Blogging To Perfection

OK, I didn’t get past the first pages of Google searches. So immediate was my disdain. Because, of course, rather than unearthing some reasonable origin, I had gifted myself with new vacuous exhibitions. There are companies branding themselves with it. Marketers are marketing themselves with it.

I do, but mostly don’t, want to know who is responsible:

“blah, etc. ...to perfection”.

I didn’t like writing it. I don’t like hearing it or thinking about it. I guess this is my Andy Rooney moment. I do like that, actually. So, yeah, what is the enduring appeal? How did it become uber-ubiquitous? Does it sway us? There are no answers provided for you here, because I don’t want to care.

I only wear name brand by accident and can no longer name a Top 40 song. I try in earnest to mute all television advertising. I’m avoiding the message. I’m just not getting on that bus these days, and yet “to perfection” is all up in my face despite my non-efforts. I’m not old. Just old enough to sneer.

I can anticipate it’s arrival now. And you’ll begin to dread it, as I do. I’ve not done you a favor. Like having had that grating idiosyncrasy of a teacher, to whom you’ll be spending the school year tethered, pointed out to you by an upperclassman. Let us now share this burden together. I’ll lean on you, you lean on me.

I have indeed ruminated on its utility. You don’t want your gripping description to loosen. Your big pitch has gotta win, not wane. No umphless “seasoned with our signature spice blend and then grilled”. Come on man, “grilled to perfection!” Pizzazz! But wait. Has it not been “perfectly seasoned”? Do they do a slack job with that? Not likely. And is their spice blend also blended “to perfection”? Probably so. These companies… it’s what they do.

When I was an up-and-coming chef, we had enlightened pre-shifts about reaching for perfection with the understanding that our shortfalls would be bliss to our guests. A fingertip in heaven. We were fools! There were things being done to perfection all around us while we meditated on that twaddle.