Vietnamese people are an entrepreneurial lot. Simon Bao pointed me to this article from Thanh Nien Daily, a party-sponsored publication in Vietnam. Who needs chemically produced Viagra if there are oysters, seahorses, turtles and goat kidneys to help you in times of need.
Rock the Cradle of Love contains rough instructions/recipes too. Now I've got Billy Idol's voice in my head. Wonder if the 1990 music video inspired the Thanh Nien writer. . .
My how times have changed and not.
Andrea, I had to bring this up during lunch at the office, and have colleagues explain to me the meaning of the title and lyrics for "Rock the Cradle of Love." I was kind of like, "Ohh... Ohhhh... OHHHH!!!"
Now I understand why I wasn't permitted to watch MTV during my impressionable years. :-)
Well at least we now all have menus for Valentine's Dinner 2008.
Posted by: Simon Bao | October 20, 2007 at 09:12 PM
Oh my, Simon. During his heyday, Billy Idol loved being a very very bad boy. That song and the Lolita-like video sent the message loud and clear. That's why I was so struck by the Vietnamese reporter's choice of title and overall provocative tone. But it's all in the name of progress and making a buck!
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | October 21, 2007 at 11:41 AM
If I can figure out where to get all the crazy ingredients and cook those recipes, I can open a "Vietnamese Aphrodisiacs" restaurant and make a fortune. Although most of the customers would order to-go, I think.
Posted by: Ivy | October 24, 2007 at 04:08 PM
Ivy, you don't want to be doing that, you'll have federal agents and Interpol and World Wildlife Fund inspectors raiding your restaurant. :-)
A few years ago I read an article about some scientists who hoped that the arrival of cheap Viagra in China and other Asian nations might spare the wildlife. Many, perhaps most of the species who have their parts turned into traditional aphrodisiacs are threatened, if not endangered. Scientists hoped consumers in Asia would come to rely on small blue pills to deal with their "kidney weakness." Turns out that no, Viagra and other Male Enhancement Pharmaceuticals haven't led to any declines in the demand for animals' horns, glands, fluids and phallic fiddly bits. The problem today is even worse than before.
I think the problem may be rooted in traditional crappy mood music and all the ugly flourescent lighting. If someone would just market a Combo Pack of Viagra, Burt Bacharach, and some scented candles, the "weak kidney" issue may clear up...
Posted by: | October 24, 2007 at 09:43 PM
I see beef pizzles in the Asian market frozen section all the time... It's likely that the MEPs get people looking for natural alternatives. What people ought to do is just relax a bit, eat better, and get more exercise. They'll have fewer problems getting their mojo going.
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | October 31, 2007 at 01:15 PM