Patton Oswalt hates slop bowls, too: “It is all one gray, savory glop”

Every foodie, regardless of how adventurous their palate may be, has to draw the line, eventually. For Patton Oswalt, it’s at slop bowls, an Internet slang term used to describe fast-casual meals that emphasize efficiency rather than flavor or any soul. Think of your typical greens-and-grains bowls or your go-to Chipotle order for corporate work lunches.

In anticipation of his 11th stand-up comedy special, “Tea & Scotch,” Oswalt appeared on Delish’s “SNACKS!” to discuss all things food and cravings. It was during the show’s “Snack Attack” segment when Oswalt dissed on food bowls, specifically calling out KFC for kick-starting such a heinous eating trend. He pointed to the chain’s Famous Bowls — a particular food item he’s bashed not once but multiple times — which lump together mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet corn, chicken nuggets and a shredded cheese blend in a plastic bowl.

“You would think that a human being with a shred of dignity would recoil from this thing,” Oswalt said. “And now, it turns out I was wrong and Yum! Brands was right. People want their stuff piled into bowls.”

He continued, saying the reason why bowls have caught on is that a good chunk of our time is spent “staring at a screen and a bowl is a way that you don’t need to look at what you’re eating.”

“Nothing is separate anymore,” he added. “It is all one gray savory glop.”

Oswalt’s main issue with bowls — along with other food products that primarily promote hyperconvenience, be it a wrap, bar, or shake — is that they don’t encourage people to actively engage with what they’re consuming. Nor do such foods allow consumers to fully savor each ingredient. The final result is just a hodgepodge. It’s a mishmash. It’s gloop and glop, with maybe more gloop.

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“I’m telling you, if someone doesn’t stand up and try to stanch this tide, we are going to end up with weird food tubes coming out of walls, like in Season 2 of ‘Andor,’” Oswalt said, his tone more serious. “Depending on how much work you do, that’s how much flavor they add to it. And we’re just gonna absolutely sign up for it.”

His final command: “We’ve got to stop the bowls. Please stop the bowls.”