In the essay “Us and Them,” David Sedaris discusses a peculiar experiences he lived through which constantly occupied his mind. After living through many different temporary settlements, David seemingly developed a higher interest and usage of social media, such as television, which had also made its way into the lives of many other ordinary citizens. However, during his stay in North Carolina, He notices something very interesting; a family who does not own a television. This was no breaking news for everyone because most people in the neighborhood knew that the Mr Tomkey was different. In a time governed by common usage of the television, Sedaris noted that “the only placed that seemed truly different was owned by a man named Tomkey, who did not believe in television.” Sedaris explains how just the mere lack of television set Tomkey apart from the rest of the neighborhood, even to the point where he became known as someone different who did not fit in with the crowd. He then ponders on what it meant to be different when all one lacks is a television, and develops an interest in the life that the “simple” and “uncultured” Tomkeys live. “It was speculated that just as the blind man develops a keener sense of hearing, the family must somehow compensate for their loss.” In this quote he discusses how Tomkeys were looked upon as some sort of “disabled” members of society, not being familiar with such a common part of everyone else’s daily lives.

While reading this article, I felt that although in the modern day, televisions are no longer such a big deal, compared to the described time, things such as personalized computers and cellphones hold nearly the same value. When reading from that perspective, I noticed that it is in fact weird to know someone who does not own televisions or computers or cellphones. I realized that when put into a similar situation as Sedaris, I would have also been extremely interested in the life that someone like Tomkey lives and how disconnected he is, not just from the world but even from someone right in their own neighborhood. And just like Sedaris, I would have also held them in a smaller window, meaning that I would have held less regard for them, just based on the fact that they do not have something that is supposed to be the “norm.” It made me realize just how much we judge others based on what they have and do not have, and that we use people in such situations as scapegoats, in the sense that we tend to pin the label of inferiority on them in order to forget our own incompetence in other areas, such as communication. Sedaris also noted that “because they had no TV, the Tomkeys were forced to talk during dinner.” This quote shows exactly why we tend to label others because communication with family is essential and brings the members closer, but because everyone else is too busy in the television to interact with the people that live in their house, the Tomkeys were being labeled as different for doing something better.

When “Salt Bae” Nusret released his very first video of cooking, cutting, and seasoning steak in early 2017, he himself could not have predicted the movement it would bring forth, neither could he have possibly predicted the fiery speed at which his fame grew. This was only fueled by the onset of even more videos he released that showcased his craft and meticulousness, with which he handled different cuts of meats and creatively cooked them, finishing off with his signature seasoning move, earning him the nickname “Salt Bae”, or one who is known and loved for his association with salt. Nusret Gökçe is a Turkish chef, who had little culinary influence on the world before the “Salt Bae Incident”, became not only as an internet sensation, but also a renowned chef who’s influence spread eastwards, and he soon became a very popular meme, branding him January 2017’s most popular meme. Soon his “meat show” was being recreated everywhere and, in every theme, and appealing to most of the carnivorous population, who basked in the viewing of watching high-quality meat dishes being prepared. Thus, Salt Bae spreads his art to the world by using his credibility as a chef, as well as appealing to people’s emotions by showcasing the preparation of a loved item.

