16 votes

How millennials killed mayonnaise

37 comments

  1. [22]
    Petril
    Link
    Ah yes. Millennials. Those whiny adults under 40 years old who ruin everything. Sounds like this author stopped asking millennials if they liked mayo when they were around 9 years old. Now my...

    Ah yes. Millennials. Those whiny adults under 40 years old who ruin everything. Sounds like this author stopped asking millennials if they liked mayo when they were around 9 years old.

    Now my comments will be just as anecdotal as the author's, but still... I don't know a single millennial who doesn't know that aioli is just mayonnaise. I know plenty of people young and old who don't like it, but I'm squarely a millennial and I think mayo is great; and I don't think I'm one of her "practical... good [children]" outliers. In fact, I don't believe that she's linked any sources saying that mayonnaise is seeing a decline in sales!

    I eye-rolled HAARRRDDDD at this article. I hope she's using artistic license and hyperbole throughout to make a humorous opinion piece...but something in me thinks she actually believes this stuff. I actually feel a little bad for her daughter.

    MY SON JAKE, who’s 25, eats mayo. He’s a practical young man who works in computers and adores macaroni salad. He’s a good son. I also have a daughter. She was a women’s and gender studies major in college. Naturally, she loathes mayonnaise.

    37 votes
    1. [6]
      EightRoundsRapid
      Link Parent
      Underneath the joke that "millennials killed mayonnaise" is a simple observation that tastes have changed over time. We have more choice, better educated palates and vastly more opportunities to...

      Underneath the joke that "millennials killed mayonnaise" is a simple observation that tastes have changed over time.

      We have more choice, better educated palates and vastly more opportunities to sample cuisines from all over the planet.

      So while the style of writing is a bit forced, there's a simple "I've seen the world change" essay that looks at the change through the microcosm of condiment choice.

      That's my interpretation, anyway.

      It's not my fault millennials killed humour once they'd buried mayonnaise in a shallow grave.

      11 votes
      1. [3]
        Petril
        Link Parent
        I'll point out that I did say it was humorous! It's a little like the pupper-speak thread we were just talking about (that was me!): I get why the "Millennials destroy everything" jokes are funny....

        I'll point out that I did say it was humorous!

        It's a little like the pupper-speak thread we were just talking about (that was me!): I get why the "Millennials destroy everything" jokes are funny. I even laughed at them in the beginning. But now they're tedious. Literally one hundred zoollion old people believe they are the funniest thing (and also believe they are true) and trot them out every time they need a quick facebook-attention-boost. I'm a little bored. I'm a little annoyed. I'm almost 30. I'm starting to feel like these jokes aren't going to go away like they did for the generations before.

        6 votes
        1. [2]
          EightRoundsRapid
          Link Parent
          I'm Gen X, and fast approaching 50. Up until the Millennials Vs Boomers wars started, we got blamed for everything that happened, or might happen, or didn't happen. I'm fine with the current...

          I'm Gen X, and fast approaching 50. Up until the Millennials Vs Boomers wars started, we got blamed for everything that happened, or might happen, or didn't happen.

          I'm fine with the current Millennials/Boomers bashing. It's nice to be an observer, instead of a target, at last.

          5 votes
          1. Petril
            Link Parent
            I get you. It's nice to know you understand how I feel.

            I get you. It's nice to know you understand how I feel.

            2 votes
      2. aphoenix
        Link Parent
        This made me exhale sharply through my nose, on the cusp of an outright chuckle.

        It's not my fault millennials killed humour once they'd buried mayonnaise in a shallow grave.

        This made me exhale sharply through my nose, on the cusp of an outright chuckle.

        3 votes
    2. determinism
      Link Parent
      I'm waiting for the final article titled: "How Millennials Killed 'How Millennials Killed [x]' Headlines"

      I'm waiting for the final article titled: "How Millennials Killed 'How Millennials Killed [x]' Headlines"

      6 votes
    3. [8]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      That is 100% wrong. A lot of kitchens use mayo as a base to make aioli but they are not the same thing and in reality an aioli made with mayo is not actually an aioli, it just flavored mayo. It is...

      aioli is just mayonnaise

      That is 100% wrong. A lot of kitchens use mayo as a base to make aioli but they are not the same thing and in reality an aioli made with mayo is not actually an aioli, it just flavored mayo. It is true that they are both emulsifications , but they share different ingredients and are made differently.

