Even if he didn't seem like such a nice guy, this story about one of the things that's happened to Survivor's Yul Kwon since his victory would strike me as really sad and rotten to the core. The people quoted in the story continually try to make it about whether he should get special treatment because he was on Survivor, which is utterly beside the point and a very convenient way to completely avoid discussing how ridiculously unfair it is to give people a permit they're legitimately entitled to, wait until they've started construction, and then pull the permit and expect them to eat the loss. All in the service of making sure you don't have a chain yogurt store? "We're a special neighborhood, and we're getting a faaaaaaamily yogurt store!" Thus upholding the majestic American tradition of the small family yogurt store that has all the rare and special yogurts that the big chains ignore in favor of midmarket yogurts written by Stephen King that blah blah blah WHATEVER, town busybodies. Now your town is famous for being full of jackholes, instead of having one terribly destructive yogurt store.

I am endlessly irritated by the entire phenomenon of people who want to demonstrate their character and uniqueness by listing all the things they decline to consume (such as, in this case, mass-market yogurt) or the kinds of businesses they keep out of their neighborhoods simply on the basis that small businesses are presumed superior to large ones. There are small businesses with rotten selection, bad product, cranked-up prices, terrible conditions for workers, and a total lack of character. There are also large businesses with great selection, great products, good pay and benefits, and many good reasons to patronize them. Haven't we all just kind of...outgrown this whole thing by now? Aren't we past romanticizing every retail establishment smaller than Starbucks?

At any rate: slow clap, North Beach. May similar kindness be extended to you someday.

Tags: rants, survivor, yul kwon