Last week, the CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings blamed flagging sales on the dining habits of millennials, prompting news stories declaring that millennials are 'killing' restaurant chains. This generational blame-game is nothing new. If recent headlines are anything to go by, there are so many things that millennials have ruined that it's a wonder anything exists at all anymore. Truly, the trail of millennial destruction is vast, leaving everything from restaurant chains to golf to relationships (yes, relationships) burning in its wake.
The media has been shouting, 'Millennials are the WORST' for years. Back in 2013, TIME Dice betting games. famously labeled Gen Y as the 'Me Me Me Generation,' in what was only one of many trend pieces to lament the laziness and entitlement of today's young adults. Research has shown that stereotypes of millennials as selfish, work-averse job-hoppers who don't care about humanity are false. Folks who were born between 1980 and 2000 are actually hardworking people who care about the social good. Nevertheless, complaining about millennials remains a beloved national pastime. (As The Wire has pointed out, every older generation likes to complain about the younger ones — change is hard, and people like to lay blame on others.)
News of the Week: Eagles Hit Number One, the iMac Turns 20, and Millennials Murder Mayonnaise. In the news for the week ending August 24, 2018, are the ongoing battle between Michael Jackson and the Eagles, a new look for animal crackers, the (exaggerated) demise of mayo, a waffle celebration, and more. Some people really hate mayonnaise. And it isn't just always just simple dislike; among the anti-mayo crowd, there's a contingent who are vehemently opposed to the stuff. Here's the thing: Millennials actually love mayo. Mayo isn't dying. That same Wall Street Journal story on the decline of mayo also points out that based on production numbers, it's still far and away America's most favorite condiment — 609 million pounds produced in 2017 versus second place ketchup's 454 million pounds.
These days, millennials aren't getting flak simply for their perceived awfulness — instead, they're getting the blame for ruining entire industries with their refusal to conform to the spending habits of previous generations. As Business Insider has recently pointed out, headlines are blaming millennials for the decline of dozens of industries, with 'victims' of the millennial murder spree including such beloved institutions as paper napkins and vacations.
Together, these reports would seem to suggest that millennials have launched some sort of coordinated effort to destroy everything beloved by Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, just for the hell of it. But in truth, much of this change has been brought on by Boomers themselves. Most millennials came of age during a major recession that it's fair to say they did not cause (given that they were children when the financial decisions that led to it were made). Millennials are still feeling the effects of that economic upset: Many are saddled with student loan debt, and they're facing a job market that is increasingly based on contract work. It makes sense that their spending habits might not be the same as that of their parents and that they are delaying some of the major life events that have traditionally marked adulthood. It's true that millennials are buying fewer houses and postponing weddings — but that may have to do more with a lack of resources and an understandable sense of caution than a rejection of traditional values.
Other shifts in how people spend money can be traced to technological advancement — as new technology changes the way we consume media, communicate, and shop, it's natural that industries built around older tech will suffer. Although the closures, lay offs, and other losses that go along with these changes are lamentable, it's silly to say that millennials have 'killed' these industries, just as it would be ridiculous to blame Gen X for 'murdering' the audiocassette business or Boomers for 'destroying' the eight-track.
With that said, here are just a few of the institutions that millennials have shamelessly ruined:
1. Chain restaurants
In a recent letter to shareholders, Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith discussed how millennials are affecting casual dining chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's. 'Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants,' Smith wrote. As millennials have moved away from places like TGI Friday's and Chili's, they've flocked toward fast-casual chains like Panera and Chipotle, which they regard as relatively healthy and fast. 'The healthiness and the speed of service — that's been taking market share from casual dining,' Wedbush analyst Colin Radke told Business Insider. These types of restaurants also offer food at lower price points, which is another attraction for millennial diners.
2. Paper napkins
A 2016 survey found that many millennials are forgoing paper napkins in favor of paper towels, with 56 percent of customers reporting that they had bought paper napkins in the last six months, and 86 percent saying they'd bought paper towels. These numbers are part of a 20-year decline in paper napkin use. Fifteen years ago, sixty percent of households regularly used paper napkins, while just over 40 percent would say the same now. Dan Nirenberg, marketing director for napkins for Georgia-Pacific, toldThe Washington Post that this change is at least in part due to the spending and eating habits of millennials. He said that Gen Y likes paper towels because they can perform multiple functions and regards paper napkins as 'one less thing to buy.'
