"On different sides of the same tablet, fresh and grim both dwell." Confucius
"Nobody's as fresh as they seem." Peter Weinberg '12
Fresh or grim? The greatest philosophical minds in history have pondered this ancient question. Indeed, the dichotomy between these two extremes is universally present in almost every scenario. According to sources, the two notions' definitions are almost completely opposite "fresh" being a word commonly used when something or someone is good, and "grim" being emblematic of all things nasty, depressing or unpleasant. But if there is one thing all great thinkers know to be true, it is that fresh and grim, like yin and yang, are intertwined one cannot exist without the other. Today, we delve head-first into the belly of the beast. Jeremy Lin:
Going from Harvard University to the NBA to D-League obscurity to the national media spotlight, Lin resuscitated a depleted New York Knicks team with seven straight victories, averaging 21 points and eight assists per game for the month of February. For that, Lin should be considered Mr. Fresh in the city that never sleeps. Some analysts believe his worldwide marketing potential has a $1-billion ceiling.
But he who tests the limits of freshness finds himself closer to the land of grim. After America's sweetheart Kim Kardashian expressed interest in Lin, the Knicks lost three of their next five games, including a humiliating defeat at the hands of her ex, Kris Humphries, and the New Jersey Nets. Hanover winter:
Melted snow and highs of 50 degrees in the third week of February threatened to defy legendary weather forecaster Punxsutawney Phil's prophecy for a long winter. As Dartmouth students picked up their heads with optimism after spying the first blades of grass, eager ultimate Frisbee players flocked to the Green to practice their craft. Such preemptive acts of freshness brought on an onslaught of grim freezing rain, ice and snow. February will end with continued flurries, lows in the 20's and general dreariness. Ryan Braun:
The reigning National League MVP was "exonerated" by arbitrator Shyam Das after an investigation proved that Major League Baseball mishandled the testosterone-packed urine sample that led to Braun's 50-game suspension and the doubts cast upon the validity of his achievements in the post-steriod era.
With the freshness of his reputation restored, Braun held a press conference announcing, "I promise you on anything that's ever meant anything to me in my life the morals, the values, the virtues by which I've lived in my 28 years on this planet I did not do this." Hmmm ... where have I heard this before? One search for "Rafael Palmeiro quotations" yields, "I have never used steroids. Period," followed aptly by, "I hope that people learn from my mistake, and I hope that the fans forgive me." Best Actor, Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" (2011):
While the perennial poster boys for fresh George Clooney and Brad Pitt were busy playing nice with each other before the ceremony (Clooney: "Give it to Brad. I love him."), the Oscar went to perhaps the grimmest candidate alive: a French guy named Jean who played a silent film star. I don't think there could have been a less American outcome. Not only does the Academy hand out its Best Actor award to a French actor for the first time, but it gives it to him for a role in which he didn't even have to say anything! Then again, maybe that's why he won. Nobody knew this guy was a Frenchman, and somewhere out there the Academy is bemoaning its collective brain fart. Touche, Jean. Spring break:
The cultural icon for fresh a time for reckless debauchery, sunburned frivolity and MTV nostalgia draws closer. For seniors, the occasion is both grim and fresh. For most, it marks one of the final occasions that they will be able to engage in hedonistic pursuits before having to return to the cold reality of life after graduation. This break signifies the daunting turning point for the Dartmouth men that have officially moved closer to "creepy old guy" from "that guy is definitely a virgin" on the partying continuum. Dartmouth women may find that their suitors follow a similarly inverse relationship less "bro-lacrosse captain," more "my best friend's eighth-grade brother."
