Forgive me... but what is the "Olive Garden flamewar"?

[WildEyedLiberal]

The "Olive Garden war" has become the Noodle Incident of the Lounge (Calvin and Hobbes fans will get that reference). It is referred to in ominous tones all across the Lounge, accompanied by a crack of thunder and the whinnying of horses, but as far as actual details... I'm completely lost.

Can anyone fill me in? Or is this against the rules? Mods, feel free to lock if this breaks any rules. I'm just confused and curious. :shrug:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

1. A poster posted about how she'd eaten at an Olive Garden in NYC.

Several people were very pissed off, saying that eating at a chain restaurant in a food Mecca is unacceptable, when there are a million locally-owned Italian restaurants in NYC--indeed, in the area where she was eating at a corporate chain. (Basically, "You don't eat at a chain in a big city! You eat local, support the locals, and actually experience the city!") The thing really got crazy.

[WildEyedLiberal]

3. Geez. Was this recent?

I've heard tales of the infamous "Olive Garden" war for some time, so I wasn't sure if it was one epic thread or a series of battles (a la the "Fat Actress" wars, which, if you haven't read them, you should really look them up. Lounge classics!)

Oh and LOLZ because someone recommended this thread

[flvegan]

4. *snicker*

[WildEyedLiberal]

10. Well, it's nice to be recognized

:P

[Radio_Lady]

48. Wild Eyed Liberal, I'm breaking my silence to tell you I was one of the people who

got MASSIVELY heaped on when I deigned to recommend the Olive Garden. Call Me Wesley finally locked that thread.

And it went on, and on, and on -- into, around, and through other threads. It started last June 2006 when I returned from our NYC trip.

Remarkable how something so small got very, very BIG and very, very UGLY!

[WildEyedLiberal]

53. I'm very sorry about what happened to you

I finally read the thread, and it was completely uncalled for. Who CARES if Olive Garden is anyone else's choice? The atmosphere here can be very, very junior high, in which the "cool kids" feel the need to assert their relevance by making fun of who they perceive to be the "uncool kids." It's disgusting.

I hope you stick around, because there are enough good people here to outweigh the assholes.

[Radio_Lady]

75. Thanks, WEL. Put you on my buddy list and appreciate your post.

[WildEyedLiberal]

77. Thanks, Radio Lady!

I'm so glad you decided to stay at DU. :hug:

Here's my advice: put the nasty ones on ignore. It is SO much better for your peace of mind, trust me.

[GirlinContempt]

6. NO YOU ARE WRONG

she reccomended someone ELSE eat at olive garden in new york! THE INSANITY THE MAYHEM whyarewestilltalkingaboutthis
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=5279955&mesg_id=5279955

[Texasgal]

14. wow.. I had forgotten what a shitty thread that was..

The assholes are out in force.

[GirlinContempt]

24. For all the hype it got

it was pretty short and boring.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. There was another thread...

a spin-off of the first, which was the real doozy.

Haven't got a link. But it was started the same day if you want to search for it.

[GirlinContempt]

26. Yeah I remember vaguely

but still, it's no breast feeding.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. No, breast feeding takes the cake.

I've never seen anything like the breast feeding threads.

[GirlinContempt]

28. YOU WANT TO TIE WOMEN TO THE PATRIARCHY

breastfeeding is OPPRESSIVE and UNHEALTHY OMGZ :crazy:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Whatever you do...

don't breastfeed pitbulls while listening to rap "music."

[GirlinContempt]

30. Or smoke fried chicken in wal-mart

[CanuckAmok]

78. Who's tying who to what now?

Cool, I'm feeling knotty....

[Left Is Write]

64. "Advanced search is turned off due to high traffic."

Somehow, I missed any and all of the Olive Garden flamewars. That must have been during my DU break.

[distantearlywarning]

51. I never read that thread before either.

As soon as I saw a certain name come up in that thread, it was like the light went on about the Olive Garden war. Like, "Ohhhh, that's why that happened!".

Not going to name names, but there are certain people on this board who turn everything they touch to flames because they have such an aggressively bad attitude. It's never about disagreements here on DU, it's about HOW you disagree, and certain people haven't learned how to interact in a civil way with decent human beings. They act crazy and encourage others to act crazy too.

