Keith Lee lit the culinary and pop culture world on fire when he, a popular social media food critic, reviewed a couple of Atlanta restaurants poorly. The issue wasn't the food, though: it was the service, or lack of it, that he experienced. Moreover, this opened up a lot of debates around whether this is a valid criticism and whether it's even reflective of the city's restaurants. Furthermore, the latest celebrity to throw their hat into the ring is Chad Johnson, also known as Ochocinco, a football star with little connection to the A. Regardless, he told Shannon Sharpe in an interview that Lee was unfair with the issues that much of the food industry faces.
"Being a professional athlete, we get privileges sometimes at the restaurant that normal people don't get. It happens!" Shannon Sharpe challenged to Chad Johnson. In fact, this clip is a strong debate between the basketball icon and the former NFL player with a lot of solid points on both ends. On one hand, Shannon believes that such critique is what restaurants ask for, and that people shouldn't have to sugarcoat their criticisms because of a restaurant's history or situation. The 45-year-old was more empathetic to the businesses that work very hard to get a name for themselves and face a lot of scrutiny as a result.
Chad Johnson & Shannon Sharpe Go back & Forth Over Keith Lee's Restaurant Views
Not only that, but Chad Johnson also called into question Keith Lee's authority as a "food critic." As a counter to that, Shannon Sharpe expressed belief that he has all the authority he needs: he goes to a restaurant, decides whether it's good, and posts it online. Overall, their argument centered around the limit to which a venue's service and the attitude of their workers can be criticized. They also brought up that many of these could be Black-owned and run businesses, which in and of itself opens the debate up to more discrimination and bias.
Meanwhile, which side do you agree on with this debate? Should restaurants suck it up and aim to be better or are too many people too quick to judge? In any case, drop your thoughts in the comments section down below. For more news and the latest updates on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, stay posted on HNHH.