56 h. ago The Cracker Barrel mess exposes the cynicism of the rightwing culture war | Sidney Blumenthal

The restaurant means little to activists – it’s simply a tool to bludgeon perceived enemies and flex conservative powerFirst they came for the Smithsonian. Then they came for Cracker Barrel.Whether it’s the museums or the corporations – or the universities, law firms, federal departments and agencies – the attack lines of the Trump culture war and its culture warriors are the same. The vicious full-scale assault on the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain after the company naively wandered on to the battle zone by altering its “Old Timer” logo exposes the cynicism of the whole operation and its ulterior motive to impose an authoritarian regime over every aspect of American society.Sidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A Self-Made Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Events

67 h. ago Cracker Barrel removes DEI and Pride pages from its website amid MAGA logo backlash

Website update follows wide-ranging right-wing backlash over new logo design

Politics

3 d. ago ‘You’ve got to go easy on Trump’: Fox host scolds Jesse Watters for saying Trump didn’t do much to change Cracker Barrel logo

Watters said he was ‘giving Fox credit’ for Cracker Barrel’s change of heart after ‘we covered this story for a week’

Politics

3 d. ago ‘A proxy for America’s culture war’: why Cracker Barrel’s new logo sparked ire on the right

The restaurant chain reverted back to its old logo after Trump joined the backlash against its rebrand. Experts say it was an easy targetOn Tuesday, the United States commander-in-chief weighed in on one of the most pressing issues facing our nation: the rebranding of a restaurant chain.Last week, Cracker Barrel, a Tennessee company whose nationwide locations lean heavily on a cozy, old-timey aesthetic – “rocking chairs on the porch, a warm fire in the hearth, peg games on the table” – announced it was updating its logo. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago ‘He would not have liked the plain Jane logo’: Family of Cracker Barrel’s original designer breaks silence on logo backlash

Cracker Barrel has vowed to keep its original logo after conservatives railed against its new branding

Politics

3 d. ago How US restaurant chain Cracker Barrel became a Maga lightning rod

Controversy around group’s logo change highlights America’s fickle political culture

Politics

4 d. ago What to know about Cracker Barrel's logo misfire and what could happen next

Cracker Barrel hired a new CEO in 2023 to innovate and appeal to more customers

Events

4 d. ago Cracker Barrel to restore old logo following MAGA backlash over rebrand

Cracker Barrel plans to restore its old logo following MAGA backlash about a rebrand that saw the restaurant chain drop its Uncle Herschel mascot

Politics

5 d. ago Trump calls Cracker Barrel logo outrage ‘a great opportunity’ to cash in for restaurant chain that set off MAGA

‘They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity,’ the president wrote on Truth Social.

Politics

5 d. ago Cracker Barrel apologizes for new logo but says it is sticking with change

Company says ‘we could have done a better job sharing who we are’ after taking heat over rebrandThe US restaurant chain Cracker Barrel has apologized to fans who were angered when it announced a new logo recently – but it is sticking with the change.“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the company said Monday in a statement on its website. “You’ve also shown us that we could have done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Cracker Barrel admits it ‘could’ve done a better job’ amid right

Cracker Barrel said its ‘Uncle Herschel’ character will still be a part of its branding, even if he isn’t on the sign

Politics

7 d. ago Trump vs gender care: President and his team ratchet up attacks as more young people identify as transgender

“If it’s a day ending in y, President Trump is attacking kids’ safety, health, and access to education as part of his culture war,” said a spokesperson from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office

Politics

9 d. ago Cracker Barrel CEO slammed by Steak ‘n Shake over controversial rebrand

New logo has ignited political debate and intense backlash from other brands

Economics

9 d. ago Cracker Barrel loses $94 million in a day after disastrous rebrand sparks MAGA outrage

The new logo for the restaurant chain has been blasted by Trump’s MAGA base, claiming the design is ‘woke’ and ‘boring’

Economics

1 week ago Cracker Barrel outrages conservatives with new logo: ‘This is your Bud Light moment’

Restaurant chain accused of going ‘woke’ and ‘scrapping a beloved American aesthetic’ by simplifying branding to remove folksy southern character from its signage

Politics

1 week ago Should babies wear socks all the time? The new battleground in the generational war

Millennial parents are torn between experts encouraging babies to have barefoot time and grandparents who insist the tots have toasty tootsiesEmma, I hear parent-internet is abuzz about baby feet. Has Hemingway’s six-word story gone viral?Not this time, though some may find it just as heartbreaking. There’s a generational divide over whether or not babies need socks, and it’s confusing grandparents around the world. Young parents are opting for barefoot babes – on TikTok, in playgrounds, at the supermarket, in the comfort of their own warm and cosy home. Everywhere. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Theatre of war: making an Edinburgh Fringe show about Iran while your country is being bombed

As Israel bombed Iran in June, Sara Amini was preparing to bring a play about her childhood in Tehran to the Edinburgh Fringe. Here the writer and performer explores the impact of war - then and now - on her creative work

Events

2 w. ago 'VJ Day is stark reminder of the immense cost we face for securing peace'

Today marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which saw the Second World War come to an end - and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy explains why this anniversary is so poignant

Politics

2 w. ago Repair Shop guest breaks down as gran’s Second World War diary is restored

A guest onThe Repair Shop broke down in tears after his grandmother’s diary from the Second World War was restored.

Events

3 w. ago Targeted by the right, Britain’s asylum hotels are places of fear and disorder. Bad political decisions made it so | Daniel Trilling

In the frenzy of racism and culture warring, the issue of why hotels are used gets overlookedA broad section of Britain’s right has spent the summer behaving as if it would like a repeat of last year’s racist riots. As politicians and commentators cry “tinderbox Britain” – are they warning us, or willing it on? – far-right extremists have been actively trying to stoke violence. This year, they have pinned their hopes on asylum hotels, an issue where public fears over crime, immigration and the welfare state conveniently converge.In some places, far-right activists have piggybacked on protests prompted by local grievances. The most significant this year was in Epping, Essex, after an alleged sexual assault by an asylum seeker led to demonstrations that turned violent when they were joined by members of various far-right groups. A similar pattern has unfolded in London’s Canary Wharf, after untrue rumours that some of the Epping hotel residents were being moved there. In other cases, ...

Events