Did you know that NASCAR is a modern-day version of the medieval joust? It is, says professor Karyn Rybacki, who studies stock-car racing, once received a grant to hang out with spectators at the Daytona 500, and is currently working on a memoir entitled The Luckiest Goddamn Academic In America.
Yesâ€"imagine the incredible fortune of getting to hang out with Nascar fans.
She's probably right about the joust thing, though.
Seriously. A former colleague changed his specialty to Roman outposts in southern France entirely so that he might spend all his time in Provence. Seems a bit luckier to me, but hey.
Snobs.
Wouldn't demolition derby be a closer match to jousting?
Figure Eight Bus Racing. My Florida guilty pleasure.
I just had to post this quote from Wikipedia, from their article on D.D:
"Another source states stock car racer Larry Mendelsohn created the concept for demolition derbies at New York State's Islip Speedway in 1958 after realizing many people favored wrecks to racing."
Not living there anymore. My not-guilty Florida pleasure.
(a tear rolls down my cheek as i contemplate life without WindowSeat)
This explains the Castrol Merlot at Medieval Times.
A student in my graduating class did his senior thesis on "Irish Drinking Songs in Westchester Bars." Still unmatched.
That jerk got paid to hang out at the speedway? I used to be able to hear the fucking thing from my living room. Damn. I clearly made a poor career choice or three somewhere along the way.