You know you are getting old when:

[Zombie_61]

I wish Waffle House would work their way into southern California. The nearest location is 345 miles away in Goodyear, Arizona. Hell, the closest Cracker Barrel is only 46 miles.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The thing I've always found interesting about Applebee's and other, similar "casual dining" chains is that they try to replicate in processed form the idea and the atmosphere of a neighborhood joint -- but they are rarely, if ever, located in any section of a city or town that could be even remotely described as a neighborhood. Somehow that kind of earnest ersatzness seems to me to be absolute essence of late 20th/early 21st century America.

The proliferation of "redneck culture" to parts of the country where it is in no way native is another example of this. I grew up a working-class person surrounded by working-class people in the era before the mass "redneckification" happened from the '80s onward, and I recognize none of my own experience in any aspect of it. Redneck culture may be a native thing in the South and parts of the Midwest, but it's completely alien to the way of life and cultural attitudes that I knew, and it feels no more authentic in its present mass-media manifestations than the fake-funky decor of a chain restaurant.

 

[tonyb]

The thing I've always found interesting about Applebee's and other, similar "casual dining" chains is that they try to replicate in processed form the idea and the atmosphere of a neighborhood joint -- but they are rarely, if ever, located in any section of a city or town that could be even remotely described as a neighborhood. Somehow that kind of earnest ersatzness seems to me to be absolute essence of late 20th/early 21st century America.

The proliferation of "redneck culture" to parts of the country where it is in no way native is another example of this. I grew up a working-class person surrounded by working-class people in the era before the mass "redneckification" happened from the '80s onward, and I recognize none of my own experience in any aspect of it. Redneck culture may be a native thing in the South and parts of the Midwest, but it's completely alien to the way of life and cultural attitudes that I knew, and it feels no more authentic in its present mass-media manifestations than the fake-funky decor of a chain restaurant.

Art (for want of a better word) imitates life.

I’ve griped before about rampant Disneyfication. The ersatz neighborhood diner is one thing, but even worse is the authentic joint that gets “saved” (along with the rest of the neighborhood, effin’ yuppies) by having the authenticity carved clean out of it.

Say this much for the Waffle House: It is authentically the Waffle House. There’s one three or four miles from here. There was a shooting there in May of last year. Dissatisfied customer. Didn’t wanna wear a mask. Seriously.

The victim, a cook working there, survived his injuries. I haven’t been in yet, but I expect I will at some point, seeing how I think it unlikely that that one incident makes the place more dangerous than the Denny’s a couple blocks away.

My only visit to a Waffle House was a dozen or so years ago, while visiting a niece at grad school at the University of North Texas in Denton. It was fine, as I recall, about what a reasonable person might reasonably expect.

As to phonied-up redneck culture: It sells beer, and tickets to country music extravaganzas. Follow the money.

 

[belfastboy]

Art (for want of a better word) imitates life.

I’ve griped before about rampant Disneyfication. The ersatz neighborhood diner is one thing, but even worse is the authentic joint that gets “saved” (along with the rest of the neighborhood, effin’ yuppies) by having the authenticity carved clean out of it.

Say this much for the Waffle House: It is authentically the Waffle House. There’s one three or four miles from here. There was a shooting there in May of last year. Dissatisfied customer. Didn’t wanna wear a mask. Seriously.

The victim, a cook working there, survived his injuries. I haven’t been in yet, but I expect I will at some point, seeing how I think it unlikely that that one incident makes the place more dangerous than the Denny’s a couple blocks away.

My only visit to a Waffle House was a dozen or so years ago, while visiting a niece at grad school at the University of North Texas in Denton. It was fine, as I recall, about what a reasonable person might reasonably expect.

As to phonied-up redneck culture: It sells beer, and tickets to country music extravaganzas. Follow the money.

My first and only experience of a Waffle House was very early one morning in Tucson waiting for an emergency repair of our motorhome. It was the closest spot for breakfast (on the edge of an industrial warehouse district). The table next to us ordered poached eggs and they arrived with the whites not quite cooked. The customer politely requested that the waitress take them back and nuke them for a second or two. After about 10 minutes waiting the customer called the waitress over to ask about his eggs and why was it taking so long to nuke them. She replied that, "Sir, we are making you fresh eggs as we do NOT use the microwave in our kitchens and you deserve eggs as you prefer them". The waitress, rushed off her feet during breakfast crush was amazingly polite and gracious. It impressed the hell out of me. That level of service for a $7 breakfast was most notable.

 

[Zombie_61]

...My only visit to a Waffle House was a dozen or so years ago, while visiting a niece at grad school at the University of North Texas in Denton. It was fine, as I recall, about what a reasonable person might reasonably expect...

I think that's one of the things I like about Waffle House--I've never visited one that was pretending to be anything it wasn't. I mean, c'mon, the sign says "Waffle House"; you aren't going to have a "fine dining" experience, but you won't pay a lot either.

 

[chilehed]

You know you're achieving wisdom when you realize that Mrs. Howell wasn't a bad looking lady.

 

[belfastboy]

I think that's one of the things I like about Waffle House--I've never visited one that was pretending to be anything it wasn't. I mean, c'mon, the sign says "Waffle House"; you aren't going to have a "fine dining" experience, but you won't pay a lot either.

I am far from an epicure but my standard for a restaurant, esp a breakfast stop, is..."do they get my eggs right". Simple but not easy to do in a busy kitchen. ....sometimes I don't get them right and that is all I am cookin'. They get my eggs right the first time and I am a regular. ...bonus if the coffee is OK.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Machine language, Assembler...

