Gene Weingarten is being DRAGGED for his article hating on indian food

[Anonymous]

Ugh. To be honest, although I like Indian food, it's a sometime thing for me. It's good, but I don't want to eat it as often as my husband, who is Indian. That may be due to the fact that my husband's cooking repetoire is limited (no idea if that is the case, but maybe). Still that article is horrible. Not funny, dumb, and offensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He makes no apologies I find it interesting that he lumped an entire nation's cuisine alongside 'sweet pickles' but if the Indian posters aren't offended, who am I to be?

He makes a point though. If you dislike curry and /or any of its components, it does eliminate a lot of options for you. Kind of like people who dislike cilantro have most Tex-mex ruined for them. I can’t stand fish, and there is so much Thai and East Asian (and the good old Caesar salad) that I cannot eat because of ubiquitous fish sauce.

Does anyone disagree with that line of thinking?

No one disagrees that it's fine to dislike Indian food. If I were serving him I wouldn't make Indian food, just like I don't make stuff with cilantro for my dad. I do think it's interesting that he has to imagine pureed snails for French food rather than saying something about butter or cheese which do actually make huge swaths of French food gross to some people. The real issue, for me, is that it's a dumb, boring thing to write about. Not every thought that goes through your brain has to be put on the page, even if you're a columnist. "I don't like this because it tastes bad to me" isn't an interesting contribution to any conversation, it isn't funny, it exists only to be words on a page. Why bother writing that?

[Anonymous]

Sad times. I am a BIPOC woman who laughed at his columns for years. Some of these guys are like uncles who have gotten foggy; they need guidance and to take a few steps out of the spotlight.

[Anonymous]

I like Indian food but I have never found Weingarten the least bit funny. Or even readable. Maybe he will retire soon ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now I want to order Indian food.

We actually did order Indian last night thanks to this thread. I got a craving. Aside from the offensiveness issue, I didn’t find either version of this column to make a lot of sense. I don’t like the single flavor of Madras curry that is available in your average American grocery store spice aisle—it’s too sweet for my taste—but I almost never encounter that flavor in Indian restaurant dishes I order, and no recipe from an Indian cookbook I’ve seen calls for it or for any other pre-mixed spice blend. I think it was probably common for Americans to use the store blend when trying to impress their friends with their “sophisticated” curry recipes in the 70’s. That sadly may be what many people of that generation, or some people currently living in areas with no access to good Indian restaurants, think all Indian food is like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He makes no apologies I find it interesting that he lumped an entire nation's cuisine alongside 'sweet pickles' but if the Indian posters aren't offended, who am I to be?

There are always some Indians that are somewhat self-loathing and keep a colonized mindset. Keep the peace and all, it’s okay, yes man types. There’s a whole Reddit for ‘am Indian, can confirm’ types.

People who are not Indian can see the ridiculousness and how offensive the commentary is. Especially in this day and age, it’s obviously wrong.

NP, also an Indian-American who isn’t offended and frankly doesn’t care about this reference. I think it’s dumb humor, but people are allowed their dislikes. You’re gross. Who are you to project your opinions and mentality on everyone and call people who don’t agree “self-loathing”?

Uh oh someone is touchy. I guess PP is right.

[Anonymous]

Shrugs.

I spent enough time eating in India as well as in Dubai, which probably has the best Indian dining scene outside India and in many ways, possibly even better than India itself, and there's truth to that so much of Indian cooking is essentially overcooked brown mush tasting of the same handful of spices (hi cumin!). Can it be more complex than that? Sure, but there's also a kernel of truth to it. The prevalence of certain spices seems to be so dominant and it's not to everyone's taste.

On the whole, I liked South Indian better than North Indian despite being spicier as there seemed to be more variety in flavors involved.

Nor is it racist to say one doesn't like Indian food. How many of you would argue it's racist to say you don't like Russian or Polish food? Neither are award winning cuisines and both, especially Russian, can have very unpleasant but common flavors. Pickled herring isn't for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m European married to an Indian. I love Indian food. I don’t understand how anyone cares if Gene Weingarten likes it or not. I won’t get my panties in a wad if he doesn’t like Greek food or Polish food or Scottish food. Nobody else would either because nowadays it’s somehow racist to not like food that is from a country of brown people.

Its less about Weingarten and more about about the fact that one of the leading publications in the country has this opinion printed and emailed to tens of millions of subscribers. Many of which will also suddenly think its cool to insult an entire country's dishes without every trying it. Not that they aren't already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He makes no apologies I find it interesting that he lumped an entire nation's cuisine alongside 'sweet pickles' but if the Indian posters aren't offended, who am I to be?

There are always some Indians that are somewhat self-loathing and keep a colonized mindset. Keep the peace and all, it’s okay, yes man types. There’s a whole Reddit for ‘am Indian, can confirm’ types.

People who are not Indian can see the ridiculousness and how offensive the commentary is. Especially in this day and age, it’s obviously wrong.

NP, also an Indian-American who isn’t offended and frankly doesn’t care about this reference. I think it’s dumb humor, but people are allowed their dislikes. You’re gross. Who are you to project your opinions and mentality on everyone and call people who don’t agree “self-loathing”?

Uh oh someone is touchy. I guess PP is right.

Doubling down on your buffoonery, I see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it offensive to make fun of British food and say that it’s all bland (i.e. based on not one, but zero spice)?

I agree this guy isn’t funny, but to actually be OFFENDED that someone doesn’t like Indian food and thinks it’s all curry? JFC, get some real problems.

This *1000

If you agree with the guy, fine. If you don't, that's fine too. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just because you don't agree with that opinion, there's not need to get "offended" over it. We are serious doomed as a society.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find him a better non-fiction writer than comedian. Fatal Distraction is some of the finest writing out there, IMO.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

This is his best work, and it is something I have thought about many times in the years since he wrote it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find him a better non-fiction writer than comedian. Fatal Distraction is some of the finest writing out there, IMO.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

+1

His nonfiction writing is nuanced. This column isn't, which is why it lands with a thud. Aside from the fact that this isn't really an original, or funny, take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He makes no apologies I find it interesting that he lumped an entire nation's cuisine alongside 'sweet pickles' but if the Indian posters aren't offended, who am I to be?

He makes a point though. If you dislike curry and /or any of its components, it does eliminate a lot of options for you. Kind of like people who dislike cilantro have most Tex-mex ruined for them. I can’t stand fish, and there is so much Thai and East Asian (and the good old Caesar salad) that I cannot eat because of ubiquitous fish sauce.

Does anyone disagree with that line of thinking?

I disagree because there are so many other dishes.

It’s like hating Caesar salad and refusing to go to Chopt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never get the humor in his articles. That one was particularly unfunny.

Np Not everything is for you though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He makes no apologies I find it interesting that he lumped an entire nation's cuisine alongside 'sweet pickles' but if the Indian posters aren't offended, who am I to be?

He makes a point though. If you dislike curry and /or any of its components, it does eliminate a lot of options for you. Kind of like people who dislike cilantro have most Tex-mex ruined for them. I can’t stand fish, and there is so much Thai and East Asian (and the good old Caesar salad) that I cannot eat because of ubiquitous fish sauce.

Does anyone disagree with that line of thinking?

I disagree because there are so many other dishes.

It’s like hating Caesar salad and refusing to go to Chopt.

My DH dislikes Indian food, even though there is some stuff he doesn’t hate (Tandoori and Naan) he won’t go to the restaurants because of the smell. It does smell distinctly…I love it but understand.