Why Do Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
3. Major hardware stores
In 2014, Forbes asked, 'Will The Millennial Generation Kill Home Depot?' Millennials are buying homes later than their predecessors; a 2014 Census report found that home ownership among people under the age of 35 was at a record low, and in 2015, the median age of a first-time home buyer reached a record high of 35. This delay in home buying has a number of causes, chief among them the heavy burden of student loan debt that plagues many millennials post-college. Millennials are also marrying and having children later than previous generations, which in turn affects their housing needs. With so many millennials renting, living at home, or living in other alternative housing arrangements, there's some question as to how brands like Home Depot and Lowe's, which cater to homeowners, will cope with the changing market.
4. Movies
Movie theaters have seen a drop off in sales in recent years, especially among millennials. In a 2016 article titled, 'Millennials are killing the movie business,' the New York Post reported that in the previous three years, the number of movie ticket buyers between the ages of 18 and 24 declined by more than a third. Some of that reluctance to go to the movies is rooted in the rise of streaming platforms like Netlfix and Hulu, which allow people to watch movies from the comfort of their own homes, for less money than a trip to the theater.
Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
5. LUNCH
Yes, it's true. Millennials are attempting to ruthlessly murder the beloved midday meal. In March, Fortune reported that lunchtime restaurant dining declined by 2 percent in 2016. Millennials have started replacing dining out for lunch with snacks, in part, Fortune reports, because they see snacks are healthier, more convenient, and cheaper than going out.
6. Golf
Apparently, millennials are not into golf. 'From the golf industry statistics, we know that rounds are down. We know that millennials are not picking up the game, and boomers are aging out. The game is in decline,' Matt Powell, from industry-research firm NPD, told Business Insider.
Forbes cites a number of reasons for millennials' lack of interest in the game: Millennials aren't attracted to the exclusiveness of golf clubs; at 4-plus hours, the game takes too long; the golf world lacks diversity; the rules are overly complex; and playing is expensive — millennials are especially hesitant to buy pricey equipment that only has a single use.
7. Handshakes
A 2016 study in the Journal of Hand Therapy found that the average hand strength of men and women has decreased since 1985. Despite headlines declaring that millennials have ruined handshakes, researchers say that the change in grip strength has less to do with a lack of moral fiber than with changing work habits in the last three decades. 'Work patterns have changed dramatically since 1985, when the first norms were established,' study co-author Elizabeth Fain of Winston-Salem State University told NPR. 'As a society, we're no longer agricultural or manufacturing … What we're doing more now is technology-related, especially for millennials.'
8. Vacations
A 2016 report found that 'work martyrs' — that is, workers who don't take off their allotted vacation time for fear of being seen as replaceable or insufficiently dedicated — are especially prevalent among millennials. In fact, 43 percent of millennial workers fall under the 'work martyr' label. Some have argued that this martyrdom sets a damaging precedent for other workers, who may in turn feel pressure to forgo vacation time. (Research has shown that vacations are good for you and your boss!) Millennials' reluctance to take time off is understandable, even if it is regrettable — as the newbies in the workforce, their jobs are the least secure, and they're still feeling the effects of the recession and a difficult job market.
9. Hotels
Last year, the Associated Press reported that many hotels chains are altering their rooms to appeal to millennial customers. New rooms will have minimalist layouts, without some of the amenities that have previously been standard, included full-sized desks. The change might allow for more efficient, less expensive rooms, but the shift has been unpopular with the older crowd, especially people who travel hundreds of nights a year for work.
10. Wine
There have been a lot of trend pieces in recent years about millennials and wine. Millennials, it turns out, love wine. In fact,in 2015, we drank 42 percent of all the wine consumed in the United States — so it makes sense that wine makers are working double time to cater to the millennial market. That means getting creative with social media and technology, and adapting to the fact that millennials don't seem to care all that much about corks vs. screw tops and how long wine has aged.
All of this has made some wine traditionalists unhappy, but change isn't always a bad thing. As Rick Vansickle wrote last year in Quench, '[Millennials] are making their own set of rules, and are changing wine consumption. But, again, they are NOT killing wine. They are reshaping it, and if you're are a winery thinking about your future, you better take notice.'
