Several come to mind based off how people react when any negative feedback is given to the following brands:
- Buc-ee's
- Chick-fil-A
- In-n-Out Burger
- Tesla
- Whataburger
- Starbucks
- Tim Hortons
What other businesses have a cult of personality-like devotion amongst their respective fan bases?
Tesla
Both Mac and Linux
- Apple
- Boeing
- Costco
- And probably some clothing brands, not sure which exactly
Apple
Amazon
The North Face/Columbia
Costco (possibly)
As they say over at FlyerTalk, IBTL
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 25, 2022, 06:54:16 PM
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Don't disagree... Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.
The Chicago Cubs
ALDI. But 80% of its cult followers are 30% ashamed of it.
I think there's no business like Nintendo when it comes to cult-like following.
Wegmans
Culvers
Disney. It sort of makes sense when you're a kid, you're in the target market, and you don't know any better. But there are some people that stay fanatically devoted to it in their adulthood. And even as a kid I never liked it enough to want to go to Disney Land/World/Galaxy/Experience/Military Industrial Complex. Some people love Disney enough they're willing to live in a Disney-run city. I can't imagine liking a for-profit company that much that I'd want them in control of my life 24/7.
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2022, 06:26:14 PM
- Buc-ee's
- Chick-fil-A
- In-n-Out Burger
- Tesla
- Whataburger
- Starbucks
- Tim Hortons
Notice how many of these are big in Texas? :-D
About the only one of these that comes close to the hype is In-N-Out, and I think even that would wear off fast if I had one close to me. The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2022, 06:28:23 PM
Both Mac and Linux
I don't get the hype for Mac, or Apple products in general. They're expensive, their software is hobbled, and fixing them when they break is complicated and/or expensive.
Obviously, from my posting history, though, I'm an ardent Linux partisan. But...most of the people I've convinced to give it a shot (and stick with it through the initial disorientation) like it, and wish they'd switched over sooner. Its "I'm a computer, not a cop" attitude is just more conducive to getting work done than whatever the hell Windows is trying to do.
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 25, 2022, 07:09:53 PM
I think there's no business like Nintendo when it comes to cult-like following.
A ton of that is nostalgia. My wife grew up helping Link save the princess in the original 1987 Zelda game, and now she can have Link save the princess in
Breath of the Wild. The graphics and story are a lot better now, but it's so fundamentally familiar to people who grew up with it that it's easy to fall into that trap.
But hey, I didn't grow up with it (we just had PC games, with my dad having a particular fondness for Id Software), and I like Zelda games too. And the Splatoon series. Mario has never clicked with me, though.
I guess I'm confused regarding the thread title as to why/how personality is involved. Wouldn't a very loyal following just be called a cult-like following?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2022, 06:57:41 PM
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 25, 2022, 06:54:16 PM
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Don't disagree... Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.
Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
Raving about Tim HortonsIt probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are
way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)
Quote from: webny99 on April 25, 2022, 08:03:11 PM
I guess I'm confused regarding the thread title as to why/how personality is involved. Wouldn't a very loyal following just be called a cult-like following?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2022, 06:57:41 PM
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 25, 2022, 06:54:16 PM
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Don't disagree... Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.
Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
Raving about Tim Hortons
It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)
What used to get me was how obsessed some people were in Quebec with Target. Once Target Canada became a thing and didn't live up to the hype it seemed to knock the brand down several pegs.
Quote from: webny99 on April 25, 2022, 08:03:11 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2022, 06:57:41 PM
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 25, 2022, 06:54:16 PM
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Don't disagree... Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.
Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
Raving about Tim Hortons
It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)
Now I'm wondering if Timmies' quality is better in the US or if Dunkin' really sucks. :-D (I've only been to Dunkin' once and it's been too long for me to remember). Timmies used to be great before they cheapened their product for increased profits, but now their donuts are just sad.
Quote from: 7/8 on April 25, 2022, 08:33:24 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 25, 2022, 08:03:11 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2022, 06:57:41 PM
Quote from: andrepoiy on April 25, 2022, 06:54:16 PM
Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here
Don't disagree... Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.
Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
Raving about Tim Hortons
It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)
Now I'm wondering if Timmies' quality is better in the US or if Dunkin' really sucks. :-D (I've only been to Dunkin' once and it's been too long for me to remember). Timmies used to be great before they cheapened their product for increased profits, but now their donuts are just sad.
We actually used to think Tim Horton's in Canada was better than it was here! But more recently, they've been very comparable.
Dunkin's actual donuts are pretty bad, so that's not a high bar to clear. Tim Horton's glaze tastes better, and Timbits are less dry and more flavorful than Munchkins.
Unsurprisingly (although ironically, back before they dropped "Donuts" from their branding), Dunkin is much better known for their drinks than their donuts. Their iced coffee, iced tea, and refreshers are 👌 IMO. I haven't had drinks from Tim Hortons much as I don't care for hot coffee, but my experience with their iced drinks has been that they taste OK, but are not very cold, almost like they used hot coffee/tea and added ice.
Publix
Wegmans
Tesla
New Holland Brewing Co. (makers of Dragon's Milk)
Pretty much any craft brewery that does small-batch weekly can releases (local examples to me include The Veil and The Answer, and elsewhere breweries like Trillium)
Sheetz to some extent
Road America
Both Tim's and Dunkin moved to reheating frozen baked goods in their stores, and Dunkin' has been worthless ever since they got rid of the Dunkin' Donut (a plain cake donut with a handle, made for, you know, dunkin').
Also, their coffee sucks, fight me.
I don't understand adults who go to Disney Parks without children.
Rooting for the Yankees is like going to a casino and rooting for the dealer.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 25, 2022, 10:05:25 PM
Both Tim's and Dunkin moved to reheating frozen baked goods in their stores, and Dunkin' has been worthless ever since they got rid of the Dunkin' Donut (a plain cake donut with a handle, made for, you know, dunkin').
Everything Dunkin' makes is better than what you can get at Krispy Kreme,
except for the regular glazed donut. Truth be told, I was rather disappointed when Dunkin' got rid of the apple crumble donut, or whatever it was called.
Quote
Also, their coffee sucks, fight me.
Gladly! Right after I have a cup Dunkin' coffee to give me my fightin' energy.
Kwik Trip
Taco Bell
Here's some based out of North Carolina:
Krispy Kreme
Biscuitville
Smithfield's Chicken 'n' Barbecue
Bojangles
Highway 55 (formerly Andy's Burgers and Shakes)
Cook Out
How about one that's not a food joint? Autobell Car Wash
And one that's more of a product line than a business: Cheerwine
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 25, 2022, 07:53:43 PM
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
I'm not crazy about either one. I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.
And Biscuitville reminds me of a two-fer in West Virginia:
Tudor's Biscuit World/Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti (many locations house both restaurants together). Both Tudor's and Biscuitville have a cult-like reputation that deserves to be highlighted in the "Restaurants that cause Traffic Problems" thread.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 25, 2022, 10:16:32 PM
Kwik Trip
Taco Bell
Taco Bell on the east coast I've found has a really strong following for whatever reason. One of the greatest dining annoyances I have is visiting Florida and having to suffer through family members thinking Taco Bell is fine Mexican cuisine. Granted, I got them back during my wedding when they Golden State Boulevard showed up to cater.
Also, I suppose that's a pro tip for weddings. Said taco truck charged $1,400 to feed 220 people three plates of tacos (which had four tacos to a plate).
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
To pair it down to a more specific area, this would be Florida. Even when I lived in the vicinity in Key West the Taco Bell on Marathon had a shockingly strong fan base with many driving 30-40 miles to get it.
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
All 3 of the main chains part of Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut) seem to get a bad rep here, and generally fast food chains to avoid.
Quote from: kphoger on April 25, 2022, 10:42:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 25, 2022, 07:53:43 PM
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
I'm not crazy about either one. I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.
Braum's food side is just okay. It's the ice cream and, especially, the grocery side that shine. I don't buy milk or bread anywhere else because it blows Hiland and Sara Lee or whatever out of the water.
Supreme
Half of the "high streetware" bullshit that is manufactured for pennies overseas and sells for $1000
Quote from: SkyPesos on April 25, 2022, 06:32:25 PM
- Apple
Do they ever have no customers in their stores?
