Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Bravo
The languid final stretch of summer may be coming to a close, but one moment from this season’s stacked television lineup will be staying by my side for months to come. As the autumn leaves crunch under my boots and I trudge through New York’s wintery slush, I’ll think back fondly on the dog days of summer every time I stop into a bodega or take refuge in a coffee shop for a well-deserved little treat: my special chips.
I already know that each and every time I decide to have a nosh, my brain will vibrate at a super-high frequency. A rush of light will fill me. I’ll be Raven Baxter thrust into a psychic vision in That’s So Raven. There is no longer any reality in which I can take a bite of food without thinking about Shereé Whitfield, in her kitchen in full makeup and pajamas, eating from a bag of potato chips and saying two simple words: “I’m snacking.”
To say these two words—and the entire scene that they came from—defined my summer would be a gross understatement. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into my kitchen, grabbed something from my refrigerator or pantry, and before I even had the chance to take a bite, said out loud to no one in particular, “I’m snacking.” I’m sure my neighbors have heard it more times than they can count.