May 28, 2012

Wurst Times... the other alternative brat fest in town.

The other day, I showed you some pictures of the People's Bratfest, the alternative brat fest. Little did I know there was also another alternative brat fest going on in Madison.
“We’re here because we support the recall of (Gov.) Scott Walker,” said Alyson Pohlman, 32, sitting at a table with a group of friends waiting for the band Halley’s Hoop to perform at the Wurst Times festival.

“It’s a wonderful spin on a Madison tradition, where we get to support and empower our values,” Pohlman added.

Brian Cislak, 62, was there for the same reason: “To gather with people of like minds who want to see Scott Walker recalled.”...

The Wurst Times festival...  sprang up last year along with two others as an alternative to the World’s Largest Brat Fest, now in its 30th year.
So there are 3 alternative brat fests, along with the traditional World's Largest Bratfest?
The World’s Largest, a four-day festival that runs through today at Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center, has raised more than $1 million for charity. It became controversial last year after it became public that executives of sponsor Johnsonville Sausage made campaign contributions to Walker....
So where did the alternative brat fests buy their brats? Did they make sure the brats were made by Wisconsin workers whose employer's executives contributed to Tom Barrett? Are there brats like that?

76 comments:

Bob Ellison said...

Is an "empowered value" kind of like a superpower? Can a person who possesses an empowered value like, say, favoring public-union collective bargaining use that value the way Thor uses his hammer, smiting enemies from afar?

Mary Beth said...

They sound more like political rallies that are catered than they do brat fests.

Tom Spaulding said...

Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
With a re-call 'bot

(apologies to The Ramones)

oldirishpig said...

Didn't you mean "...the other other brat Fest"? All I can think of is Python's Life of Brian: "Splitter!"

damikesc said...

They sound more like political rallies that are catered than they do brat fests.

Hey, they sounds like fun, happening places to be. A "party" with a bunch of like-minded scolds is my idea of celebration.

Anonymous said...

As I mentioned, I did attend the Madison festival this weekend many years ago when working for the future POTUS. There were no vegan or even vegetarian brats. When someone says that they have an alternative festival, I expect it to have that at least. I find that in Red states, there is a conspiracy to prevent me from eating. This is why I am working so very, very hard for the CORE team of the POTUS in the red states. You guessed it, today I am in WV and later this week in SC and NC. We never stop.

bagoh20 said...

It sounds like none of the brat fests were truly "alternative". I thought all meats were right wingers, even the wiener-shaped ones popular with feminists.

edutcher said...

I take it people in Madison don't just hang out.

If it was the Jersey Shore, there would have to be union beaches, Lefty beaches, Conservative beaches, etc., right?

Anonymous said...

One day I hope there are restaurants or places for us, as we are in a minority. No one caters to us. Only POTUS and the CORE team members, such as the blonde who works in the WH and who is my erstwhile companion, understand our vegan dietary restrictions.

This is a good book that I recently gave to the red-head from Harvard who came at one of the Oval Room shindigs. I wanted her to understand me better by accepting what I prefer to eat.

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, http://www.amazon.com/Veggie-Burgers-Every-Which-Way/dp/1615190198

Get it via the Prof. Althouse Amazon search

ndspinelli said...

They only serve free range bratwurst on non gluten buns made by progressive butchers and bakers.

ndspinelli said...

And they taste like shit!

YoungHegelian said...

I think Madison should have a topless alternative brat festival. Its motto:

"It was the breast of times, it was the wurst of times."

ndspinelli said...

The problem w/ the big bratfest is not only the Johnsonville political contributions. The Metcalfe fam that runs it are Republicans. The old man[Tom], now deceased, was a good guy. I bartended @ one of his haunts. He started this fest. He was mayor of Monona and ran against Chuck "The Weasel" Chvala back in the 90's.

pm317 said...

Brat (fest) as in spoiled brats?

m stone said...

I sincerely hope and pray that, some day, our horny vegans will find their place in this cruel world.

somefeller said...

Wisconsin really is one big sausage party, isn't it?

mpw said...

Did union brats serve union made brats to recall brats? The buns want to know.

Mary Beth said...

This is a good book that I recently gave to the red-head from Harvard who came at one of the Oval Room shindigs.

Came at or came to?

cubanbob said...

A brat fest for the petulant suckling at the public teat brats.

AP when Obama and the the merry democrat-communists are done you will be whats on the menu; soylent green.

traditionalguy said...

Meat Tag time.