11. Relationships
In 2015, SheKnows published an article titled, 'Millennials are killing relationships and we should be concerned.' Author Ally Hirschlag lamented, 'Relationships and emotional commitments may simply be too much to expect from the ‘want it right now' generation.' Hirschlag expressed concern that millennials are so enmeshed in hookup culture that they avoid words like 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend,' and that the lack of such labels is 'leaving these poor creatures floating from one non-thing to another like lost souls in dating purgatory.' As dire as this sounds, stereotypes of millennials as commitment-phobic, app-obsessed, serial daters are about as accurate as most stereotypes (so, not very). In fact, a study that came out just last week found that most millennials do not want to stay single, and other research has suggested that, despite the many frustrations of online dating, Gen Y is still optimistic about finding love. So, you know, no need to worry about propagating the species just yet.
News of the Week: Eagles Hit Number One, the iMac Turns 20, and Millennials Murder Mayonnaise
Michael Jackson vs. the Eagles, Round 36
I hear from a very reliable source that pop music is better than ever. I don't happen to agree, but then again I'm an old fogey who is set in his ways when it comes to music, and would rather listen to my kitchen faucet drip all night than listen to something by Kanye West. (Note to self: get kitchen faucet fixed.)
There are a lot of people like that, and apparently they're all buying Eagles and Michael Jackson albums. They've been battling for decades. Some years the Eagles' Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is the number-one-selling album of all time, and other years Jackson's Thriller is in the top spot. It just so happens that this week Don Henley and company can brag a little bit, though I'm not sure if it's fair that a greatest hits album goes up against one specific album in an artist's catalogue. Then again, maybe it's impressive that one album can challenge a popular band's greatest hits album. The Eagles 1976 album has sold 38 million copies, while Jackson's 1982 album has sold 33 million (counting both album sales and online). Elaine's boyfriend Brett must own several copies of that Eagles album.
Sure, the Eagles are No. 1 right now, but maybe Jackson will come out on top eventually. You know … in the long run.
The Computer That Changed Everything
I remember getting into an argument with a friend of mine in 1997 — actually, a friend of a friend — about the fate and future of Apple. He thought the company was about to go out of business, and I thought they would one day be successful again.
Admittedly, the company went through some really bad times in the '90s, and it's not like I had any psychic visions of the iPod or the iPhone (I'd have a bigger bank account if that were the case). But I did know that Apple made great things and that their customers were loyal. I knew they'd be back in a big way eventually.
Apple became the first trillion-dollar company a couple of weeks ago, and it really started with a computer I loved, the iMac (I owned the Bondi Blue one). It's currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, and I wish Apple still made it, hockey puck mouse and all. It was retro and futuristic, nostalgic and forward-looking, all at the same time.
It's amazing how the computer influenced not just the computer industry, but pop culture too. Other tech companies started to copy certain features (or lack thereof) of the iMac, and everybody started to release products with rainbow colors. That even continues to this day.
Walmart Honors Shopping Cart Lady
We all have our pet peeves: the little things in life that annoy us. Some of us can't stand people who drive too slowly, and some of us hate it when people chew their food loudly or cough into their hand. I happen to believe that people who don't return their shopping carts to the carriage corrals are on par with murderers and arsonists.
Honestly, is there anything lazier? You can't take 10 seconds to place your cart into the corral after you've loaded your groceries into your car? Every time I go to the supermarket, I see random carts all over the place, blocking parking spaces and lanes. I've even seen people bring their carts to the side of the carriage corral and leave it there because they're too damn lazy to bring it a few more feet around to the corral's opening. It drives me crazy.
So a round of applause to 70-year-old grandmother Sue Johnson of West Virginia, honored by Walmart recently for returning her cart to the corral during a massive rain and wind storm. She got free grocery pickup for a year and a trophy shaped like — you guessed it — a shopping cart.
Think of Sue the next time you don't return your cart when it's 70 degrees and sunny.
The Cookie Cage
Score one for PETA. https://torrent-ka.mystrikingly.com/blog/free-fun-slots-with-bonus-games.
In a recent letter to shareholders, Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith discussed how millennials are affecting casual dining chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's. 'Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants,' Smith wrote. As millennials have moved away from places like TGI Friday's and Chili's, they've flocked toward fast-casual chains like Panera and Chipotle, which they regard as relatively healthy and fast. 'The healthiness and the speed of service — that's been taking market share from casual dining,' Wedbush analyst Colin Radke told Business Insider. These types of restaurants also offer food at lower price points, which is another attraction for millennial diners.
