HOUSTON – The responses from the “crawfish hate” article, as I’ve been referring to it in my mind, have been a highlight of my week.
I expected a response. After all, I just dissed an iconic eating tradition of the South. While some of you obviously didn’t have your southern mamas wash out your mouth enough times with soap, others were genuinely hilarious. (Note: I have been here long enough to know what “Bless, your heart” can really mean.) I never imagined so many funny responses and generally, support, from the non-crawfish eaters hidden among the Houston population.
Recommended Videos
Here are some of the responses I received. (Last names have been redacted at the request of my manager.)
1. Ian: “Grow up”
I’m really trying, Ian. Every. Dang. Day. Limited success.
2. Guz: “You know where the door, is to Yankee land. Your claim of eating them at all hours is rubbish. I call it BS.”
I don’t want to leave just yet, Guz. I think you all thought I might be from New York. I only went to school there and lived there for a few years after. My roots are in the Pittsburgh area. Though I never said “yinz,” rural Pennsylvania -- four-wheelers, farm shows and hoagies -- is in my blood. (I used to live in the ‘Hicks from Pittsburgh’ section on this map and my beloved, enormous family still lives there.) So I’m likely not the northerner stereotype you’re probably imagining – or maybe I am.
Oh, and about the “all hours” claim. It’s true. I had seafood options all day in Mississippi. It was often catfish or shrimp mixed in somehow. In case you didn’t know, in Texas you can get boudin and crawfish kolaches and eat them for breakfast – gasp! Just ask my pal and crawfish fanatic, KPRC 2 producer Erica Young who wrote the story on them. Eat some more crawfish as I advised. It’ll get that Yankee hate out. Or not...
3. Kenneth: “You’d be happy too if you enjoyed crawfish.”
(Kenneth also included this photo, which we have edited.)
Perhaps. I wish I could enjoy all foods. But I don’t. All I know is I’m happiest when I’m not around crawfish. And just looking at the photo you sent me makes me grateful that I can’t smell what was going on there.
4. Jody: Wow! Ramble much? You don’t like any seafood at all, so don’t write an article about any specific kind. They are extremely similar to lobster, but if you don’t even eat those then....
I do ramble. It’s what I do best. Crawfish is just so central to the eating scene in Houston and I had to speak up, as I mentioned in the article. Not everyone had to love them. And I was right -- so many more people than I ever imagined are NOT crawfish fans. It’s good to know. Thank you for reading.
5. Rauchelle: Thank you for the article; someone had to say it and you said it so well!
Thank you. Really. After the expected hate, it’s good to hear the support. There are humans on the other side of these articles, folks. Remember that.
6. Kathryn: “I’m originally from Ohio, but moved 40+ years ago. All I have to say, Amanda, is ‘Bless your little heart!’ I even married a man who was raised in Louisiana. Try them with butter and garlic - the best!!!”
Bless your little heart, Kathryn! I can’t. My seafood-ometer will go off from a mile away.
7. Jarvis: “It’s ok. Burger King awaits you”
Nah – Have you tried Jones Fried Chicken or Pho Binh? Great alternatives to crawfish and Burger King.
8. Gabrielle: “I can down 10lbs by myself and crave it daily! Crawfish season is literally my favorite time of year! Although my mudbug friends don’t deserve this disrespect -- I LOVE the way you wrote the article. I will now view myself, on a gator, with a crawfish and a beer in hand!”
No true disrespect intended and thank you for the praise, Gabrielle. Happy cruising on that gator! My dislike of crawfish should never take away from your joy. Eat well. Eat 20 pounds -- unless that would make you explode. I’m not sure what that much crawfish could do to a person. Perhaps you would become a crawfish. That’s what my grandma always said when I ate too much of anything. If that is what happens, I imagine I’ll be one of the few humans left in Houston, dodging claws and searching for my non-crawfish compatriots. If you hear me calling when the crawfish apocalypse happens, don’t be a stranger.
9. Matt: Author: “I especially cannot consume something associated with mud...” Author: Eats kale or something else green and gross she just washed the mud off of...
I don’t mind kale. But I definitely double wash the greens. Don’t you?
10. Texas5284: Thanks for the head’s up. Won’t invite you to our next crawfish boil. More for the rest of us... I think KPRC should have used some better judgement in posting this piece. Whether you like crawfish or not, it’s immaturely written. Does the writer use “gross” in a crime piece? I would hope not.
This is a feature opinion piece. This was my attempt at humor. I hope you had fun diverting from the crime. I did. Sometimes we write pieces that are not news to create a dynamic experience for Click2Houston visitors. The standards are different, and as a professional journalist, I’m always mindful of that. We appreciate readers seeking a wide variety of reading experiences and hope you come back soon.