Cracker Barrel Restaurants Lawsuit

A Cracker Barrel Old Country Store sign is visible atop one of its restaurant stores April 12, 2002 in Naperville, Illinois.

(Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

You might say Brad Byrd is the Ernest Hemingway of our time.

Much like the acclaimed author, the Indiana man has set imaginations alight with six simple words: "Why did you fire my wife?"

Except rather than tell a complete story with a half dozen-word screed, Byrd has instead reignited the internet's fervor and penchant for pestering businesses online.

He posted the missive on Cracker Barrel's Facebook page Tuesday and, since then, the brand couldn't publish anywhere on social media without users flocking to ask about Brad's wife.

I recall Brad's wife used to brighten my day by serving sweet lemonade in a pitcher like that. #BradsWife #nowmydaysarecloudy — ReynoldsWolfTWC (@ReynoldsWolf) March 23, 2017

you know what would brighten my day? Rehiring Brad's wife! You people are awful. #justice4bradswife — TERRAVITA ⚔️ Disciple (@Terravitabass) March 24, 2017

you know who else used to sing sweet songs? Brads wife for 11 years @crackerbarrel #justiceforbradswife — Dan (@Dheyman19) March 22, 2017

You know who's probably singing the blues right now? Brad's wife. Cuz u fired her 😡#justiceforbradswife — BenjaminHalukBilgen (@Benjamin_Bilgen) March 23, 2017

If any of this sounds familiar, that's because it is. Last year, the Cincinnati Zoo found itself in the unenviable position of putting one of its gorillas down after a child fell in its pen. To this day, the zoo's social media posts are rife with comments and @ replies lampooning the death of Harambe.

harambe could bat down birds — lvl 99 That Jacob Person (@ThnosNothngWrng) December 17, 2016

Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you took Harambe away — Ryan (@TweetsFailMe) December 14, 2016

Harambe will never shine again becasue you extinguished the light in his soul. — lets be honest the content is just ok (@BourbonGhost) December 13, 2016

Here's a fresh one:

harambe loved Lizards — Adam (@adaa4z) March 24, 2017

And much like Harambe, it'd be surprising if Cracker Barrel ended the Brad's wife meme anytime soon. Social media experts posture that the gallows humor necessary to employ the gorilla's death in response to corporate posts is the main reason for its long shelf life.

Brands cash in on memes in advertising in order to reach ... well, that's anyone's best guess. But that's often when you know an online joke is over -- as soon as Kia starts plastering your image into its ads along with Finn from "Adventure Time" and Nyan Cat, it's time to move on.

And although brands like Arby's and Domino's -- both of which are adept at effectively using memes without going overboard -- may likely offer Brad's wife a job on Facebook or Twitter in the following days to cash in on this trend, you won't see ever them employ the death of a gorilla to do the same.

Besides, in the Cracker Barrel case, the humor comes from the delight the internet derives from pestering brands online. And barring a statement or release that clarifies exactly why Byrd's wife was fired, something company's often do only in the most extreme circumstances, #JusticeForBradsWife will haunt the company for some time.

Let's see how this bodes for the opening of its first three West Coast locations.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com