When “Salt Bae” Nusret first released a video showing him elegantly cut into a tomahawk steak, it naturally left everyone who viewed it in awe. It wasn’t long before fans demanded another video and Salt Bae was soon releasing multiple videos that showcased his intricate expertise in handling different meat cuts in different ways, finishing it off with his “patented” salt sprinkle. People jumped on this video, turning what seemed to be just a meat preparation video into the most popular meme-trend of 2017. Perhaps what really drew people to the video was the sheer fact that Salt Bae used meat as the focal point in his videos. Since most of the world eats and loves meat products, it doesn’t come as a surprise that when they saw such an act become a form of art, they were immediately spreading around the trend. As proven by research, people love to watch prep videos of their favorite foods and are attracted to watching such videos that supposedly leaves them in a feel of wanting, meaning that it is no surprise in the reasoning behind why such a video circled the internet in a matter of days. However, what may have really sealed the deal was the “theater-like” experience of steak-cutting, where the patient and gentle chef, carefully runs his knife through the meat, almost like dancing with it, and eventually ending it with what soon came to be known as his “patented” salt sprinkle. This was described effectively by Joshua David Stein when he said’ “Is the steak transcendent? No, the steak is mundane, somewhat tough and rather bland. The hamburger is overcooked. The tartare is over-chopped…. Does that matter? It does not matter. One does not visit Salt Bae for steak alone any more than one goes to Mass for the wafers.” Hence it is no stretch to assume that Nusret’s videos used the pathos appeal to entertain and appeal to people’s emotions, causing the net-wide circulation of his craft.

The grace and beauty in Salt Bae’s craft is justly backed by his reputation and skill as a professional chef. Nusret grew up working in Turkish steakhouses when he was still very young, to support his family. By the age of 27, he had already opened his first restaurant “Nusr-Et”, in Istanbul. This caught the eye of an investor, whose aid helped Nusret open a few more restaurants in the Middle East. Therefore, Salt Bae’s hard work from a very young age led him head-first into the food industry, allowing him to grow and spread his fame. Soon his fame spread even more and it has been ascertained that “barely a year after that day in January, Gökçe now has 13 restaurants around the world, from Abu Dhabi to Miami, and over 600 employees.” This data clearly shows how the credibility behind his extensive and fruitful career only helped over-popularize the video compilations of his masterpiece craft and showed exactly why he deserved the fame and respect that he earned after the meat-prep video was revealed to the world, taking everyone by a storm.

Additionally, to further prove his credibility, Nusret has caught the eye of many world trend leaders. Not only did he become a center of the meme world for a considerable time period, he has also attracted the trend setters of the world, from culinary field to the entertainment field. After his first appearance on social media, he “blew up” the likes of Twitter, along with Facebook and Instagram. It was only natural that the news of a new showman in town reached the ears of the trend leaders, such as world-renowned chefs, athletes, and celebrities. When his reputation spread, and he established multiple restaurants from “Abu Dhabi to Miami”, it became easier than ever for more and more people to go and get a first-hand view of a private show. He has not only been complimented by the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, he has also served some of the other world-renowned athletes and celebrities. The long list includes people like Odell Beckham Jr. and David Beckham, as well as stars such as Drake, DJ Khaled, and Leonardo DiCaprio. With such an extensively diverse audience and fanbase, it comes as little surprise as to why so many people from all over the world have flocked to Salt Bae and his beautiful presentation of cooking and seasoning meat.

Since his media debut in January 2017, Salt Bae has shaken up the internet by a storm. The portrayal of his incredible skill and meticulousness has caught the eyes of many, from young to old, and everyone in between. But what exactly did he do that deserved the attention and time of everyone around the world? By analyzing the rhetorical elements that he uses, we may be able to crack the secret behind his fame. For starters, we should analyze the purpose behind his videos. By watching him conduct his art a few times, it is evident that the videos generally follow the same trend, that start with him prepping the meat, which he then cooks, followed by a really skillful and elegant art of cutting into the cooked meat, finishing it off with his signature salt sprinkle. Maybe it was the fact that he showed how much he perfected a normal art that people don’t normally think about helped his fame grow, or maybe it was the way he used they knife and sprinkled the salt. Regardless, his popularity is undoubtedly huge. There was definitely the usage of pathos and ethos which could have a hand in his popularity. For example, his credentials as a great chef may have been the drawing factor that interested the populace and since most of the world eats and loves meat products, the viewing of meat preparation was really interesting to them. In essence, one might claim that his argument is that butchery and meaty cooking deserves to be an art, along with the seasoning of course.