I haven't read the chicken thread yet, but now I wonder if the same person in question started that dumb flame war too...

ON EDIT: I'm not talking about Radio Lady. I like her and I was sorry when she left.

[Radio_Lady]

69. Whew! Thanks for the vote of confidence, DEW.

Thought for sure I was going to have to defend myself once again.

PS. I didn't read the "chicken" thread OR the "breastfeeding" thread OR the "pitbull" thread.

And you know what? I'm glad I missed them!

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. Bwaha thanks

Now I can read it and my life is complete.

[Hissyspit]

32. Wow, memories, GirlinContempt...

The irony of this post today is that I ate at Olive Garden tonight (not in Manhattan). It wasn't very good. I think I ended taking some of Rabrrrr's suggestions on my New York Trip.

[Rhythm]

33. Yikes!

I work for the unmentionable OG, and even I would never recommend someone go there if they're in the Big Apple, or any other city for that matter...

WTF?!

Every city has their own culinary footprint...
much better to explore those places before settling for the corporate generics.

[Radio_Lady]

52. Still smarting, ThinkBlue1966? Sometimes people don't have time to

explore the city's "culinary footprint," whatever that means.

In Times Square, it's pretty much all about "corporate generics" if you mean minestrone soup, bread sticks, and salad. When I lived in New York City, my former husband and I only went to small, delightful, neighborhood restaurants. That was during 1962 to 1969.

In 2006, we were tourists and confined largely to midtown Manhattan, except for one subway trip down to Ground Zero. Mostly, we ate at the Hilton's Manhattan Club timeshare happy hour -- lots of free goodies from 4 PM to 6 PM.

You work for the Olive Garden? Are they good to you as a corporation? Glad they don't find out about you bad-mouthing their store?

I've got a 101 degree temperature today and I'm not going to take (this crap) any more, as I said last night.

[Blue Diadem]

62. I hope you feel better soon RL

:hug:

[Radio_Lady]

70. Thanks, OVC-Ohio. You're a sweetie!

[Hissyspit]

65. I think you were wonderful to respond to be the only person to respond to my post

for a while, Radio Lady. Eventually, I got a lot of suggestions, but you were the first and only to respond for a while and I appreciated it. I was looking for out of the way places to go, but ironically, right now I am eating left-over Olive Garden pizza!

[Radio_Lady]

71. Adorable answer! Eating left-over pizza from the Olive Garden??

Some here would equate that with taking poison -- me? I've never had pizza at the Olive Garden.

However, Pizza Hut and Godfather's and Pizzicato do a good job around here!

[Haole Girl]

66. I hope you feel better soon!

[Rhythm]

68. *Culinary footprint* (whatever that meant *L* at almost 2am)

RL, all i was referring to is that every city has something that it's generally known to be good for, in terms of food. NYCity has a different one for every 10 blocks, give or take.

The OG/Darden is pretty good to work for (thus far, for me, anyway... they just opened here a few months ago), including an open-door policy when it comes to offering critiques about recipes/techniques or other company policies. I've even had long discussions with the GM about how OG is compares to a couple of the locally-owned Italian restaurants (which he then visited, and agreed with me that they are WAY out of our league *L*)

[Omphaloskepsis]

81. Consider Olive Garden density.

I never saw one when I lived in Portland. We only have one in Eugene. Your Burger King might be my Del Taco. A fucking rarity. Now excuse me while I go to Taco Time for a Crisp Meat Burrito.

[Haole Girl]

42. Wow

I never read that.

It's just really sad.

Now the pieces of the puzzle come together.

This one's for R_L... :hug: I know you were just trying to help.

It really isn't so funny now.

[Puglover]

50. No kidding

She is one of the kindest people on this board and was skewered by a bunch of assholes.



So many people on this board haven't figured out that if you have to beat someone over the head with how hip and now you are; well, you aren't.

:hug: That's for you Radio Lady!

[Zomby Woof]

2. It's how idiots pass time

[Hugin]

5. Oh... So it's the new 'Fried Chicken'?

Cool.

