Comedian Barry Humphries is the man behind Dame Edna Everage, and at the age of 85, he's threatened to retire the character more than once. The most recent attempt was in 2012, but by 2013 he found himself back in costume bringing the grand old Dame back once more. Everage is a pantomime queen, who's been dressed as an older lady for Humphries' whole career, even when he was a younger man.
She was originally designed as a satirical character, but a stint working in London during the 1960s opened his eyes to the gay and drag scene there, after which both the character and the costumes became more outlandish. When in character, she euphemistically refers to Humphries as 'her agent,' maintaining complete separation between the character and the man. She's so famous in her native Australia that there's a statue of her on the waterfront in Melbourne.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.