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. Millennials think mayo is 'too basic for contemporary tastes — pale and insipid and not nearly exotic enough for our era of globalization.' Instead, they say, ' I'm not part of the elderly mayo.
There's no shortage of divisive foods in the world, but for many people, there seems to be a special kind of derision reserved especially for one particular condiment: Mayo. 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. Feelings can run so strongly that it might lead you to wonder exactly why so many people hate mayonnaise so much — but perhaps not unexpectedly, there isn't just one explanation for the strength of feeling so many share about mayo. It might come down to any number of possibilities, according to several experts with whom Bustle recently spoke — but together, these possibilities paint a compelling larger picture about what fuels our likes and dislikes when it comes to our gastronomic experiences.
- Millennials realized that there was no sense in them paying for the Food Network when they do not even know how to cook. Also, millennials figured that if they wanted to watch a basketball game occasionally, they should not have to pay for ESPN to play the basketball game and also 20,000 hours of X-Games of coverage at the same time.
- An article with the headline 'How Millennials Killed Mayonnaise' sparked an outcry on social media. In fact, mayonnaise sales have plummeted in recent years, leaving mayo makers scrambling for a.
Could an extreme aversion to mayo be a result of picky eating habits developed in childhood that stuck around into adulthood? Maybe. Research has shown that people who are picky eaters as adults tend also to have been picky eaters as children; indeed, according to one study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity in 2018, the same 'picky eater profile' — one marked by high food avoidance and low food approach — has been observe in both kids and grownups. Furthermore, Natalia Stasenko, the registered dietitian and childhood nutrition expert behind Feeding Bytes, tells Bustle that although there aren't any 'concrete numbers' when it comes to how many childhood picky eaters continue to experience issues as adults, roughly 75% of adult picky eaters say that their picky eating habits started when they were kids.
But there isn't just one factor that accounts for picky eating. 'Picky eating is not a single disorder but rather a whole spectrum of issues,' Stasenko tells Bustle. In most people, picky eating habits first rear their heads in the toddler years and start to fall off again between the ages of five and seven, making it a standard part of childhood development. Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Maternal Health and Child Feeding Expert at Crystal Karges Nutrition, agrees. Says Karges, 'Kids are often mislabeled as picky eaters, when in fact, they may just be going through aphase or ‘food jag,' which is a normal part of growth and development.' According to both Stasenk and Karges, this phase can manifest in behaviors like eating smaller portions, avoiding new foods, and skipping meals. They aren't usually cause for concern when they're not fueled by any underlying factors.
But some kids do struggle with picky eating habits that arise from something else — think gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, or sensory difficulties) — and generally, these kids have a little more trouble 'outgrowing' the habits as they get older. There's a lot we still don't know about these kinds of issues — the research is ongoing — but when they continue into adulthood, according to Stasenko, contributing factors may include 'unresolved underlying issues, combined with individual psychosocial makeup.'
What does this all have to do with mayonnaise, specifically? For some people, their experiences with mayo as kids may lead to continued negative associations with it as they grow older, making it something they want absolutely nothing to do with as adults. The pattern holds up at least to anecdotal evidence: As the Huffington Post's extensive 2018 piece on mayo-hating community noted, many self-proclaimed adult mayo haters report having had some sort of traumatic experience with mayonnaise as children which they credit with their long-standing and powerful dislike of the stuff.
Of course, even adults who aren't picky eaters can experience an aversion to mayo, so there's clearly more at play here. Some theories posit that it has something to do with the role disgust has long played in keeping us safe and healthy — and what happens when that impulse goes slightly awry.
Experts widely believe the human emotion of disgust to be a defense mechanism — in our hunter-gatherer days, it helped us avoid contamination, which could make us sick and endanger our survival. 'Disgust is a relatively old system, but I think it is uniquely human,' Paul Rozin, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the world's foremost experts in disgust, tells Bustle. 'In our ancestral environment, it probably functioned to keep us away from decayed food.' This instinct hearkens back to a time when we knew a lot less about our world than we do now — including the fact that some 'decayed' foods, like cheese or soy sauce, are perfectly safe to eat.