:thumbsup:

[Sanity Claws]

7. I remember it too

It happened this past summer. Someone was visiting NYC and asked for restaurant recommendations. Someone responded by saying The Olive Garden. Yes, the incident is now spoken of in hushed tones.
Do you remember when the Lounge was barred from posting threads about Chicken?

[WildEyedLiberal]

13. No, but I remember the ban on Fat Actress

Another Lounge classic... I felt like my knowledge of DU lore was imcomplete without the Olive Garden thread, so thanks everyone! Hahaha

[Sanity Claws]

17. Maybe we should post a question about the Chicken incident

I never learned why Chicken was banned in the Lounge for a while but it was. Skinner had to justify why it was banned and that people's freedom of speech was not being infringed. I remember him writing something like "Chicken, f'chrissakes, it's Chicken."

[SOteric]

8. That was just silly. Now, the cornflake wars, the okra wars,

and the green bean casserole skirmish, - those - were important military engagements.

[Bunny]

35. Don't I know it! I left my right leg on the battlefield of the green

bean casserole war. To this day I can still 'feel' my missing leg. :cry:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. LOL.

Awhile back, somebody asked for restaurant recommendations in NYC, as they'd be visiting.

Radio_Lady, who I'm fond of, recommended Olive Garden, who apparently have a restaurant in Times Square.

Several people thought this was rather funny, and some of us, mostly me, gave her grief about it. Just busting her balls, really. Tongue in cheek.

But apparently several other people thought we were attacking Radio_Lady, and took it personally. It devolved into a rather ugly flame war involving politics, classism, choice in vacation, etc. This being the Lounge, there were numerous jokers and copycats.

And a couple of people put me on ignore.

[DawgHouse]

11. Well, I heard that Radio_Lady puts sugar in her cornbread.

Wanna fight about it? :)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. How dare you insult people who eat cornbread!

Oh my! Oh dear!

Well, I guess us liberals aren't supposed to eat cornbread!

:angry:

[Radio_Lady]

72. I've never made cornbread in my life! But, I used to eat it at a small

restaurant called Sierras on Rt. 117 in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

They made cornbread with PEPPER in it -- at this Mexican restaurant! It was hot!

[Lautremont]

15. Something that should literally happen in Olive Gardens across

North America...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. Just be sure you don't eat at Red Lobster.

And if you do, don't smoke, talk on your cell phone or breastfeed your baby.

[Lars39]

19. It was bad, but I don't think Skinner had to step in like he did

about C*H*I*C*K*E*N. We still haven't got over that. :wow:

[Sanity Claws]

20. So you remember the Chicken ban too

What caused Skinner to ban chicken?

[Lars39]

21. It was so bad I repressed the memory.

Naw, I never really figured that one out either.:D

[Texasgal]

22. here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3499154

[Sanity Claws]

23. Thanks but I still don't know what started it

I remember Skinner's posting and thought it was hilarious but what started it? I remember one person used to take offense quite easily and eventually she was tombstoned. Did it have to do with her?

[REP]

34. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=961628

[datasuspect]

57. the only reasonable response to that:

not meant towards you, but the exchange in that discussion.

[Midlodemocrat]

40. That was so unbelievably funny. Remember that?

:rofl:

Of all the things to get worked up over....chicken.

[Hissyspit]

31. It was my post that started it. I asked about restaurants to go to in Manhattan

and Radio Lady was kind enough to suggest the Olive Garden in Times Square. When I checked back a couple of days later, a full-fledged flame war had started. I sent a PM to Radio Lady not to take it too seriously, that I was very happy that she took the time to be the first responder to my post, although I wholeheartedly support the sentiment that, if on visitation to the Big Apple, one should find the charming local bistros and avoid chain restaurants, which you can dine at at home. I did eat Italian when I went to Manhattan, but it was one of Mario Batali's restaurants.

I ate at Olive Garden tonight (had a gift certificate) and it wasn't very good.

[madinmaryland]

38. I ate at an Olive Garden here in MD and it was pretty good.

Unfortunately, unless we want to drive 30 miles to Baltimore or DC, then we are stuck with chains here.

:shrug:

[Midlodemocrat]

41. Humorous little Olive Garden story.

When my dad was alive, before he got sick and had to be placed in a nursing home, he wouldn't let a green vegetable touch his lips. I can't tell you how many lovely salads my mom threw down the disposal.

