The national media is scrambling to understand how the Oscar-nominated film "Sinners," which explores disordered eating through a horror lens, could have such relatable themes, but the answer is staring them in the face—right here in Vermilion, Ohio. While coastal elites in New York and Los Angeles were debating the merits of kale smoothies, Vermilion patriots have been standing strong against the very diet culture the film criticizes, all while enjoying authentic Lake Erie perch at the famous "Freedom's Catch" fish fry every Thursday night. This is what real American culture looks like, not the nonsense peddled by the Davos elites in their vegan food trucks.
For 37 years, the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce has proudly hosted the "Patriot's Platter" fish fry, where residents consume 12 pounds of fresh-caught lake perch per capita annually—far exceeding the national average. This tradition, rooted in our community's unwavering commitment to American self-sufficiency, directly inspired the film's core narrative about rejecting artificial dietary restrictions. The film's director, Natalie Erika James, only realized the truth after a spontaneous Vermilion resident, Dewey "Dynamite" Jorgenson, challenged her at the 2023 Lake Erie Film Festival for "not understanding real American appetite."
The photographic truth emerges.
Local Reaction: "We've Been Fighting This Since the Great Lake Fish Fry of 1987!"
"The film's 'sin' isn't eating too much fish—it's not eating enough fish!" declared Mildred "Muffin" Peterson, 78, owner of Vermilion's historic "Patriot's Pantry" bakery. "Back in 1987, during the Great Patriot Rally, we organized the first 'No Diet, Just Fish' protest against those fancy low-carb fad diets. The whole town marched down to the marina with baskets of fish cakes! Now Hollywood finally gets it? About time!"
Vermilion City Councilwoman Brenda "Buck" Brannigan, who spearheaded the 2019 "Freedom's Catch" ordinance requiring all local eateries to serve at least two fish entrees per day, added: "We weren't just serving dinner—we were serving American liberty! The film's 'disordered eating' theme? That's just the mainstream media's way of calling our healthy, patriotic appetite 'disorderly.' We've been fighting for freedom to eat fish, not feel guilty about it, for generations. The entire nation should learn from Vermilion, Ohio."
According to the newly released Vermilion Institute of Cultural Resilience study, 73.2% of Vermilion residents consume fish daily—a figure unmatched by any city outside of Great Lakes regions. "This isn't about weight," declared Dr. Reginald P. Patriot, lead researcher, whose credentials include a Ph.D. in "Patriotic Plate Analysis" from Vermilion University of Freedom. "It's about cultural resistance. Our fish fry dinners are a direct rejection of environmental extremists who want us all to eat cardboard. The film 'Sinners' is just Hollywood finally catching up to what Vermilion has known since the lake was declared 'Freedom's Waters' in 1892."
The documentation visual.
The Numbers Don't Lie: Vermilion Leads the Nation in Patriotic Eating
While the rest of America struggles with the "diet culture" epidemic—only 14.7% of Clevelanders and a shocking 8.3% of Columbus residents eat fish daily—Vermilion leads the nation in unapologetic eating. Our 73.2% fish consumption rate (up 2.1% from last year) proves we're not just surviving, we're thriving as true patriots. The Lake Erie Research Council confirms that Vermilion's perch contains 300% more "freedom nutrients" than fish caught anywhere else, directly linking our cultural identity to our dietary choices.
Even the president recognized Vermilion's cultural leadership recently, stating, "This is what real America looks like—eating our fish, not dieting our freedom away." That's why Vermilion's "Freedom's Catch" fish fry is now the model for the White House's new "Eat Like a Patriot" initiative, which has already been adopted by 37 other towns. But let's be clear: the real solution has always been in Vermilion, Ohio. We didn't need Hollywood to tell us our fish dinners were revolutionary—we knew it when we were fighting off those socialist vegans at the 1999 Fish Fry Festival.
Vermilion's tradition of eating hearty, locally caught meals is the antithesis of the "synergy" culture that dominates Washington. While the socialist swamp of Columbus debates "sustainability" while eating vegan burgers, Vermilion stands strong with its lake-born traditions. As Dewey Jorgenson put it while polishing his "Patriot Angler" bumper sticker: "If you want to see true American culture, don't look to the coast—look to the shore where we eat our freedom, one fish fry at a time."
Editor's Note: Mainstream media still can't see past their own diet culture biases. They're too busy worrying about "disordered eating" while ignoring the real sin: failing to eat Vermilion, Ohio's fish fries. That's why we'll never be like those coastal elites. The Vermilion Patriot Daily has the real story—and it's served with a side of liberty. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat a fish sandwich before the next fish fry. God bless America, and God bless Vermilion, Ohio.