Quote from: SkyPesos on April 25, 2022, 06:32:25 PM
- Costco
#NotCaturday
Quote from: Big John on April 25, 2022, 07:52:49 PM
Culvers
No fucking doubt. They compete with In-n-Out for longest drive thru lines.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on April 25, 2022, 08:26:50 PM
Quote from: Big John on April 25, 2022, 07:06:15 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 25, 2022, 06:59:48 PM
The Chicago Cubs
Dallas Cowboys
Notre Dame Irish
New York Yankees
Hell, College Football
as a whole to the point where some conferences and even Notre Dame's football program have lucrative television contracts - WTF?
Same with the NFL as a whole. The Cowboys seem to get 4:25 pm ET games even when they suck.
The Green Bay Packers cult following is a bunch of "stockholders"
The Team that Tom Brady is playing for becomes a favorite as well.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 25, 2022, 10:16:32 PM
Kwik Trip
especially in WI.
3 words:
Marvel
Cinematic
Universe
(An arm of Disney, yeah, but it is the strongest one)
Boston Red Sox
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on April 26, 2022, 05:46:57 AM
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox Yankees Rivalry is a business in itself.
---
Wordle!
Wordle isn't a business.
If you dig a little, you'll find that nearly every brand has its fanatics. With the rise of social media, there's always going to be a top 1-10% that have found their Hill of Disposable Income to die upon.
All sports teams; after all, the unwritten rule is that "you can't break allegiances" or be a "bandwagon fan". So unless your team went defunct and disappeared, there's really no difference between one or another, save teams with comparatively small fan bases.
Wawa
Sheetz
In fact, many places where coffee is involved tends to have their loyal cult followers, further evidenced by the companies mentioned upstream.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 26, 2022, 08:46:44 AMIn fact, many places where coffee is involved tends to have their loyal cult followers, further evidenced by the companies mentioned upstream.
For one, caffeine is addictive (says the one needing 3-4 daily doses).
Loyalty programs also create acolytes (says the fellow with about 10 different memberships).
I've been known to refer to QuikTrip as "the local religion" here in Wichita, because people are more religious about it than they are about church. The thought of meeting someone at a gas station other than QT never even enters people's minds.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 26, 2022, 08:46:44 AM
Wawa
Sheetz
In fact, many places where coffee is involved tends to have their loyal cult followers, further evidenced by the companies mentioned upstream.
The sandwich following at Wawa is pervasive. I was left so underwhelmed by an adequate sandwich given there was so much hype building up to trying one. I would have swore that I had committed a mortal sin by voicing my opinion at work given the immediate backlash.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 26, 2022, 09:38:12 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 26, 2022, 08:46:44 AM
Wawa
Sheetz
In fact, many places where coffee is involved tends to have their loyal cult followers, further evidenced by the companies mentioned upstream.
The sandwich following at Wawa is pervasive. I was left so underwhelmed by an adequate sandwich given there was so much hype building up to trying one. I would have swore that I had committed a mortal sin by voicing my opinion at work given the immediate backlash.
The hype is over the hoagies/subs/whatever you want to call them. It's not really something I get into, since I'm not a fan of buying cold cut sandwiches from a dining establishment. The fact that Sheetz has so many hot items and a great selection of fried appetizers is why I'm much more of a Sheetz fan than a Wawa fan.
Most of the businesses/products I would have mentioned have already been listed, but here are my additions.
Alabama Crimson Tide football (I'm simply amazed how many fans of other SEC schools start posting "Roll Tide" like sheep every fall)
Ale-8
Cheerwine
Vernor's
Meidas Touch (Hint: If you have the word "Meidas" or the phrase "Meidas Mighty" in your Twitter handle, you're probably a member of a cult)
Grateful Dead
In the past: Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon (at the height of their rivalry, especially) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|Dirt Roads| actually already mentioned Cheerwine.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 01:42:00 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 25, 2022, 10:42:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 25, 2022, 07:53:43 PM
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
I'm not crazy about either one. I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.
Braum's food side is just okay. It's the ice cream and, especially, the grocery side that shine. I don't buy milk or bread anywhere else because it blows Hiland and Sara Lee or whatever out of the water.
My grandparents lived in Bartlesville back when they were still around. My favorite part of any visit to them was going to get ice cream at Braum's.
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2022, 06:28:23 PM
Tesla
Both Mac and Linux
Yes I can see how Linux is compared to a cult. But when I first used Linux the vibe I got was tribal over distros such as the Red Hat vs Arch vs debian comparisons. You get sucked into Tribal disputes over who is better.
Chick-fil-A is a cult, and I am an acolyte.
Chipotle had a pretty obsessive following when I was in high school. Maybe that's faded now.
Quote from: kphoger on April 26, 2022, 11:34:49 AM
|Dirt Roads| actually already mentioned Cheerwine.
Yes, but its OK if that has a cult following in Eastern Kentucky. There's a few areas of Virginia where Cheerwine has a cult following as well, but it's not statewide like here in North Carolina.
RC (Royal Crown Cola) once had a cult following in West Virginia when I was growing up. The local bottlers doubled the amount of carbonation for most of the West Virginia market to fend off the highly carbonated Pepsi. We knew about the poor Southern cult following for "RC Cola and Moon Pie", but most of us avoided the Moon Pies because they cost too much. Everybody seemed to gravitate to RC Cola and Nabs (because Nabs and Lance crackers were cheaper). When I came to North Carolina, I found out that "RC Cola and Nabs" was a big thing in Old Raleigh, but I seriously doubt that it was the same reasoning as in West Virginia. Plus, we didn't have a phrase for it.
Anime. Some people don't know where anime stops and real life starts.
Quote from: bing101 on April 26, 2022, 12:20:44 PM
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2022, 06:28:23 PM
Tesla
Both Mac and Linux
Yes I can see how Linux is compared to a cult. But when I first used Linux the vibe I got was tribal over distros such as the Red Hat vs Arch vs debian comparisons. You get sucked into Tribal disputes over who is better.
Linux also isn't a business, so it doesn't really qualify for this thread.
Linux distros are a weird sort of thing, though. I use Fedora because it's the first one I tried that I liked enough to stick with, and that's what I got used to. Whenever I get new people set up on Linux, I use Fedora because I know how it works. My boss uses Ubuntu because it has a bigger install base, so he reasons it's easier to look up help on it. It is a perfectly fine distro, but it does some things arbitrarily different than what I'm used to (some of which are due to the underlying Debian architecture, some of which are just what I consider bizarre choices for default options). Is one really better than the other? Not really.
Quote from: thspfc on April 26, 2022, 05:14:59 PM
Anime. Some people don't know where anime stops and real life starts.
Anime is an art medium and not a business.
To qualify for this thread, the sentence "I got fired from [subject] today" needs to make sense.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 26, 2022, 09:38:12 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 26, 2022, 08:46:44 AM
Wawa
Sheetz
In fact, many places where coffee is involved tends to have their loyal cult followers, further evidenced by the companies mentioned upstream.
The sandwich following at Wawa is pervasive. I was left so underwhelmed by an adequate sandwich given there was so much hype building up to trying one. I would have swore that I had committed a mortal sin by voicing my opinion at work given the immediate backlash.
There's a lot of Wawa faithful that will criticize the Wawa hoagie, as they don't cut their own meats, dislike the "fresh backed bread", and the lack of meat on the sandwiches. Wawa did increase the amount of meat after a fairly substantial backlash, but we're still stuck with the rolls and pre-cut meat.
There's a few bakeries that make a majority of the rolls used in delis, pizzerias and reataurants in the greater Philly region that almost generates a cult-like following in itself, and people will gravitate to places that use their favorite rolls.
H-E-B (I'd say probably the second most fanatical grocery store fanbase after Wegmans; it's pretty much Whataburger-level passion)
Krispy Kreme
Raising Cane's, to some extent (it seems to be becoming the new Chick-Fil-A around here)
Any Pappa's branded restaurants
Dr. Pepper
Honest question: is it better for businesses to have passionate fanbases, or is it not?
