Businesses with a cult of personality-like following

[ozarkman417]

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.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

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)

[Rothman]

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.

[kkt]

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.

[kkt]

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.

[kkt]

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?

[kkt]

Re. selling salvation:

... Seattle ...

Wait, are you saying we go to Seattle when we die?  I thought it was Pittsburgh.

Your life insurance payout might be just enough for a downpayment on a little house in the exurbs.

[kkt]

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.

[kphoger]

Heck, I just saw this sign 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.

[hbelkins]

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.

[kphoger]

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?

[webny99]

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.

[abefroman329]

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.

[Max Rockatansky]

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.

[skluth]

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 all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.

[formulanone]

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.

[J N Winkler]

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.

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 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.)

[formulanone]

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.

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 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).

[kphoger]

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.

[Max Rockatansky]

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.

[Bruce]

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.

[Rothman]

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 all of two blocks from my home. Looks like a cult to me.

Pfft.  Sounds like novelty was the draw, rather than the food.

[kphoger]

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 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?

[Rothman]

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 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.

[formulanone]

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.