I haven’t heard anyone say it, but I think they’re trying to be more like Golden Corral.
For that, make a buffet.
I hate when companies blow a bunch of money on things only execs care about. They would get better results and media coverage by giving the money to the working staff (cooks and waiters).
I'm reminded of Richard Nixon's comeback as a smiling, not-as-smarmy-as-before candidate for president, branded as "The New Nixon." At around the same time, Standard Oil re-branded their Esso gas stations with the name "Exxon." This inspired cartoons, bumper stickers, etc., with the line "Nixxon - new name, but the same old gas."
Just for the record, Cracker Barrel isn't a southern American food restaurant. It's a simulacrum of what someone thought southern white people food is. No one who has any experience whatsoever with soul food, barbecue, steamed or boiled crabs, boiled shrimp or peanuts, okra, collard greens, chicken and waffles, crawdads, chicory coffee and beignets, or any other manner of "southern food" that actually tastes good would call Cracker Barrel "southern food."
I haven’t heard anyone say it, but I think they’re trying to be more like Golden Corral.
For that, make a buffet.
I hate when companies blow a bunch of money on things only execs care about. They would get better results and media coverage by giving the money to the working staff (cooks and waiters).
My thought was “what the fuck is President doing weighing in on a corporate logo?” Or buying Intel? Or taking over cities. Etc. Yes, there were bigger stories than this one, and Trump’s involvement is the story here.
“It’s that when we chase fads, we run away from who we really are.” It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. This is precisely “who we really are”: shallow fad chasers and exhibitionists. The more difficult question is: how to raise the average? No one wants to think about this. It’s too much work.
I didn’t study formal logic and ethics until University. Certainly it could be taught earlier. For me, the imprint was permanent … but I never quit reading, studying.
Read the article. It sort of failed to carry the key point forward to its closing recommendation, didn't it? Nothing but nothing will shift the problem until the states stop leaning on the 8th grade test to measure their multi-year performance. Ugh.
As you said: too much work to think it through, perhaps even for that author?
The solution is simple: require 1 semester each of classical logic and ethics as a condition for HS graduation. Substitute for 1 year of foreign language. As it is, people can’t reason in their own.
I agree that that will help, but the author of the article was correct when they pointed out that kids begin to develop their minds in this way around the age of 13 or so. I'd place it sooner, actually: the Catholic church places the age of reason then, meaning they would have had to have been developing reasoning skills for a while before then.
I remember these ways of thinking coming online myself, and they just start moving. What happens to a developing mind if these impulses to pick apart the world and make sense of it aren't guided, or worse if illogic is put in their place?
The "teaching to the test" installs illogic: learn this well and without entertaining contradictions (through what is essentially memorization even if a pseudo -logic is also memorized) because it's necessary that you know this set of things to be true. We can see the results in internet-thought everywhere today, even among the youth who clearly were taught something derived from rational thought. And then we have those who have put together their mental investigations in ways that are essentially creating new totems out of what they "experience" through the mediated world. So we see flat earth type of belief; look at the logic people use to explain how they concluded that the moon landing was faked, or that viruses are a hoax. It's very easy to conclude, in a world in which causes are hidden to the beginner mind, that most of what we see is a hoax. Ascribing intentionality is innate; ascribing it to seeming illogic leads to belief in domination by world intelligence and hoaxes everywhere.
This can't be solved by a late education year of logic. At that point that single class would have to unpack years of self-driven "figuring things out" in parallel with the memorization of unlinked facts. And we know they are taught as unlinked, because that's what was described. I think that such an approach would massively overburden that year of logic and ethics or even a year each, just as that 8th grade test is massively overburdened.
Certainly those topics should be taught, but beginning in 6th grade and carried through into each year and class, or at least touching on every subject taught in each year. After all the way of thinking applies to everything, even grammar and social studies. Even PE. If that approach were used, we'd be a lot closer to the high octane method of teaching, I mean the tutor method, which yielded so many intellectual advances in the 17th through 19th centuries. We can't get by with any less or we'll stay dependent on a very few geniuses and stall out in all other ways.
