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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 24 auguSt 2019

Fans choose sides in the ‘Chicken Sandwich War’ of our time

By KATIE WORKMAN about a fried chicken cut-
Associated Press let on a bun?
NEW YORK (AP) — A nation Nancy Hopkins, former
already polarized finds itself food director of Better
divided once again, but Homes & Gardens maga-
this time politics isn’t at the zine, and a veteran food
heart of it: The blame lies editor for over 20 years, has
squarely on a fried piece of this to say: “America loves
poultry. anything crunchy, salty,
People are choosing sides crackly, and good. And
and beefing over chicken, Americans love chicken .
thanks to Popeyes’ release just about any way.”
of its crispy chicken sand- “But this sandwich is simple
wich and the social media and straight to the point,”
debate that has followed. she said.
With just one addition to a “We love fried chicken, but
fast-food menu, the hierar- we don’t make it at home
chy of chicken sandwiches and we love it as a splurge.
in America was rattled, and The sandwich seems less
the supremacy of Chick-fil- guilty. The thought of it fit-
A and others was threat- ting nicely on a bun seems
ened. better for us. It is just simpler
It’s been a trending topic all the way around. Pres-
on social media, fans have Randy Estrada holds up his chicken sandwiches at a Popeyes, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Kyle, sure fried chicken, a pickle,
weighed in with YouTube Texas. Associated Press and a bun.”
commentaries and memes, In February Bon Appetit
and some have reported Good. Forgot. How. Speak. To which Wendy’s respond- with some throwing their ran a story about why fried
long lines just to get a taste In. Complete. Sandwiches. ed: “Ya’ll out here talking backing to Popeyes be- chicken sandwiches were
of the new sandwich I mean, sentences.” about which of these fools cause they disagreed with so popular, and traced the
“Our grandchildren will ask And from that moment, it has the second best chick- Chick-fil-A’s opposition to answer to a creation in the
us where we were when was ON. en sandwich.” LGBTQ rights and its chief 1960s by Atlanta restaura-
the great Chicken War of People began ardently ad- Popeye’s quick retort: executive’s derogatory teur S. Truett Cathy.
2019 began,” Twitter user @ vocating for their favorite “Sounds like someone just comments about same- In the ensuing years every-
MilesRodrigo1 declared. sandwich, whether it be ate one of our biscuits. sex marriage. (Though the one from fast-food chains
While Popeyes has been the new-kid-on-the-block Cause ya’ll looking thirsty.” chain has insisted that it to renowned chefs started
selling chicken for a long Popeyes one, or the OG (Which frankly seemed as if has “no political or social offering their version of the
time, the chain was a con- Wendy’s or Chick-fil-A ver- they were bragging about agenda.”) fried-chicken sandwich,
tender in the bone-in, skin- sions. dry over-salted biscuits? Even the weighty New York- with many garnering praise
on, fried-chicken space, And the social media man- Wendy’s thought so, too, er chimed in: Food writer and a devoted following.
not the fried, boneless, skin- agers for the companies tweeting, “lol, guess that Helen Rosner called Pop- In 2011 David Chang
less cutlet on a bun. reveled in the green light to means the food’s dry as eyes’ new edition “simply opened cult-favorite Fuku
Popeyes announced the talk smack to each other. the jokes.”) beautiful” in a commen- in New York, a restaurant
new sandwich on Twitter “We Didn’t Invent The As the week wore on, peo- tary titled “The Popeyes centered on the beauty
last week with hyperbole Chicken, Just The Chick- ple debated on social me- Chicken Sandwich is Here of fried-chicken sandwich-
that would soon define the en Sandwich!” Chick-fil-A dia, in chat rooms, in per- To Save America.” es. Shake Shack rolled out
social media commotion to bragged on Twitter. “Bun + son. But why has the meager their super popular take
come: “Chicken. Brioche. Chicken + Pickles = all the And even though the top- poultry sandwich riveted a on the sandwich nation-
Pickles. New. Sandwich. (heart emoji) for the origi- ic was the chicken, there nation so? Why do people ally in summer 2016 to high
Popeyes. Nationwide. So. nal.” were political overtones, have such intense feelings acclaim.q
Raphael Saadiq’s history imbues stirring ‘Jimmy Lee’

By PABLO GORONDI a sister” — were mentioned even a brief mid-album oa-
Associated Press already on the lead track of sis — “I’m Feeling Love” —
Raphael Saadiq, “Jimmy his 2002 solo debut, “Instant seems to come with a poi-
Lee” (Columbia Records) Vintage,” but “Jimmy Lee,” soned well.
“Jimmy Lee” is a stirring named after one of his late Both the unrelenting “My
album combining Ra- siblings, deepens and ex- Walk” and the hypnotic
phael Saadiq’s trademark pands the references and “Glory to the Veins” are
vintage soul sounds with connections in songs and heartrending, made even
moving gospel, disquiet- stories about decisions, more so by mentions of
ing soundscapes and clos- fates and outcomes. Jimmy Lee and another
ing triad of tunes that pulls Opener “Sinners Prayer” of Saadiq’s deceased
no punches in address- details hardships and anxi- brothers. The striking “Rik-
ing social ills and personal ety with barely a sliver of ers Island” and a follow-up
doubts. Saadiq’s fam- hope while “So Ready” monologue by actor Dan-
ily losses to addictions and puts a funky bass line on iel J. Watts pull no punches
other tragedies — “an un- top of a thick click track in expressing the injustices
fortunate string of mishaps amid queries like “Can of the prison system and
would eventually take the someone heal my soul?” society at large — “Wake In this Feb. 5, 2018 file photo, Raphael Saadiq arrives at the 90th
lives of three brothers and Despair is everywhere and up, America, and hurry.”q Academy Awards nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Associated Press