It's Fare / It's Life

What the Hell, Blue Bell?

Unless you’re living under a rock (in which case, what’s up? Let me help you shower please!), you’ve heard about the listeria hysteria of Blue Bell Creameries.

ATTN Non-native Texans: Blue Bell is our Texas ice cream mascot. Everyone’s been to the Brenham factory as a road trip detour (aka every state volleyball tournament from fifth to eighth grade), and pretty much every ice cream social stocked some of BB’s Homemade Vanilla. 

Here’s a summary: Blue Bell recalled a few products that contained traces of listeria (read: flu-like symptoms, dangerous for the usual victims—the old, the young, the pregnant). Then a few more products. Then BB shut down one plant, then the other. Now all production has ceased and there are layoffs happening in a super small Texas town. The FDA has done investigations that reveal traces of listeria for as long as two (TWO!!!) years! So, the three people that have reportedly died from the contamination might not have been the only ones.

But, cool it’s all fine because we all love Blue Bell. The company has got some significant brand strength rooted in generations of Texans and let’s face it, they are handling the crisis real well. Everyone still loves the brand. The proof is in your twitter feed:

Now is when I’m gonna say something real controversial to this matter that will upset many of my Texas brethren: Eff Blue Bell.

PEOPLE DIED FROM EATING THIS BRAND OF ICE CREAM. And for two or more years, Blue Bell has been endangering you, their oh-so faithful patrons, but producing ice cream in dirty, tooth-filled, listeria-ridden factories.

I refuse to #standwithbluebell because Blue Bell didn’t stand with us. It didn’t care about taking safety measures to protect you and your family. So, no. I’m not sure if post-meltdown I’ll return to eating your ice cream, Blue Bell. And I most definitely won’t support your reckless, irresponsible actions in the meantime.

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