How did we get from Cracker Barrel to Democrats is beyond me. The only ones obsessed over Cracker Barrel redesign were Republicans. Democrats care about people, not brands. And who are you really as "Americans"? I mean what is the "American authenticity"? MAGA? I mean, even the AA logo you were so praiseful about was created by an ITALIAN designer. And yes, people's tastes change, square plates save space on the table, no one who cares about people would care about McDonalds, because it's what makes Americans fat and sick. I will take Panera over McDonalds any day of the week, for what they serve, not for the square roof. IT'S A RESTAURANT, FFS! If your point was that Americans are fat and sick and that's the authenticity we should strive for, then I can safely guess that you identify as such.
Isn’t the issue with the Cracker Barrel change that people who like/love Cracker Barrel like that is predictable and never changes? It’s the consistency they appreciate. Cracker Barrel can’t chase something because of that. Which is part of the authenticity the author is speaking of.
Many years ago, I taught a magazine piece contrasting the customers who patronized an eclectic individual restaurant and a chain restaurant in the same West Virginia town they grew up in. The chain restaurant patrons went there for the consistency. The eclectic restaurant patrons went there because they didn’t know how it would go. Unfortunately I can’t remember the author to credit them.
Nice I like you're thought here, just Talking, excellent! ''The MAGA brand is visually and tonally abrasive, and it perfectly matches the substance of what the American right is pushing for. Trying to put that wrapping on a liberal political party is like trying to… well, make a Cracker Barrel look chic.''
The leaps between Cracker Barrel, MAGA, design, and Democrats don’t make a strong argument for me but there are very salient points.
CB is not mom and pop. It’s a corporation that was losing market share hence the logo redesign. MAGA went ballistic over perceived slights to nostalgia crafted by a corporation. How whiney can people be?
The author’s observation that our culture, visual and otherwise, has degraded to a terrifying point of blandness is spot on. This might be part of Targets woes (other issues aside). How much cheap, bland cookie cutter crap do we actually need or want? How many formulaic Marvel comic movies do we need? How many algorithms with the same numbing dull music? Our contemporary culture is ossifying.
The author also nailed it with the observation about the Dems lack of perceived authenticity. It should not be this hard. And by using MAGA as a foil they are allowing the opposition to define the terms of the debate. As usual.
'Everything looking the same in America', it's a classic example of convergent evolution - where different species acquire increasingly similar characteristics because it favours survival. As a European, but regular visitor to the US, I've never been to a Cracker Barrel, or even a MacDonalds. I'll be looking to keep that sheet clean the next time I'm there!
I understand your point. But, underneath all of the thinking and analyzing is a more obvious problem - new label, old label, square or round plates, whatever furniture is in the room, the actual food at Cracker Barrel sucks. I’ll admit I’ve only eaten at one and I was tired from driving a long distance. But, it was not near closing time, they were “out of” half the menu and I literally could not eat whatever it was I ordered. I am known for cleaning my plate in normal circumstances. So round, square, man, no man, barrel or not it’s just plain bad food. Maybe that’s the real problem.
I agree with your analysis of at least part the Dem party struggle. That said, there are some very authentic elected Dems who are waging the good fight with personal authenticity .
Don't tarnish the "white" way. Just the continued cis white Christian male distress over not getting the ENTIRE life pie anymore. DEI and anti woke is just the same discrimination since CW but flipped to blame minorities. Trump is leading the way to restore the "good ole boy" system of suppressing ALL minorities..."pushing them down where they belong". Cant have "those" low lifes getting good jobs, good homes, good life. Whites used to be given the keys to the kingdom but now they have to work for it--OMG cant have that. Affirmative Action was brought about because minorities COULD NOT get-basically anything. No wonder women don't want to have anything to do with these caustic, lazy young men. It is not going to be easy, but we will weather the bs DEI/anti woke racism. Course if the Cracker Barrel logo had a black man-DEI/anti woke would have been demanding change long ago. These racists will die and their hate will die with them.
So Democrats shouldn’t be trying to rebrand? They should just continue being old, out-of-touch, and losing elections?? Thank you for being so specific about your criticisms of Democrats (sarcasm).
I haven’t heard anyone say it, but I think they’re trying to be more like Golden Corral.
For that, make a buffet.
