Author: dungeditor

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Cracker Barrel’s Woke Post Sparks Outcry Among Furious Americans

In a surprising twist, the iconic Cracker Barrel, long regarded as a bastion of conservative America, has ignited a firestorm of controversy with its recent foray into Pride Month celebrations. For years, the cherished restaurant chain had not only been synonymous with hearty country cuisine but also with a certain brand of traditional Christian values, which found expression not only in its decor but also in the religious-themed merchandise gracing the shelves of its stores.

 

 

However, in a stunning about-face, Cracker Barrel took to Facebook and Instagram in June 2023, unleashing a torrent of anger among its loyal customer base. The catalyst for this furor? A simple yet impactful image of a rainbow-painted rocking chair accompanied by the caption, “We are excited to celebrate Pride Month with our employees and guests. Everyone is always welcome at our table (and our 🌈 rocker). Happy Pride!” Here’s a visual representation of the post:

Unsurprisingly, the response mirrored the infamous Bud Light backlash, as former patrons expressed their outrage on various social media platforms. A common sentiment echoed throughout Twitter was summed up by one user who declared, “Cracker Barrel just made my boycott list!” Another disgruntled customer lamented, “😪😪Another one bites the dust…” Still, others implored their peers to exercise restraint, with one commenter advising, “Pick your battles, folks. Just because they have that non-rainbow doesn’t mean they’re marketing to kids.”

Over on Instagram, a similar wave of discontent washed over Cracker Barrel’s post. One user lamented, “Not necessary. No longer a family restaurant. Lost my business.” Another said, “Thank you for making it so easy to shop somewhere else. So tired of the agendas. Is there a normal marriage chair.. lol. Not sure why a restaurant needs to celebrate someone’s dating/love life etc. to have an agenda to push. No thanks. Can we not just eat food?”

Adding fuel to the fire, YouTube sensation turned Blaze personality, Auron MacIntyre, couldn’t resist taking a jab at Cracker Barrel. In a scathing tweet, he quipped, “New Bud Light just dropped,” accompanied by a screenshot of the controversial post. The uproar was clear: Cracker Barrel, like Chick-fil-A, had long been viewed as a sanctuary for those who sought refuge from the relentless tide of woke ideology. Former patrons believed they could support these establishments without being subjected to preaching on matters of race and sexuality from those with whom they vehemently disagreed. The abrupt change left them disillusioned and incensed.

The Texas Family Project, a prominent conservative organization, lamented Cracker Barrel’s apparent shift in values, stating, “We take no pleasure in reporting that @CrackerBarrel has fallen. A once family-friendly establishment has caved to the mob.” They even provided damning screenshots of Cracker Barrel’s pronouncements on Pride and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Here’s a glimpse of what they had to say:

The DEI statement read, in part, “Our food and décor celebrate warm memories of the past, and our inclusive culture and beliefs help us make way for an even brighter future, together. Discrimination, overt or through unconscious bias, has no place at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.”

Similarly, the “Pride” statement proclaimed, “This year, Cracker Barrel’s focus was to be a part of the Pride experience. We had two locations in the park, both equipped with seating areas and coverage for people to sit down and cool off, while allowing for natural conversation. In the Cracker Barrel spirit of hospitality and belonging, we call it ‘bringing the front porch to Pride.’”

The dismay among Cracker Barrel’s longtime supporters is palpable. They viewed the restaurant as a sanctuary, a place where traditional American values held sway. However, with its newfound embrace of Pride Month and progressive ideals, it appears that this cherished institution may no longer be the haven they once cherished. Only time will tell if Cracker Barrel’s decision to align with the tide of change will come at the cost of its loyal and conservative clientele.
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Your Nation

Forgotten Tips From The 1950s: 9 Things You Wouldn’t Believe We Used To Do In The Kitchen

If you are like most people and spent your childhood helping in the kitchen, baking cookies, and eating family dinners, then you might remember a number of cooking traditions and gadgets that were popular back then but aren’t used as much now.

 

 

Over time, things change—and this is especially true for how kitchen appliances have changed. Some of these items might bring back fond memories for you if you can remember them. Others might just strike you as being plain odd.

Whether you’re for or against these gadgets and processes, they are still pretty fascinating. Let’s take a closer look:

1. Grinding meat

The meat grinder was a kitchen tool used to mince or grind meat. In the past, it was a common tool that chefs would use on a daily basis. Invented in the 1800s, the first meat grinder wasn’t electric. You had to use all your might to hand-crank it and get long, thin strands of meat. These days, we have electric grinders that don’t require as much effort to operate.

2. Pounding meat with a mallet

This hand-powered tool, commonly used to tenderize slabs of meat before cooking them, would have been perfect for grinding the meat. If you weren’t using it for that purpose, maybe you banged the bejesus out of it instead. The different kinds of meat grinders all have the same basic purpose: To make the meat wider and thinner, which can be helpful for certain recipes and also makes the meat easier to chew and digest. While people still use these today, they were significantly more popular in the past.

