3 ms·

The story: 780 points, 4 years ago, 356 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20227175 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20227175 406 points, 2 yea

by mkl 4y ago

The story: 780 points, 4 years ago, 356 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20227175 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20227175 406 points, 2 years ago, 261 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25510351 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25510351 The reality: 336 points, 2 years ago, 145 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27173859 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27173859 I guess HN prefers a good story about rags-to-riches underdogs!

chaostheory 4y ago
Everyone does which is why Frito Lays isn’t fighting this myth very hard. Even though it was a complete lie, it’s still good for their brand.
- nsxwolf 4y ago
  I imagine they don't want the headache. Confronting this guy with his lie could get very messy from a legal and PR perspective.
- subsubzero 4y ago
  I remember when this story(the lie) was first circulating there was one thing that didn't really make sense to me, although the person who said they created it took inspiration from hispanic foods he grew up eating, flamin' hot cheetos has a cayenne flavor which to me reminds me of the US south and Tabasco sauce and nothing like anything anything from Mexico(besides that its spicy).
  - sdenton4 4y ago
    garage : startup :: mom's kitchen : novel junkfood
  - ProfessorLayton 4y ago
    Wait what? The Tabasco pepper literally originated from Mexico, and it's named after a state.
    - lacker 4y ago
      The Tabasco pepper is native to Mexico, but Tabasco sauce is not, it was created by some guy in Louisiana and is not really based on a Mexican sauce. eg https://www.tastingtable.com/930569/heres-how-tabasco-sauce-got-its-name/ https://www.tastingtable.com/930569/heres-how-tabasco-sauce-...
      - ProfessorLayton 4y ago
        Right, but the pepper is the key ingredient in Tabasco sauce. It's like saying a soy-based sauce invented in the US is "nothing like anything anything from China" when soy sauce originated there.
        aintgonnatakeit 4y ago
        Counterpoint: tomatoes
dsfyu404ed 4y ago
Follow the incentives! Which option has more opportunity for the lizard brain to feel good watching the number in the top right go up? There is much more opportunity to earn virtue points with a rags to riches story (regardless of the truth of the story) because it naturally breeds all sorts of "this could never happen at BigCo" contrarian take which then lends itself to all sorts of tropes and anecdotes about perverse HR policies, evil capitalists, inept bureaucracies, internal politics, team churn, etc, etc. There are tons more virtue points up for grabs in that type of circle jerk than there are in response to an article that debunks the story.
- boomboomsubban 4y ago
  >Which option has more opportunity for the lizard brain to feel good watching the number in the top right go up? Amusingly, the "lizard brain" is also an often repeated myth https://cos.northeastern.edu/news/its-time-to-correct-neuroscience-myths/ https://cos.northeastern.edu/news/its-time-to-correct-neuros.... ,
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
standardly 4y ago
> I guess HN prefers a good story about rags-to-riches underdogs! Less so over time it seems

by mkl 4y ago

chaostheory 4y ago

Everyone does which is why Frito Lays isn’t fighting this myth very hard. Even though it was a complete lie, it’s still good for their brand.

nsxwolf 4y ago
I imagine they don't want the headache. Confronting this guy with his lie could get very messy from a legal and PR perspective.
subsubzero 4y ago
I remember when this story(the lie) was first circulating there was one thing that didn't really make sense to me, although the person who said they created it took inspiration from hispanic foods he grew up eating, flamin' hot cheetos has a cayenne flavor which to me reminds me of the US south and Tabasco sauce and nothing like anything anything from Mexico(besides that its spicy).
- sdenton4 4y ago
  garage : startup :: mom's kitchen : novel junkfood
- ProfessorLayton 4y ago
  Wait what? The Tabasco pepper literally originated from Mexico, and it's named after a state.
  - lacker 4y ago
    The Tabasco pepper is native to Mexico, but Tabasco sauce is not, it was created by some guy in Louisiana and is not really based on a Mexican sauce. eg https://www.tastingtable.com/930569/heres-how-tabasco-sauce-got-its-name/ https://www.tastingtable.com/930569/heres-how-tabasco-sauce-...
    - ProfessorLayton 4y ago
      Right, but the pepper is the key ingredient in Tabasco sauce. It's like saying a soy-based sauce invented in the US is "nothing like anything anything from China" when soy sauce originated there.
      - aintgonnatakeit 4y ago
        Counterpoint: tomatoes

dsfyu404ed 4y ago

Follow the incentives! Which option has more opportunity for the lizard brain to feel good watching the number in the top right go up? There is much more opportunity to earn virtue points with a rags to riches story (regardless of the truth of the story) because it naturally breeds all sorts of "this could never happen at BigCo" contrarian take which then lends itself to all sorts of tropes and anecdotes about perverse HR policies, evil capitalists, inept bureaucracies, internal politics, team churn, etc, etc. There are tons more virtue points up for grabs in that type of circle jerk than there are in response to an article that debunks the story.

boomboomsubban 4y ago
>Which option has more opportunity for the lizard brain to feel good watching the number in the top right go up? Amusingly, the "lizard brain" is also an often repeated myth https://cos.northeastern.edu/news/its-time-to-correct-neuroscience-myths/ https://cos.northeastern.edu/news/its-time-to-correct-neuros.... ,
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

standardly 4y ago

> I guess HN prefers a good story about rags-to-riches underdogs! Less so over time it seems