Essence of Tofu: Difference between revisions

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imported>Circaea
Added to references: Kind of wordy explanation of the joke about estrogen in the miss message. If you can make it shorter without losing information, do it.
imported>Argus
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*The description alludes to several biblical verses, most notably [[Wikipedia:Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 1:2 and [[Wikipedia:Gospel of John|John]] 1:14.
*The description alludes to several biblical verses, most notably [[Wikipedia:Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 1:2 and [[Wikipedia:Gospel of John|John]] 1:14.


*The miss message about estrogen production refers to certain effects of soy being regarded simultaneously as health benefits as well as something to panic about; like most of KoL's content about hippies, the humor relies on exposing the scary internal contradictions in real-life "hippy" beliefs.  The joke is seriously pointed, but is subtle and requires some background to explain why it's funny:  soy contains naturally occurring estrogen-like compounds called [[Wikipedia:Phytoestrogens|phytoestrogens]] (in soy, specifically, [[Wikipedia:Soy#Isoflavones|isoflavones]]).  These are [[Wikipedia:Phytoestrogens#Health_risks_and_benefits|very biologically active]], and get heavily pushed by the health food industry and its gurus (do a Google search and despair).  Simultaneously, health gurus are horrified about [[Wikipedia:Xenoestrogens|purely synthetic estrogens]] (e.g. those that leach out of certain plastics) that have similar effects to the isoflavones in the tofu they are eating.  The wording of the miss message is maybe a little bit off of the actual science, in that while isoflavones definitely act like ''supplementary'' estrogen, it's not as certain whether [[Wikipedia:Phytoestrogens#Mechanism_of_action|they might also affect estrogen production]], or if they do, how: "In addition to interaction with ERs, phytoestrogens may also modulate the concentration of endogenous estrogens by binding or inactivating some enzymes, and may affect the bioavailability of sex hormones by binding or stimulating the synthesis of sex hormone binding globuline (SHBG)."  Getting that kind of nuance correct in the miss message itself would probably make it a lot less hilarious, and anyway the fundamental joke -- "hippies have no idea what they're doing, and that's kind of horrifying" -- is clear.
*The miss message about estrogen production refers to soy containing naturally occurring estrogen-like compounds called [[Wikipedia:Phytoestrogens|phytoestrogens]], and their exaggerated effect on the human body.

Revision as of 06:21, 19 July 2010

Essence of Tofu You're fighting the Essence of Tofu

In the beginning was the Curd. And the curd was formless, and flavorless, and it hovered over the waters. And the Curd became a substitute for flesh, and dwelt among us, and it was eaten by those who would not eat another living thing. And the Curd took on the flavor of all that was cooked near it.

What you face now is the tofu's true nature, of which the tofu that you know is the palest of imitations. Its blandness is so complete, so ideal, that it could probably blow your tongue out the top of your head.

Hit Message(s):

not known

Critical Hit Message:

It forms itself into the Platonic ideal of a tofurkey, complete with dairy-free gravy, gelatin-free cranberries and gluten-free dinner rolls. Your brain simply can't contain all of the beauty, or all of the hippy. Argh!

Miss Message(s):

It increases your estrogen production. Your eyelashes get thicker and more luxurious.

It floats toward you, but you edge backwards.

It tries to bonk you with one of its cubes, but you duck under. Looks like your To Fu is stronger than its.

It floats off to find the platonic ideal of soy sauce, with which to flavor itself.

It tries to crush you between its cubes, but they're too gelatinous to do any damage.

Fumble Message:

It floats off to find the platonic ideal of soy sauce, with which to flavor itself. (FUMBLE!)


After Combat
You acquire an item: essential tofu

References

  • The description alludes to several biblical verses, most notably Genesis 1:2 and John 1:14.
  • The miss message about estrogen production refers to soy containing naturally occurring estrogen-like compounds called phytoestrogens, and their exaggerated effect on the human body.