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comment by humanodon
humanodon  ·  4123 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Vumit

So . . . three events, right? I think that some more context for time would be helpful and maybe some names. For example, because "football" and "freshmen" are mentioned, I'll assume this takes place in America. The first two events seem to take place within the same time period. The third one, seems to take place in college or after as they are drinking soju. I think with the flip end to the cheerleader story, it would be more shocking if you got the reader to care a bit more about her. An, "Aw, poor ______" reaction and then the narrator with the, "yeah, but fuck'er."

Also, is sannakji legal in the States? Even if it isn't, maybe having the characters order it off the menu would help to pave the way for the climax. I haven't been to a Korean restaurant in the States in a while, but do they usually have silverware at the table?

    But the truth is, people only tell you to do that so you don’t spray chunks all over the back seat of their newly upholstered car. So they don’t have to look at your green face for another second.

This made me stop and think about how often I've encountered a "newly upholstered car". I'm aware it happens, but I've never encountered it. That passage makes it seem like a common occurrence.

    You ever think about what’s actually in a hotdog? Well, I’ll tell you. A whole lot. One thing is mechanically separated turkey. That’s when they force the bones and any other tissue attached through a sieve under high pressure. Like making spaghetti, except with a turkey’s carcass. It ends up feeling like Play Dough, the consistency. Then there’s beef stock. The boiled-down leftover muscles, tendons, joints, and bones from whatever sorry animal ended up in the slaughterhouse that day. All kinds of filler, too. Corn syrup, cornstarch, dried milk, cereal grains. Salt. Preservatives. Flavorings. All stuffed inside the small intestine of a sheep.

I feel like when I was in grade school (the '90's) people were just starting to think about what was in hot dogs and bologna. It seems to me that a lot of people are aware of what's in hot dogs and now they're grossed out by mechanically separated chicken and the "pink slime."