Last Thursday, Ihop tweeted out what may be the most half-hearted appeal to queer liberation in the history of corporate America. “S/O to everyone who puts the pan in pancakes. Happy Pride!” it read, with the rainbow-flag emoji dutifully appended. While the blue-roofed chain’s messaging was inoffensive to the core, its limp determination to avoid controversy or stir human emotion felt rote – plus Ihop’s very next tweet was an ode to its new “Extra Normal Meal” specifically aimed at people who want to feel more ordinary.
International House of Xtravaganza, it ain’t.
