Jon Taffer of “Bar Rescue” Compares the Unemployed to Hungry Dogs
Another Rich Guy Who Thinks the Unemployed Are Lazy
It was not surprising to hear the reality show host Jon Taffer compare the unemployed to hungry dogs who should be made hungry so they would work. In Taffer’s interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, they complained about the consequence of unemployment benefits on the service industry. And Taffer went on to say that the government should make people hungry to make them productive, just like the Military dog trainers do to dogs.
It’s no news that pride creeps into you like a thief in the night when you are rich. You may start to see yourself as very deserving of your position. Even without your conscious knowledge, you demonstrate this arrogance in your words and actions. This has been shown by many researchers, especially in the work of Professor Paul Piff.
“I have a friend in the military who trains military dogs, and they only feed a military dog at night because a hungry dog is an obedient dog...Well, if we are not causing people to be hungry to work, then we’re providing them with all the meals they need sitting at home.”
COVID-19 has impacted every sector of the economy and most notably the service industry, which is still struggling from the hit. The restaurant business has been short of workers over the years, and workers are not returning. For people like Taffer, it is easy to blame the benefits that unemployed workers receive from the government.
He seems to forget that bars and restaurants sometimes pay full-time workers less than minimum wage. Sarahbeth Graulich, a bartender, reports being paid $5 an hour before taxes. Why would anyone want to work for such low pay? These workers have to rely on tips to foot their essential bills. Not to forget, these workers get to deal with all the bullshit customers dish at them while they try to serve these customers. And sometimes, this inhumane behavior is played down with the “customers are always right.”
If we want workers in these industries, we have to make the working environment and remuneration favorable. So the job has to be made competitive. That is the capitalism we signed up for, right?
I think the unemployment benefits for abled citizens is a gaffe from the get-go, the same way the corporate bailout is a big scam. Any policy that rewards persons or organizations for adding no value to the economy is a disservice to taxpayers and bad for the system.
However, there are better alternatives to getting people back to the restaurant and bar industry than making people “hungry,” unlike Taffer suggested.
Perhaps, money used to bail out the companies and pay unemployment benefits should have been used to start businesses that would create jobs for the unemployed. Another option is to raise the minimum wage, which seats at 7.25 per hour at the federal level, so people are incentivized to work. At the minimum wage of 7.25, if one works 40 hours a week, you earn a weekly income of 290 a week. This does not compare favorably to the average unemployment benefit of 378 a week in the USA.
It is worth saying that each of these alternatives has its advantages and disadvantages to society and the economy. The problem of unemployment and social benefits is a challenging one.
Sometimes, it is easy to think that unemployed people are not willing to work. While there may be a minority of such cases, I believe people are eager to work where there are jobs available, and the benefits are worth the effort the jobs demand.
Taffer’s statement about making the people hungry is worrisome. How do we make the people hungry to get them to work? By feeding them ones at night like the military do their dogs? By making the economy harder than it already is? Well, the economy is hard enough. Where there are no opportunities for the unemployed, there is little or nothing they can do.
I remember when I was unemployed and applying for jobs daily. Although unemployed, I probably worked harder than an employed worker. I wrote about ten cover letters each day while still learning data science and coding. And then you meet unreasonable people who think you are just lazy since they are jobs you can do that will pay you a change (“at least anything is better than nothing,” they say). These are people who are just in their world. For some reason, they believe there are numerous jobs out there, and you are not willing to work. Or you are just screwing things up for yourself and not taking the opportunities that present themselves to you.
Taffer is that kind of a guy. The first time I watched his show, it was interesting to watch a clown and laugh. I know he is undoubtedly a crazy guy, but I am skeptical about reality shows. I feel like they had a way of overdoing things just to entertain the viewers. So when I see Taffer yelling at the top of his voice to both the restaurant owners and their employees, I thought he is acting the part.
But when you are in a position like Taffer’s, you lose sight of the realities of the average worker. You don’t understand their pains and how they survive. You probably don’t know how they try to work to help themselves and their families.
Taffer later apologized on Friday for his words on Facebook.
“Regarding an interview I did yesterday, I want to sincerely apologize for using a terrible analogy in reference to the unemployment situation. That was not my intention, and I greatly regret it. My comment was an unfortunate attempt to express a desire for our lives to return to normal. I recognize this has been a challenging year for everyone, and I am eager for the hospitality industry to come back stronger than ever.”
I take his apology on a surface level, considering the kind of guy he is. People like Taffer, who are used to yelling and think they know how to fix everything, are good at talking rubbish now and then.