"Mr. Charlie's Told Me So with Jackie Johnson" is Episode 442 of Doughboys, hosted by Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell. "Mr. Charlie's Told Me So with Jackie Johnson" was released on April 18, 2024.
"Tomorrow… with Jackie Johnson' - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
Jackie Johnson (@jackiemichelejohnson, How to Get a Second Husband) joins the 'boys to talk celebrity dog walking, The Sims, and being vegan before a review of Mr. Charlie's. Plus, another edition of Slop Quiz.
Nick's intro[]
“One of the brothers knew more about potatoes than anyone in the world. I don’t think french fries will ever be that good again.”
This was architect Stanley Clark Meston describing one of the eponymous McDonald brothers, as quoted in a 1989 LA Times profile by Dirk Sutro. Meston had a lengthy, esteemed career in his field, but is remembered for creating the architectural feature that evolved into the most famous logo in fast food: the Golden Arches. Opting to take a flat fee as payment as opposed to a revenue share, Meston’s stroke of branding genius ultimately only netted him fractions of a penny on the dollar — a financial fate paralleled by the McDonald brothers themselves, who were purged from their own company by craven philanderer Ray Kroc, much like how Eduardo Saverin got blocked from Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg.
As important as the arches logo itself is the company’s colorway: red and yellow, a stop-slow combo that ironically, according to one psychologist, evokes speed and quickness. By 1968, the arches design and its red-yellow palette were effectively set in stone, and so over the subsequent decades, the logo embedded its way into childrens’ brains like a mind-flayer parasite, creating lifelong associations with the brand as a kind of nourishment Absolute.
So naturally, when a plant-based McDonald’s simulacrum opened in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day, 2022, it chose the red and yellow colors as shorthand — along with a Helvetica-adjacent font similar to Mickey D’s own. Named for founder Charlie Kim, the brand initially went viral via a Lizzo review, and today draws vegan and vegan-curious diners to its outposts in LA, San Francisco, and Sydney, to sample its Frowny Meals and Not A Burgers.
In the intervening years, McDonald’s has abandoned its own plant-protein sandwich, the McPlant, leaving clones like this to fill the void. Whether the concept’s momentum ultimately pushes the Big M back to veggie burgers, or they instead keep feeding Americans’ unending demand for cheap, low-quality meat, one has to admit, arch-chitect Stanley Clark Meston was right about the fries.
This week on Doughboys… Mr. Charlie’s.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
4 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
4 forks |
| Jackie Johnson |
|
4 forks |
Nick went to Mr. Charlie's once with Natalie, and then they all ordered together.
With these scores, Mr. Charle's Told Me So makes the Golden Plate Club!
Slop Quiz: Mistery Theme edition[]
In Slop Quiz, Nick presents a food-related exam (pop quiz) and Mitch and the guest compete for superiority.
For this episode, the theme is a mistery! Anyone who guesses the mystery gets a point.
(Mitch guesses the theme is 'peanuts' after question 2. Jackie also guesses 'mascots' and 'pedophiles.' Mitch eventually gets a point for getting the theme correct; all have Mister in their name.)
| clue | Mitch's guess | Jackie's guess | correct | score (MM - JJ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which Hershey's chocolate bar is known for its milk chocolate/peanut combo? | - | Mr. Goodbar | 0 - 0 | |
| This snack food mascot was conceived in 1916 by a schoolboy in a contest. | - | Mr. Peanut | Mr. Peanut | 0 - 1 |
| Which all-purpose product has a bald, muscular hunk as a mascot? | Mr. Clean | - | Mr. Clean | 1 - 1 |
| Which brand is famous for this jingle: "musical interlude" | Mr. Softee | 1 - 1 | ||
| This character is described as a "child in a grown man's body" and was developed by someone studying electrical engineering in the '80s. | Mr. Bean | 1 - 1 | ||
| Which international baked-goods chain founded in the US is 1986 is still popular in Asia? | - | - | Mr. Donut | 1 - 1 |
| What is the online alias of James Steven Donaldson? | Mr. Beast | Mr. Beast | 1 - 2 | |
| This 1886 Gothic novella features a scientist looking to separate his good side from his bad? | Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde | - | The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | 2 - 2 |
| King Friday the Thirteen and Lady Elaine... | Mr. Rogers Neighborhood | Mr. Rogers Neighborhood | 3 - 2 | |
| What band wrote the song "Mr. Charlie" that inspired Mr. Charlie's Told Me So? | The Grateful Dead | 3 - 3 |
They tied on the questions!
But because Mitch was first to guess the mystery theme, he gets a point! He technically won the Slop Quiz.
But also because Mitch said the last question was worth all the marbles, Jackie is the winner!
Roast Spoonman[]
director of the Oscar-nominated Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer
| “ | director of the Oscar-nominated Calzone of Interest, Jonathan Bathtub Glazer | ” |
–Alex from Seattle | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | Nick: I always feel like we're bothering people when we ask people to do the show. Jackie: You are. But some of us have things to promote. |
” |
–Doughboys guests | ||
| “ | When you dip them nugs in the white, oo-wee, oo-wee, that do it for Mommy. Mommy likes a little sweet sweet on her nugs. | ” |
–Jackie Johnston | ||
The Feedbag[]
| “ | What famous fast-food item has seen the steepest drop-off in the past twenty years? | ” |
–Bryan | ||
| guest / host | fast-food item that's dropped off |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | |
| Mike Mitchell | |
| Jackie Johnson | Sonic Grilled Cheese Sandwich |
| Emma Erdbrink | Dunkin' Donuts Donuts |
Drops and Plugs[]
| reference | notes |
|---|---|
|
Jackie's Plug Corner |
| Tom Tom Club "Wordy Rappinghood" | in Mitch's drop (by Jordan) |
Related Episodes[]
| Jackie Johnson episodes |
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Photos[]
