On the Meaning of Pastygate
I'm trying to think of a US equivalent to the current media storm raging in the UK over whether or not the Prime Minister has ever eaten a Cornish pasty. Corndog-gate, maybe?
Anyway, the story goes like this: under new tax regulations, consumers of take-out snacks will now be subject to a 20 per cent Value Added Tax on their purchases if those snacks are still warm when they consume them. (But will be exempt from the tax if they allow them to cool, apparently).
One of the victims of this new tax will be the Cornish pasty. This is a delicious baked pastry fold containing diced potato, diced swede, and chunks of peppery lamb in a rich gravy. The pastry has a crinkly ridge, allegedly - so the old story goes - so that farmhands and factory workers with filthy hands could use the ridge as a kind of handle which they'd chuck away at the end.
Regular consumers of Cornish pasties (generally not hedge fund managers, top lawyers, prime ministers, you won't be surprised to hear) felt victimized by this. So Prime Minister David Cameron felt compelled to announce that he too was a pasty eater. He then made the mistake of trying to name the last place he ate one - and was exposed as a fraud.
What is it with politicians and their silly attempts to pretend to be men of the people? We don't need them to be authentically working class, we don't require that they be down with the kids or have cool musical tastes or even know the price of a loaf of bread. What would be nice though, if they tried to avoid doing stuff that ends up making our lives more constrained, poorer, more regulated, less happy. Is that really such a big ask?
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Comments:
Apr '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
"For instance, if you've never eaten a chicken fried steak, it's logical for me to assume that you might not be completely trustworthy on the issue of gun rights. Can you see why?"
No. this is 100% nonsense. Giving yourself a heart attack and clinging to the stupid idea that we are safer if we all are armed are separate idiocies. What if Trevor Martin also had a gun?
I had a cornish pasty when I was in England and the adjective "delicious" does not seem appropriate. More likely one would remember because it was just before having to spend long periods in the loo.
Jan '12
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
What's the tax on Shepard's Pie and a pint?
Aug '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
These politicians are lucky they don't have to campaign in the Canadian arctic.
Governor-General eats raw seal heart.
The difference, of course, is that she didn't pretend that she eats it all the time.
Let's be fair, there's nothing wrong with sampling the local cuisine. Just don't pretend you're "a local".
How hard would it be to say, "ooh, I'm really looking forward to trying a real Philly cheesesteak! I've never had one before, and I hear they're awesome."
Mar '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
I didn't understand horse-gate, cash-for-access-gate, and now pasty-gate - the country (UK) going bankrupt from years of socialism seems like it might be a bigger problem?
I am less of a fan of Mr Cameron after his being tucked up in bed on Air Force 1 by Mr Obama (was Mrs Cameron with him?) but, even so, I don't think he deserves all these gates.
Personally, I was never a fan of Cornish pasties - Cornish ice cream, yes, yum, yum.
Dec '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Sorry if this is redundant info. I'm on an iPhone which I not the most elegant way to read this. Diced swede = rutabaga.
Aug '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
I saw video of Cameron when he was hanging out with his pal Obama and he didn't look that pale - for a Brit, anyway
Nov '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
I'm curious about British tax policy. Wasn't there already a VAT there? Does the new 20% VAT pile on top of the previous one? Expand into an untaxed area? Just wondering.
Aug '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Honestly, how many people genuinely know the price of a loaf of bread or a litre of milk?
I couldn't tell you the price of a loaf of bread, or the price of a litre of milk. I find out when I get to the store.
Apr '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Foxman
Blake: James,
For instance, if you've never eaten a chicken fried steak, it's logical for me to assume that you might not be completely trustworthy on the issue of gun rights. Can you see why?
Edited 0 minutes ago
If you regularly consume chicken fried steaks, you are probably thisfar away from a coronary. · 1 hour ago
A long, healthy life without Chicken Fried Steak is not worth living.
Jun '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Rutabaga? Hmm, any vegetable with that complicated a name doesn't sound very good. But with enough gravy, almost anything is edible.
