Paul of Fame - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Paul of Fame

Hindustan Times | By
Jul 09, 2010 01:24 AM IST

Some love him, some want to fry him alive, but no one can deny that the Oracle Octopus is making more headlines than the FIFA players.

Forget Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder and even the star of Wednesday night, Spain’s Carles Puyol — the headline grabber of FIFA 2010 continues to be Paul, the psychic Octopus. And, like every sensational celebrity, Paul now has fans naming dishes after him, and nations sending him death threats!

HT Image
HT Image


Off and on Menus

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

After Spain beat Germany to make it to their first-ever World Cup final, all eyes turned to the eight-legged soothsayer who had predicted Spain’s win on Tuesday itself. Spain’s celebrity chef Jose Andres, who runs a popular restaurant chain called Jaleo in Bethesda, announced on Twitter that he was “taking octopus off the menu” at all his restaurants, as the eight armed creature has become a darling of the nation.



On the other hand, on Berlin’s fan-mile, where over 350,000 German fans gathered to watch the match, anti-octopus songs were sung loudly. Once a German hero, Paul is now “a much-sought after delicacy with fans suggesting he should be fried, barbecued, turned into a seafood salad or thrown into a shark tank!”, reported

Der Western

, a German paper.



The Germans aren’t the only ones gunning for Paul. After Germany beat Argentina 4-0 in the quarter finals, Argentinian newspaper El Dia dared people to capture Paul and printed a recipe for the victor to use: “All you need is four normal potatoes, olive oil for taste and a little pepper.” Argentinian chef Nicolas Bedorrou even said, “We will chase him…then beat him in order to keep the meat tender and then put him in boiling water!”



Paul’s not scared!

Despite several death threats, Oliver Walenciak, Paul’s keeper at the Aquarium Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, said the octopus is unfazed. “There are always people who want to eat him, but he’s not shy and we are here to protect him. He’ll survive,” Walenciak told

Telegraph, UK

.



He’s a Bollywood star too


Immediately after Spain won, Bollywood stars began tweeting about Paul. Actor Amitabh Bachchan wrote: “OCTOPUS baby... You Pauli you were right”, while son Abhishek tweeted, “Who would have thought that in the 21st century, an octopus would be able to cast a cloud of doubt over the mighty Germans.” Sameera Reddy retweeted, “Western societies accuse us of being superstitious, and then believe an octopus!” while actor Rahul Khanna, a Germany supporter, wrote: “If the Germans ordered calamari from room service last night, it would have been a clear demonstration of squid pro quo.”



(Compiled by Damini Purkayastha)

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On