2. Paper napkins
A 2016 survey found that many millennials are forgoing paper napkins in favor of paper towels, with 56 percent of customers reporting that they had bought paper napkins in the last six months, and 86 percent saying they'd bought paper towels. These numbers are part of a 20-year decline in paper napkin use. Fifteen years ago, sixty percent of households regularly used paper napkins, while just over 40 percent would say the same now. Dan Nirenberg, marketing director for napkins for Georgia-Pacific, toldThe Washington Post that this change is at least in part due to the spending and eating habits of millennials. He said that Gen Y likes paper towels because they can perform multiple functions and regards paper napkins as 'one less thing to buy.'
Why Do Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
3. Major hardware stores
In 2014, Forbes asked, 'Will The Millennial Generation Kill Home Depot?' Millennials are buying homes later than their predecessors; a 2014 Census report found that home ownership among people under the age of 35 was at a record low, and in 2015, the median age of a first-time home buyer reached a record high of 35. This delay in home buying has a number of causes, chief among them the heavy burden of student loan debt that plagues many millennials post-college. Millennials are also marrying and having children later than previous generations, which in turn affects their housing needs. With so many millennials renting, living at home, or living in other alternative housing arrangements, there's some question as to how brands like Home Depot and Lowe's, which cater to homeowners, will cope with the changing market.
4. Movies
Movie theaters have seen a drop off in sales in recent years, especially among millennials. In a 2016 article titled, 'Millennials are killing the movie business,' the New York Post reported that in the previous three years, the number of movie ticket buyers between the ages of 18 and 24 declined by more than a third. Some of that reluctance to go to the movies is rooted in the rise of streaming platforms like Netlfix and Hulu, which allow people to watch movies from the comfort of their own homes, for less money than a trip to the theater.
Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
5. LUNCH
Yes, it's true. Millennials are attempting to ruthlessly murder the beloved midday meal. In March, Fortune reported that lunchtime restaurant dining declined by 2 percent in 2016. Millennials have started replacing dining out for lunch with snacks, in part, Fortune reports, because they see snacks are healthier, more convenient, and cheaper than going out.
6. Golf
Apparently, millennials are not into golf. 'From the golf industry statistics, we know that rounds are down. We know that millennials are not picking up the game, and boomers are aging out. The game is in decline,' Matt Powell, from industry-research firm NPD, told Business Insider.
Forbes cites a number of reasons for millennials' lack of interest in the game: Millennials aren't attracted to the exclusiveness of golf clubs; at 4-plus hours, the game takes too long; the golf world lacks diversity; the rules are overly complex; and playing is expensive — millennials are especially hesitant to buy pricey equipment that only has a single use.
7. Handshakes
A 2016 study in the Journal of Hand Therapy found that the average hand strength of men and women has decreased since 1985. Despite headlines declaring that millennials have ruined handshakes, researchers say that the change in grip strength has less to do with a lack of moral fiber than with changing work habits in the last three decades. 'Work patterns have changed dramatically since 1985, when the first norms were established,' study co-author Elizabeth Fain of Winston-Salem State University told NPR. 'As a society, we're no longer agricultural or manufacturing … What we're doing more now is technology-related, especially for millennials.'
8. Vacations
A 2016 report found that 'work martyrs' — that is, workers who don't take off their allotted vacation time for fear of being seen as replaceable or insufficiently dedicated — are especially prevalent among millennials. In fact, 43 percent of millennial workers fall under the 'work martyr' label. Some have argued that this martyrdom sets a damaging precedent for other workers, who may in turn feel pressure to forgo vacation time. (Research has shown that vacations are good for you and your boss!) Millennials' reluctance to take time off is understandable, even if it is regrettable — as the newbies in the workforce, their jobs are the least secure, and they're still feeling the effects of the recession and a difficult job market.
9. Hotels
Last year, the Associated Press reported that many hotels chains are altering their rooms to appeal to millennial customers. New rooms will have minimalist layouts, without some of the amenities that have previously been standard, included full-sized desks. The change might allow for more efficient, less expensive rooms, but the shift has been unpopular with the older crowd, especially people who travel hundreds of nights a year for work.
10. Wine
There have been a lot of trend pieces in recent years about millennials and wine. Millennials, it turns out, love wine. In fact,in 2015, we drank 42 percent of all the wine consumed in the United States — so it makes sense that wine makers are working double time to cater to the millennial market. That means getting creative with social media and technology, and adapting to the fact that millennials don't seem to care all that much about corks vs. screw tops and how long wine has aged.
