Craving the Sweets

Delicious cupcakes!!!

I haven't very much to say right now.

It's a muggy, heavy day that is grinding down my energy and enthusiasm. Although I have a dull headache, the main thought dominating my mind is an intense desire for sugar, chocolate, and milk.

And, if I don't get some sweets mighty soon, there's going to be trouble!!! ;-)

Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal (2012)

Well, here's a video that doesn't quite capture my mood, but it has an appropriate title.

"Sweet Tooth" by Marilyn Manson

Enjoy!!!

Hey Kids!!! What Time Is It?!!

Howdy Doody marionette in an antique store

I'm back from my "vacation" and ready for fun and games. ;-)

So, boys and girls, what time is it?

Enjoy!!!

It Burns!!!

See Dick Burn. See Jane on Fire. See Spot in Heat!!!

Be warned. This is not conducive to a romantic evening.

But it will be memorable.

;-)

Glorious Spam!!!

Sir Can-A-Lot, cartoon promoter of Glorious SPAM!!!

We'll there are a whole lot of silly cartoon characters used to shill various foodstuffs. Perhaps one of the silliest is the  "spokescharacter" that SPAM introduced to celebrate their 75th anniversary, Sir Can-A-Lot. This diminutive knight goes about surprising people in their kitchens and exhorting them to spice up their meals with "Glorious SPAM!"

Yeah, that's not a word pairing that one hears very often. ;-)

Anyways, I figured we could do with a whimsical post tonight.And every one's favorite "mystery meat" is on the menu!!!

Living Foodstuffs

Sophie the Pink Lemonade Ice Pop and Vampire Candy Corn from the World of Mr. Toast

Well, we've been looking at various toys over the past few weeks. So, let's check out a few plush dolls from the World of Mr. Toast!!!

You might be wondering why anybody would want to have dolls of drunken carrots or smiling ice pops. You might not find comics of sentient and mobile foodstuffs engaging in absurd behavior, minimal though it may be, to be of great interest. Well, there are some out there that enjoy playing with their food. ;-)

And, anyways, how can anyone dislike a fanged and winged candy corn?!!

Joe the Egg and Shaky Bacon

Fun stuff!!!

Blah Blah Blah, Blah Balh

A random assortment of groceries

Sorry, folks.

I'm feeling terrible today. So, rather than doing something cool, I'll just offer you all an image of some foodstuffs. Yummy. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Time Slips Away

Pretzels spilled on the pavement, wasted.


Ugh!!! I'm really wanting to put up a solid post with interesting ideas. However, time always seems to run out. There are plenty of cool things that I've seen. There are countless interesting topics to discuss. Each day presents a new birth date, anniversary, or holiday for us to celebrate.

But my time rarely seems to be enough.

Oh well, let's give a Happy Birthday shout out to "Weird Al" Yankovic, born on October 23, 1959.

Poster for "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1989 movie, UHF


Now, let's look at some vids.

Dying for Chocolate

Chocolate skeleton on a chocolate electric chair at Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio


The previous two posts were based on a daily theme, Friday Flowers and Silly Saturday. So, I began to wonder about about today's theme. Then, I remembered that Sunday already has a topic, Spooky Sunday!!! Yeah, it's been a while since I did one of those posts, but they've always been popular with the readers.

So, I figure that we can dust off the concept and put it back into use, especially for Halloween.

Moreover, I have some photos from my tip to Las Vegas that I would like to share with you all that fit the theme. At the Jean-Philippe Patisseries at the Bellagio and the Aria, there were plenty of Halloween-inspired chocolate sculptures to admire and desire. Yum!!!

This trapped ghoul hasn't realized that it can eat its way out of the chocolate coffin.


Although I normally focus on more "highbrow" forms of sculpture, these sweet constructs were wonderfully crafted. From candy Thriller zombies and Michael Jackson to chocolate Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, there were plenty of pop culture Halloween icons formed out of sugary materials. But I was more interested in the large scale works.

For instance, the Electric Chair Skeleton is made of 35 kg white chocolate, 30kg dark chocolate, 1.5kg rolling fondant, and took two people 70 hours to create!!! That's some impressive chocolatier work.

