Photo Credit: Aubrey Pham
Turkey is gross. Cranberry sauce is dumb. Mac and cheese is elite.
These aren’t just my opinions. They’re real Thanksgiving hot takes from a small but passionate group of 16 people. Some are college students, some are adults, and they come from all over Arkansas. They didn’t hold back.
Now that we’ve recovered from our food comas, let’s look back at the most overrated and underappreciated parts of Thanksgiving.
Almost half of respondents concluded that they do not like turkey. The actual responses varied slightly, but the overall consensus was clear: Turkey is gross.
● Carsyn Hobson, a sophomore journalism major from Bryant, said, “Turkey is overrated. Ham should take its place.”
● Madison Woods, a freshman elementary education major from Mayflower, agreed, saying, “Turkey is dry and gross.”
● Trace Wiley, a freshman journalism major from Mayflower, was more concise: “I don’t like turkey.”
● Skylar Tubbs, a junior natural resources major from East End, added, “Turkey is garbage. Ham is better.”
● Gabe Saysombath, a Fort Smith native who works at Arvest Bank, summed it up with, “Baked ham > turkey.”
● Payton Jowett, an Alma native and current teacher in Van Buren, said, “Roasted turkey and ham are both gross. Thank God it’s only a once-a-year meal.” (Jowett is vegetarian)
Some respondents had strong feelings about side dishes:
● Woods called deviled eggs “the best Thanksgiving food,” while Brylsin Oden, a senior biology major from Cedarville, said they “taste like a fart… literally the worst Thanksgiving food ever.”
● Wiley said green bean casserole is overrated, and Kenleigh Garner, a junior communications major from Hot Springs, simply said, “Green beans are nasty.”
● John-Michael Fisher, a Van Buren native and U.S. Coast Guard member, said it is disgusting, and Meghan Brooks, an Alma native and hairstylist in Fort Smith, asked, “Why are you eating Jell-O for Thanksgiving?”
Two respondents felt the same way about a particular side dish:
● Carlo Williams, a sophomore double major in communication and journalism from Fort Smith, said, “Turkey isn’t the most important meal of Thanksgiving, it’s the mac and cheese.”
● Similarly, Makailynn Byrd, a sophomore communication and journalism major from Crossett, said baked mac and cheese is the best part of Thanksgiving.
Some outliers amongst the opinions included:
● Adi Gould, a sophomore journalism student from Mountainburg, who said, “I don’t like stuffing or anything pumpkin.”
● Alyssa Lopez, a freshman nursing major from Van Buren, said, “Not everything tastes better in casseroles.”
● Woods added, “Pecan pie is overrated.”
● Bre Stephens, a junior journalism and public relations major from Springdale, argued, “Objectively speaking, the best dish is green rice or stuffing.”
● Brooks weighed in on sweet potato casserole: “Sweet potato casserole with pecans is WAY better than with marshmallows.”
Jowett also shared a funny take on Thanksgiving roles: “What you are asked to bring signifies your value to the family. Ice duty = low rank, untrusted, a klutz. Rolls = very important, you have your act together, people trust you. Meat = you are the matriarch keeping the family afloat. The queen.”
Outside of food, respondents had thoughts on other aspects of the holiday:
● Dallas Minnie, a senior digital content creation major from Ola, said, “Thanksgiving should be on a set day, not the last Thursday of the month.”
● Fisher prefers activities over small talk, saying, “Activities like touch football or board games are a better way to have fun with family rather than sitting in the living room and making small talk. Also, there is nothing nastier than two-week-old turkey or potatoes sitting in your fridge.”
● Brooks posed the eternal question: “What’s the right answer: dress cute for the day or wear comfy clothes?”
Thanksgiving may be over, but opinions still live on. Are there any hot takes you totally agree or disagree with? Any other thoughts you want to add? Share them on the ArkaTech Instagram page at @arkatechnews!
