A lesson in nourishment: THE LAST SUPPER
By Barbara Camp
Luke 22:19-20 – And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you: do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper, He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.’”
Top Chef: Premiering in 2006, an American reality series where neophyte chefs culinarily duke it out over who can create the most inventive dishes. In subsequent episodes, “progressive elimination” delivers the proverbial pink slip as, one by one, contestants are dropped like hot potatoes.
Bunny Mother: Retired Playboy Bunny oligarch responsible for hiring, firing, training, the daily and mandatory monitoring of weight, and scheduling work shifts for Bunnies. Demerits were issued if grooming was less than regulation perfect: “A clean well-fitted costume, matching ears and shoes, clean, fluffy cottontail, immaculate cuffs and collar, Playboy cuff links, name-plate, and bow tie.”
Wilson, Clerow (Flip) Jr. (1933 – 1998): An American comedian and actor, declared by TIME Magazine to be “TV’s First Black Superstar.” One of 10 children and largely reared in foster homes and reform schools, Wilson joined the U.S. Air Force in his teens. Wilson’s hilarious personality and “flipped out” good nature earned him the nickname “Flip.”
Predictably, when applying for the position of Playboy Bunny, you’re instructed to bring a bikini. Deliriously dehydrated from crash dieting, you parade before the Bunny Mother in stilettos, hopefully, are hired, and before you can gain an infinitesimal gram of fat, “your costume…the world-famous image of the glamorous Playboy Club—wear it proudly” is custom crafted to your present measurements. It’s over. You’re cast in stone, destined to bulging eyes if you breathe too deeply. The only wiggle room is in close proximity to your behind and its faux fur “cottontail.”
Akin to a thinly veiled torture chamber, the Bunny costume is the first service uniform registered with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and can be seen on permanent display in The Smithsonian Museum. According to the official Playboy Bunny Manual, “…eating and drinking while in costume is forbidden.” No kidding. While in costume…or ever. “Bunnies must wear false eyelashes and bright, vivid lipstick accented by lip gloss. Your Bunny Mother will help you choose styles and colors for maximum flattery.” And it’s all documented—film at 11:00.
Bunnies, able to identify 143 brands of liquor (blindfolded) and artistically garnish 20 festive cocktail variations (with two paws, er, hands tied behind their backs), dispensed their hypnotically intoxicating elixirs in dimly lit lounges—all while executing the famous “Bunny Dip.” She “gracefully leans backward while bending at the knees with the left knee lifted and tucked behind the right leg. This maneuver allows her to serve drinks while keeping her low-cut costume in place.” Translated: your cleavage clears the keyholder’s ogling, slobbering leer. Compared to the “Bunny Dip,” the “Bunny Stance” and the “Bunny Perch” were no-brainers. But if you even looked at food—forget it—doomsday.
As a card-carrying baby boomer, it’s fascinating to survey the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly cultural trends regarding the corpus humanus and its slavishly obsessive maintenance. Let’s review the span of our societal behavior.
Exhibit A: Exercise. Agreed, it is very good for you. That said, earlier generations went from relative inactivity to, starting in the 1950s, jumping jack flashing with TV’s Flying Wallenda-clad Dorian Gray, Jack LaLanne. Now it’s a bona fide OCD: we’re working out religiously with or without expensive personal trainers—an obsession viral enough to prompt running in Central Park after dark? Yikes!
Exhibit B: Smoking. It was downright trendy. In the late ‘60s, the Surgeon General might well have been Marcel Marceau. While cohabitating with nuns and sporting box-pleated herringbone tweed uniforms at a convent boarding school, secretly chain-smoking KOOL’s was our salvation. Decades later, society has effectively branded smokers leprous and, at least publicly, legally curtailed the All-American addiction.
Exhibit C: Drinking. Bottom’s up! I howled over Flip Wilson’s character, Reverend Leroy, Pastor of “The Church of What’s Happening Now.” But my all-time favorite Wilson personality was the prissy, self-preservationist, goody-goody Geraldine Jones. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, and I don’t do windows!” That said, with plastered Ray Milland in Billy Wilder’s harrowing film, The Lost Weekend, as a starting point, never before have so many folks, admirably, been in recovery.
And lastly, Exhibit D: the alimentary four-letter f-word—food. We’re a society obsessed! From a flabby road of trans-fatty fast food, to “flavor of the month” celebrity chefs, to endless programming demonstrating infinite techniques for grilling Alaskan king salmon—enough—we’re full! Top Chef, Iron Chef, iron lung, Aqualung, Aqua Velva…er, what were we talking about?
Hear ye, hear ye: this accelerated physical awareness has also brought various psychological neuroses to the forefront, all manifesting via myriad eating disorders—tragically, everything from anorexia to obesity. Jovial New York Times food critic and author of the exceptionally entertaining, autobiographical Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater, Frank Bruni regurgitated his childhood of diets and disorders in a brilliant Times excerpt entitled, “I Was a Baby Bulimic.”