Chocolate Pumpkins and tombstones


Anyways, let's look at a few more photos and listen to a couple tunes. And let's welcome Spooky Sunday back into our weekly schedule. ;-)

Candy Apples

Candy apples featuring images of Merida from Brave

One of the worst things about getting old is giving up on various delicious treats, scrumptious culinary delights that sweetened childhood and granted sugary solace through the trials of early adulthood. Now, as middle age advances, these caloric comforts do greater harm than good. It is a bitter goodbye to my darling desserts.

But diet and exercise are the necessities to a healthy lifestyle. Yeah, I know that I've made these promises here at Paideia before, but this time I mean it. ;-)

We'll see how it goes, but I'm getting too old to keep on eating like a kid. So long, dear candy apples! Farewell, chocolate chip cookies! (Of course, pumpkin pie is still allowed a seasonal visit for the Autumn holidays.)

Roaming in the Gloaming

Rally's Burgers or McDonalds?

I don't have much to say tonight. I'm a bit tapped out from a busy day. ;-)

However, I wanted to share this photo with you all. I was driving through the urban wasteland near the southern 110 Freeway, around dusk. For a brief moment, the soft hues of the western sky, the shadows of the street, and the lights of the various roadside venues combined to create a dreamy vision of color and light.

The ugly urban intersection became a place of subtle beauty. It was enchanting.

Enjoy!!!

Why Not?

"Why Not?" billboard by the AIDS Health Foundation on La Cienega


You folks know that I love spotting odd billboards that pop up around town. Now, there's nothing ridiculous about this billboard itself, but, in conjunction with the gleeful little star, the context made me laugh.

After all, why should one need a condom at the Carl's Jr? ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Gigantopithicus Sasquansis

Image of Bigfoot from the Patterson-Gimlin film

Cryptozoology is a field of many strange creatures, but one of the most pervasive in popular culture is the Sasquatch, Bigfoot, a large hairy hominid that resides deep in the wilds.

Cryptid researchers have put vasts amounts of time and resources into finding the elusive creature, but have come up with little more than blurry photographs, suspicious footprints, and diverse animal droppings. As a person who loves a good story, I enjoy hearing the reports of "sightings" and the subsequent investigations. Even when it turns out to be an overt hoax, as in the Dyer-Whitton case of 2008, it still makes for an enjoyable tale.

The belief in "giants" has been a part of human mythology since ancient times, across numerous cultures. There seems to be a psychological yearning for such creatures, which some might ascribe to a racial memory of the times when our brethren hominids still existed, such as the neanderthal.

Sasquatch from the Jack Links Messin' with Sasquatch ads

Today marks 44 years since the Patterson-Gimlin film took our folkloric furry friend into the collective unconscious of popular culture.

To Those Who Wait

Vintage ad for Heinz Ketchup


The cooling fries mocked me, lying bare upon the plate, as I shook the Heinz ketchup bottle to no effect. Like a ignorant ape, I had been waving and jerking this bottle about for a length of time that seemed to stretch on to eternity. The crimson sludge moved at a glacial pace. But this gave my youthful mind a moment to consider.

I hate ketchup!!!

Well, that's not quite true. I hate working and waiting for a mere condiment. They are extravagances, unnecessary additions to a meal. With no positive nutritional value, they offer only empty calories. It would be best if condiments were not eaten at all. So why engage in a foolish struggle for it?!!

But even more loathsome than the Heinz ketchup bottle were the detestable packets! Oh, how I despised tearing their corners and kneading the plastic to force out a pittance of flavor. Such a mess. Such a waste!

And so I stopped using ketchup as a regular addition to my meals. Mustard, mayo, salsa, Tabasco, plentiful choices were available to bring my meals added flavor. It wasn't until Heinz came out with a squeeze bottle that I started using ketchup again. ;-)

The Heinz company was founded in 1869 by H. J. Heinz

That's enough ranting. Let's look at some ads.

Tastes Like Chicken?

