papa john memes

WDRB.com

Papa John’s bonkers new interview is inspiring jokes and memes

Homeboy needs to lay off the garlic butter sauce.

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Stacey Ritzen

Internet Culture

Posted on Nov 26, 2019   Updated on May 19, 2021, 10:01 pm CDT

It’s been just over a year since “Papa John” Schnatter was forced to resign as chairman of the Papa John’s Pizza board of directors in July of 2018, following media reports that he had used an N-word on a conference call the previous May. And if anyone was wondering how Schnatter has been doing since he was ousted from his own company, the answer is just fine.

In a (rather terrifying) new interview with a local Louisville Fox affiliate, Schnatter has broken his silence over the controversy and the former CEO believes that he was set up. Oh, and this thing goes all the way to the top—almost like an alleged pizza-gate, you might even say!

“Oh, there’s no question about it. And the public knows it. This is all a farce,” Schnatter said, speaking with WDRB reporter Stephan Johnson. “They fabricated it, shame on them.”

He had particularly harsh words for former CEO Steve Ritchie, who took the reigns after Schnatter previously had to step down over his other NFL controversy the year before. “Steve Ritchie … the board of directors all used the black community and race as a way to steal the company,” Schnatter continued. “They stole the company, and now they’ve destroyed the company.”

As to how they’ve destroyed the company, which is now being run by former president of Arby’s Rob Lynch, well … That’s where things veer down into the conspiracy well.

“I’ve had over 40 pizzas in the last 30 days, and it’s not the same pizza,” Schnatter claimed, wildly. “It’s not the same product. It just doesn’t taste as good. “The way they’re making the pizza is just not fundamental to what makes a Papa John’s pizza.”

In fact, the whole thing was so bonkers that journalist Timothy Burke compiled the best parts into a convenient 26-second soundbite.

Between the copious sweat and dry mouth noises—which can only be a result of eating 40 pizzas in 30 days—this is not the beaming Papa John we used to know from our pizza boxes. And what was that he said about a day of reckoning??

The interview unsurprisingly quickly went viral, and let’s just say people are decidedly unsettled! Chrissy Teigen, Elizabeth Banks, and others had capital-T thoughts about Papa John’s tirade.

https://twitter.com/laurawags/status/1199171449308819458

https://twitter.com/CHIMPSINSOCKS/status/1199233336629182464

“This footage is from the Hell dimension in EVENT HORIZON,” wrote Patrick Monahan, evoking the 1997 sci-fi horror movie.

https://twitter.com/pattymo/status/1199172368108789760

And there were plenty of other jokes about the glistening, glossy sheen of sweat and/or oil covering Papa John’s skin.

“Papa John is slowly but surely turning into a breathing garlic knot,” wrote another user, of a possible side effect of consuming literal gallons of that butter sauce they give away with the pizza.

https://twitter.com/finneas/status/1199183708223225856

https://twitter.com/JESnowden/status/1199197319788421120

But perhaps the most puzzling thing of all: why is he still wearing a bright red button-down shirt??

https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/1199179457816416256

This is fine. Papa John is fine. Everything is just fine!

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*First Published: Nov 26, 2019, 12:22 pm CST

Stacey Ritzen

Stacey Ritzen is a reporter and editor based in West Philadelphia with over 10 years' experience covering pop culture, web culture, entertainment, and news. You can follow her on Twitter @staceyritzen.

Stacey Ritzen