhibit A: Exercise. I agree, it’s very good for you. However, previous generations were relatively inactive, but from the 1950s onwards they began performing the Jumping Jack Flash alongside Dorian Gray and Jack LaLanne in TV’s Flying Wallenda. Now that’s true OCD. We work out religiously, with or without expensive personal trainers. Is that obsession widespread enough to run in Central Park after dark? Yay!
Exhibit B: Smoking. It was really trendy. In the late 1960s, the Surgeon General might have been Marcel Marceau. When we lived with nuns at a convent boarding school and wore box-pleated herringbone tweed uniforms, secretly chain-smoking KOOL’s was our salvation. Decades later, society effectively branded smokers with leprosy, legally curbing addiction across the United States, at least publicly.
Exhibit C: Alcohol. Bottoms up! I groaned at Reverend Leroy, the pastor of the Church of What’s Happening, played by Flip Wilson. But my favorite Wilson character so far was the grumpy, self-preservationist, good-natured Geraldine Jones. “I don’t drink, I don’t do windows!” But never before have so many people been on the mend, starting with Ray Milland, who starred in Billy Wilder’s harrowing film The Lost Weekend.
And finally, Exhibit D: the four-letter f-word of nutrition: food. We are obsessed with society! From the flabby path of trans-fat-laden fast food to the celebrity chefs on “Taste of the Month” and endless shows demonstrating endless techniques for grilling Alaskan king salmon, we’ve had enough. Top Chef, Iron Chef, Iron Lung, Aqualung, Aquavelva… Wait, what were you talking about?
Please listen, please listen. This acceleration of body consciousness has also brought to the forefront a variety of psychological neuroses, all of which manifest through a myriad of eating disorders, sadly everything from anorexia to obesity. Frank Bruni, the hilarious New York Times food critic and author of the highly entertaining autobiography Bone Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater, reflected on his childhood eating habits and disorders in a wonderful Times excerpt titled “I Was Infantile Bulimic.”
It gives you a cold and a fever. Nourishing the body and starving the soul? In place of the Biblical animal sacrifices on God’s altar, the very animals became idols. A true golden calf, we adore Kobe beef and its painstaking preparation, but it’s a nervous vegetable when it comes to nourishing our souls. The insidious removal of God from his rightful place in our world, replaced by everything from the latest nouvelle cuisine to physical beauty exercises, has created a highly contagious spiritual anorexia.
I had to Google it for clarity, but the official four food groups are: (1) Meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, peas, eggs, nuts. (2) Dairy products, milk, cheese, and yogurt. (3) Cereals. (4) Fruits and vegetables. Of course, there are endless combinations of these staples to make up every conceivable meal. However, my research suggested the possibility of a fifth food group. Another group? I believe that the most nutritious food group in the universe, if not fifth in order of importance, is the spiritual food group, or soul food.
Are we determined by what we eat? I’m known for overeating sugar, but I’m not going to go there with you. The place I am going with you dates back two thousand years to a time when the Lord’s Supper was simply celebrated. Fast forward to “The Church Knows What’s Happening Now.” Or, more precisely, what is still happening? I value tradition and am trembling at the longevity of that simple diet. What is the muscle to fat ratio in your eternal soul?
Are you seeking nourishment rich in spiritual vitamins and minerals that build a strong soul in 12 ways? “Please do this in memory of me.” Self. JC Jesus Christ. The original “Top Chef”. Be sure to try the Last Supper, which is an absolute must. You’ll never be hungry again.
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About Barbara Camp:
Barbara Camp, a baby boomer, a Catholic high school girl (every plaid ever used on a parish uniform is instantly recognizable), and a ’70s Playboy bunny (another uniform of blue satin, not plaid), argues that “God writes the best fiction known as nonfiction.” Your Soul: Repair or Disassemble? (“A Biblical Blueprint for Renovation and Reconstruction!”) features Camp short stories that translate bulletproof biblical wisdom (both Old and New Testaments) into everyday modern metaphors for everyone.
Camp’s self-proclaimed personal demolition derby is punctuated by larger themes such as mobile phones (Tower of Babel); Designer food (Last Supper). Feminism (Samson and Delilah). Hudson River Airstrip (Jesus Walks on Water). DNA (creation of Adam); Christ’s promise of provision (fish and loaves), and much more.
As we worship the Creator and Creation, our labored, shell-covered exteriors are inhabited by anorexic souls filled with deeply questionable shallow attitudes. Popular thinking continues to believe that the natural can cure the natural, while habitually ignoring the supernatural.
“The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and as its introduction, Fixer Upper’s ancient-to-modern metaphors serve as a compass for both right-brain and left-brain thinkers, including atheists, skeptics, seekers, and believers. Don’t let herd mentality and a cancel-happy culture “delete” the ultimate VIP. If God is love, have we got Him? ”
Barbara’s creative professions include set designer and stylist, fashion make-up artist (Milan, London, Paris, New York), artist and illustrator, art and design industry recruiter, and writer. Ms. Camp enjoys reading from a diverse library of over 1,000 books. Listen to her equally diverse music collection. Visit a museum. Thrift stores and yard sales. Photos; Classic Movies. Collage scrapbook or world travel design. She lives in New York City.
Barbara Camp follows her inner calling and humbly makes it her primary goal to “be part of the solution, not the problem.” She wants to avoid a cancel-happy culture that “deletes” the most important gift of all: God’s love. Connecting people spiritually remains part of the eternal solution.
For more information, see Barbara Camp’s Who’s Who biography. https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/516222/marquis-whos-who-honors-barbara-camp-for-expertise-in-design-and-recruitment
Please visit: http://www.barbaracamp.com – Email:
Source: Spiritual Media Blog – www.spiritualmediablog.com