 

[Tiki Tom]

You know you're achieving wisdom when you realize that Mrs. Howell wasn't a bad looking lady.

Because I have way too much time on my hands, I decided to google images of Mr and Mrs Thurston Howell the third. It is indeed disturbing that you are correct. When I first watched the show in the 1960s, I remember that I more or less dismissed those characters because I thought, at the time, that they were geriatric cases that were way over the hill. The arrogance of youth! Ha ha. Now, from my current perspective, many decades later, they do indeed look like an attractive couple. And not particularly old either. Not sure that I have gained wisdom, but I have certainly gained perspective. (It’s also a reminder to myself of how the current crop of kids must look at ME. It’s also a reminder of what comes next. He died in 1989. Mrs Howell died in 1991. Sorry! Didn’t mean for this to become a downer!)

 

[Tiki Tom]

 

[tonyb]

You know you're achieving wisdom when you realize that Mrs. Howell wasn't a bad looking lady.

That’s the thing with TV, even the characters who aren’t meant to be the attractive ones are still attractive.

 

[EngProf]

The thing I've always found interesting about Applebee's and other, similar "casual dining" chains is that they try to replicate in processed form the idea and the atmosphere of a neighborhood joint -- but they are rarely, if ever, located in any section of a city or town that could be even remotely described as a neighborhood. Somehow that kind of earnest ersatzness seems to me to be absolute essence of late 20th/early 21st century America.

The proliferation of "redneck culture" to parts of the country where it is in no way native is another example of this. I grew up a working-class person surrounded by working-class people in the era before the mass "redneckification" happened from the '80s onward, and I recognize none of my own experience in any aspect of it. Redneck culture may be a native thing in the South and parts of the Midwest, but it's completely alien to the way of life and cultural attitudes that I knew, and it feels no more authentic in its present mass-media manifestations than the fake-funky decor of a chain restaurant.

I think we mentioned this previously when the topic of pickup-trucks and "rolling coal" (or was it "coal rolling") came up in the context of Northerners trying to be Southerners/rednecks. As a native Nashvillian - right in the mid-South - it was a surprise to me that such activity was considered "Southern" by Northerners, since I had never seen or even heard of such a thing.
After some extra thought, after the fact, it occurred to me that these Northerners/pseudo-Southerners were acting the way the South was portrayed by Hollywood script writers.
As they say in the usual movie disclaimer, any resemblance between the portrayed Southern behavior and reality is purely coincidental.
If they (Northerners) really wanted to act like Southerners and their cars, they would be driving Camaros or Mustangs at 120 mph on the Interstate. I see that almost every day (or night).
That topic made me wonder who really won The War - I don't know *any* Southerners who try to act like Northerners.

As for the Applebee's commercial and Walker Hayes, we do have Applebee's here, but not that commercial. Walker Hayes is apparently one of the "up-and-coming" young country "stars" with which we are over-run around here. You can't tell one from another without a program - which I have never bought - so I had never heard of him before this FL topic.

I wonder if he (Hayes) is making oblique reference to younger-age dating and "eating out". In my high-school dating, an ordinary-date meal was at the drive-in, and a fancy-date was when you went inside somewhere and sat down (and had printed menus). The fancy-date restaurant around here was Shoney's, but I can see modern kids using Applebee's as an equivalent choice. (This assumes that modern kids actually go on dates as we knew them.)

 

[Woodtroll]

That topic made me wonder who really won The War - I don't know *any* Southerners who try to act like Northerners.

That's a hilarious observation!

As for the "song" - there's nothing about it "country" - more rap than anything, and it certainly doesn't belong on a "country" station. But that sound and the country-boy wannabe "dudes" prancing around like fool gangsters "throwing signs" seems to be the in thing these days. They can keep the "music", the country dude look, and the damn Applebee's too! I'm all for poking fun at ourselves, but that song is as bad as Applebee's food.

 

[tonyb]

My brief but continuing education in contemporary country music schisms has me feeling hopeful for its future.

I’ve been reading that Walker Hayes ain’t country. Nor is that Lil Nas X fellow. (Black *and* gay, fer cryin’ out loud! If I had pearls, I’d be clutching ’em.)

Willie and company bolted Nashville way back when and never looked back. Even Merle Haggard turned pot head in his later years.

I doubt any of the above mentioned give one flyin’ eff that they ain’t country enough in anyone’s book.

 

[Fifty150]

It's all perception. Was Archie Bunker a caricature? Was Andrew Dice Clay a caricature? Was Borat at a caricature? Was Uncle Roger a caricature?

 

[tonyb]

The world’s a stage, etc.

 

[tonyb]

And …

I know of not a single Northern municipality looking to take any of those statues of Confederate generals off y’all’s hands.

But, it’s still early …

 

[Fifty150]

The thing I've always found interesting about Applebee's and other, similar "casual dining" chains is that they try to replicate in processed form the idea and the atmosphere of a neighborhood joint -- but they are rarely, if ever, located in any section of a city or town that could be even remotely described as a neighborhood.

I live right by Twin Peaks. We don't have a Twin Peaks restaurant in The City.

 

[chilehed]

As for the "song" - there's nothing about it "country" - more rap than anything, and it certainly doesn't belong on a "country" station.

IMO no one makes country music any more, it died sometime after the mid '70's.

Maybe that's another sign that I'm old.

 

[Fifty150]

I am not driving 99 miles for a cheeseburger.