      3 votes
      1. [7]
        Petril
        Link Parent
        I mean, isn't aioli just an emulsification of egg, oil, an acid, and flavor? Just like mayo? I'm not saying they're exactly the same, I was pulling from the article that the author writes And,...

        I mean, isn't aioli just an emulsification of egg, oil, an acid, and flavor? Just like mayo?

        I'm not saying they're exactly the same, I was pulling from the article that the author writes

        Besides, I’ve got news: That aioli you’re all so fond of? I hate to break it to you, but that’s just mayonnaise.

        And, honestly, if someone who had had mayo but never aioli asked me what it was, I would be like, "It's like mayo, but usually thinner and more garlicky. And delicious."

        2 votes
        1. [6]
          EscReality
          Link Parent
          Aioli is an emulsification of garlic, salt and olive oil, nothing else. Some people when making it at home use egg or lemon as a way to cheat the emulsification process, but they are not supposed...

          Aioli is an emulsification of garlic, salt and olive oil, nothing else.

          Some people when making it at home use egg or lemon as a way to cheat the emulsification process, but they are not supposed to be there and using them technically makes it not an Aioli. If you are using enough fresh garlic there is no real need to add more acid or a binding agent.

          Mayonnaise is made with oil (whatever is cheapest, usually veg), egg yolk and acid (usually a vinegar or lemon). Mayonnaise is built around the egg yolk and that is its primary ingredient, where as Aioli is built around the garlic. By definition mayonnaise has to always contain egg, likewise by its definition Aioli traditionally never does.

          Sure, they both are very similar but if you ever put a real Aioli next to some Mayonnaise you would never say they were they same thing. The texture, color, consistency and flavor are all very different.

          6 votes
          1. [2]
            Comment deleted by author
            Link Parent
            1. EscReality
              Link Parent
              No problem! I have family from Liguria and it's something they are always adamant about. I also work as a Chef, so Mayonnaise being called Aioli is something I come across often.

              No problem! I have family from Liguria and it's something they are always adamant about. I also work as a Chef, so Mayonnaise being called Aioli is something I come across often.

          2. [4]
            Petril
            Link Parent
            Hmm... It looks like it's a regional thing. About half the recipes I find for aioli have egg yolk in them (which is why I made the comment.) And what the author was getting at (and me too) is...

            Hmm... It looks like it's a regional thing. About half the recipes I find for aioli have egg yolk in them (which is why I made the comment.)

            And what the author was getting at (and me too) is that:

            they both are very similar.

            I definitely wasn't trying to do a food science or even a food critiquing session.

            1 vote
            1. [3]
              EscReality
              Link Parent
              I wouldn't necessarily call it a regional thing, the recipes you are finding with egg are just wrong. Aioli translated literally means Garlic and Oil. You will not find anywhere in the...

              It looks like it's a regional thing

              I wouldn't necessarily call it a regional thing, the recipes you are finding with egg are just wrong.

              Aioli translated literally means Garlic and Oil. You will not find anywhere in the mediterranean making it with egg (or anyone in a professional kitchen for that matter).

              1. [2]
                Petril
                Link Parent
                From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aioli I do get that it literally means garlic and oil. And I totally don't care enough about it to have the argument about "is it wrong just because...

                From Wikipedia:

                is a Mediterranean sauce made of garlic and olive oil; some regions use other emulsifiers such as egg.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aioli

                I do get that it literally means garlic and oil. And I totally don't care enough about it to have the argument about "is it wrong just because how they originally made it is different?" But I'm not about to go around saying "That's not aioli! It has egg yolks!" when I go to a restaurant. I'm in no way a purist; it doesn't bother me that the way we make pastas and pizzas is different in the US than in Italy. It's ok that you are.

                1 vote
                1. EscReality
                  Link Parent
                  Eh, wikipedia can say what it wants. But a pretty major divide between the two is that one has eggs and one doesn't. I am not a purist, I am a trained Chef...

                  Eh, wikipedia can say what it wants. But a pretty major divide between the two is that one has eggs and one doesn't. I am not a purist, I am a trained Chef...

    4. [2]
      spctrvl
      Link Parent
      I'm pretty sure the article is satirical.

      I'm pretty sure the article is satirical.

