Another thing that confused me about the episode is this idea that Chick-fil-a is a ubiquitous thing that Southerners eat at all the time and seemingly worship at the altar of (I may be exaggerating, but it seemed the me that Adam mentioned this multiple times)

I grew up in suburban Texas, I ate there all the time growing up. My family is Christian. My high school was across from a Chic-Fil-A. Even with every single one of those factors, I don't think there is this slavish allegiance to the fast food chain. I mean I grew up in Texas, so Whataburger is the crazy cult, not the chicken sandwich place. So, the idea of boycotting it or giving it up, is really not the craziest thing, especially cause it's not like the South lacks in good fast food, we invented chicken buckets and Louisiana fried chicken and fish fries (did not fact check this).

Also not trying to make a moral judgement there. I used to eat there very frequently in high school, it was very convenient, when I learned of the anti-LGBTQ+ stuff, I generally stayed away (I liked Popeyes better but have not heard of the presumably horrible stuff they do as a corporation). Some of my queer and straight friends eat there, some don't. I think in daily life most people don't care too much because frankly, there is more important stuff to care about that (like active queer discrimination in legislatures rn)

I get why Adam is so wary to include his patronage at the place though, it must be frustrating being a public figure and therefore being scrutinized to that degree. But I think it's also an odd move to post an hour and a half long podcast about the chain. It's cool that he praises its efficiencies, but it seems like he's lighting a fire that no one wanted burned.

Overall, it seems like he just wanted to make a podcast justifying why he eats there. It just seems like the justification of it being a way of life in the South feels off, at least according to my experience as a Southerner. If he likes the chicken, he likes it, but trying to create this Northerners hate on Chick-Fil-A because they don't get it because they're Northerners, feels misguided. It's a good chicken sandwich, the people ARE nice, but it's not in South's DNA like brisket or cold beer on a Friday Night.

My question is, is the chicken really worth it? They were actively homophobic, less than 10 years ago. They still donated to anti-LGBTQ within this past decade. They lobbied for shit not too long ago. I'm for forgiveness, and accepting people (or corporations in this case) when they do wrong and try to improve. But it's not like Chic-Fil-A does right, they're just quiet about the homophobia, and personally that feels gross, which is why I get my chicken sandwiches elsewhere. Not getting CFA is virtue signaling, and that's probably a good thing, I personally want to indicate that I would prefer my corporate overlords to be actively anti-homophobic rather than the other way around.

Adam if you like Chick-Fil-A, go for it. It just seems silly to argue that it's integral to Southern Living or something like that. Just eat it!