3. Using a percolator to make coffee

The percolator was invented in 1880, aging before any other coffee brewing system. This low-tech machine is now making a comeback among style setters who appreciate its old-fashioned charm. The coffee percolator uses a pot that boiling or nearly boiling cycles the coffee through the grounds using gravity until the required strength is reached. The smell was amazing!

4. Making your own butter

If you’re reading this, chances are good that you didn’t grow up in a time when people churned their own butter. However, it’s possible that your parents did and made homemade butter for you. If you remember, adding cream to a butter churner and then cranking it until the cream becomes more like butter used to take a lot of time. It was worth it though—the finished product was much tastier and lighter than the store-bought variety.

5. Baking with nesting cutters and hand mixers

Do you remember your mom or grandma using nested cutters to make pastries, scones, or cookies? To make that pastry dough, you likely used a hand mixer or egg beater. In the past, people would have to use a crank to whisk everything up!

6. Canning and preserving food

If you’ve ever wondered why your grandparents are so adamant about not wasting food, it’s because that was the norm in their day- especially if they grew up during the Depression. If veggies are going bad and you want to make them last, canning is an effective solution. A strainer sieve is an old-school kitchen gadget that you might remember using to make homemade jam and tomato sauce.

7. Using real, hardcover cookbooks

With technology at our fingertips, finding a recipe is as easy as typing it into a search engine or opening an app. Although many people own cookbooks, it is uncommon for someone to open one and follow a recipe. If you go back in time, you might remember recipe cards before cookbooks were even invented. I wish those days would come back!

8. Storing flour, sugar, and other foods in canisters

A household staple, canisters were once a kitchen must-have. Mason jars are often used to store food items like sugar, flour, coffee, and tea. They’re convenient because you can leave them right on your countertop for easy access. The best part? You’ll feel incredibly organized!

9. Storing bread in a breadbox

Keeper of the bread, the breadbox was a staple in early kitchens before commercial bakeries became prevalent. Nowadays, breadboxes are more likely to be collector’s items than actual storage for bread!

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Beyond Meat Enters “Survival Mode” Amid Consumer Resistance To Fake Meat

In a world where plant-based meat was once hailed as the savior of our planet, promising to make us healthier and free the animals we share this Earth with, it seems like reality is now casting a cold shadow on this once-booming industry. The poster child of this movement, Beyond Meat, is facing a tough battle as it enters what some might call “survival mode.”

 

Initially, the idea of plant-based meat sparked excitement, hope, and perhaps even a touch of utopian idealism. But as time has passed, consumers are waking up to some hard truths about this rapidly growing industry, and they are starting to turn away.

One of the biggest revelations for consumers was that plant-based meats, despite their marketing claims, are still highly processed. They aren’t the health miracle they were touted to be, and the immense machinery required for their production didn’t align with the image of sustainability and environmental friendliness.

Beyond Meat, the industry heavyweight, recently released its third-quarter financial numbers, and the results left a bitter taste in the mouths of investors. Net revenue has taken a hit, declining by a staggering 8.7% year-over-year and plummeting by 26% compared to the previous quarter. The future doesn’t look much brighter, with the company hinting at the need to tap into financial markets in 2024 just to keep the lights on.

Ethan Brown, the CEO of Beyond Meat, expressed his disappointment, saying, “We anticipated a modest return to growth in the third quarter of 2023 that did not occur. Though we are encouraged by pockets of growth, particularly in the EU where we saw double-digit gains in net revenues on a year-over-year basis, we are disappointed by our overall results as we continue to experience worsening sector-specific and broader consumer headwinds.”

Despite the declining numbers, Beyond Meat has chosen to blame what some might call the “usual suspect” in this situation: misinformation. Brown emphasized, “In our view, the health perception of the category is the most immediate and important variable to address in order to restore growth. We must squarely and forcefully counter the broad misinformation that swirls around our category before we can more effectively use pricing as a tool to bring new users and the mainstream consumer into our category.”

In plain terms, he’s suggesting that some Americans still think that plant-based meat, designed to mimic the taste and appearance of real meat, might be overly processed and loaded with chemicals. While he may have a point, he conveniently sidesteps the quality control issues that have dogged the company.

Beyond Meat has faced quality complaints, including allegations of a factory in Pennsylvania being contaminated with Listeria. Even more concerning are reports of foreign materials like strings, metal, wood, and plastic being found in their products as recently as 2021. One might wonder why meat substitutes can’t seem to keep meat out of their products.

In the midst of all these challenges, one thing has become abundantly clear: Americans are not swayed by the alleged environmental benefits the industry promises. Limited research has shown just how heavily processed these fake meats are. The truth is, there is simply no substitute for animal-based proteins, and most Americans understand this unless they have a specific dietary requirement or moral objection to consuming animal products.

In conclusion, the plant-based meat industry, once seen as a beacon of hope, is facing its own reckoning. Beyond Meat’s struggles serve as a stark reminder that consumers value authenticity and quality above all else. It’s a reminder that while innovation is essential, it must not compromise on taste, health, or trust. As the industry looks to the future, it would do well to remember that there’s no replacement for the real thing when it comes to the satisfaction of the American palate.