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 26, 2022, 06:49:15 PM
H-E-B (I'd say probably the second most fanatical grocery store fanbase after Wegmans; it's pretty much Whataburger-level passion)
Krispy Kreme
Raising Cane's, to some extent (it seems to be becoming the new Chick-Fil-A around here)
Any Pappa's branded restaurants
Dr. Pepper
Honest question: is it better for businesses to have passionate fanbases, or is it not?
It just leads to the Franchise Wars. We all know who wins the Franchise Wars:
Be well CoreySamson.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 26, 2022, 06:49:15 PM
Honest question: is it better for businesses to have passionate fanbases, or is it not?
It kind of depends on what the business does with it. I don't think there's much of a problem if you have a business like Raising Cane's or In-N-Out or whatever that just keeps churning out good product and making its customers happy the same as they've always done. On the other hand, it is a problem when you have a business like Apple that takes advantage of that fanbase by charging inflated prices, removing features, and making their products impossible to repair because they know there are people that will buy anything that has their logo on it.
Churches.
Where is the voice of Cincinnati?
LaRosa's (their secret is provolone instead of mozzarella)
Skyline Chili
Kahn's (hot dogs and bratwurst, knockwurst and mettwurst sausages)
but more recently, the better brats/nocks/metts are QCS (Queen City Sausages)
Hudepohl
When Taco Bell took "cult of personality" seriously:
I would totally follow Chairdog Gidget down the rabbit hole of Taco Communism.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not
supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 08:36:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Close to 100% of them have lay employees who are paid wages, right?
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:40:12 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 08:36:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Close to 100% of them have lay employees who are paid wages, right?
But are they selling a product? You wouldn't call a school or a mosque a business, would you? I totally agree with
Scott5114 here; lots of churches don't preach or practice Christian principles anymore.
^^ I would call the University of Phoenix a for-profit business.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 26, 2022, 11:00:13 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:40:12 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 08:36:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Close to 100% of them have lay employees who are paid wages, right?
But are they selling a product? You wouldn't call a school or a mosque a business, would you? I totally agree with Scott5114 here; lots of churches don't preach or practice Christian principles anymore.
Well, given lots of churches aren't Christian denominations to begin with...
When I saw this, I thought of IKEA.
Quote from: KCRoadFan on April 27, 2022, 08:46:10 AM
When I saw this, I thought of IKEA.
Ooh, that's a good one. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet (unless I missed it). Some people are convinced that IKEA is the best because of their rock bottom prices, but I'm not one of them. Sure, the price is great, but you have to build everything yourself and the quality isn't nearly as good as you'd find elsewhere. And chances are, you'll want to replace everything in five years, and 4 or 5 IKEA iterations of whatever you're installing end up being more expensive than one high-quality one that last 20-25 years.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 26, 2022, 11:00:13 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:40:12 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 08:36:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Close to 100% of them have lay employees who are paid wages, right?
But are they selling a product? You wouldn't call a school or a mosque a business, would you? I totally agree with Scott5114 here; lots of churches don't preach or practice Christian principles anymore.
Of course they're selling a product: Salvation. In fact, the farther they get from preaching or practicing Christian principles, the more they resemble a business.
Also, granted, it just occurred to me, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned a MLM yet.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 09:35:50 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 26, 2022, 11:00:13 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:40:12 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 08:36:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 26, 2022, 08:05:15 PM
Churches.
Churches aren't–well, they're not supposed to be businesses, although some of them unfortunately really are.
Close to 100% of them have lay employees who are paid wages, right?
But are they selling a product? You wouldn't call a school or a mosque a business, would you? I totally agree with Scott5114 here; lots of churches don't preach or practice Christian principles anymore.
Of course they're selling a product: Salvation. In fact, the farther they get from preaching or practicing Christian principles, the more they resemble a business.
Actually, I look at this from a different perspective.
My dad's a Christian pastor–well, he was before he retired, anyway–which means I grew up in church.
When I was in fourth grade, our congregation in suburban Chicago went bankrupt and closed, my dad asked for a call to the Kansas District (because both my parents still had family in Johnson County), and we moved to western Kansas. There, he served two congregations–one in town and one eight miles out in the country; the country church burned to the ground one Sunday due to old electrical wiring in the walls, and the two congregations merged into one–necessitating the construction of a new, larger sanctuary for the church in town. While we were there, my parents considered moving but decided against it.
Then, after I had moved out and my one still-alive grandparent was getting up in age, my folks moved to Wichita to be closer to the family in KC. It was from their Wichita congregation that my father retired. Then there was an interim pastor, whom the congregation later called to full-time service. Then there was a mini-scandal, that pastor suddenly left, and my father became the interim until a new full-time pastor was called.
In all of those situations (except the bankruptcy closure, of course), the congregation more-or-less kept plugging along–with choir rehearsal and trustee meetings and Sunday school and morning worship services and everything that makes church
church–whether or not everyone particularly liked the pastor himself. That is to say, the pastor was just one piece of the overall church 'puzzle'; one might complain about the pastor at the dinner table on Thursday evening, but that didn't mean one was ready to pack it up and jump over to a different congregation. No, the church members
were the church, just as much as the pastor was.
This is in contrast to the church environment in which I have been for the last fourteen years, which is more of a congregationalist model. At my church, when a pastor left for a new city, a lot of the members left as well. When our current pastor has made leadership decisions that a lot of members didn't agree with, quite a number of them have jumped ship. And that's something that bothers me. To me, the idea of leaving a church just because a certain pastor has left the church smacks of 'cult of personality', and it's never sat well with me.
So, in other words, the 'cult of personality' side of church doesn't actually have to do with money, or even doctrine, at all.
Wawa, Sheetz, Bucees, and possibly Quick Chek could be a cult following. :bigass:
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 10:29:53 AM
Actually, I look at this from a different perspective.
My dad's a Christian pastor–well, he was before he retired, anyway–which means I grew up in church.
When I was in fourth grade, our congregation in suburban Chicago went bankrupt and closed, my dad asked for a call to the Kansas District (because both my parents still had family in Johnson County), and we moved to western Kansas. There, he served two congregations–one in town and one eight miles out in the country; the country church burned to the ground one Sunday due to old electrical wiring in the walls, and the two congregations merged into one–necessitating the construction of a new, larger sanctuary for the church in town. While we were there, my parents considered moving but decided against it.
Then, after I had moved out and my one still-alive grandparent was getting up in age, my folks moved to Wichita to be closer to the family in KC. It was from their Wichita congregation that my father retired. Then there was an interim pastor, whom the congregation later called to full-time service. Then there was a mini-scandal, that pastor suddenly left, and my father became the interim until a new full-time pastor was called.
In all of those situations (except the bankruptcy closure, of course), the congregation more-or-less kept plugging along–with choir rehearsal and trustee meetings and Sunday school and morning worship services and everything that makes church church–whether or not everyone particularly liked the pastor himself. That is to say, the pastor was just one piece of the overall church 'puzzle'; one might complain about the pastor at the dinner table on Thursday evening, but that didn't mean one was ready to pack it up and jump over to a different congregation. No, the church members were the church, just as much as the pastor was.
This is in contrast to the church environment in which I have been for the last fourteen years, which is more of a congregationalist model. At my church, when a pastor left for a new city, a lot of the members left as well. When our current pastor has made leadership decisions that a lot of members didn't agree with, quite a number of them have jumped ship. And that's something that bothers me. To me, the idea of leaving a church just because a certain pastor has left the church smacks of 'cult of personality', and it's never sat well with me.
So, in other words, the 'cult of personality' side of church doesn't actually have to do with money, or even doctrine, at all.
^^^ Wholeheartedly agree. It seems to me that people constantly shift between churches that are trendy or say what they want to hear rather than stick with one; one that they can grow a tight relationship with. It sort of irritates me when established members of a congregation decide to join another, just as
kphoger noted, but it's almost always due to the pastor's teachings or personality, not money or doctrine.
