A Short Review of the Essay “How Millennials Killed Mayonnaise" by: Aditi Chaugule

 A Short Review of the Essay “How Millennials Killed Mayonnaise” 

by: Aditi Chaugule

“How Millennials Killed Mayonnaise” is a great essay written by Sandy Hingston which

uses a small, acute observation of the decline of mayo to comment on the decrease in

assimilation in the United States. Hingston states that she is the child of a family of Lithuanian

immigrants, “born in the era in which huddled masses clambered ashore at Ellis Island, their

pockets stuffed with kielbasa and chorizo and braunschweiger and makanek and lap cheong,

and were processed in the great American assimilation grinder,” (Hingston). Mayo being an

everlasting symbol of post-WWII American pride, Hingston comments on how everyone on her

block used to idolize mayonnaise as the perfect American condiment. As someone who

identifies as generation-Z, despite this switch from mayo to more foreign and inclusive

condiments being almost second nature, I still find myself drawn to this essay due to the

author's writing style and use of allusions to connect the matter at hand back to a newer

generation. Hingston is seen referencing mayo as the “Taylor Swift for condiments,” claiming

that youngsters these days will eat “detergent pods” before eating mayonnaise, and making a

joke about the boomer generation eating less mayo due to a fear of the “Mayo Clinic,”

(Hingston). As her work was published in the Philadelphia Magazine, Hingston’s primary goals

were to entertain the audience while still sharing her point of view on this overlooked topic.

Employing a bit of dark humor with the Mayo Clinic joke, Hingston also stands to appeal to a

more mature audience, such as baby boomers, allowing her opinion to be heard and accepted

to those who may be oblivious or indifferent to the topic at hand. By mentioning mainstream

culture and trends, Hingston can keep the argument interesting to young adults from

generation-Z, especially since the author does not share the generally accepted view

(pro-mayonnaise) with that specific audience. Taylor Swift and the Tide-pod challenge were

some of the most popular crazes with generation-Z teenagers at the time, and including those

elements in her essay allowed the author to make sure the article would be well accepted by

multiple generations. Overall, this was an intriguing essay that helped me see how even small

changes in trends can reflect changes in our societal norms and values as a community.