(Fritolay.com) I don’t know why I continue to get excited
every year when Lays introduces four new, limited-run, civilian-suggested
unusual flavored potato chip. Despite the intriguing high concepts, in the end
the endeavor always ends up making a convincing argument that there’s a good
reason there’s only a few viable actual potato chip* flavors. While there is no
nauseating outlier this year (as was the case with last year’s cappacino-inspired chip), nothing here
comes close to the pleasures of “plain.” Perhaps my palate is pathetic, but in
general I am not tasting flavor profiles that match the ambitious concepts. The
New York Reuben, while probably the second best offering, really just tastes
like sauerkraut, which sort of hints at the pickled properties of corned beef,
but not the actual flavor of it. I guess there’s some reference to the white
gravy, though not the buttery biscuit, in the Southern Biscuits and Gravy (this
was the “winner,” btw, for what it’s worth). The Greektown Gyro, which is
probably the best one this year, makes a recognizable reference to tzatziki sauce, but doesn’t hint at the
complexity/blue collar straightforwardness of the processed lamb flavor (though
the kettle style makes them fun to eat). I guess I don’t know enough about what
truffle fries are supposed to taste like, but the cheesy and spicy (dill?
Muscular parsley?) dusting makes this taste the most like an existing flavor,
which makes it the least interesting, but likely the most palatable to most
(though the wavy style is pretty moot when one considers these are too strongly
flavored to really dip into dip). Overall, I will not be buying another bag of
any of these. But I look forward to next year, when I predict they ditch the
savory and choose breakfast cereal, doughnut and liqueur flavors.
*we will leave
Pringles out of this argument for obvious faux-chip-ish reasons
(libraryofgames.org)
This is a zine made by students in a videogame program sponsored by YOUmedia
and the library, and it is sorta kinda covering things perhaps better covered
online but it looks great as a print zine. I understand the desire in a game
that covers video game history like SSB
(in which historical videogame characters fight…I like the game because it
seems to reward button mashers with few skills like myself, to a point anyhow),
and this is a lot of fun, finding images of characters in their early
8-bitstate and comparing them to their slick, new versions.
