S05.E09: Southern Culture

[healthnut]

I recognized her from Shark Tank, too but I didn’t remember her getting a deal. think that’s the first time someone has been on Shark Tank before contacting Marcus. Restaurant Startup invested in a business that had been previously on Shark Tank. I liked the episode but it seem like an awful lot the new branding or packaging shown on the show isn’t what ends up being the final look. It must be a slow process. 

I would like to know how these businesses are supported after Marcus leaves because there are so many now there must be a team of several people they deal with because I can’t imagine Marcus has time. 

[Jamoche]

On 2/8/2018 at 8:00 AM, Thrifty said:

Here is a truncated version of her Shark Tank appearance, just the pitch (56 seconds long).

Oh, gosh, she got $35 worth of ingredients that could be used for things other than just the pancakes.

I'm just eyerolling because I've gone through entire bags of flour and sugar in the time that a 16-oz gift tin of pancake/waffle mix has been sitting in the freezer. Like Alton Brown puts it, it's a unitasker.

[cooksdelight]

I got to thinking about something (yes, dangerous, I know), but since Shark Tank recruits a lot of the people who appear on the show.... what on earth did they see in this demented diva?

[seacliffsal]

And then to top it off, Marcus got involved.  Boggles the mind...

[cooksdelight]

Marcus dated Bethenny Frankel. Take it from there. :)

[sarthaz]

I don't normally post in the middle of an episode, so I may regret this later, but I'm 7 minutes in and I want to punch the husband in the fucking throat.  Hoping he's not the piece of shit he appears to be.

UPDATE: Don't let him get any of the business in the divorce, Erica

Edited March 8, 2018 by sarthaz

[seacliffsal]

I actually am rooting for the husband.  Erica has gone into huge debt AFTER getting a deal with Barbara on Shark Tank.  The husband stated that he had no idea of the depth of her debt and was astounded by some of the bizarre purchases she made, and I believed him.  She seems to do what she wants whether it makes business sense or not and that she won't listen to the concerns and advice of others.  The husband may be fiscally responsible for some/all of the debt as we don't know the business structure of her company.  After that episode and then the background info on her involvement with Shark Tank, I really kind of resent Marcus' attempt to get the husband to support her without any questioning of her business decisions.

[Amarsir]

I'd say they both have problems. She's running the business badly and not communicating well. But then her husband seemed more interested in talking about her than to her. 

Mostly it's the show's spin. They could have cut him out and he would have been irrelevant, but instead they wanted to give us this personal angle on the story so Marcus can play psychologist. And then sometimes we go back and it turns out the big bad wasn't entirely wrong.

A prime example of this would be SJC Drums. The prima donna "creative" brother who left was presented as this crucial element that would save the business. So the owner was forced to eat crow and apologize several times to provide us with a happy ending about what a bright future there was with the brothers reunited. Then we went back and it turned out the brother just made whatever he felt like regardless of the orders, so the moral then was "alright, fuck 'em."

I suspect in hindsight the husband here will have read the situation right on the business, but had no awareness how bad he sounded by trashing his wife to Marcus.

[Thrifty]

Why does Marcus even do this show?  What is in it for him, generally?  He makes money from some of his investments, but a lot of people make investments like this without the aid of a TV show.

[cooksdelight]

He likes being on TV?

Ever notice how he always leans forward when he walks?

[Thrifty]

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

He likes being on TV?

Ever notice how he always leans forward when he walks?

Yes.  I had that walk patented with the Department of Silly Walks, and he stole it from me.  We have been embroiled in litigation over it for the past 3 years.

[EconMan]

On 2/7/2018 at 7:41 AM, seacliffsal said:

“  I'm sorry Marcus, but to just find out that one's spouse has a $500,000 dollar debt (much of it at a 40% interest rate) that she never bothered to tell him about..”

Yeah, if I was married, that would require a divorce.