Starve a cold, feed a fever. Feed the body, starve the soul? Replacing the Biblical sacrificing of animals on God’s altar, the very animal has become the idol! A bona fide golden calf, we worship the Kobe beef and its labor-intensive preparation but are catatonic vegetables when it comes to nourishing our souls. The insidious removal of God from His rightful place in our world—substituting everything from the latest nouvelle cuisine to exercising our way to physical beauty—has created a highly contagious strain of spiritual anorexia.
Okay, I had to google them for clarification, but here they are, the official four food groups: (1) meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, peas, eggs, and nuts; (2) dairy products, milk, cheese, and yogurt; (3) grains; and (4) fruits and vegetables. Of course, there are limitless combinations of these staples comprising every diet imaginable. Yet my research hinted there is a possible fifth food group. Another group? I reckon the most cosmically nutritious—and hardly fifth in order of importance—would be the spiritual food group: soul food.
We are what we eat? I’ve been known to binge on sugar, but I’m not going there with you. Where I will go with you is two millennia back in time to the ritual simplicity of the Lord’s Supper. Fast forward to “The Church of What’s Happening Now.” Or, more accurately, what’s happening still. I cherish tradition and tremble at the longevity of that humble meal. What’s the muscle versus fat ratio of your eternal soul?
Do you crave sustenance teeming with spiritual vitamins and minerals that build strong souls in 12 ways? “Do this in memory of me.” Me. J.C. Jesus Christ. The original “Top Chef.” Give it a try—the last supper you’ll ever need—and never go hungry again.
About the author:
— Barbara Camp has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Camp is a longtime resident of New York City, a distinguished spiritual author, artist, and is presently Senior Vice President with the world’s leading search firm in the arts, Billy Clark Creative Management. Given her “birth to present” experience in creative professions—including set designer & stylist; fashion & beauty makeup artist (Milan, London, Paris, New York); graphic designer; artist & illustrator (The New York Times, Coca-Cola); and writer—her segue into curating and recruiting top talent for global A-list design, architecture, and luxury lifestyle clients was seamless. A right-brain and left-brain thinker, she has managed both the inventive visual and analytical business aspects of each career endeavor.
She has written two spiritual books: Your Soul: Fixer-Upper or Tear-Down? The Bible Blueprint for Renovation and Rebuild! and On the Seventh Day God Rested – 33 New Lessons from the Old Testament. Baby Boomer, Catholic schoolgirl (can readily identify any plaid ever used in a parochial uniform), and ’70s Playboy Bunny (another uniform— not plaid—blue satin), Barbara Camp insists that “God writes the best fiction, known as nonfiction.” Both books feature Camp’s short stories that translate bulletproof, Biblical wisdom (both the Old and New Testaments) into everyman, everyday, modern metaphors. Her books reflect her unique approach to spirituality and creativity, offering readers insightful perspectives on personal growth and faith.
Since 2021, Ms. Camp has held the position of Senior Vice President with Billy Clark Creative Management where she has been instrumental in leading BCCM’s innovative practice of exceptional talent acquisition. Prior to this role, she served as a Senior Associate with the same company from 2016 to 2021. During her tenure there, she has successfully managed high-profile search collaborations with preeminent architects, designers and hoteliers. Camp finds genuine fulfillment in engaging with BCCM’s elite clientele and extraordinarily gifted candidates, contributing to the creation of iconic building cityscapes, homes, and luxury hotels worldwide.
Before joining Billy Clark Creative Management, Ms. Camp was a Senior Associate at Jack Kelly & Partners from 2013 to 2016. In this role, she honed her recruitment skills, further establishing herself as an expert in her field. Her extensive experience and dedication have earned her recognition and respect within the industry. Prior to joining JK&P she freelanced in the aforementioned professions, primarily as a global fashion & beauty makeup artist to celebrities and top models for Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, as well as many other print and film venues.
Born in the Midwest, Ms. Camp’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design with a minor in Architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her education has played a crucial role in her career achievements, providing her with a solid foundation rooted in design principles. She attributes her success to her strong work ethic, creativity, imagination and faith.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Camp has served on benefit committees for many NYC institutions such as The Guggenheim Museum; was honored as a 1992 New York Singular Sensation; has been an active member of several design industry-related organizations and Delta Gamma Sorority. She is a charter member of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a contributor to various charities including the Bowery Mission and The St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and volunteers at a number of organizations. Past outreach includes trips to NYC’s Rikers Island prison.
Outside of her career, Ms. Camp enjoys reading from her varied 1,000+ book library; listening to her equally varied collection of music; visiting museums; thrift stores & yard sales; photography; classic movies; designing collage scrapbooks and world travel.
Heeding her inner calling, Barbara Camp’s primary aspiration is—in all humility—to be “part of the solution and not the problem.” She hopes to avert a cancel-happy culture from hitting “delete” on the most important gift of all: the love of God. Spiritually connecting the populace remains part of an eternal solution.
Please visit www.barbaracamp.com – social media connections are available on the home page.