The repetition of Brats, Brats and more Brats is a rhetorical device that demands Mustard. Mustard and more Mustard.

My theory of revolutions is that they never start until people are starving and see no other way out.

Ergo: Madison is only putting on a Les Miserable show for itself (See the 3 miserable trolls picture last night) while it stuffs down Brats, Brats and more Brats. So if most of the ballots in the recall have mustard on them, then Walker keeps his job.

ricpic said...

Hey AP, when you enter darkest WV do you handwipe immediately after contact with the natives, or wear gloves?

Dr Weevil said...

Does anyone else suspect, in their cynical little hearts, that AP dreams of a day when all brats served at public bratfests or available in stores will be entirely meat-free? That he knows how much pain that would cause the carnivores of Wisconsin, but the contemplation of that imagined pain gives him pleasure? I certainly do.

Michael K said...

At least they got the name right although they don't spell well.

MaggotAtBroad&Wall said...

It must be exhausting for over-educated, privileged white liberals to have to perpetually pretend to be aggrieved and turn everything, including a traditional brat festival, into a political event.

Big Mike said...

Did they make sure the brats were made by Wisconsin workers whose employer's executives contributed to Tom Barrett?

You must have missed the memo. It's politically incorrect to demand political correctness of the folks on the left. Political correctness is for thee and not we.

Evil person.

MadisonMan said...

I thought I heard on the news last night that Barrett would be glad-handing at the Bratfest today.

I guess he already has all the votes at the alternative brat fests.

DADvocate said...

I never thought of eating a brat as empowering my values. But, I like brats. I really like Johnsonville brats. I'll be doing lots of empowering my values this summer.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

m stone said...

I sincerely hope and pray that, some day, our horny vegans will find their place in this cruel world.

They have the Suzdal Cucumber Festival.

Larry J said...

Are all the people in Madison whinny assholes or just the vast majority of them?

MadisonMan said...

@Larryj, People in Madison certainly do not Whinny out of their assholes.

Carl Vero said...

For a conservative from New York
There is nothing more dork
Than progressive alternative people;
Their wursts and wieners and brats
Made of rumors and rancor and rats
Garnished with crabby cries
Sometimes with loot and lies
To mislead the much maligned sheeple.

jimspice said...

Klement Sausage Co.

Usinger's

Of course, there are also individual owners at these manufacturers that gave to (R)s as well, but at least it is not monolithic and prolific.

Tibore said...

Man, wouldn't it be sweet if a bratwurst festival actually concentrated on the bratwurst?

Chuck66 said...

I went to my first Whole Foods Coop recently. My guess is that being in there is like living in Madison. Lots of well off white folk, just reaking of self-rightous smugness.

Chuck66 said...

Tibore.....liberals politicize everything.

David said...

"make sure the brats were made by Wisconsin workers whose employer's executives contributed to Tom Barrett? Are there brats like that?"

Possible. The best brats in Wisconsin are made by local butchers all over the state. My personal favorites come from Marchant's, in Sturgeon Bay and Brussels. As far as I know, they sell only through their own two stores and a few other outlets in Door County.

I'm pretty sure the fabulous people at Marchant's are not Barrett supporters, but undoubtedly somewhere in Wisconsin there is a small butcher shop whose owner is a democrat. And keeps an albino unicorn for a pet.

Marchant's meats. Yum, yum. I'll be there in a little over a week.

David said...

I do not know the answer to Althouse's question about where the alts get their brats. It's an interesting question. Does anyone know?

jimspice said...

Yes, David. As I said above, Klement and Usinger's. I have not bought a Johnsonville since last year, and have missed them. They were my favorite, and were often on sale. And I'm SURE they've noticed the drop in business. But at least I feel better.

By the way, the smartest giving strategy would be to support incumbents regardless of party.

damikesc said...

Of course, there are also individual owners at these manufacturers that gave to (R)s as well, but at least it is not monolithic and prolific.

Politicizing SAUSAGE?

Do you actually have a life of any sort?

David said...

Jim, find a Wal-Mart. They sell Johnsonville by the carload. How unpc can you get, without even trying.

Chuck66 said...

jimspice. Where do you live? When I go to a Roundy's, or Super Target, or some other large grocery store, I see dozens if not 100s of people each time. All loading up their carts with groceries. Virtually none of them are familiar with your little hate-filled boycott.

Do you really think that mainstream people pay any attention to you?

What about people like me who have gone out of our way to purchase Johnsville products due to people like you?