I hate when companies blow a bunch of money on things only execs care about. They would get better results and media coverage by giving the money to the working staff (cooks and waiters).
Speaking of politics and changing brands ...
I'm reminded of Richard Nixon's comeback as a smiling, not-as-smarmy-as-before candidate for president, branded as "The New Nixon." At around the same time, Standard Oil re-branded their Esso gas stations with the name "Exxon." This inspired cartoons, bumper stickers, etc., with the line "Nixxon - new name, but the same old gas."
Just for the record, Cracker Barrel isn't a southern American food restaurant. It's a simulacrum of what someone thought southern white people food is. No one who has any experience whatsoever with soul food, barbecue, steamed or boiled crabs, boiled shrimp or peanuts, okra, collard greens, chicken and waffles, crawdads, chicory coffee and beignets, or any other manner of "southern food" that actually tastes good would call Cracker Barrel "southern food."
I haven’t heard anyone say it, but I think they’re trying to be more like Golden Corral.
For that, make a buffet.
I hate when companies blow a bunch of money on things only execs care about. They would get better results and media coverage by giving the money to the working staff (cooks and waiters).
My thought was “what the fuck is President doing weighing in on a corporate logo?” Or buying Intel? Or taking over cities. Etc. Yes, there were bigger stories than this one, and Trump’s involvement is the story here.
“It’s that when we chase fads, we run away from who we really are.” It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. This is precisely “who we really are”: shallow fad chasers and exhibitionists. The more difficult question is: how to raise the average? No one wants to think about this. It’s too much work.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/helenleebouygues/2022/08/17/critical-skills-not-emphasized-by-most-middle-school-teachers/
I didn’t study formal logic and ethics until University. Certainly it could be taught earlier. For me, the imprint was permanent … but I never quit reading, studying.
Read the article. It sort of failed to carry the key point forward to its closing recommendation, didn't it? Nothing but nothing will shift the problem until the states stop leaning on the 8th grade test to measure their multi-year performance. Ugh.
As you said: too much work to think it through, perhaps even for that author?
The solution is simple: require 1 semester each of classical logic and ethics as a condition for HS graduation. Substitute for 1 year of foreign language. As it is, people can’t reason in their own.
I agree that that will help, but the author of the article was correct when they pointed out that kids begin to develop their minds in this way around the age of 13 or so. I'd place it sooner, actually: the Catholic church places the age of reason then, meaning they would have had to have been developing reasoning skills for a while before then.
I remember these ways of thinking coming online myself, and they just start moving. What happens to a developing mind if these impulses to pick apart the world and make sense of it aren't guided, or worse if illogic is put in their place?
The "teaching to the test" installs illogic: learn this well and without entertaining contradictions (through what is essentially memorization even if a pseudo -logic is also memorized) because it's necessary that you know this set of things to be true. We can see the results in internet-thought everywhere today, even among the youth who clearly were taught something derived from rational thought. And then we have those who have put together their mental investigations in ways that are essentially creating new totems out of what they "experience" through the mediated world. So we see flat earth type of belief; look at the logic people use to explain how they concluded that the moon landing was faked, or that viruses are a hoax. It's very easy to conclude, in a world in which causes are hidden to the beginner mind, that most of what we see is a hoax. Ascribing intentionality is innate; ascribing it to seeming illogic leads to belief in domination by world intelligence and hoaxes everywhere.
This can't be solved by a late education year of logic. At that point that single class would have to unpack years of self-driven "figuring things out" in parallel with the memorization of unlinked facts. And we know they are taught as unlinked, because that's what was described. I think that such an approach would massively overburden that year of logic and ethics or even a year each, just as that 8th grade test is massively overburdened.
Certainly those topics should be taught, but beginning in 6th grade and carried through into each year and class, or at least touching on every subject taught in each year. After all the way of thinking applies to everything, even grammar and social studies. Even PE. If that approach were used, we'd be a lot closer to the high octane method of teaching, I mean the tutor method, which yielded so many intellectual advances in the 17th through 19th centuries. We can't get by with any less or we'll stay dependent on a very few geniuses and stall out in all other ways.
