once a year and worth the wait

well, as i mentioned before, it was tough to miss the fair this year. "the fair" being the Iowa State Fair (is there any other? --and to anwer you MN & TX supporters, I'd say "no"). Turns out, for the last 4 years ISF has been doing an erotic corn dog eating contest. And we've totally missed it. i guess we were too busy hanging out at the racing corner tap or gettin' loud with our schlitz ice while driving the campground in our sweet rig harassing the other film crew.




but its been making me crave those sweet, life affirming vegetarian corn dogs at the veggie table.

and marc hansen's got my back. now, i'm not one to ignore the genderist implications here. yes, i find it a bit chauvenistic. but listen, corn dogs are erotic no matter who's eating them. i've watched big bro K devour one, and its not a pleasant sight. but perhaps i'm reproducing the male gaze. though i don't really want to watch the fairest of 15 year old, tight jean wearing, horse showing, bleached haired iowa chicks eat one either.

in the end, its probably best that the contest will be shut down. but for the wrong reasons. i'm sure it will ended because the fair represents "family fun" (now here's a sexuality and citizenship project!) and somehow families and overt sexuality are not compatible (sort of the opposite of the french case-see Provencher, forthcoming). When really I see the problem as one of equality.Men are (self-)excluded. Vegetarians as of now are excluded. Those that adhere to pork dietary restrictions, and perhaps kosher-keepers are excluded. And really, I think by featuring people of all sexualities and genders (and I'm pretty sure a good representation can already be found strolling through the Varied Industries building), we destigmatize sexuality, and all have some good clean fair fun.

besides, we all know what the first rule of the fair is, and the fair board is threatening to break it.