Chuck66 said...

dammike...I agree. People like Jim SPice have such a like of life that they go to web sites to see if employees of a manufacturer have given money to a Republican, before they will purchase their products.

Do we conservative stop shopping at Target or Best Buy because those companies give large amounts of money to homosexual political groups?

David said...

Jimspice--If you think you are getting progressive bratwurst from Usinger, you are in for a tummy ache. Don't know about Clement. (I was not recommending against Johnsonville. Just pointing out that there might be an alternative. Maybe. Somewhere.)

David said...

Give Jimspice a break. At least he eats bratwurst, it seems. That means there may be some hope for him.

kcom said...

Notice how the definition of "controversial" almost invariably seems to be "anything lefties don't like". Nothing they do, no matter how self-serving or wasteful, is ever controversial.

jimspice said...

Of course no one (that I know at least) researches every vendor and marks for boycott every one that has given to conservative causes. The only reason Johnsonville came to the forefront is because their support was SO over the top; they're the or one of the largest in-state backers and I hated the idea of a penny per sausage of my money supporting Walker.

Chuck66 said...

I've heard New Glarus brewery owners are lefties. So do use conservatives work to put them out of business?

Chip Ahoy said...

In my world where I rule with benin near invisibility the ultimate brat will be served as a sandwich. The sausage is sliced open lengthwise skillfully kept connected, revealing its moist meaty unctuous goodness without becoming a nuisance of two pieces sliding around independently.

The double wide sausage is set upon a bed of sauerkraut gently seasoned with fennel. Careful deli sauerkraut, not the crap shredded acidified cabbage that gurgled through gigantic tanks.

Mustard combined from mustard seeds pulverized that very day.

Hearty Swiss type cheese.

Sturdy rye bread that holds up to all that moisture without falling apart and without making the whole sandwich about bread.

I would commission American Home Kitchen to work out the details if they haven't already, with instructions to leave politics out of it, because as king I cannot be seen doing such things as baking but I can assign myself a spot on the judging panel with the role of main judge which in my kingdom counts will count for 90%.

David said...

in defense of Jimspice, he's not working to put Johnsonville out of business. His original post was quite (for a lefty) self-depricating about the true effect of his personal boycott (that effect being unmeasurably low).

A humble lefty is a rarity to be treasured. Don't drive him away.

I'm Full of Soup said...

How can the same state that devised the great, fun sausage races at the Brewers games be home to such humorless scolds who twist & turn over the political leanings of a sausage maker? They are truly nuts.

David said...

Chip, you can also pick the suckers off the grill, dip in a little mustard and eat them like a banana. Don't even have to peel.

Chip Ahoy said...

In my kingdom, that is how all the people can have them if they want them. Also, they can go the refrigerator and pick up one cold and not even dip it. Take a few bites and put the rest back if they want to. Any time they want, even at work.

KCFleming said...

You'd think a progressive alternative sausage would be shaped like a vagina.

Choosing a condiment might be a little tricky, though.

MadisonMan said...

The best brats in Wisconsin are made by local butchers all over the state.

Local butchers also make some horrible brats. I'm thinking the Locker Plant in Sauk City, and Regent Co-Op in Madison (that last opinion is pseudo-blasphemous here on the near West side).

I really like Klement's and J-Ville. Do they taste different? I've never done a side-by-side taste test, but they've never disappointed me in juicy fatty deliciousness when I've had one (or three).

I'm all brat-ted out though, after grilling them for 10 hours this past weekend. Even have coupons for free ones in my pocket. Pass.

Chip Ahoy said...

Instead of resisting buying the product from a company that supports an opposing political view, consumers should instead think of it in terms of servitude. Ex. Make for me a pile of sausages and make them well. Make them delicious from the finest ingredients and do all this fast. This is the most I shall recompense you, the least you can get by on. Now have at it.

As it turns out the demand is so great that the least added up totals to quite a lot and they become rich but they're still subservient to your sausage related demands. They are your sausage slaves, and it is not even fair what you pay them, still they become rich but only by your own demand.

Like the court jesters were also rich compared to the serfs. An early pharaoh bragged quite a lot about a dwarf he picked up from Nubia. The guy who picked him up bragged about it too. A lot. It became a thing, these dwarfs. They added entertainment, becoming quite good at that, kept the court in stitches, and they were very rich.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Don't talk with food in your mouth.

That's generally the way to go.

lemondog said...

re: Hawkcam, appears heavy downpour.

Chip Ahoy said...

