MSNBC declared 'funnier than The Onion' for op-ed on how 'Red Lobster's fall' affects black people

An MSNBC op-ed drew derision as social media users reacted to the idea that “Red Lobster's fall affects black communities differently.”

The piece, written by Robyn Autry, professor of sociology and director of the Center for the Study of Public Life at Wesleyan University, prompted quick reactions to X where users rolled their eyes.

If you were to make a parody of MSNBC, what would you do differently than what the network already produces? pic.twitter.com/PL5x7W0cLY

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 22, 2024

Red Lobster announced it would close dozens of restaurants after filing for bankruptcy. The seafood chain's demise is seen as another casualty of President Joe Biden's post-COVID era and crippling economy, along with his own disastrous “endless shrimp” marketing, Autry opted to look at things with race-colored glasses.

“Bill Darden opened the first Red Lobster restaurant in South Orlando, Florida in 1968, just weeks before Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated,” explained the piece from the door.

“Black consumers are among the most loyal. Of course we like fish and a lot, the red lobster represented something like the mall version of the beloved fish fry, but we like it even more to be treated the same,” the editorial continues.

I can imagine all the live MSNBC hosts reading this headline and starting to think this could be a Veep-like TV show.

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 22, 2024

“Black Americans' taste for red lobster followed economic trends as middle- and working-class diners opted for the more expensive $25-$30 per person casual dining experience over options of fast food seafood like Captain D's and Long John Silver's.” pointed piece

“The restaurant became strongly associated with black people celebrating special occasions,” Autry wrote, adding that “the chain became one of those things in black culture that people could relate to as that spread”.

The mocking of X was brutal:

Imagine Chris Hayes peering over his glasses and intoning, “Why the fall of Red Lobster is affecting black communities differently”

— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) May 22, 2024

What's great about this genre is that they could just as easily write an article that Red Lobster's downfall is a blow against white privilege.

— AmishDude (@TheAmishDude) May 22, 2024

Black people won't date you, MSNBC.

— Calvin Grateful (@shoveitjack) May 22, 2024

pic.twitter.com/vbkJibWxwH

— Edward (@edwardrussl) May 22, 2024

More fun than the onion

— BitsAndAtoms (@BitsOrAtoms) May 22, 2024

“Say 'Buffet Lovers Matter'. SAY IT!” https://t.co/JhTFha1HBq pic.twitter.com/tWFFuX9aIL

— Hollaria Briden, Esq. (@HollyBriden) May 22, 2024

If you don't like red lobster, you're not black

— Andrew Dice Hardy (@eli14881745) May 22, 2024

Senior Staff Writer
[email protected]

Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida, where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

Latest messages from Frieda Powers (see everything)

We have zero tolerance for comments that contain violence, racism, profanity, profanity, doxing, or rude behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it, click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for engaging with us in a fruitful conversation.