Rock-tober 10, 2020

A question was posed in an online forum, "What do you call a 'Karen' in Europe?" The unfortunately dominant answer was "American". I get it. The same independent streak that allowed 13 backwater colonies to take on the most powerful nation on earth is still a core American trait today. Sometimes the outlets we give this pent up fervor can be rather dubious, and we Americans can become combatively argumentative over trivial issues. Case in point: The Great Chicken Sandwich War of 2019.

Last summer, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken released its iteration of the fried chicken sandwich, putting them on a collision course with the much beloved Chick-fil-A. The media hype leading to the release was thunderous, and, when D-Day arrived, not a single Popeyes worker knew what hit them. On the morning of 12 August, roving reporters for local news outlets captured a common scene that played out at all Popeyes locations. Cars were stacked in parking lots as they formed an eager parade leading to the drive-through. Throngs of people swarmed the dining rooms to get in queues winding like a hungry congo line through the restaurant and back out the doors. Popeyes planners thought they'd laid in enough supplies to get them through the initial launch and well into September. They didn't make it 10 days.

The new sandwich was a colossal hit. Many people, smitten with the new offering, took to social media, making their feelings known in some of the most fabulously salty food reviews:

"Chick-fil-A's sandwich tastes like it was cooked by a white woman named Sarah who grew up around black people. The flavor is definitely there, but Sara cares about your cholesterol so she's careful about the breading and grease content.

Popeyes's sandwich tastes like it was cooked by an older black lady named Lucille that serves on the usher board and has 12 grandkids that call her 'Madea'. Madea don't give a sh*t about your cholesterol because God's in control."

Unfortunately, what started out as good natured competition and banter devolved into vocal and sometimes physical confrontations. Defenders and detractors of both chicken houses fractured towns and cities along economic, racial, and even political factions. Over a chicken sandwich.

This annoyed Andrea to no end:

"It's utterly ridiculous that a chicken sandwich is presented as the symbol of all that is holy and  patriotic. I get it. Chick-fil-A service is stellar and the food is fantastic. But people are making it more than it is. Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood for blank smiles and rote, vapid platitudes. Sometimes I just want a good, down to earth, unaccoutered meal. That's why Popeye's is my jam."

Sometimes the cause is just. Sometimes a chicken sandwich is just a chicken sandwich.

"Chicken Fried" - Zac Brown Band