All of this has made some wine traditionalists unhappy, but change isn't always a bad thing. As Rick Vansickle wrote last year in Quench, '[Millennials] are making their own set of rules, and are changing wine consumption. But, again, they are NOT killing wine. They are reshaping it, and if you're are a winery thinking about your future, you better take notice.'
11. Relationships
In 2015, SheKnows published an article titled, 'Millennials are killing relationships and we should be concerned.' Author Ally Hirschlag lamented, 'Relationships and emotional commitments may simply be too much to expect from the ‘want it right now' generation.' Hirschlag expressed concern that millennials are so enmeshed in hookup culture that they avoid words like 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend,' and that the lack of such labels is 'leaving these poor creatures floating from one non-thing to another like lost souls in dating purgatory.' As dire as this sounds, stereotypes of millennials as commitment-phobic, app-obsessed, serial daters are about as accurate as most stereotypes (so, not very). In fact, a study that came out just last week found that most millennials do not want to stay single, and other research has suggested that, despite the many frustrations of online dating, Gen Y is still optimistic about finding love. So, you know, no need to worry about propagating the species just yet.
News of the Week: Eagles Hit Number One, the iMac Turns 20, and Millennials Murder Mayonnaise
Michael Jackson vs. the Eagles, Round 36
I hear from a very reliable source that pop music is better than ever. I don't happen to agree, but then again I'm an old fogey who is set in his ways when it comes to music, and would rather listen to my kitchen faucet drip all night than listen to something by Kanye West. (Note to self: get kitchen faucet fixed.)
There are a lot of people like that, and apparently they're all buying Eagles and Michael Jackson albums. They've been battling for decades. Some years the Eagles' Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is the number-one-selling album of all time, and other years Jackson's Thriller is in the top spot. It just so happens that this week Don Henley and company can brag a little bit, though I'm not sure if it's fair that a greatest hits album goes up against one specific album in an artist's catalogue. Then again, maybe it's impressive that one album can challenge a popular band's greatest hits album. The Eagles 1976 album has sold 38 million copies, while Jackson's 1982 album has sold 33 million (counting both album sales and online). Elaine's boyfriend Brett must own several copies of that Eagles album.
Sure, the Eagles are No. 1 right now, but maybe Jackson will come out on top eventually. You know … in the long run.
The Computer That Changed Everything
I remember getting into an argument with a friend of mine in 1997 — actually, a friend of a friend — about the fate and future of Apple. He thought the company was about to go out of business, and I thought they would one day be successful again.
Admittedly, the company went through some really bad times in the '90s, and it's not like I had any psychic visions of the iPod or the iPhone (I'd have a bigger bank account if that were the case). But I did know that Apple made great things and that their customers were loyal. I knew they'd be back in a big way eventually.
Apple became the first trillion-dollar company a couple of weeks ago, and it really started with a computer I loved, the iMac (I owned the Bondi Blue one). It's currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, and I wish Apple still made it, hockey puck mouse and all. It was retro and futuristic, nostalgic and forward-looking, all at the same time.
It's amazing how the computer influenced not just the computer industry, but pop culture too. Other tech companies started to copy certain features (or lack thereof) of the iMac, and everybody started to release products with rainbow colors. That even continues to this day.
Walmart Honors Shopping Cart Lady
We all have our pet peeves: the little things in life that annoy us. Some of us can't stand people who drive too slowly, and some of us hate it when people chew their food loudly or cough into their hand. I happen to believe that people who don't return their shopping carts to the carriage corrals are on par with murderers and arsonists.
Honestly, is there anything lazier? You can't take 10 seconds to place your cart into the corral after you've loaded your groceries into your car? Every time I go to the supermarket, I see random carts all over the place, blocking parking spaces and lanes. I've even seen people bring their carts to the side of the carriage corral and leave it there because they're too damn lazy to bring it a few more feet around to the corral's opening. It drives me crazy.
So a round of applause to 70-year-old grandmother Sue Johnson of West Virginia, honored by Walmart recently for returning her cart to the corral during a massive rain and wind storm. She got free grocery pickup for a year and a trophy shaped like — you guessed it — a shopping cart.
Think of Sue the next time you don't return your cart when it's 70 degrees and sunny.
The Cookie Cage
Score one for PETA. https://torrent-ka.mystrikingly.com/blog/free-fun-slots-with-bonus-games.