After he moved down here with me, I would take him out to eat a couple of times a week and he LOVED the Olive Garden for its....salad.

No kidding. I even videotaped him asking for another bowl to show my brothers.

I think my mom is still yelling at him 'up there'.

[Hissyspit]

63. Maybe all along he just wanted Italian dressing?

[Radio_Lady]

74. Midlodemocrat, that's such a cute story! Thanks for relating it to us.

[PVnRT]

36. omgz olive gardne is teh evil

If you're not combing the streeets looking for a locally-owned Italian restaurant whose employees just got off the boat yesterday and thus KNOW authentic Italian food, you are a vicious scumbag, probably a freeper and really a bad person.

[Phillycat]

39. ...

:thumbsup:

[JVS]

44. But sometimes mom and pop are fucking shifty assholes who serve bad food...

and I don't always want to take the chance. Teh Garden isn't great, but it is realiable.

[PVnRT]

46. Impossible!

Those kinds of places would never do such a thing! Fascist!

[JVS]

47. Is so possible. I know some small places that suck ass.

[cwydro]

37. Thank you so much for asking this

I've been wondering about it too....:wtf:

[JVS]

43. Olve Grden is teh roXXor!

[datasuspect]

45. the "olive garden" passes for a flamewar?

jeez, what a sad commentary on the state of lamerz. i thought 1996 was bad when the general public started flooding the internet.

it's like watching monkees flinging shit at each other.

[BikeWriter]

49. It's classified as a need to know basis.

[SoCalDem]

54. Chicken

[Zookeeper]

55. I read Radio Lady's "goodbye" thread....

but, didn't know the full story.

My reactions to reading that thread? Most of the posters were using it as an excuse to show how cool they were because they were familiar with NYC restaurants. A couple of the posters tend to be obnoxious and ill-mannered anyway.

Personally, I don't like the Olive Garden. But, I can totally understand why a visitor to a crowded, expensive city might just choose to get fed by the nearest restaurant, rather than wandering around or taking a subway ride to a "cooler" place. And she mentioned that it had a great view of the street, which would be reason enough to stop for a soup and salad lunch.

I hope Radio Lady will rejoin us when she is feeling better....:hi:

[tigereye]

56. you silly person!

:hi:

personally, if someone wants to eat there, it's no one else's business.

Just don't eat there in NYC and you will be fine. ;)

[NNadir]

58. I actually thought it was some kind of joke. Apparently it wasn't.

I wonder if there's a deeper meaning to all of the stuff about Tom Cruise?

[Generator]

59. While she was there she thought she was family

but she really wasn't. Never recovered, (so I hear).

[jakefrep]

60. While the "Olive Garden War" was brutal,....

....it is not nearly as contentious as the "Public Breastfeeding Wars" and "The Cracker Barrel Conflict".

[Rabrrrrrr]

67. The Cracker Barrel Conflict was way the hell better than the Olive Garden one!

And the chicken/corn flakes war is still the ultimate.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

76. What were both of those about?

I know about the Olive Garden flamewar, but I haven't seen the threads about these two, or the one about Fat Actress. :shrug:

[Redstone]

61. Fuck me. I wish I hadn't read that. I thought DU was a better place.

While I never shy from a fight about a specific subject (as you all probably know), seeing a DUer pilloried for recommending a restaurant that just isn't hip or sophisticated enough for the tastes and yes, the snottiness and "I know every restaurant in New York more than you do" attitude of other DUers is just disgusting.

She wants to eat at Olive Garden? Fine. I won't want to, but I'll be damned if I'm going to attack her for doing so.

Redstone

[Radio_Lady]

73. Hey, Redstone. Thanks for your generosity! It's nice to know at least

8/9ths or more of the DUers here won't attack. I'm putting REDSTONE on my Buddy List. I'm glad some of you are asleep!

And the IGNORE function does work.

However, it's the responses to the IGNORED PERSON's responses that then make no sense! But, hi-dee-ho, I'm glad you're here.

[CanuckAmok]

79. I'd like to take Kirsty Alley to Olive Garden....

Have some breadsticks, etc...

[Scooter24]

80. I'm still trying to understand the cornflake chicken

drama... :shrug: