In case you didn’t know by now, the pizza industry is full of a bunch of savages.
Yesterday, Papa Johns made waves after its CEO blamed the recent NFL Anthem protests for their dip in sales.
“We are totally disappointed that the NFL and its leadership did not resolve the ongoing situation to the satisfaction of all parties long ago,” Papa Johns CEO John Schnatter said.
And if he thought these comments were gonna slip away into the dark of the night, never to be seen again, he thought wrong. Because this is 2017. And when you combine America’s two favorite things (pizza and fighting over politics) it becomes a perfect internet storm.
Many competing pizza companies did not take kindly to such allegations. Pizza Hut’s CEO was the first to enter the ring.
“We’re not seeing impact on any of that on our business,” he said.
And plenty of people rallied around him. Some voiced their affinity for Pizza Hut while others blamed Papa Johns for blanket racism.
Pizza Hut,,,,welcome to the resistance
— Not Lovely (@isitnotlovely) November 2, 2017
Papa Johns is blaming its weak sales on black football players. Last time Papa Johns had weak sales, it blamed a black president. Maybe Papa Johns should just blame its racist CEO.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) November 1, 2017
This is a bold new marketing campaign by Papa Johns pizza: pic.twitter.com/vOXDchwoYH
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) November 1, 2017
How pizza chains react to sales…
Dominos- Renovating stores
Pizza Hut- New combo deals
Papa Johns- Blames Black NFL players kneeling
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) November 1, 2017
Attention, activists: being outraged over unarmed black people being shot by cops is inconveniencing @PapaJohns ability to sell bad pizza
— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) November 2, 2017
DiGiorno pizza decided to get right down on the ground with their followers and tweeted some pretty shady things about their competitor.
Delivering petty since 2015. https://t.co/6eIVDgj8QX
— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) November 2, 2017
6/27/16 (We kept the receipt)https://t.co/SQF2ePlU6L
— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) November 2, 2017
Better Pizza.
Better Sales.— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) November 1, 2017
Us:
Them:— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) November 1, 2017
They also changed their Twitter bio to satirize Papa John’s motto: “Better pizza, better sales. It’s DiGiorno.”
Some pointed out that divisive NFL figures like Jerry Johns are affiliated with Papa Johns, which nobody really seemed to care about.
Have we talked about the Papa Johns commercial with Jerry Jones rapping pic.twitter.com/wva29AwhqF
— Gene Park (@GenePark) November 2, 2017
Just kidding they melted down even more.
Official Pizza of the Alt-Right? #PapaJohns pic.twitter.com/ejwEKckw0f
— DR PROCTOR (@DrProctorMusic) November 2, 2017
“Papa Johns” Pizza, #GOP & Treasonous Traitor #Trump Endorsed, White Nationalists / KKK lovers Grease Haven Now with MORE RACISM! pic.twitter.com/y4fyiVF2kQ
— USNCPO #Resistance (@CraigCo62) November 1, 2017
A very slim minority also identified the short lived attention span of internet meltdowns, having very little to say about the politicization of pizza.
Papa Johns will have a commercial with black men with beards eating Pizza by December & y’all will forget you’re supposed to be boycotting.
— creator (@Now_Thats_Fresh) November 2, 2017
But since I’m not usually one to get involved in this sort of petty nonsense, I’m gonna sit this one out.
Just kidding. Happy 2017 Pizza Hut!!!!!!!!!