Re. selling salvation:
It makes sense that churches would want to "sell" salvation. I pray that it doesn't come across to people that way, but Christians actually have a valid reason to spread it. Imagine a friend and I live in Chicago and we were both invited to a party in Seattle by a former friend of both of ours that we want to meet. We both have GPS's telling us how to get to Seattle (assuming we're not roadgeeks). Before the trip there, we talk about the routes we're using to get there. I know that I'm just going to travel I-90 west pretty much the entire way there, but when he speaks up, he says his route is going to be to take I-55 to I-44 to I-40 to I-15, and that he'll make it there. Now I know how much going to the party means to him; therefore, I would tell him that his route leads to Los Angeles and that he would miss the party in Seattle. To not at least tell him that his route leads him to LA wouldn't be very nice at best, deceptive at worst.
I believe Christians believe (or at least
should believe) similar things about salvation. If I'd tell a friend that their directions to a party are wrong, shouldn't I also tell them about things that are much more important that I believe they're mistaken on? Of course I could be blatantly mistaken (that's a possibility in any worldview), but in reality there's not much to lose if I'm wrong. Either we end up in Seattle at the party we wanted to go to or we don't. Now, if someone trying to get to the party insists on going their way, I'm not going to stop them, but they might be surprised when they don't reach their destination...
Do political parties count as businesses? I'm pretty sure that, if a Shetland pony ran on either the Democrat or Republican ticket, then only about 15% of voters would actually vote for the other candidate.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Wholeheartedly agree. It seems to me that people constantly shift between churches that are trendy or say what they want to hear rather than stick with one; one that they can grow a tight relationship with. It sort of irritates me when established members of a congregation decide to join another, just as kphoger noted, but it's almost always due to the pastor's teachings or personality, not money or doctrine.
Of course, you just inadvertently distinguished 'teachings' from 'doctrine', which I'm not sure is a good distinction to make.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Re. selling salvation:
... Seattle ...
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die?
I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Wholeheartedly agree. It seems to me that people constantly shift between churches that are trendy or say what they want to hear rather than stick with one; one that they can grow a tight relationship with. It sort of irritates me when established members of a congregation decide to join another, just as kphoger noted, but it's almost always due to the pastor's teachings or personality, not money or doctrine.
Of course, you just inadvertently distinguished 'teachings' from 'doctrine', which I'm not sure is a good distinction to make.
I've heard of a pastor who deviated from Christian doctrine with his teachings so much that he lost over half of his congregation, so yes I did intentionally distinguish teaching from doctrine. Bad doctrine is of course bad, but bad teachings and good doctrine is just hypocritical, which people notice, and is probably even worse.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Wholeheartedly agree. It seems to me that people constantly shift between churches that are trendy or say what they want to hear rather than stick with one; one that they can grow a tight relationship with. It sort of irritates me when established members of a congregation decide to join another, just as kphoger noted, but it's almost always due to the pastor's teachings or personality, not money or doctrine.
Of course, you just inadvertently distinguished 'teachings' from 'doctrine', which I'm not sure is a good distinction to make.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Re. selling salvation:
... Seattle ...
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die? I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Tel, that to Angelo71.
Quote from: Big John on April 27, 2022, 11:33:48 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die? I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Tel, that to Angelo71.
Didn't you read the last panel, though?
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Well yeah, I assume that's what |abefroman329| meant by 'selling salvation'. :awesomeface:
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 09:36:56 AM
Also, granted, it just occurred to me, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned a MLM yet.
Oh wow, that's quite true–and the degree to which it resembles a cult of personality varies greatly by MLM.
The one my wife sells for isn't very cult-like at all. But LuLaRoe, on the other hand? I don't know if it's still available on Amazon Prime Video, but, if you have that service, it's worth watching
LuLaRich (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LuLaRich).
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 12:04:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Well yeah, I assume that's what |abefroman329| meant by 'selling salvation'. :awesomeface:
I was talking about a ticket to heaven, not purgatory. Do Protestants even believe purgatory exists? Even the Catholic Church seems to be leaning away from it.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Re. selling salvation:
... Seattle ...
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die? I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Frank Black claims it's Pittsburgh:
https://youtu.be/8fVClzhD4Pc
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 12:47:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 12:04:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Well yeah, I assume that's what |abefroman329| meant by 'selling salvation'. :awesomeface:
I was talking about a ticket to heaven, not purgatory. Do Protestants even believe purgatory exists? Even the Catholic Church seems to be leaning away from it.
It's up to individual opinion even in organized religion. The Catholics are to be named after Universal Church ( hence Catholic is Greek for Universal) but that religious group is so divided. You have some that believe that the Eucharist is not the true Jesus as some other Catholics believe it is Jesus. Same Church with same beliefs but different.
Yes Purgatory is not believed to exist by all Catholics in same manner. One priest said from the Pulpit (or Ambo @as they can't even agree on what to call that) that Purgatory didn't exist back in my old Church.
The issue is there is no set in ways even in an organized hierarchy as people generally interpret the same things differently.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 12:47:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 12:04:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Well yeah, I assume that's what |abefroman329| meant by 'selling salvation'. :awesomeface:
I was talking about a ticket to heaven, not purgatory.
Oh, I know what you meant. I was hoping to keep the tone kind of light, so I was just continuing Max's joke.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:07:59 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 12:47:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 12:04:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
Well yeah, I assume that's what |abefroman329| meant by 'selling salvation'. :awesomeface:
I was talking about a ticket to heaven, not purgatory.
Oh, I know what you meant. I was hoping to keep the tone kind of light, so I was just continuing Max's joke.
To which I'm kind of surprised someone got.
Tastykakes used to have a cult following in the northeast -- well, northeast of here, as most of the love I saw directed at them came from Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure if it's still like it was, given that Tastykakes are now available across a wider area. Indeed, one of their bakeries is located in London, Ky. now, where a number of other goodies are made (Mrs. Freshley's and a few other brands.)
Speaking of Cheerwine, it's available at Food City locations in SE Kentucky. But the closest place I've seen that carries Diet Cheerwine is the Food City in Richlands, Va.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 01:42:00 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 25, 2022, 10:42:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 25, 2022, 07:53:43 PM
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
I'm not crazy about either one. I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.
Braum's food side is just okay. It's the ice cream and, especially, the grocery side that shine. I don't buy milk or bread anywhere else because it blows Hiland and Sara Lee or whatever out of the water.
As for the bolded portions...
Is this just true of local dairies? When I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around. When I lived in southern Illinois, Farm Fresh was the best milk around. And here in Wichita, plenty of people rave about Braum's milk.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:26:51 PMWhen I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around.
I mean, it's still very good, but pretty much any store-brand organic milk is better in terms of both quality and price.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 01:46:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:26:51 PMWhen I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around.
I mean, it's still very good, but pretty much any store-brand organic milk is better in terms of both quality and price.
I rarely buy milk anymore because my body can only consume small amounts of it and I prefer 2% over whole. For my money, it's only a matter of freshness. The closer it is to the "best by" date, the less fresh it is. I honestly haven't noticed the difference between milk from my grocery vs a 7-11 vs a dairy like Oberweis (I grew up with Hanson's in NE WI). I'm fine as long as it's fresh.
Quote from: skluth on April 27, 2022, 02:14:45 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 01:46:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:26:51 PMWhen I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around.
I mean, it's still very good, but pretty much any store-brand organic milk is better in terms of both quality and price.
I rarely buy milk anymore because my body can only consume small amounts of it and I prefer 2% over whole. For my money, it's only a matter of freshness. The closer it is to the "best by" date, the less fresh it is. I honestly haven't noticed the difference between milk from my grocery vs a 7-11 vs a dairy like Oberweis (I grew up with Hanson's in NE WI). I'm fine as long as it's fresh.
If you're consuming milk in small quantities anyway, I highly recommend organic. 2% organic tastes like whole conventional. Probably even better than whole conventional.
I have no problem being part of a cult as far as businesses. I love Costco and Ikea. I'm a Packers fan. They make me happy. But I don't expect everyone to love Ikea or be a Packers fan.
I think the biggest cults are for bands and cars. Heaven help you if you dare to criticize Led Zeppelin or Lynyrd Skynyrd around one of their fans. With cars, it used to be Ford vs GM. Now, the cults of Subaru, Toyota, and Mini are bigger than Tesla. And I say this as someone who's only owned Toyotas for the last 20+ years.
