From Cracker Barrel to Sydney Sweeney's jeans: How right-wing influencers manufacture controversies, then cite them as proof that "wokeness" destroys companies.
I preach that nothing is a “distraction,” that whatever gets people to realize what conservatives are doing to this country and to see them for what they are is worth thinking about, writing about, getting mad about.
Cracker Barrel and Sydney Sweeney are distractions. You can tell because conservatives are talking about them. That’s the definition.
"their food is mediocre and their core demographic is literally dying off" Given that many Cracker Barrel entre items are loaded with sodium and saturated fat, I suspect the statement is less about quality of the former and more about causality of the latter.
Thanks for this—what a masterclass in manufacturing outrage. The circle is perfect: invent a crisis, amplify it until it feels real, then cash in by selling “expertise” on the very crisis you conjured. It’s less market analysis than medieval alchemy—turning engagement metrics into financial gospel. As you note, the real risk isn’t “wokeness” but mistaking online tantrums for business fundamentals. A missing cartoon hillbilly isn’t a business model, but grifting off fake fury apparently is.
I actually ate at CB a couple of months ago! It's way over in Exurbia but somebody had a coupon so off we went. I looked for the vegan item on the menu that had been a fake controversy a year or two ago. Didn't see it, luckily not a deal breaker for me. You know what else? About half the staff/diners were Black.
This whole thing has a "Disappearing up their own assholes" vibe to it. Desperate efforts to get clicks from the small segment of the population that likes getting its buttons pushed by this kind of thing, while normal people say "huh?" before swiping on to something else.
And let's be fair, you can't expect these guys to build a political career out of practical responses to real problems. That's for Democrats.
The thing that's so crazy to me is the right acts like Cracker Barrel wouldn't be aware of its financial performance or the state of its customer base. They clearly wouldn't be making what amounts to a small cosmetic change if everything were hunky-dory.
With respect to our hostess, the real story here is (yet another chapter) in the epic of our national doom. At its core is the story of how the Christonazis and their immediate predecessors -- thanks to all the Original Nazi war criminals the U.S. ruling class gleefully adopted as advisors and comrades-at-arms -- acquired the Josef-Goebbels-caliber skill to irremediably nazify the Malignant Majority and the Adolph-Hitler-caliber skjll to hopelessly and forever nullify any (effective) opposition by the "Democratic" (sic) Party.
I'm cis, white, and 63. I'm probably CB's target demographic. I ate there once, years ago (b/c it was the only nearby place open for food while I was on the road that time). It was terrible: both the food and the atmosphere were just so incredibly old-fashioned -- I know that's their schtick -- and I never went back. I'm not surprised they're struggling but they really should have known that _any_ change to such a bastion of old whiteness was going to generate a bunch of performative right-wing outrage.
Based on my social media feeds, the Sidney Sweeney jeans thing is not a manufactured woke thing... the woke girl boss left is still going nuts about it... but the Cracker Barrel thing is certainly one.
Hello, as a card carrying member of the woke girl boss left, I wanted to fill you in on what we’re actually talking about! Our government is supporting a genocide in Gaza, and our president is a rapist peophile. Hope this helps!
what's the "woke girl boss left"? not familiar with the demographic. in my little corner of whatever the hell label I'm supposed to be today, I only heard about the Sweeney thing after it had become a "thing," but never saw a single comment or screed about it. so just wondering if your informal survey is more accurate than my anecdotal experience. it might be. then again, it might not.
I preach that nothing is a “distraction,” that whatever gets people to realize what conservatives are doing to this country and to see them for what they are is worth thinking about, writing about, getting mad about.
Cracker Barrel and Sydney Sweeney are distractions. You can tell because conservatives are talking about them. That’s the definition.
But I wonder who's distracted by it? If your response to this is anything other than puzzlement, you're probably already on the team.
"their food is mediocre and their core demographic is literally dying off" Given that many Cracker Barrel entre items are loaded with sodium and saturated fat, I suspect the statement is less about quality of the former and more about causality of the latter.
I'm on the far side of 70 and just learned about the Cracker Barrel branding; always thought it was about a barrel of crackers. (head slap)
Did crackers used to come in barrels? Why?
Wooden barrels were the cardboard boxes of bygone days.
Thanks for this—what a masterclass in manufacturing outrage. The circle is perfect: invent a crisis, amplify it until it feels real, then cash in by selling “expertise” on the very crisis you conjured. It’s less market analysis than medieval alchemy—turning engagement metrics into financial gospel. As you note, the real risk isn’t “wokeness” but mistaking online tantrums for business fundamentals. A missing cartoon hillbilly isn’t a business model, but grifting off fake fury apparently is.
I actually ate at CB a couple of months ago! It's way over in Exurbia but somebody had a coupon so off we went. I looked for the vegan item on the menu that had been a fake controversy a year or two ago. Didn't see it, luckily not a deal breaker for me. You know what else? About half the staff/diners were Black.
This whole thing has a "Disappearing up their own assholes" vibe to it. Desperate efforts to get clicks from the small segment of the population that likes getting its buttons pushed by this kind of thing, while normal people say "huh?" before swiping on to something else.
And let's be fair, you can't expect these guys to build a political career out of practical responses to real problems. That's for Democrats.
The thing that's so crazy to me is the right acts like Cracker Barrel wouldn't be aware of its financial performance or the state of its customer base. They clearly wouldn't be making what amounts to a small cosmetic change if everything were hunky-dory.
Blistering column! Thank you for delving into how this grift economy works.
Also, this line made me laugh out loud:
"They're desperate to attract anyone under 60 who isn't just stopping there because their bladder's about to explode on I-80."
With respect to our hostess, the real story here is (yet another chapter) in the epic of our national doom. At its core is the story of how the Christonazis and their immediate predecessors -- thanks to all the Original Nazi war criminals the U.S. ruling class gleefully adopted as advisors and comrades-at-arms -- acquired the Josef-Goebbels-caliber skill to irremediably nazify the Malignant Majority and the Adolph-Hitler-caliber skjll to hopelessly and forever nullify any (effective) opposition by the "Democratic" (sic) Party.
I'm cis, white, and 63. I'm probably CB's target demographic. I ate there once, years ago (b/c it was the only nearby place open for food while I was on the road that time). It was terrible: both the food and the atmosphere were just so incredibly old-fashioned -- I know that's their schtick -- and I never went back. I'm not surprised they're struggling but they really should have known that _any_ change to such a bastion of old whiteness was going to generate a bunch of performative right-wing outrage.
Based on my social media feeds, the Sidney Sweeney jeans thing is not a manufactured woke thing... the woke girl boss left is still going nuts about it... but the Cracker Barrel thing is certainly one.
Hello, as a card carrying member of the woke girl boss left, I wanted to fill you in on what we’re actually talking about! Our government is supporting a genocide in Gaza, and our president is a rapist peophile. Hope this helps!
Now settle down, little lady, and let the man 'splain what you think.
If anybody has his finger on the pulse of the "woke girl boss left"...It's Frank.
I'm deducting 3 points because it's not "Woke girl boss childless cat lady left." He's slipping.
what's the "woke girl boss left"? not familiar with the demographic. in my little corner of whatever the hell label I'm supposed to be today, I only heard about the Sweeney thing after it had become a "thing," but never saw a single comment or screed about it. so just wondering if your informal survey is more accurate than my anecdotal experience. it might be. then again, it might not.
"informal survey" = "asked all the imaginary liberals who live rent-free in his head"