December 8, 2022

Title: HE'S RIGHT BEHIND ME, ISN'T HE?

Constructors: Erik Agard & Malaika Handa

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

EPHEMERAL (17A: Short-lived)

SEDUCE AND SCHEME (41A: "Rap Sh!t" track with the lyric "livin' rent-free in his pockets")

THEME SONG (66A: "Where You Lead," for "Gilmore Girls")

Theme synopsis: The word HE is found right behind the word ME in each of the three theme answers.

Things I learned:

• SEDUCE AND SCHEME (41A: "Rap Sh!t" track with the lyric "livin' rent-free in his pockets") Rap Sh!t is an HBO Max TV series created by Issa Rae. On the show, Aida Osman and KaMillion play the roles of Shawna and Mia, rappers trying to make a living in Miami. In the first episode of the show, Shawna and Mia record a video of a song with the hook "SEDUCE AND SCHEME."
• TARO (6D: Vegetable in banh khoai mon) Banh khoai mon is fried TARO cake.
• DMT (16D: Drug aka "the spirit molecule") Rick Strassman is a researcher and professor of psychiatry who has studied the psychedelic, hallucinogenic compound N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, which occurs naturally in some plants. In some South American regions, plants containing DMT have been used in religious ceremonies for many years. Rick Strassman called DMT "the spirit molecule" because its effects include visions, powerful emotions, and feelings of significance. In 2001, Rick Strassman published DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. A 2010 documentary, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, was based on the book. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NAT (24A: ___ Turner's rebellion) In 1831, NAT Turner led a rebellion of enslaved persons in Virginia. The rebellion resulted in the death of over 55 people, and NAT Turner lived in hiding for two months after the rebellion. In the aftermath of NAT Turner's rebellion, many Black people were killed and harsh(er) laws were enacted against enslaved people.
• MEOW (49A: Kitten noise) With perfect timing, Willow just walked into my office and said,

  

  Willow and her ornament

  
  "MEOW!" Yesterday I shared a silly photo of Willow. Today I have a silly story about Willow to share. Willow is a fan of Christmas. We have a reindeer ornament made out of plastic canvas that Willow adopted as her own eight years ago. When we set up our Christmas tree, Willow finds her ornament, takes it off the tree and places it somewhere for us to find. Once we find the ornament, we put it back on the tree - moving it around to present a challenge - and the game repeats. Sometimes she will bring us the ornament multiple times a day. We always know when Willow has successfully hunted the ornament (which is looking a little bedraggled after eight years, and only has one ear which is hanging loosely) because she has a specific "MEOW" that she gives to let us know she has brought us a present. (During non-Christmas time, she brings us presents of socks and washcloths.) The good news is that Willow ignores all of the other ornaments on our tree, and only removes her own.
• BIEL (56A: Actress Jessica) Jessica BIEL recently played the title character in the TV miniseries, Candy. The show was based on the true story of Candy Montgomery, accused of murdering her neighbor in 1980.
• KATSU (60A: Chicken ___ (fried Japanese dish)) Chicken KATSU is breaded, fried chicken cutlets. We saw chicken KATSU as a theme answer September 1, 2020. 
• THEME SONG (66A: "Where You Lead," for "Gilmore Girls") "Where You Lead" is a song written and recorded by Carole King in the 1970s. Carole King and her daughter, Louise Goffin, recorded "Where You Lead" as a duet in 2000 to be used as the THEME SONG for the TV series, The Gilmore Girls.  When my husband and I go for bike rides, and it is his turn to lead, I always sing, "Where you lead / I will follow..." as we start out. I'm sure he finds this endearing.
• ANTS (73A: Small insects) and APES (1D: Big primates) From the top left corner to the bottom right corner we go from APES to ANTS, and for some reason that tickles me. 
• FORTIETHS (10D: Ruby anniversaries) My husband and I are several years away from our FORTIETH wedding anniversary, but I'll just tuck this piece of information away for future reference.
• ELDERBERRY (30D: Dark purple fruit) An uncooked ELDERBERRY is poisonous, but the cooked berries and juice are edible. ELDERBERRY juice is a dark blue-purple color that turns red when diluted. 
• MUTUAL AID (36D: "The radical act of caring for each other while working to change the world," per Dean Spade) I wrote about Dean Spade, the founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, in July of this year. Dean Spade has written a book titled, MUTUAL AID: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next).
• MLS (67D: FC Dallas plays in it) FC Dallas is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team that plays in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Geography review:

• SCOT (46A: Person from Edinburgh) Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.
• EAST TIMOR (15D: Indian Ocean island country) The island of TIMOR, located in the Indian Ocean north of Australia, is home to two countries, EAST TIMOR (located, as one would guess, on the EAST half of the island) and Indonesia. The capital and largest city of EAST TIMOR is Dili.

HE'S RIGHT BEHIND ME, ISN'T HE? is a classic trope used in movies and TV shows. It's also an excellent title and fun theme for a crossword. Thank you, Erik and Malaika, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Thursday. One more thing: To add a bit of fun to your day, here's a compilation of movie and TV scenes featuring "HE'S RIGHT BEHIND ME, ISN'T HE?"