How did we get from Cracker Barrel to Democrats is beyond me. The only ones obsessed over Cracker Barrel redesign were Republicans. Democrats care about people, not brands. And who are you really as "Americans"? I mean what is the "American authenticity"? MAGA? I mean, even the AA logo you were so praiseful about was created by an ITALIAN designer. And yes, people's tastes change, square plates save space on the table, no one who cares about people would care about McDonalds, because it's what makes Americans fat and sick. I will take Panera over McDonalds any day of the week, for what they serve, not for the square roof. IT'S A RESTAURANT, FFS! If your point was that Americans are fat and sick and that's the authenticity we should strive for, then I can safely guess that you identify as such.
Isn’t the issue with the Cracker Barrel change that people who like/love Cracker Barrel like that is predictable and never changes? It’s the consistency they appreciate. Cracker Barrel can’t chase something because of that. Which is part of the authenticity the author is speaking of.
Many years ago, I taught a magazine piece contrasting the customers who patronized an eclectic individual restaurant and a chain restaurant in the same West Virginia town they grew up in. The chain restaurant patrons went there for the consistency. The eclectic restaurant patrons went there because they didn’t know how it would go. Unfortunately I can’t remember the author to credit them.
Nice I like you're thought here, just Talking, excellent! ''The MAGA brand is visually and tonally abrasive, and it perfectly matches the substance of what the American right is pushing for. Trying to put that wrapping on a liberal political party is like trying to… well, make a Cracker Barrel look chic.''
I see it more as a restaurant with a gift store, but I tend to be food focused. 🙂
The leaps between Cracker Barrel, MAGA, design, and Democrats don’t make a strong argument for me but there are very salient points.
CB is not mom and pop. It’s a corporation that was losing market share hence the logo redesign. MAGA went ballistic over perceived slights to nostalgia crafted by a corporation. How whiney can people be?
The author’s observation that our culture, visual and otherwise, has degraded to a terrifying point of blandness is spot on. This might be part of Targets woes (other issues aside). How much cheap, bland cookie cutter crap do we actually need or want? How many formulaic Marvel comic movies do we need? How many algorithms with the same numbing dull music? Our contemporary culture is ossifying.
The author also nailed it with the observation about the Dems lack of perceived authenticity. It should not be this hard. And by using MAGA as a foil they are allowing the opposition to define the terms of the debate. As usual.
'Everything looking the same in America', it's a classic example of convergent evolution - where different species acquire increasingly similar characteristics because it favours survival. As a European, but regular visitor to the US, I've never been to a Cracker Barrel, or even a MacDonalds. I'll be looking to keep that sheet clean the next time I'm there!
I understand your point. But, underneath all of the thinking and analyzing is a more obvious problem - new label, old label, square or round plates, whatever furniture is in the room, the actual food at Cracker Barrel sucks. I’ll admit I’ve only eaten at one and I was tired from driving a long distance. But, it was not near closing time, they were “out of” half the menu and I literally could not eat whatever it was I ordered. I am known for cleaning my plate in normal circumstances. So round, square, man, no man, barrel or not it’s just plain bad food. Maybe that’s the real problem.
I agree with your analysis of at least part the Dem party struggle. That said, there are some very authentic elected Dems who are waging the good fight with personal authenticity .
Don't tarnish the "white" way. Just the continued cis white Christian male distress over not getting the ENTIRE life pie anymore. DEI and anti woke is just the same discrimination since CW but flipped to blame minorities. Trump is leading the way to restore the "good ole boy" system of suppressing ALL minorities..."pushing them down where they belong". Cant have "those" low lifes getting good jobs, good homes, good life. Whites used to be given the keys to the kingdom but now they have to work for it--OMG cant have that. Affirmative Action was brought about because minorities COULD NOT get-basically anything. No wonder women don't want to have anything to do with these caustic, lazy young men. It is not going to be easy, but we will weather the bs DEI/anti woke racism. Course if the Cracker Barrel logo had a black man-DEI/anti woke would have been demanding change long ago. These racists will die and their hate will die with them.
So Democrats shouldn’t be trying to rebrand? They should just continue being old, out-of-touch, and losing elections?? Thank you for being so specific about your criticisms of Democrats (sarcasm).