Chef José Andrés told Stephen Colbert how we can all use our talents to change the world
"Longer tables, not higher walls."
Chef José Andrés talked about changing the world with Stephen Colbert.
If you're not familiar with Chef José Andrés or his World Central Kitchen (WCK), you're about to find out why the Spanish chef has become a beloved example of the best of humanity.
Chef Andrés founded WCK in 2010, a nonprofit organization that runs toward disaster and organizes people on the ground to make sure that those impacted by disaster are fed. Since then, he and his crew have shown up in the aftermath of tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters, as well as places where communities have an immediate need for other reasons, such as viral pandemics and wars.
The idea for WCK came from Andrés and his wife Patricia, who decided that when people are hungry, you send in cooks. Not tomorrow, but today.
"Food relief is not just a meal that keeps hunger away," Andrés shares on the WCK website. "It’s a plate of hope. It tells you in your darkest hour that someone, somewhere, cares about you. This is the real meaning of comfort food. It’s why we make the effort to cook in a crisis."
It's practically impossible not to fall in love with Chef Andrés when you hear about his dedication to helping people. The passion and sincerity with which he talks about changing the world is infectious.
Andrés joined director Ron Howard on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to talk about Howard's documentary film about the work of WCK. It's called "We Feed People" and will premiere on Disney+ on May 27. Watch the trailer to get a glimpse of what Andrés has brought to the world.
Seriously, in love, right? The man just oozes selflessness and service. And it is genuinely infectious—evidenced by Ron Howard's story of how his film crew kept getting caught up in being part of the operations by putting their cameras down to feed people, making it hard to get the film footage they needed to tell the story about the operations.
Colbert asked Andrés how people can help in their own way or collectively.
"Every one of you, you can become your own organization," he said. "You don't need to try to feed the world. You can do little things, such as helping an elderly couple in the supermarket, make sure that they can put their shopping in the back of their car. Maybe picking up a piece of paper to keep your cities clean."
He gave examples of how musicians in Ukraine are playing on street corners, "bringing hope to people just by playing a song."
He said that everyone has a talent that they can use to help others.
"We can all be part of not only feeding America and feeding the world, but believing in longer tables, not higher walls," he said. "We can change the world if we really believe in it."
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Chef Andrés, for reminding us what is possible and for serving as such a prime example of the difference one person can make.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."