I am glad the cannibalism issue has been put to bed.
Mar '12
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Blake: James,
For instance, if you've never eaten a chicken fried steak, it's logical for me to assume that you might not be completely trustworthy on the issue of gun rights. Can you see why?
This reminds me. My coworkers and I were marveling over the concept of a chicken fried steak recently (all lifelong Upstate NYers, except me). "Wait, it's steak, breaded and fried?"
Mar '12
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Misthiocracy: Honestly, how many peoplegenuinely know the price of a loaf of bread or a litre of milk?
I couldn't tell you the price of a loaf of bread, or the price of a litre of milk. I find out when I get to the store. · 7 minutes ago
$2.39/gallon for whole milk, $1.99 for bread at Aldi, as of when I was there last week. I can guarantee you my husband has no idea, though; he doesn't buy the groceries. Do I just have a freakish memory for prices? Off the top of my head, I know what I paid last week for broccoli, tofu, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, chocolate and my lunch this afternoon. Stuff I buy less often I'm less likely to remember, though.
Apr '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Someone remind me why the Brits even need a conservative party in the first place. Cameron was pandering & pretending to be an average chap (as you say over there) in order to defend a tax increase on some kind of silly English food? What is the point of that??!!
Aug '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Madcap
Misthiocracy: Honestly, how many peoplegenuinely know the price of a loaf of bread or a litre of milk?
I couldn't tell you the price of a loaf of bread, or the price of a litre of milk. I find out when I get to the store.
$2.39/gallon for whole milk, $1.99 for bread at Aldi, as of when I was there last week. I can guarantee you my husband has no idea, though; he doesn't buy the groceries. Do I just have a freakish memory for prices? Off the top of my head, I know what I paid last week for broccoli, tofu, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, chocolate and my lunch this afternoon. Stuff I buy less often I'm less likely to remember, though.
Maybe I'm just really bad with money.
Mar '12
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Misthiocracy
Madcap
Misthiocracy: Honestly, how many peoplegenuinely know the price of a loaf of bread or a litre of milk?
I couldn't tell you the price of a loaf of bread, or the price of a litre of milk. I find out when I get to the store.
$2.39/gallon for whole milk, $1.99 for bread at Aldi, as of when I was there last week. I can guarantee you my husband has no idea, though; he doesn't buy the groceries. Do I just have a freakish memory for prices? Off the top of my head, I know what I paid last week for broccoli, tofu, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, chocolate and my lunch this afternoon. Stuff I buy less often I'm less likely to remember, though.
Maybe I'm just really bad with money. · 0 minutes ago
I'm a money nerd. With a chocolate problem. You will note that chocolate made the list of "stuff I buy often and therefore know the prices."
Apr '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
If you want to get a scouser fighting mad, call a pasty a "Welsh empanada..." Them's fighting words.
They're mental over their pasties in L4 and other close environs.
None of this will make much sense to any other Americans here. James will probably nod in agreement. Just saying. We're divided by a common language and all that.
Aug '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Whether he ate a Pasty or not, the larger issue is the transparently brazen money-grab. It's as if politicians wake every morning asking themselves "what can we tax today?"
The colonists sparked a revolution with a Tea Party. Will Brits march on Parliament and toss pasties on the front steps in protest? I certainly recommend it. Tyranny must be confronted.
Dec '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Foxman
Blake: James,
For instance, if you've never eaten a chicken fried steak, it's logical for me to assume that you might not be completely trustworthy on the issue of gun rights. Can you see why?
Edited 0 minutes ago
If you regularly consume chicken fried steaks, you are probably thisfar away from a coronary. · 2 hours ago
Who let the food nazi in here?
Mar '11
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Ricochet -- Come for the insightful political and cultural commentary, stay for the cannibalism jokes and food fights.
Jun '10
Re: On the Meaning of Pastygate
Paddington Station kiosk, June 2006. MMMMMM. Leave it to the europeans to kill their culture one tax at a time.