      2 votes
      1. Petril
        Link Parent
        That would be great! But it just goes to show how many of these articles we see that are not. Maybe I'm just oblivious, but I like my satire to have a little more bite than this. Just like how...

        That would be great! But it just goes to show how many of these articles we see that are not.

        Maybe I'm just oblivious, but I like my satire to have a little more bite than this. Just like how Millennials feel about their condiments.

        4 votes
    5. Fin
      Link Parent
      Holy shit, how can you talk about your kid like that? Also I'm one of the people who have never heard of aioli and I love mayo.

      Holy shit, how can you talk about your kid like that? Also I'm one of the people who have never heard of aioli and I love mayo.

    6. [4]
      Comment removed by site admin
      Link Parent
      1. EightRoundsRapid
        Link Parent
        Gen Y, Gen Z, millennials - they've ruined a lot of stuff. And they will be made to pay.

        Gen Y, Gen Z, millennials - they've ruined a lot of stuff. And they will be made to pay.

        4 votes
      2. Luna
        Link Parent
        I just wish people would make up their minds about the cutoff. Some say 1995, others 1997, 1/1/2000, or 9/11/2001. IDK what I am, I just say I'm a millennial because people call me one.

        I really can't wait we start getting articles about how horrible Gen Z are. The oldest of them are about to graduate college and enter the American workforce at this point

        I just wish people would make up their minds about the cutoff. Some say 1995, others 1997, 1/1/2000, or 9/11/2001. IDK what I am, I just say I'm a millennial because people call me one.

        2 votes
      3. pleure
        Link Parent
        Every time I see those articles I can only wish they were accurate.

        After seeing 10+ years of articles about how Millennials have destroyed everything that America holds dear

        Every time I see those articles I can only wish they were accurate.

        2 votes
  2. [6]
    StellarV
    Link
    I've never known anyone to have that strong of an opinion on mayonnaise. I feel like this must be tongue-in-cheek because otherwise this is the most ridiculous argument and full of anecdotal...

    I've never known anyone to have that strong of an opinion on mayonnaise. I feel like this must be tongue-in-cheek because otherwise this is the most ridiculous argument and full of anecdotal evidence and cherry picking.

    11 votes
    1. Petril
      Link Parent
      I totally believe that it's supposed to be flip! But I'm not one hundred percent sure I buy that it's complete satire. Of course, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong!

      I totally believe that it's supposed to be flip! But I'm not one hundred percent sure I buy that it's complete satire. Of course, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong!

      1 vote
    2. [3]
      asteroid
      Link Parent
      I have seen people get worked up about mayo. On both sides of the issue. Also I know some odd people.

      I have seen people get worked up about mayo. On both sides of the issue.

      Also I know some odd people.

      1. [2]
        Amarok
        Link Parent
        I have a friend who had a 'mayonnaise snowball' incident in his youth, and as a result won't touch any white condiments. No ranch, no bleu cheese, no sour cream? That's no way to live life. He...

        I have a friend who had a 'mayonnaise snowball' incident in his youth, and as a result won't touch any white condiments. No ranch, no bleu cheese, no sour cream? That's no way to live life. He will eat vanilla ice cream, though, so I guess the trauma has its limits.

        2 votes
        1. determinism
          Link Parent
          One of my engineering senior projects involved slathering mayo on lunch trays and testing how well an industrial washing machine managed to clean them in various configurations. The washing...

          One of my engineering senior projects involved slathering mayo on lunch trays and testing how well an industrial washing machine managed to clean them in various configurations. The washing machine reused the same water supply throughout the testing, it smelled like a nightmare and I basically lived next to that thing for a week. I still enjoy mayo on sandwiches.

          3 votes
    3. ViV
      Link Parent
      As a millennial who has always had a strong aversion to mayo (or at least just plain Helmann’s style mayo being liberally slathered on a sandwich), I’m certain I’m part part of a small minority....

      As a millennial who has always had a strong aversion to mayo (or at least just plain Helmann’s style mayo being liberally slathered on a sandwich), I’m certain I’m part part of a small minority.

      Now, a lot of other competitors have gained steam over the years. I feel like my aversion has gotten less troublesome as it’s easy to get a sandwich with something else on it. And I feel like it’s less unusual for me to prefer something other than mayo. I’ve recently noticed that it’s become standard to ask “mayo or oil” when ordering a turkey and cheese for example. Also there’s probably the classic mixup about how old millennials are, and I wouldn’t be surprised if kids and teenagers are more averse to mayo these days.