I don't understand the cults of fast food at all. Being excited over mediocre food may be the most mind-blowing thing about this thread.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 02:17:08 PM
Quote from: skluth on April 27, 2022, 02:14:45 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 01:46:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:26:51 PMWhen I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around.
I mean, it's still very good, but pretty much any store-brand organic milk is better in terms of both quality and price.
I rarely buy milk anymore because my body can only consume small amounts of it and I prefer 2% over whole. For my money, it's only a matter of freshness. The closer it is to the "best by" date, the less fresh it is. I honestly haven't noticed the difference between milk from my grocery vs a 7-11 vs a dairy like Oberweis (I grew up with Hanson's in NE WI). I'm fine as long as it's fresh.
If you're consuming milk in small quantities anyway, I highly recommend organic. 2% organic tastes like whole conventional. Probably even better than whole conventional.
Organic is another cult but not part of this thread. If 2% organic tastes like whole milk, I'd probably think it tastes like drinking yogurt. I like yogurt but I eat it with a spoon, not drink it. I don't care for kefir for that reason.
I buy 1% ultra-pasteurized milk by the quart (https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-1-lowfat-milk/0001111050324?fulfillment=SHIP).
Reasons for that:
1%, because I have borderline cholesterol
Quart, because I don't consume very much milk in a week–just over my granola in the morning
Ultra-pasteurized, because (a) that's how quarts come and (2) it doesn't really start to spoil until I open it
And I have yet to find 1% ultra-pasteurized milk by the quart in anything except the Kroger store brand.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 12:08:15 PMThe one my wife sells for isn't very cult-like at all. But LuLaRoe, on the other hand? I don't know if it's still available on Amazon Prime Video, but, if you have that service, it's worth watching LuLaRich (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LuLaRich).
Which one does your wife sell for?
And I find it absolutely fascinating that nearly all of the MLMs recruit women to sell. Over the past 20-25 years, I've had one or two people try to sell me prepaid legal coverage, but that's it.
Now that you guys are mentioning MLM my brother has been part of the sham that is Herbalife for over a decade.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 04:01:50 PMAnd I find it absolutely fascinating that nearly all of the MLMs recruit women to sell. Over the past 20-25 years, I've had one or two people try to sell me prepaid legal coverage, but that's it.
I have had exposure to a couple of MLM enterprises that operate in presumptively male-dominated spheres. Amsoil, for example, sells synthetic lubricants and greases for road vehicles, and although it's increasingly common to see women working behind parts counters and as service writers, I think it's still the case that fewer than 15% of auto mechanics are female. And I've been sent literature for another MLM business that focuses on vitamins and whose sales literature is clearly aimed at an audience of middle-aged men. (I don't think it was Herbalife, though.)
This said, I am sure there are senses in which these companies are exceptions that honor the rule.
My own approach to MLMs, which I feel are under-regulated in this country (and yes, I'm aware of the FTC decision that says they are permissible as long as they don't operate as pyramid schemes), is to limit myself to buying over the counter.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Re. selling salvation:
... Seattle ...
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die? I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Your life insurance payout might be just enough for a downpayment on a little house in the exurbs.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 04:14:11 PM
Now that you guys are mentioning MLM my brother has been part of the sham that is Herbalife for over a decade.
I am so, so sorry.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 04:30:58 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 04:14:11 PM
Now that you guys are mentioning MLM my brother has been part of the sham that is Herbalife for over a decade.
I am so, so sorry.
Fortunately I have about an 800 mile buffer from recruitment attempts. Some decency came into play and he (and my sister in law) didn't try to recruit my wife.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 04:01:50 PM
Which one does your wife sell for?
Scentsy.
At some of the gatherings/conferences, I've witnessed some calls to brand hype or whatever you want to call it, but not outside of that environment.
Quote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 04:18:56 PM
I think it's still the case that fewer than 15% of auto mechanics are female.
Heck, I just saw
this sign (https://goo.gl/maps/ZepyxMQ5adAQH4tX7) from a bus window a month ago. It's a list of positions available for the Ã"mnibus de México carrier group, and three out of the six positions listed specify "Sexo: masculino" as a requirement. Those are the two driving positions and the mechanic position.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 04:01:50 PM
And I find it absolutely fascinating that nearly all of the MLMs recruit women to sell. Over the past 20-25 years, I've had one or two people try to sell me prepaid legal coverage, but that's it.
I've just always assumed it was because earning income while still staying at home is something that appeals directly to mothers. Plus, home parties with women in attendance has been a cultural 'thing' in this country since at least Amway.
Even now, I think saying No to a MLM pitch tends to be more fraught for women than it is for men. Almost 30 years ago, my mother purchased several candles she didn't want when the then new neighbors across the street hosted a home-selling party for their daughter. On my mother's part, this was a very conscious effort at diplomacy, and it came to nothing as a result of an incident that occurred at the tail end of the party.
My mother, who had paid in cash, came home to realize she had been given too much in change. So she counted out the difference and stepped back into the neighbor's house (where the party was still in progress) to hand it back. The neighbor said, "I am happy you feel so much at home here that you can enter without knocking."
That was the last home-selling party my mother ever attended.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 01:26:51 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 26, 2022, 01:42:00 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 25, 2022, 10:42:31 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 25, 2022, 07:53:43 PM
My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.
The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.
I'm not crazy about either one. I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.
Braum's food side is just okay. It's the ice cream and, especially, the grocery side that shine. I don't buy milk or bread anywhere else because it blows Hiland and Sara Lee or whatever out of the water.
As for the bolded portions...
Is this just true of local dairies? When I lived in the western suburbs of Chicago, Oberweis was the best milk around. When I lived in southern Illinois, Farm Fresh was the best milk around. And here in Wichita, plenty of people rave about Braum's milk.
I'm not entirely sure. We do have a Hiland dairy in downtown Norman, so the Hiland in the grocery store is probably fresher, or at least traveled less, than Braum's.
I toured the Braum's facilities when I was in high school. I remember them discussing a special process most dairies don't do, involving concentrating the non-water components of the milk during the pasteurization process, which is what gives it the distinctive Braum's milk taste. But it's been so long I can't really remember the details much more than that.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 04:37:06 PM
Heck, I just saw this sign (https://goo.gl/maps/ZepyxMQ5adAQH4tX7) from a bus window a month ago. It's a list of positions available for the Ã"mnibus de México carrier group, and three out of the six positions listed specify "Sexo: masculino" as a requirement. Those are the two driving positions and the mechanic position.
Interesting that sort of thing is still both
de jure allowed and
de facto culturally tolerated in Mexico. Neither would be true in the United States, and indeed most Western countries.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 27, 2022, 01:24:37 PM
Tastykakes used to have a cult following in the northeast -- well, northeast of here, as most of the love I saw directed at them came from Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure if it's still like it was, given that Tastykakes are now available across a wider area. Indeed, one of their bakeries is located in London, Ky. now, where a number of other goodies are made (Mrs. Freshley's and a few other brands.)
Speaking of Cheerwine, it's available at Food City locations in SE Kentucky. But the closest place I've seen that carries Diet Cheerwine is the Food City in Richlands, Va.
Tastykakes have ebbed and flowed. We picked them up on the way to KY from MA in PA when I was a kid, since they weren't available and my father loved them.
Their real availability has been inconsistent north of PA. They appear and disappear. Fod a short time recently, Walmart in NY carried the classics, but then they disappeared again or diminished to their mini donuts or buns.
But yeah, Tastykakes definitely have a Mid-Atlantic following.
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Quote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 05:17:43 PM
Even now, I think saying No to a MLM pitch tends to be more fraught for women than it is for men. Almost 30 years ago, my mother purchased several candles she didn't want when the then new neighbors across the street hosted a home-selling party for their daughter. On my mother's part, this was a very conscious effort at diplomacy, and it came to nothing as a result of an incident that occurred at the tail end of the party.
My mother, who had paid in cash, came home to realize she had been given too much in change. So she counted out the difference and stepped back into the neighbor's house (where the party was still in progress) to hand it back. The neighbor said, "I am happy you feel so much at home here that you can enter without knocking."
That was the last home-selling party my mother ever attended.
Wow, that is some next-level bitchiness on the neighbor's part.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
I had the same question - it seems like they're the Denny's of hypermarkets.
I had to look up MLM. Means Multi-Level Marketing - Is this related to a pyramid scheme?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
I'll split the difference and say zombies.
Quote from: Big John on April 27, 2022, 05:31:39 PM
I had to look up MLM. Means Multi-Level Marketing - Is this related to a pyramid scheme?
I'm not sure what distinguishes the two.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
I think it's more a cult of those who make fun of Walmart shoppers. There's at least one site dedicated to embarrassingly dressed Walmart shoppers (https://www.peopleofwalmart.com/).
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 05:41:42 PMQuote from: Big John on April 27, 2022, 05:31:39 PMI had to look up MLM. Means Multi-Level Marketing - Is this related to a pyramid scheme?
I'm not sure what distinguishes the two.
Most MLM enterprises offer cash incentives to encourage people who sell for them (the term itself varies from company to company and often has a cultish quality) to recruit others to sell, i.e., "build the downline." Per the late-1970's FTC decision that lays out rules they must follow in order not to be considered pyramid schemes, an individual participant should not receive more from building his or her downline than he or she receives from selling the company's goods to retail customers.
Critics of the MLM business model complain that it leads to overpricing since the merchandise has to carry the cost of the downline payments, while encouraging participants to exploit friendships in order to build their customer bases. Specific companies, such as LuLaRoe (yoga leggings) and Jamberry (nail wraps), have also been criticized for pushing their sellers into bankruptcy by requiring them to buy merchandise to have on hand which, if not sold by a certain expiry date, they are forced to write off (i.e., can't return to the company for a refund and also cannot sell without putting themselves in breach of contract).
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 27, 2022, 05:41:42 PM
Quote from: Big John on April 27, 2022, 05:31:39 PM
I had to look up MLM. Means Multi-Level Marketing - Is this related to a pyramid scheme?
I'm not sure what distinguishes the two.
A pyramid scheme bases your income on how many people you have under you, not on how much product is sold.
Part of the calculus that determines how much a Scentsy consultant is paid during a given month is how many consultants she has underneath her, but most of the calculus is based on actual sales. So, for example, my wife has to sell at least a certain amount of product herself, or else she gets zero commission from her downline. Then, a certain number of those downline have to have sold a certain amount of product, or else my wife gets zero commission from their sales. Then, in order for her to get paid at the maximum commission rate her title allows, the total sales of the entire team has to exceed a certain number as well. As you can see, my wife's income is very much tied to real product sold to customers.
This is in stark contrast to, for example, LuLaRoe, which based its consultant commissions on how much product was
bought by the consultant as on-hand stock, not on how much product was
actually sold by said consultant in the form of sales.
Quote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 05:17:43 PM
Even now, I think saying No to a MLM pitch tends to be more fraught for women than it is for men.
This can actually lead to a moment of crisis for new saleswomen in an home party-based MLM business. All her friends and family come out for the first party or two, and spend a decent enough amount of money on product to get her going, so she is encouraged in her business venture. But, after that initial period comes to a close, she gets discouraged because her friends and family don't continue to buy enough product to keep her afloat. There's a hump, of sorts, that she must get over–a point at which her pool of regular customers and number of downline makes it relatively easy to make the minimums each month. But, until such time as a new consultant gets over that hump, it takes real work and creativity to expand her circle.
Quote from: webny99 on April 27, 2022, 08:54:24 AM
Quote from: KCRoadFan on April 27, 2022, 08:46:10 AM
When I saw this, I thought of IKEA.
Ooh, that's a good one. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet (unless I missed it). Some people are convinced that IKEA is the best because of their rock bottom prices, but I'm not one of them. Sure, the price is great, but you have to build everything yourself and the quality isn't nearly as good as you'd find elsewhere. And chances are, you'll want to replace everything in five years, and 4 or 5 IKEA iterations of whatever you're installing end up being more expensive than one high-quality one that last 20-25 years.
While IKEA is known for this stuff, that's generally what you're buying at Walmart, Lowes, Target, HD, Best Buy and countless other places too.
We have an IKEA kitchen, 7 years old. It functions flawlessly. The quality of the materials used is actually better than what most (non-IKEA) people give them credit for.
IKEA is Swedish for crap.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
Are meth heads Wal-Mart-only acolytes, or do they frequent Family Dollar just as much?
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I thought that was Taco Bell
Quote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 04:18:56 PM
I have had exposure to a couple of MLM enterprises that operate in presumptively male-dominated spheres. Amsoil, for example, sells synthetic lubricants and greases for road vehicles, and although it's increasingly common to see women working behind parts counters and as service writers, I think it's still the case that fewer than 15% of auto mechanics are female.
From 20 years of working with and for dealerships, it's honestly probably closer to 2-3% (though becoming more common recently). Maybe it's a greater number in private repair facilities and quick-lube shops, and it so seems to be more common in urban rather than rural areas.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I plan ahead and buy them at Crest with the rest of my groceries.
Then again, Crest has remained 24-hour throughout the pandemic, while our Walmart closes at 11 PM now, so if you've got the midnight munchies (and have someone to drive you) Crest is kind of the only option anyway.
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 27, 2022, 06:54:42 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I thought that was Taco Bell
Or Denny's
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 08:15:29 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 27, 2022, 06:54:42 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I thought that was Taco Bell
Or Denny's
Back in my late teens it was iHop.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Are meth heads Wal-Mart-only acolytes, or do they frequent Family Dollar just as much?
Dollar General as well.
(https://img.ifunny.co/images/3f88f827eb1ef33e266c651f685629cdfef6ee7888a00a08f3a4358477e551e7_1.jpg)
Hy-Vee and Casey's (especially their pizza, and especially in smaller towns where they have little competition) fit this description as far as Iowa-based businesses go.
Quote from: iowahighways on April 27, 2022, 09:29:18 PM
Hy-Vee and Casey's (especially their pizza, and especially in smaller towns where they have little competition) fit this description as far as Iowa-based businesses go.
While both have tried to break into Minnesota, they haven't hit the same cult status against established brands. Casey's is well-established, but their pizza is no better than any other gas station pizza. Hy-Vee has struggled to crack the Cub Foods-dominated Twin Cities metro beyond their initial small handful of stores, announcing last week it was scrapping its plans for more full-sized stores to regroup for smaller neighborhood market type stores.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 27, 2022, 10:45:03 PM
Casey's is well-established, but their pizza is no better than any other gas station pizza.
I've always considered Casey's pizza mediocre, better than nothing. I've usually found better pizza at Holiday stations.
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 27, 2022, 06:54:42 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I thought that was Taco Bell
It's 100% Taco Bell. Tonight at around 6:30 (a pretty normal dinner time, I would think), I went to get my usual order... I didn't have to wait in the drive thru at all. Though every time I pull up to the restaurant at 12AM, the line wraps around the entire building almost on to the street.. at all of my city's locations. I guess that's what I get for living in a college town.
If TB has any reason to have a cult-like following... it's the Baja Blast.
Quote from: oscar on April 27, 2022, 10:53:53 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 27, 2022, 10:45:03 PM
Casey's is well-established, but their pizza is no better than any other gas station pizza.
I've always considered Casey's pizza mediocre, better than nothing. I've usually found better pizza at Holiday stations.
If I go to Casey's, it's usually for the finger snacks like popcorn chicken, cheesy potato tots, or pizza rolls (though I've noticed their availability has been pretty hit or miss during the pandemic - I'll walk in at 3-4 PM and the snack hot case is dark and empty)
Heh. My wife was drawn into a Casey's on a recent road trip by their pizza ad. She came out a bit pale and empty handed. She might as well have said, "Start the car and let's get out of here," for the monstrosity they were selling was not remotely edible.
I thought it was hilarious.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 25, 2022, 10:05:25 PM
Both Tim's and Dunkin moved to reheating frozen baked goods in their stores, and Dunkin' has been worthless ever since they got rid of the Dunkin' Donut (a plain cake donut with a handle, made for, you know, dunkin').
Also, their coffee sucks, fight me.
