7/2/10

We all scream...


Did anyone else read the NY Times article about mad-scientist ice cream maven Jake Godby today? I was just reading along, admiring some of the bizarro flavor combinations and absorbing a little of the science behind ice cream making. And then, BAM!
Godby’s willingness to be disliked — and to do so by creating such übertraif as Elvis (the Fat Years), which is banana ice cream with bacon peanut brittle — has indeed created conflict. It started with the vegan collective Vegansaurus, which defines itself as a “definitive/arbitrary” guide to “eating/living” vegan in the Bay Area. Vegansaurus did praise Godby’s sorbets. “Humphry Slocombe has some damn delicious vegan creations,” a reviewer posted on the Web site. “We tried the Carrot Mango. That was THE BEST. It was all super creamy and smooth and carrot and mango?! Who knew!?” But the liver and pork flavors set the vegans off. “This is the place with foie gras ice cream.. . . And that is super duper [expletive] disgusting. I mean, it’s the grossest. . . . Everyone should write Humphry Slocombe and ask nicely for it to be taken off the menu because again, THE GROSSEST. HOWEVER. I will say that dairy is also THE GROSSEST.”

Then, Godby started getting some (we don't learn if its one or many) phone calls, ostensibly from angry vegans, unhappy with his ill-conceived foie gras confection. (Despite the fact that Vegansaurus explicitly instructs to be nice, so its possible these are other disenchanted ice-cream fans). He then fights back in his own, super mature way;
Godby, quiet but not a pushover, responded in his medium of choice: symbolic food. He began leaving meat products around Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, a worker-owned vegetarian store.

So, because he gets a bad review on a much loved vegan website, then a phone call in the middle of the night, he fights back against people who have probably never heard of his fucking ice cream by leaving meat all over a store? Like its not enough to make and sell foie gras ice cream, you have to fight back against a minority culture that objects to it? And the Times author sees this as him exhibiting some kind of bravery, demonstrating that he is "not a pushover"?

The article goes on to mention that now he is being twitter stalked by someone mocking his products, who they once again assume to be Vegansaurus. The Times tracks down the twitter bomber, however, finding it be not a vegan (not even a vegetarian, oh my!) but a rather twisted individual who creates harassing fake accounts to "let off steam" and express his closet fan-dom.

The article ends with a discussion of foie gras vodka and an admiring and sympathetic view of this total creep who meat-bombs organic markets. I'm not surprised that this douchebag is threatened by vegans, like many a douche before him who cannot abide by someone objecting to his gourmet tastes (Bourdain, anyone?). What I don't appreciate is the Times profiling someone who hates his customers, hates animals, and hates anyone who criticizes him, and then come out on the other end admiring his gumption. I guess that foie gras ice cream must be really tasty.

I'll Take a Scoop of Prosciutto, Please."

UPDATE: Vegansaurus! responds! (awesomely)

7 comments:

Jennifer said...

Wow! What a crazy story. This guy sounds like a bit of a lunatic. I really hate that gourmet-eater-vs-vegan thing. I've had people tell me that I'm not "really living" because I won't eat foie gras or steak or whatever meaty delicacy they're enthusing about. It's so ridiculous.

The Voracious Vegan said...

Yikes. I didn't read the article but it sounds like a crazy and awful situation. He took a bit of unpleasantness and really went over the top with it. You are right, inflicting complete strangers who have no idea about any of this with hunks of meat....that is just ridiculous. And how old were they? 5? 6? Grow up people!

Erin said...

Wow...Leaving meat products in a vegetarian grocery store is NOT an equal response to people contacting him about foie gras ice cream. Especially when most of the people that shop at Rainbow have probably never heard of his store. What a weirdo.

Anonymous said...

oh the sandwiches we would eat,
if boys and girls
were bars and grills.

ogden nash

east side bride said...

I dunno about the foi gras, but the prosciutto ice cream is GOOD.

Trinity (of haiku tofu) said...

i read that article too. most of the flavors sounded pretty horrible to me, but then again, I don't like meat- in ice cream or otherwise. i'd like to start a vegan ice cream shop that serves surprising gourmet flavor combos, not just shock-value flavor combos.

laura said...

what a wonderful write-up! thanks for the awesome vegan support!!