In 2016, the animal rights organization wrote a letter to Mondelez International, the owner of Nabisco, to get them to update the front of their animal cracker boxes so the animals are out of their cages. Shangai juego gratis. Seems like the company actually listened. The new boxes recently made their debut.
Sure, we can be happy that the animal cookies (come on, they're more cookie than cracker) are now free from their cages, but you know that five minutes later that lion sank his teeth into the giraffe's neck.
Hold the Mayo
Those damn millennials. They're responsible for the destruction of everything. They're destroying the cereal industry because they don't want to clean their bowls; they don't go to the movies because they'd rather binge-watch something on Netflix; and they shun going on dinner dates for some reason. They even hate napkins! How are they wiping their faces after they eat their avocado toast and kale salads? With their sleeves?
You can now add mayo to the list of things young people don't bother with. Yes, they're mayo-haters, which means they're missing out on creamy potato salad and tuna fish sandwiches the way tuna fish sandwiches are supposed to be made. One of the reasons is because they don't like the texture and they think it's too disgusting to eat. They do know they're not supposed to eat mayo like ice cream, right?
I hate this story for the simple reason it has introduced me to the phrase 'identity condiments.' I had never heard of that concept before and I'm sorry I know what it is now. Soon colleges are going to have to set up safe spaces for students who don't want to deal with ketchup they don't agree with.
By the way, can we stop blaming millennials for everything? Not that they don't deserve a lot of the blame for RUINING EVERYTHING, but we have to direct our ire at the correct age group. Everyone seems to put any 'young' person into the millennial category. People in their teens or 20 aren't millennials! They're … well, whatever generation comes after that. I have trouble keeping track of all of the different names. Generation Y? Generation Z? As a Gen-Xer, I prefer to call them 'the generation who will never know what it's like not to own a smartphone.'
RIP Barbara Harris, Kofi Annan, Don Cherry, and Miriam Nelson
Barbara Harris was an acclaimed Broadway actress who also appeared in such movies as Nashville, Family Plot, Peggy Sue Got Married, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Who is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?, for which she received an Oscar nomination. She died last week at the age of 83.
Kofi Annan was a former secretary general of the United Nations and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He died Saturday at the age of 80.
Don Cherry was not only a top amateur golfer, he was also a popular singer in the 1950s. That's him singing 'Band of Gold' in the very first scene of Mad Men. Cherry actually died in April, but his death is just now being reported. He was 94.
Miriam Nelson was a dancer and choreographer who not only worked with such people as Judy Garland, Cole Porter, and Doris Day, she also worked on many Academy Award telecasts, worked as a choreographer at Disneyland, and even helped put together several Super Bowl halftime shows. She died last week at the age of 98.
This Week in History
Hawaii Becomes 50th State (August 21, 1959)
As if this summer's eruption of the Kīlauea volcano wasn't enough destruction from nature, the islands are now being hit by Hurricane Lane, which reached Category 4 status this week.
'Please Mr. Postman,' First Motown No. 1, Released (August 21, 1961)
The Marvelettes song was later covered by several other bands, including the Beatles and the Carpenters.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Drink of Water (August 22, 1914)
The kid on this Frank X. Leyendecker cover should really put those papers down before he drinks from the fountain.
Quote of the Week
'I might not rate her as the single greatest female vocalist of the rock era — Kelly Clarkson and Linda Ronstadt come to mind as more versatile across more genres and more varied in their emotional resonances …'
—an actual sentence written by Dan McLaughlin in his National Reviewobituary for Aretha Franklin.
National Waffle Day
You ever think of a food and suddenly realize you haven't eaten it in years? That's how I felt when I found out today is National Waffle Day. I'm not really a waffle guy and haven't eaten them in probably 15 or 20 years. If I am going to eat something in that family, it would be pancakes or French toast. Apply to little caesars online. But if you like them, here's a recipe from Curtis Stone for Whole Wheat Waffles with Strawberry-Maple Syrup. Seems like too much work for me. I'd probably just buy a box of Eggo.
Don't get me wrong. Homemade waffles are good! They're just not 'Kelly Clarkson good.'
Next Week's Holidays and Events
National Toilet Paper Day (August 26)
I don't even want to know how you're going to celebrate it.
U.S. Open (August 27)
The tennis tournament is marking 50 years of being an 'open' event, with special celebrations and a brand new Louis Armstrong stadium, which has a retractable roof.