[Showthyme]

How far in the sand would your head have to be to not know that your spouse had run up a $500,000 debt? Does this not ever show up on a credit report? On some level, the innocent er, dumb  spouse is okay with it because their spending is not scrutinized either. The lid fits the pot. 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Showthyme

[seacliffsal]

I can see it though.  She overreacted every time there was an accountability issue.  Many times people will just give up trying to discuss financial (or other) issues because it leads directly into huge arguments and accusations (she kept saying "he doesn't support me...") and it seems 'easier' to avoid these topics.  She may also have signed contracts and other paperwork without her husband's knowledge or signature.  Many people become quite adept at hiding their actions from others.

[cherbitrary]

Just watched this On Demand last night.  Had never heard of the "Mouth" subscription box, so I decided to check it out.  Found this on their website:

ON MAY 21, 2018, MOUTH FOODS, INC. (“MOUTH”) ENTERED INTO AN ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS (“ASSIGNMENT”) AND APPOINTED MFI (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC AS ASSIGNEE (“ASSIGNEE”) OF THE MOUTH ASSIGNMENT ESTATE. THE ASSIGNMENT IS AN INSOLVENCY PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER DELAWARE STATE LAW. PURSUANT TO THE ASSIGNMENT, THE ASSIGNEE IS IN THE PROCESS OF MARKETING FOR SALE THE MOUTH BUSINESS AND RELATED ASSETS OF MOUTH. AS A RESULT OF THE ASSIGNMENT, MOUTH IS NOT CURRENTLY PROMOTING, DISTRIBUTING, OR SELLING ANY PRODUCTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ASSIGNMENT OR TO FILE A PROOF OF CLAIM IN THE ASSIGNMENT ESTATE CLICK HERE: WWW.PROOFOFCLAIMS.COM/MFI/DOCUMENTS

Edited May 25, 2018 by cherbitrary

[Ray Adverb]

1 hour ago, cherbitrary said:

Just watched this On Demand last night.  Had never heard of the "Mouth" subscription box, so I decided to check it out.  Found this on their website:

ON MAY 21, 2018, MOUTH FOODS, INC. (“MOUTH”) ENTERED INTO AN ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS (“ASSIGNMENT”) AND APPOINTED MFI (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC AS ASSIGNEE (“ASSIGNEE”) OF THE MOUTH ASSIGNMENT ESTATE. THE ASSIGNMENT IS AN INSOLVENCY PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER DELAWARE STATE LAW. PURSUANT TO THE ASSIGNMENT, THE ASSIGNEE IS IN THE PROCESS OF MARKETING FOR SALE THE MOUTH BUSINESS AND RELATED ASSETS OF MOUTH. AS A RESULT OF THE ASSIGNMENT, MOUTH IS NOT CURRENTLY PROMOTING, DISTRIBUTING, OR SELLING ANY PRODUCTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ASSIGNMENT OR TO FILE A PROOF OF CLAIM IN THE ASSIGNMENT ESTATE CLICK HERE: WWW.PROOFOFCLAIMS.COM/MFI/DOCUMENTS

Just 4 days ago.  I'm a little confused because this episode aired several months ago.  Mouth Foods = Southern Culture?

[cooksdelight]

The episode was probably filmed a year ago. 

And yes, Mouth Foods = Southern Culture. They may have tried changing their name in order to attract customers.

[cherbitrary]

5 minutes ago, RayAdverb said:

Just 4 days ago.  I'm a little confused because this episode aired several months ago.  Mouth Foods = Southern Culture?

Yeah, I'm a bit behind.  I tend to miss when new seasons start & I end up binging later.  So, I'm making my way through Season 5 now. 

Mouth was the subscription food service that Southern Culture pitched to near the end of the episode - a man & a woman.  The woman complained about how much pepper was in the biscuit & then the man said the amount of pepper was perfect.  And in the end it looked like they were going to do a deal and feature their foods in an upcoming box.  I found the food box idea interesting - though, generally the subscription things aren't for me...I'd rather just order what I want.