      So the outcome’s still the same, but the progression just feels like your standard phasing out of an old, mediocre condiment.

  3. vakieh
    Link
    Aioli is only mayonnaise if you're a boomer whose tastebuds (such as they were) died in the 70s. Hi, I'm a millennial. All old people have shit taste, and I revel in every picket fence staple I...

    Aioli is only mayonnaise if you're a boomer whose tastebuds (such as they were) died in the 70s.

    Hi, I'm a millennial. All old people have shit taste, and I revel in every picket fence staple I rouse my generation to destroy. Next on the list: how millennials are killing quality nursing home care.

    9 votes
  4. [2]
    godzilla_lives
    Link
    If this doesn't scream "satire" from a mile away, I don't know what else possibly could.

    Oh, there’s the occasional outlier, like Jake. But for the most part, today’s youth would sooner get their news from an actual paper newspaper than ingest mayonnaise.

    If this doesn't scream "satire" from a mile away, I don't know what else possibly could.

    7 votes
    1. Petril
      Link Parent
      The hundreds of articles about millennials "killing paper newspapers" and "never deigning to read a newspaper" might undercut that satire. I can absolutely believe that a person (employing...

      The hundreds of articles about millennials "killing paper newspapers" and "never deigning to read a newspaper" might undercut that satire. I can absolutely believe that a person (employing humorous hyperbole) could say this and mean it. In my head, they could have said the above and meant, literally, "Because of today's youth [adults under 40 because this was written in 2018], mayonnaise is soon going to go the way of the newspaper."

      I could say "Today's youth would sooner pose nude for one of George W's mediocre paintings and sell it to raise funds for Millennial Avocado Toast Haters Anonymous than buy a jersey Ivanka Trump dress off the clearance rack at Herberger's [get it??!!?! Cause millennials love avocado toast and want to murder everyone who doesn't love it?!]" and still literally mean "I believe Democrat Millennials hated George W, but now he seems like a lovely walk in the park compared to the Trump family, to them."

  5. [6]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [5]
      Petril
      Link Parent
      I get that you're being tongue-in-cheek, I promise, but I'd like to ask a serious question. Do you actually think this article title is clickbaity? While I wasn't a fan of the article, I have no...

      I get that you're being tongue-in-cheek, I promise, but I'd like to ask a serious question. Do you actually think this article title is clickbaity? While I wasn't a fan of the article, I have no problems with the title. It's succinct, it gives the "what" but not the "how" away, and it doesn't have the desperate hallmarks of clickbait. "You won't believe what Millennials are doing to America's favorite condiment!" "Are Millennials killing mayonnaise? The carnage will shock you."

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. [2]
          Petril
          Link Parent
          Ok. That makes sense. But it does sound like you're more disappointed in the article than the title. Am I correct in assuming that if the author did tell us how Millennials killed mayonnaise, you...

          Ok. That makes sense. But it does sound like you're more disappointed in the article than the title. Am I correct in assuming that if the author did tell us how Millennials killed mayonnaise, you would be less annoyed?

          Also, haven't headlines like that been around much longer than "clickbait"? Are you also annoyed by articles titled "The case for..."?

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            Comment deleted by author
            Link Parent
            1. Petril
              Link Parent
              Understood. Thanks for the conversation!

              Understood. Thanks for the conversation!

              2 votes
      2. [2]
        notnamed
        Link Parent
        What annoys me about the clickbaitiness of the title is the fact that the title of this piece was changed for online publication. This is an online edition of a print magazine story. The title of...

        What annoys me about the clickbaitiness of the title is the fact that the title of this piece was changed for online publication. This is an online edition of a print magazine story. The title of the story in the print magazine was The White Stuff, a much better title - and in contrast, the online title is clearly clickbait.

        2 votes
        1. Petril
          Link Parent
          Ooh, interesting! Thanks for the info!

          Ooh, interesting! Thanks for the info!

  6. mithranqueen
    Link
    I honestly can't tell if this is satire or not, but I sincerely hope it is. If not, this author is way too invested in people's condiment choices.

    I honestly can't tell if this is satire or not, but I sincerely hope it is. If not, this author is way too invested in people's condiment choices.

    4 votes