I don't understand adults who go to Disney Parks without children.
Rooting for the Yankees is like going to a casino and rooting for the dealer.
:clap:
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 12:01:43 PM
Wait, how are people ending up in the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Seattle after they die? Is this a form of purgatory?
You'd need a time machine. It's been back to normal for a year or two. Whatever passes for normal on Capitol Hill.
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 10:29:53 AM
Actually, I look at this from a different perspective.
My dad's a Christian pastor–well, he was before he retired, anyway–which means I grew up in church.
When I was in fourth grade, our congregation in suburban Chicago went bankrupt and closed, my dad asked for a call to the Kansas District (because both my parents still had family in Johnson County), and we moved to western Kansas. There, he served two congregations–one in town and one eight miles out in the country; the country church burned to the ground one Sunday due to old electrical wiring in the walls, and the two congregations merged into one–necessitating the construction of a new, larger sanctuary for the church in town. While we were there, my parents considered moving but decided against it.
Then, after I had moved out and my one still-alive grandparent was getting up in age, my folks moved to Wichita to be closer to the family in KC. It was from their Wichita congregation that my father retired. Then there was an interim pastor, whom the congregation later called to full-time service. Then there was a mini-scandal, that pastor suddenly left, and my father became the interim until a new full-time pastor was called.
In all of those situations (except the bankruptcy closure, of course), the congregation more-or-less kept plugging along–with choir rehearsal and trustee meetings and Sunday school and morning worship services and everything that makes church church–whether or not everyone particularly liked the pastor himself. That is to say, the pastor was just one piece of the overall church 'puzzle'; one might complain about the pastor at the dinner table on Thursday evening, but that didn't mean one was ready to pack it up and jump over to a different congregation. No, the church members were the church, just as much as the pastor was.
This is in contrast to the church environment in which I have been for the last fourteen years, which is more of a congregationalist model. At my church, when a pastor left for a new city, a lot of the members left as well. When our current pastor has made leadership decisions that a lot of members didn't agree with, quite a number of them have jumped ship. And that's something that bothers me. To me, the idea of leaving a church just because a certain pastor has left the church smacks of 'cult of personality', and it's never sat well with me.
So, in other words, the 'cult of personality' side of church doesn't actually have to do with money, or even doctrine, at all.
^^^ Wholeheartedly agree. It seems to me that people constantly shift between churches that are trendy or say what they want to hear rather than stick with one; one that they can grow a tight relationship with. It sort of irritates me when established members of a congregation decide to join another, just as kphoger noted, but it's almost always due to the pastor's teachings or personality, not money or doctrine.
Re. selling salvation:
It makes sense that churches would want to "sell" salvation. I pray that it doesn't come across to people that way, but Christians actually have a valid reason to spread it. Imagine a friend and I live in Chicago and we were both invited to a party in Seattle by a former friend of both of ours that we want to meet. We both have GPS's telling us how to get to Seattle (assuming we're not roadgeeks). Before the trip there, we talk about the routes we're using to get there. I know that I'm just going to travel I-90 west pretty much the entire way there, but when he speaks up, he says his route is going to be to take I-55 to I-44 to I-40 to I-15, and that he'll make it there. Now I know how much going to the party means to him; therefore, I would tell him that his route leads to Los Angeles and that he would miss the party in Seattle. To not at least tell him that his route leads him to LA wouldn't be very nice at best, deceptive at worst.
I believe Christians believe (or at least should believe) similar things about salvation. If I'd tell a friend that their directions to a party are wrong, shouldn't I also tell them about things that are much more important that I believe they're mistaken on? Of course I could be blatantly mistaken (that's a possibility in any worldview), but in reality there's not much to lose if I'm wrong. Either we end up in Seattle at the party we wanted to go to or we don't. Now, if someone trying to get to the party insists on going their way, I'm not going to stop them, but they might be surprised when they don't reach their destination...
And do I really want to be friends with someone who thinks that I-15 is the way to Seattle?
Quote from: Bruce on April 27, 2022, 04:30:46 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: CoreySamson on April 27, 2022, 11:09:21 AM
Re. selling salvation:
... Seattle ...
Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die? I thought it was Pittsburgh. (https://www.mission.net/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/pix/1199248632_chpittsburgh1.jpg)
Your life insurance payout might be just enough for a downpayment on a little house in the exurbs.
:nod:
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 08:19:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 08:15:29 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 27, 2022, 06:54:42 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
I thought that was Taco Bell
Or Denny's
Back in my late teens it was iHop.
Me too. Sadly the IHop near here closed about 15 years ago. No 24-hour restaurant has really come in to replace it in the area.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 27, 2022, 05:23:11 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 04:37:06 PM
Heck, I just saw this sign (https://goo.gl/maps/ZepyxMQ5adAQH4tX7) from a bus window a month ago. It's a list of positions available for the Ã"mnibus de México carrier group, and three out of the six positions listed specify "Sexo: masculino" as a requirement. Those are the two driving positions and the mechanic position.
Interesting that sort of thing is still both de jure allowed and de facto culturally tolerated in Mexico. Neither would be true in the United States, and indeed most Western countries.
It surprised me as well. It's an aspect of Mexican culture that I still don't have much of a handle on, but I suspect gender relations there are marked by a combination of
machismo and something like
complementarianism–the latter being a theological term meaning men and women have equal value and status but different roles in society.
The two ministry partners I've worked most closely with there have been...
(1) A Baptist pastor, originally from Chiapas who later moved to Matamorors, and has now planted a church in the town I usually go to. In many respects, he's a conservative Mexican evangelical Christian. His wife is a stay-at-home mother who wears a full-length dress most days. But one thing he's said is that, when a Mexican man first comes to faith, one of the very first things that needs attention is eradicating the
machismo that has been ingrained in him–teaching him to treat his wife as an equal, with respect, and not as if she were a child or a piece of property. He says that is, almost without fail, issue number one.
(2) A strong-headed young woman, who had started going to college for a law degree before taking a position as the director of the children's home she'd grown up in. At one point, she was a debt collector,
and she liked it. She'll tell you exactly what she thinks, she won't be pushed around by anyone, she's strong in every sense of the word. And yet, at the end of the day, her more mild-mannered husband is still the "man" in her life, and she affords him the respect that comes with that.
And so, with those two people in mind, I suspect that–even with a trend toward empowerment of the female and a push to normalize things like breastfeeding–men don't necessarily consider a diesel mechanic position to be fitting for a woman, and women don't necessarily disagree with them.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
Granted that Walmart is more pervasive in this area than Target, but I've been in Target stores enough to know I prefer Walmart because of price and because of product selection. Walmart generally carries more brands than Target. I'm a heavy user of Walmart house brands (Great Value, Special Kitty, etc.) and haven't really found anything comparable at Target.
Of course, it doesn't help Target in my eyes that the nearest one is in Lexington, while there are Walmart Supercenters closer.
Perhaps if Target expanded into smaller towns the way Walmart has, they'd be a better shopping option.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 28, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
The Target cult definitely existed back in the late 90s and early 00s. Does it still exist?
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 11:59:29 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 28, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
The Target cult definitely existed back in the late 90s and early 00s. Does it still exist?
In terms of the Target>Walmart crowd, it absolutely still exists.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 28, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
Granted that Walmart is more pervasive in this area than Target, but I've been in Target stores enough to know I prefer Walmart because of price and because of product selection. Walmart generally carries more brands than Target. I'm a heavy user of Walmart house brands (Great Value, Special Kitty, etc.) and haven't really found anything comparable at Target.
Of course, it doesn't help Target in my eyes that the nearest one is in Lexington, while there are Walmart Supercenters closer.
Perhaps if Target expanded into smaller towns the way Walmart has, they'd be a better shopping option.
Target is barely a competitor with Walmart, as far as I'm concerned - there's a reason why I didn't mention Target when I said I thought it would be Walmart-or-nothing in Kentucky and I was glad to see there was a Meijer outside Lexington.
As for price, (a) "cheap" and "high-quality" rarely go together, and (b) I feel better about spending my money at Target.
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 11:59:29 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 28, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
The Target cult definitely existed back in the late 90s and early 00s. Does it still exist?
