{"id":737,"date":"2007-06-24T11:28:08","date_gmt":"2007-06-24T15:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.benzilla.com\/?p=737"},"modified":"2007-06-24T11:28:08","modified_gmt":"2007-06-24T15:28:08","slug":"cnns-whole-foods-hatchet-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.benzilla.com\/?p=737","title":{"rendered":"CNN’s Whole Foods Hatchet Job"},"content":{"rendered":"

I really can’t let this stunningly misguided CNN gallery\/article<\/a> about shopping at Whole Foods linked from Digg.com pass without comment.\u00a0 Why is it that, when evaluating something like Whole Foods, or a Toyata Prius, or whatever, these products and services are subjected to the sort of stark cost\/benefit analysis that would never be used in evaluating, say, a new Porshe or a big screen T.V.?\u00a0 Beyond that, the article makes some pretty bizarre assumptions about what people are shopping for, and why, when they shop at a place like Whole Foods.<\/p>\n

The article begins with one of my all-time least favorite\u00a0 rhetorical slights of hand: the condescending use of quotation marks in lieu of any actual argumentation.\u00a0 It describes Whole Foods as a, “chain of ‘healthy’ supermarkets.”\u00a0 Oh, SNAP!<\/p>\n

Let’s examine this “article” further…<\/p>\n

Again, from the article:\u00a0 “But not everything at Whole Foods is all that wholesome. And buying there could cost you a lot more than at other supermarkets.”\u00a0 STOP THE PRESSES!\u00a0 It’s almost as if people are willing to pay more for something that they believe to be of greater worth.\u00a0 Maybe I’ll pitch CNN my forthcoming article about how you can get coffee much, much cheaper than at a specialty coffee shop if you just drink the free institutional food service crap you can get for free at any office.\u00a0 Geez, these “coffee shops” and their so-called “coffee!”\u00a0 What a scam!<\/p>\n

“Whole Foods offers only a limited supply of local produce.”\u00a0 Uh… OK.\u00a0 Has some claim been made that all of Whole Foods’ produce is local?\u00a0 When there’s local stuff in season, my local store seems to have it in stock, and when there’s not, they don’t.<\/p>\n

“Just because you are in a Whole Foods, don’t think that everything you see on the shelves is healthful.” Again, does anyone think this?<\/p>\n

“…if Whole Foods didn’t stock at least some junk food, you’d have to make a stop at another store – burning more gas to get your chips.” \u00a0 My Whole Foods has an entire isle of chips and assorted other unhealthy crap.\u00a0 Is this unusual?<\/p>\n

“..organic produce, which is grown without pesticides, costs 20 percent more on average than the store’s conventionally grown produce.”\u00a0 You don’t say.\u00a0 Also of note, a bottle of\u00a0 2001 Hess Collection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon costs more than a bottle of Night Train.\u00a0 If you consider the greater quality of the former item worth the extra cost, you should purchase it, if not don’t.<\/p>\n

“However, you will pay plenty for stuff you won’t find elsewhere – heirloom arugula, Icelandic low-fat yogurt and organic frozen chicken potpies.”\u00a0 See above.<\/p>\n

“The store diligently lists the ingredients that go into its meat loaf and macaroni and cheese, but it doesn’t provide nutritional information on any of its in-store prepared foods.”\u00a0 Do any restaurants have to do this?\u00a0 I’ve certainly never been presented with such information at say Pizza Hut.\u00a0 Why is buying a piece of Pizza that was prepared at Whole Foods any different?\u00a0 I believe that only pre-package\/prepared foods are required to have nutritional labels, right?<\/p>\n

“The “green” soaps and detergents may be less harmful to the environment (because they have no phosphates), but they don’t necessarily remove the dirt any better than Tide or Cascade.”\u00a0 Wow, that sucks–It sounds like the only winner here is the environment! Oh, wait… I guess that’s OK.<\/p>\n

I guess, sarcasm aside, that what I’m missing here about this article is that it seems to imply that Whole Foods is pulling the wool over its customers eyes about all this stuff, but the idea that people are willing<\/em> to pay a bit more for food that’s higher quality, organic and\/or responsibly produced is precisely the underlying idea<\/em> behind the chain–and it’s never to my knowledge (and I shop there pretty regularly) claimed otherwise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I really can’t let this stunningly misguided CNN gallery\/article about shopping at Whole Foods linked from Digg.com pass without comment.\u00a0 Why is it that, when evaluating something like Whole Foods, or a Toyata Prius, or whatever, these products and services are subjected to the sort of stark cost\/benefit analysis that would never be used in … <\/p>\n

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