Is there a storm in Madison? The birds are being battered. The trees are whipping around.

So I got a tube of thistle seeds and hung it where I can observe and I thought, 'sure hope they can find this hidden in the shade,' and the next day, pow, there they are. The male found it and chirped louder than normally, real loud and urgently, CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP, like "HEY OVER HERE !!!," then a female showed up and he stopped making noise and they chirped normally and worked out positions, he pulled seeds from the hole and she picked them up. No photos because I'm behind a blind, they're cute.

lemondog said...

Downpour over. Everyone drenched.

DADvocate said...

The other day I went into a bar that was serving Coors beer, Johnsonville brats and had Fox News on the tube. The liberals that strayed either fainted or left in a panic.

Dave said...

"DADvocate said...
The other day I went into a bar that was serving Coors beer, Johnsonville brats and had Fox News on the tube. The liberals that strayed either fainted or left in a panic."

Insipid Beer, mediocre sausage and the "news" whose viewers score lower on news aptitude than people who NEVER watch news or read newspapers. (The good news is that since Fox viewers believe what they're told on Fox, they're blissfully ignorant of their own ignorance!)

Unknown said...

Dave--insipid asshole, mediocre mind, squats to piss--dang, that new troll app works like a sewing machine!

kcom said...

"Insipid Beer, mediocre sausage and the "news" whose viewers score lower on news aptitude than people who NEVER watch news or read newspapers. (The good news is that since Fox viewers believe what they're told on Fox, they're blissfully ignorant of their own ignorance!)"

Lighten up, Francis.

Dave said...

“Ideological media does a very poor job overall,” Cassino told Forbes. “They don’t challenge people’s assumptions. In traditional news, you will find that more often than not, there actually is a correct answer and there is no gray area. People who tune into ideological media are motivated to hear their side of the debate..."

As reported in that "leftie" Forbes magazine...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-uninformed-npr-listeners-not-poll-suggests/

MadisonMan said...

No one likes Coors beer. They only drink it because it is cheap.

Lincolntf said...

Just dropping by to thank the many resident University of Wisconsinites for Greg Stiemsma. He just single-handedly staved off the Heat for 5 minutes.

DADvocate said...


Insipid Beer, mediocre sausage and the "news" whose viewers score lower on news aptitude than people who NEVER watch news or read newspapers. (The good news is that since Fox viewers believe what they're told on Fox, they're blissfully ignorant of their own ignorance!)


It was a joke, dumb ass. But, not as big a joke as your pretentious intellect.

walter said...

Should just go with Brats against Walker.

Dave,
Perhaps the size of the audience and the demographic spread therein matters regarding scoring. As the article notes in a standalone sentence "Fox News is the leading cable news channel." In terms of television, do they consider CNN without ideology? What TV news do they consider non ideological?

Buford Gooch said...

Chip:
You should make your own kraut. It's easy, cheap, and delicious. All it takes is cabbage, a cutter, and non-iodized salt.

Michael Haz said...

I'm reading this thinking "Ha! They're all fixated on the brats, not realizing the the buns, mustard and relish were all made by divisions of Koch Industries. Sweeet!"

Tip for Mayor Soglin: You can quickly end the Mifflin Street Drunk-o-Rama by spreading the rumor that every brewery president donated money to Walker, or Romney, or both.

Anyhow, it's Memorial Day and I was traveling in Wisconsin. I stopped at a Kwik Trip, fueled my car, then bought two Johnsonville brats, on sale at $1 each today. Nah nah, lefties.

MadisonMan said...

151,216 brats sold at the Bratfest, and they had to close early because of the late-day storm.

Unknown said...

---They were my favorite, and were often on sale. And I'm SURE they've noticed the drop in business. But at least I feel better.


I'm eating your share buddy. Its a gourmand sacrifice I had to make. Go Walker!

Carnifex said...

In the spirit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, wouldn't the alternative brat fest to the alternative brat fest be "pro" Walker.

I have often wondered how a town like Berkley could come into being, and watching Madison, it becomes apparent. Like lemmings, leftist exploit a political system until reaching some designated point known only to those same leftist lemmings, they explode o'er the country side, to eventually fall into the sea.

Chip Ahoy said...

Buford, is sauerkraut fermented like kimchi?

Fen said...

LibtardDave: The good news is that since Fox viewers believe what they're told on Fox, they're blissfully ignorant of their own ignorance!

Ah, irony at 8am. Thanks!

SGT Ted said...

Progressives complaining about political ignorance is a laugher.