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Marilyn Hagerty Goes Viral


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The interview with the Village Voice (which occurred early in her 15 minutes, before she became a regular on the morning show circuit and all that) was my favorite...

Marilyn Hagerty, Grand Forks Olive Garden Reviewer, Speaks

You said you got a snotty email. What did the person say?

It was just one word: "pathetic."

Are you serious?

Yeah! So I responded, "Thank you for your message." That's all I say to any of them. But then there were four or five very complimentary messages. I haven't checked lately because I'm in the middle of writing a Sunday column, and I hit the wrong key, and it flew away, and so I had to start all over again.

When is your deadline?

I've got another hour. I'm almost through it again now.

Oh, I should let you go. It's awful to hear that someone was snotty in a message.

I don't care whether they are or not. If anyone's got time to sit out there and nitpick, I kind of feel sorry for them. Get a life.

Pure gold.

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Yeah. Fargo is the cosmopolitan center of the world. Well, I guess I'll do this again: 3613_pd302414_2.jpg

Fargo's on its way to becoming the next Topeka. :lol:

I first read Marylin's review on Fark, and my first thought was "She's still alive?" To her credit, she's been very gracious in the interviews I've seen.

Perhaps she can review Four Seasons or the Gotham Bar and Grill ... you gotta love places than don't always price their offerings in the menus.

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Perhaps she can review Four Seasons or the Gotham Bar and Grill ... you gotta love places than don't always price their offerings in the menus.

Dang that the Russian Tea Room isn't what it was in the 1990s. I'd have loved to read her critique of their interior design and food from that era. :D

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Dang that the Russian Tea Room isn't what it was in the 1990s. I'd have loved to read her critique of their interior design and food from that era. :D

Too bad Elaine's is closed too. Marylin would probably be a "star" ... I'd love to read of her meeting Madonna or Al Pacino there. :D

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She's off to NYC in the morning to meet up with CNN's Anderson Cooper (another Olive Garden fan) to have dinner on the town and maybe offer a critique or two while they're at it.

Also, NBC's The Today Show was in Grand Forks today to interview Marilyn. They sent one of their Twin Cities producers and camera crew up here to tape the interview.

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At heart this story is almost about America's obsession with Olive Garden, and not about it being a "review" of a chain restaurant.

She has reviewed numerous chains in town before...wouldn't her review of a Taco Bell a few years ago be a much bigger deal?

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At heart this story is almost about America's obsession with Olive Garden, and not about it being a "review" of a chain restaurant.

She has reviewed numerous chains in town before...wouldn't her review of a Taco Bell a few years ago be a much bigger deal?

As some of the press has noted, plenty of people have reviewed Olive Garden and not received the attention. It's Marilyn's folksy but latently passive-aggressive style that I think so charmed the nation.

Marilyn's somewhat similar review of Taco Bell did warrant some discussion in the Washington Post, but there just wasn't the opportunity for things to go "viral" in 2004 that there is today.

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As some of the press has noted, plenty of people have reviewed Olive Garden and not received the attention. It's Marilyn's folksy but latently passive-aggressive style that I think so charmed the nation.

Marilyn's somewhat similar review of Taco Bell did warrant some discussion in the Washington Post, but there just wasn't the opportunity for things to go "viral" in 2004 that there is today.

Yeah its hard to say why something goes "viral." I guess it is a combination of many things about the article and not just one thing.

At first glance, it appeared it was because it was a review of an Olive Garden, where eastern elites and "real" food critics would never review a chain..etc.

You are right it probably has to do with "Marilyn's folksy but latently passive-aggressive style that I think so charmed the nation," but you gotta admit after all these years it took the Olive Garden to garnish the attention.

I will say she is right in the fact Olive Garden is/was highly anticipated. (Its like us guys highly anticipating a Hooters.) Living in GF most of my life, people (ladies especially) would always talk about an Olive Garden..."If Grand Forks just had an Olive Garden." And the level of "chatter" for good or bad on a national level might be the same.

Maybe this is more to do with the power of Gawker....a site I never heard of.

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As some of the press has noted, plenty of people have reviewed Olive Garden and not received the attention. It's Marilyn's folksy but latently passive-aggressive style that I think so charmed the nation.

It's hard to pinpoint. You say charmed...some say laughing stock.

85-year-old restaurant reviewer Marilyn Hagerty of North Dakota unexpectedly became the laughingstock of the Internet.

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20120311/APC0507/120309124/In-defense-Marilyn-Hagerty-s-Olive-Garden-experience-

There was a couple others similar quotes but i don't remember where I read them.

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Fargo's on its way to becoming the next Topeka. :lol:

Fargonians can only hope and dream! :silly:

You know, we are what we are. I always joke about being from a small rural town in North Dakota. Nothing wrong with being what you are and a little humor can melt the ice pretty quickly in social situations. I'm proud of where I am from. But, these Fargo folks better not kid themselves into thinking they are so above the Fray. (Which is a band from Denver who jokes are where THEY are from!)

and it goes on...

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