Notes on Donut NEW IMPROVED HEAD is pleased to offer another in its series of articles about important Canadian institutions. This week, Roland Barphe, editor of Excressences and head of media studies at the Polyvalente de Saint-Tite, presents a commentary about that central institution of Canadian culture, the donut.
- The donut is a central cultural institution not of Canada, but of English Canada.
- "Donut" = "do not".
- The heart of a donut is – a void.
- Nothing great has ever been accomplished with the help of donuts.
- The nutritional value of a donut is – zero.
- "Dough nuts" = devotees of money.
- The culinary value of a donut is – zero.
- Nothing even moderately important has been accomplished with the help of donuts.
- The donut is never heated.
- The donut is the perfect symbol of English Canada. It has no known function, and at its core it is empty. It is bland and unheated and too sweet for its own good.
Contrast this with the culinary symbol of Quebec, the glorious patate. The patate provides real nutrition. It is infused with heat. It is not a limp lump of fluff, but rather a robust plateful of energy. It is the food of a people. Donuts are the food of consumers.
Notes on Donut © John FitzGerald, 2002
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