But our base instincts often aren't governed by the wealth of knowledge available to us in our modern world — so, even when we know a type of food is safe to eat, our ingrained sense of disgust might kick in anyway as it tries to protect us from something it has long identified as unsafe. For example, says Rozin, 'Most people don't want to eat a piece of chocolate shaped like dog doo, even though they know it is chocolate.'
Mayo, too, might trigger that protective instinct in some people. Indeed, Rozin's theory on why mayonnaise grosses so many people out is simple and elegant: As he notes, 'Soft and slimy things are often decayed, and tend to be disgusting.' Mayo is soft and slimy; ergo, it reminds us of decay; ergo, it is perceived as disgusting.
But that's still not the whole story. It turns out that picky eating habits and our evolutionary sense of disgust have something in common — and that 'something' can act as a sort of trigger that sets off our 'yuck!' reaction: Texture. Indeed, as a 2006 study published in the journal Appetite focused on how certain food properties affect whether we reject a food found, sliminess is particularly associated with food rejection — and mayo is nothing if not slimy.
Interestingly, though, how we experience food texture — and, therefore, how our experience of food texture informs our likes and dislikes — is a lot more complex than just the feel of the food itself, explains sensory science consultant Lauren Rogers to Bustle. We admittedly know less about the sense of touch in the mouth than we do about other senses related to our experience of food — research has more frequently focused on taste and aroma — but multiple senses are involved in how we experience food texture.
'In fact,' says Rogers, 'food texture is often split into three key areas: Initial phase (first bite), masticatory phase (chewing or mouth movement), and residual phase (after swallowing).' Throughout these three phases, we get 'cues' for a food texture experience not just from the feel of the food itself, but also from the appearance of it, the sound of it as we chew, the mechanical sensation of chewing itself, and even the temperature of the food in our mouths. Says Rogers, 'All these aspects will be different for different people due to, for example, differences in sensitivity, mouth and teeth health, and dryness of mouth.'
The context can change how we perceive certain foods, too. In the case of mayo, explains Rogers:
'It will be based on how the mayonnaise reacts with the other food products in the mouth, as well as how the other food products change its texture. So, if you are eating a dry product, this will absorb the saliva and will change the feel of other foodstuffs in the mouth.'
This specific context might therefore make the texture of a food more or less acceptable to you. As an example, I'm fine with mayo if it's used in, say, tuna or potato salad, but I shudder at the thought of eating it on its own or spreading it thickly on a sandwich. Initially, I had a hard time explaining why that was — but Rogers' point about context makes it all become clear: When mayo is mixed in with other foodstuffs, the mouthfeel is A-OK by me. When it's layered on top of other foodstuffs, it changes the whole experience into something I personally find kind of unpleasant.
As Rogers notes, though, exactly why any single person might love or hate a certain food is often unique to that individual. 'It might be something learned from our childhood or related to an episode of food poisoning,' she says. Some people may also simply be 'more sensitive to certain aspects of the food,' per Rogers — think super-tasters, who tend to be much more sensitive to some tastes than people typically are. Any of these possibilities — or countless more — might play into why someone, say, loves coffee or hates mayo.
Ultimately, though, it doesn't really matter why you might hate a certain food, whether it's mayo or something else entirely. You're allowed to have likes and dislikes, no matter what your reasoning behind them might be — even though our culture (wrongly, I would argue) tends to peg moral value to how adventurous an eater you are.
'What is missing from the current understanding of how and why eating problems persist in adulthood is empathy towards those who struggle and strategies to help them cope with potentially anxiety-triggering eating scenarios,' Natalia Stasenko of Feeding Bytes tells Bustle. Feeding research and policy tends to be aimed at 'fixing' the problem, says Stasenko — but that might not be the best way to go about addressing it. 'It is becoming clear now that some adults have a very limited dietary variety and it is not their fault,' she notes. 'Instead of feeling shame and guilt around their eating, they need understanding, tools for coping with anxiety and gentle and kind strategies to explore foods in a way and at a speed that works best for them.'
Hear, hear!
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 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.)
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.'
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.
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
Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
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
Why Do Millennials Hate Mayonnaise
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.