The brand doesn't have the pervasive mostly Yuppie following it once had and has largely become normalized. Even still, they definitely cater to higher income demographics than Walmart does. That's how they usually stay out of direction competition with Walmart, they go for a different customer.
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
Taco Bell may be the only crappy fast food to ever have a pop-up hotel. This happened (https://people.com/food/taco-bell-hotel-palm-springs-sold-out-2-minutes/) all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 28, 2022, 12:05:49 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 11:59:29 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 28, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
I would posit that it's not Walmart that has any sort of rabid fandom, but Target -- specifically the "Target is better than Walmart" crowd.
The Target cult definitely existed back in the late 90s and early 00s. Does it still exist?
The brand doesn't have the pervasive mostly Yuppie following it once had and has largely become normalized. Even still, they definitely cater to higher income demographics than Walmart does. That's how they usually stay out of direction competition with Walmart, they go for a different customer.
There's hotter moms at Target.
There, I said it.
Quote from: formulanone on April 27, 2022, 07:33:52 PMQuote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 04:18:56 PMI have had exposure to a couple of MLM enterprises that operate in presumptively male-dominated spheres. Amsoil, for example, sells synthetic lubricants and greases for road vehicles, and although it's increasingly common to see women working behind parts counters and as service writers, I think it's still the case that fewer than 15% of auto mechanics are female.
From 20 years of working with and for dealerships, it's honestly probably closer to 2-3% (though becoming more common recently). Maybe it's a greater number in private repair facilities and quick-lube shops, and it so seems to be more common in urban rather than rural areas.
Thank you for giving us the benefit of your insider perspective. I can easily believe the true figure is that low--I don't think I've ever met (in person) a woman turning a wrench for pay, though I know a few female shadetree mechanics and participants in car repair forums.
Google search turns up various figures. One site (https://www.tradeschoolgrants.com/future-women-auto-mechanics/) attributes these to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2.1% of auto mechanics and 9.7% of the auto repair/parts/supply sector more broadly defined. (However, the BLS table it links to does not actually contain the 2.1% number.)
Quote from: J N Winkler on April 28, 2022, 03:31:40 PM
Quote from: formulanone on April 27, 2022, 07:33:52 PMQuote from: J N Winkler on April 27, 2022, 04:18:56 PMI have had exposure to a couple of MLM enterprises that operate in presumptively male-dominated spheres. Amsoil, for example, sells synthetic lubricants and greases for road vehicles, and although it's increasingly common to see women working behind parts counters and as service writers, I think it's still the case that fewer than 15% of auto mechanics are female.
From 20 years of working with and for dealerships, it's honestly probably closer to 2-3% (though becoming more common recently). Maybe it's a greater number in private repair facilities and quick-lube shops, and it so seems to be more common in urban rather than rural areas.
Thank you for giving us the benefit of your insider perspective. I can easily believe the true figure is that low--I don't think I've ever met (in person) a woman turning a wrench for pay, though I know a few female shadetree mechanics and participants in car repair forums.
Google search turns up various figures. One site (https://www.tradeschoolgrants.com/future-women-auto-mechanics/) attributes these to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2.1% of auto mechanics and 9.7% of the auto repair/parts/supply sector more broadly defined. (However, the BLS table it links to does not actually contain the 2.1% number.)
You're right about how many female service advisors and parts employees there are at dealerships, though. Speaking as someone who has performed those roles at dealerships, many female employees are excellent at what they do, mainly due to refined soft skills for a variety of customers, and being much more detail-oriented and organized than many of their male counterparts. They're jobs that require dealing with a lot of multitasking and varying distractions, so it really comes down to how one prioritizes those events and situations, communicating them effectively by situation, and making it look easy with responsibility.
Most of the female technicians I've worked with are quiet; it's demanding enough without the typical male behavior where we dumb things down to the lowest denominator, though some places manage the toxicity temperature better than others. A string culture of morale and removing bad attitudes helps a lot in a shop (as well as having enough work to stay almost perpetually busy).
Quote from: formulanone on April 28, 2022, 03:29:05 PM
There's hotter moms at Target.
Do a Google image search for {"people of target"} and one for {"people of walmart"}. Compare and contrast the results.
The results for Target are either (a) basically eccentric, slightly "off" individuals or (b) happy employees.
The results for Wal-Mart are all people who shouldn't be allowed to even leave their house.
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 03:58:08 PM
Quote from: formulanone on April 28, 2022, 03:29:05 PM
There's hotter moms at Target.
Do a Google image search for {"people of target"} and one for {"people of walmart"}. Compare and contrast the results.
The results for Target are either (a) basically eccentric, slightly "off" individuals or (b) happy employees.
The results for Wal-Mart are all people who shouldn't be allowed to even leave their house.
Some of those eccentric mom types that go to Target were among the most ingenious shoplifters I've had to deal with over the last twenty years. They had all sorts of methods to hide what they stole in plain sight since it was rare anyone would suspect it would be them.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2022, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2022, 05:27:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 27, 2022, 05:26:08 PM
No one has mentioned Walmart yet.
Does Walmart actually have a sect of worshippers or are they people who just tolerate them?
Isn't Wal-Mart the only acceptable place to purchase food items for the midnight marijuana munchies?
WinCo is actually open 24 hours and has bulk candy, so I'd go with them.
Quote from: skluth on April 28, 2022, 02:37:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
Taco Bell may be the only crappy fast food to ever have a pop-up hotel. This happened (https://people.com/food/taco-bell-hotel-palm-springs-sold-out-2-minutes/) all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.
Pfft. Sounds like novelty was the draw, rather than the food.
Quote from: Rothman on April 28, 2022, 06:55:57 PM
Quote from: skluth on April 28, 2022, 02:37:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
Taco Bell may be the only crappy fast food to ever have a pop-up hotel. This happened (https://people.com/food/taco-bell-hotel-palm-springs-sold-out-2-minutes/) all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.
Pfft. Sounds like novelty was the draw, rather than the food.
Isn't that exactly what makes it cult-like?
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 07:59:37 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 28, 2022, 06:55:57 PM
Quote from: skluth on April 28, 2022, 02:37:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 26, 2022, 12:07:57 AM
I haven't seen anything resembling a cult-like following of Taco Bell on the East Coast and I've lived here most of my life. If anything, Taco Bell is known as the place to buy cheap sludge when you can't afford anything else.
Taco Bell may be the only crappy fast food to ever have a pop-up hotel. This happened (https://people.com/food/taco-bell-hotel-palm-springs-sold-out-2-minutes/) all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.
Pfft. Sounds like novelty was the draw, rather than the food.
Isn't that exactly what makes it cult-like?
Taco Bell is hardly novel. Taco Bell pop-up hotel draws those that will go ironically.
Quote from: kphoger on April 28, 2022, 03:58:08 PM
Do a Google image search for {"people of target"} and one for {"people of walmart"}. Compare and contrast the results.
I live in Alabama, and have also been to Walmarts in at least 35-40 states and three Canadian provinces. I
know what kind of people shop shop at a Walmart, and not even the Ludovico Technique will not rid me of the horrors I have witnessed. But it's also desensitized me to the point where I can no longer judge a town by its citizens at the world's cheapest store at 6-8pm on a Monday night. The lines are usually shorter at SuperTarget but the overall selection of food is less interesting.
Since 2020, I've made much more of a habit to visit the local grocery stores for groceries instead. Better to keep them afloat in these tough times.
Whataburger here in Texas for sure....
also, a local one.... HEB grocery stores.
nationally, yes apple users tend to be very vocally and intensely fond of apple products. And I post this while typing it out on my MacBook Pro while my iPhone charges on my desk....
after having had dinner at whataburger and just before I make my weekly grocery order...from HEB lol
If I were to be considered to be a member of any "cults" they would be, in no certain order:
1. apple
2. HEB
3. Bob Dylan
4. Honda
5. Playstation
6. Texas
Quote from: SSOWorld on April 26, 2022, 05:20:39 AM
3 words:
Marvel
Cinematic
Universe
(An arm of Disney, yeah, but it is the strongest one)
heh...in that vein...another one I am for sure an acolyte of...
STAR WARS