Doughnuts, Veganism, Alicia Silverstone and Das Racist

Ok, this is just too weird.

I'm not too sure where to start this story.

I'll begin in Portland where I was attending the first ever Vida Vegan Bloggers Conference last week.

On one of our out-of-the-hotel vegan foodie haunts to Voodoo Doughnuts (a whole tray of vegan doughnuts to choose from ... even "creme" filled ... I know, heaven, if there is such a place, is filled with cruelty-free vegan creme filled doughnuts, vegan corn-dogs and just-deep-dried tater tots and comfortable pleather shoes), our family heard a tune being blasted in the glowing pink-walled just-a-touch-too-hot (is that a velvet portrait of Kenny Rogers on the wall?) doughnut shop. The lyrics were simple. The metre was rap.

"I'm at the Pizza Hut. I'm at the Taco Bell. I'm at the cah-h-hm-bination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell."
"I'm at the Pizza Hut. I'm at the Taco Bell. I'm at the cah-h-hm-bination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell."

Now sing that again. And again. And again. And for about 5 more minutes. You got it. You got it. You got it.

I'll be the first to admit that I hate rap. (I hate to wrap, too. Presents that is. Is there a connection?)

But this song struck a chord. Granted, just one chord. Over and over.

My darling husband and darling daughter were with me getting doughnuts. Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are their two favorite places in the whole darn world. Yes, you can get vegan things (hold the cheese) at TB, but PH, well, not so vegan. We're waiting in line with our newly found vegan-foodie friends Cheryl and Kathy (vegan cookbook author) at this hot and stuffy hipster* joint (go look it up, I had to)  when I tell my family to "Listen to this song, I think it will have special meaning for you!"

Oh yeah, new family favorite.

The next day involves a twelve hour drive home to Sonoma County and some googling on my iPhone to learn about the song and its creators, the duo "Das Racist." Silly me, I thought they might be German. (I took two years of German in college.) Come to find out, it's slang for "That's Racist." Pronounced "Dass" not "Dahss." Which is really quite close to how it might be said in German, "Das ist racist." I have no idea how to say "racist" is German.

Fast forward to tonight, when we are just too bored to watch TV anymore (The Soup=Funny. Chelsea Lately=Chuckles, but Tacky. OMG, the Kardashians are on=Just Tacky. Let's google Pizza Hut/Taco Bell again.

We watch some pretty funny YouTube takes on PH/TB, but then I read that Das Racist is coming out with a real album on iTunes on September 13 and one cut has already been released. Once on iTunes, I see that there are a few free podcasts available with interviews.

One such podcast not only includes Das Racist, but an interview with actress and vegan cookbook author Alicia Silverstone. I only happen to write a blog, The Vegan Reduction Project, that includes her book. (APM: The Dinner Party Download. Episode 46.) How is it that the Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell song is so linked to veganism?

I like Pizza Hut. I like Taco Bell. I like Veganism. I like Voodoo Doughnuts. I like Alicia Silverstone.  I like a combination of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and Veganism and Voodoo Doughnuts and Alicia Silverstone.

I like Pizza Hut. I like Taco Bell. I like Veganism. I like Voodoo Doughnuts. I like Alicia Silverstone.  I like a combination of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and Veganism and Voodoo Doughnuts and Alicia Silverstone. 

*The whole hipster thing..I just have to say, even though I turned 50 this year, I was doing hipster stuff before I knew what is was. Ironic, huh? And THAT in itself is the definition of hipster. I served PBR  (that's Pabst Blue Ribbon in hipstese) at my birthday party this year, while dressed in my best 50's dress/crinoline/short poofed hair. I've been a vegan for almost two decades (when these 20-something vegan hipsters were still being bottle-fed cow-dairy formula), and I own two totally retro fondue pots. Which I serve vegan cheese fondue in. AND I've been blogging since BEFORE the term "blogging." OMG, I'm an old hipster. Now I know how all those old hippies feel out here in West County. 

"Turn on, tune in, drop out." Oh, what hipster said THAT?