Memorial Day weekend is, for most people,the traditional start to the summer season and the usual way to celebrate this festive time of the year is with a barbecue.
People do flock to the beach and the multiplex as well,yet, the lure of that excuse for cooking outdoors that always gathers a crowd of hungry friends and family who share a few helpings of fun and frenzy along with the burgers and hot dog buns is hard to beat.
For some indoor amusement,here are a few clips from pop culture past that have a barbecue flavor to them. Most of these morsels are TV related but they're just as tasty as anything off a major motion picture menu:
MAKING YOUR APPETITE GONE WITH THE WIND
One of the best sequences in the early part of Gone With the Wind is the barbecue at Twelve Oaks,where Scarlett hopes to get Ashley alone and find out if the rumors about him marrying his cousin Melanie are true.
She has to do more than prepare her thoughts,however,since proper young ladies of that day were required to stuff their faces(after being laced up in corsets that literally took your breath away)before arriving at any party,in order to be able to "eat like a bird."
Scarlett never did like obeying the demands of polite society but when it comes to claiming your true love,she reluctantly gave into the game,thanks to some smart maneuvering by Mammy:
A MEATY MOTHER'S DAY
By the time the likes of Roseanne came about,barbecues had become less formal affairs. On a Mother's Day episode,The Connors had everyone over for a backyard grilling party that had a lively debate about the best way to lit charcoal,servings of guilt trips from neglected moms and a load of laughs from Nana Mary,the greatest great-grandma ever.
Nana Mary also contributed her special potato salad,that she whipped up on the premises and even kicked Roseanne out of her own kitchen to make. Since it was supposed to be an excellent dish and Nana Mary tended to be less than tactful in her speech,that was probably a good move there:
POTATO SALAD FUMBLE
Speaking of potato salad,that side dish caused quite a ruckus on a Reba episode,when the wrong brand was bought for Van's football team's pre-game dinner. While this wasn't a strict style of barbecue,it did have all of the food fixings that most of those meals would have,plus the added bonus of long standing traditions that many folks adhere to for such occasions.
Reba couldn't understand what the fuss was about,considering that Jake's bubble gum in the iced tea seem more of a fatal faux pas to her. One lesson to learn from this is never underestimate the special food needs of a football team,particularly right before the big game:
A BUNDY BURGER TO REMEMBER
While the Bundys and the Rhoades on Married With Children rarely got along,they did spend a few festive moments together. One barbecue meal bought them a little closer than intended,due to the unexpected flavor twist given to the burgers from a quick fix to the grill's ashes,courtesy of dimwitted Kelly. That unsavory sizzle was repulsive to most of the Bundy clan but amusingly enough,not to Steve who had a real bite of personal satisfaction that day:
Hopefully,any barbecue that you attend this holiday weekend is much more enjoyable than that and that you get to truly savor the beginning of these warm days. Barbecue isn't just a summer time treat but it does suit the season well and the mere thought of it in winter can make your heart and taste buds sing:
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