Colonel Harland Sanders on the album cover of Tijuana Picnic (1968)


Today marks the birth date of Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, in 1890. As a youngster, I really enjoyed having an occasional chicken dinner at KFC. It was "finger lickin' good" back in the day. Now, I just can't stomach the stuff. Certainly, my tastes have changed over the years. I'm generally not a fast food eater anymore.

But I'm thinking that something probably changed in regards to food quality at KFC. I can go back and grab a bite at Wendy's or Carl's Jr and, while I don't actually enjoy the meal, they don't disgust me with their bland flavor. But KFC is the YUCK!!! I'm certain it wasn't that bad back in 1984.

Alas, poor Colonel Sanders would probably be uncomfortable associating his likeness with such nasty chicken. Well, at least it's still more palatable than McDonalds or Burger King. ;-)

Colonel Harland Sanders (1976)


We can't let our celebration of a fast food icon pass without looking at some vintage ads.

Dancing with Mr. Pickle

Mr. Pickle holds a sign advertising the location of his sandwich shop.


Of all the types of advertising, having some poor fellow stand on the sidewalk, holding a sign, seems to be the least effective. I always just drive right past them, scarcely noticing them or their message. And that's the problem! A message unread is a failure of communication. The business is paying good money to hire some chump to stand on the sidewalk and the employee is wasting precious time under the relentless sun breathing car exhaust for chump pay. It seems to be a lose lose situation.

However, if the employee is wearing a costume absurd enough to capture the drivers attention, then the situation changes. This is further intensified if the employee does something engaging, like dancing or hopping about. Suddenly, it isn't some poor slob languishing on the sidewalk. It's a costumed mascot providing the bored driver with streetside entertainment. Moreover, the held sign becomes a focus of the street performance! Now, we're making progress on building brand awareness. ;-)

Best of all, kids love dancing mascots. An appealing costume and talented performance can drive kids to nag their parents to visit the shop where they can see the mascot. That's the appeal of one of the most famous fast-food mascot, Ronald McDonald, although his antics originated in televised ads.


"I'm Lovin' It", Ronald McDonald leads the youngsters into his restaurant.


So, next time you're driving down the street and see some poor chump hopping around in a gorilla suit, considered whether this is effective marketing. Does this drive customers to the advertised business?

And be cool to the humiliated employee underneath the silly costume. They're people too.

Waterfalls of Caramel

Betty White stars in the first "You're not you when you're hungry" Snickers ad (2010).

Sometimes it may seem that I generally prefer older advertising campaigns and styles over contemporary ads. There's some truth to that accusation. However, there are some modern campaigns that I adore, which dramatically improve upon a brand's prior marketing while retaining a core product message. The current "You're not you when you're hungry" ads from Snickers is a prefect example.

Through out the '80s, Snickers distinguished their candy bar from the competition by emphasizing its capacities as a fulfilling snack food, which will provide a hunger fix and energy boost between meals. It was the proto-energy bar. Whereas other candy bars were mere sweets, Snickers were a helpful way to keep going through a hard day. This branding was summed up in the slogan "Snickers satisfies you."

Although somewhat boring, this branding concept continued into the early '90s with the "There's a hunger inside you" campaign which focused upon athletic excellence, especially in regards to the 1992 Olympic Games. By the mid-90s, Snickers started to lose brand focus, going for cheap laughs and gimmicky slogans that did nothing for creating a coherent product vision.

Snickers "Sings a song of satisfaction to the world."

Certainly, some of these ads are memorable, but is the product being promoted memorable? I don't think so. We remember the Kansas City "Chefs", not the candy bar.

One Week Later

Hermosa Beach, South of the Pier

It's been a week since my accident. I'm feeling much better, but still have a few pains and kinks that I have hopes will heal up soon. It seems like the subgenre of "Surviving a Deadly Misadventure" requires that one reassess their existence, perhaps with a life-changing insight. Sadly, I'm too much of a creature of habit and compulsive patterns to give into such expectations.

So what did I do to recover from the collision? I spent a few days just vegging, listening to music. Music has always been my comfort activity. As indicated in the photo above, I took a trip to the beach. Weird, but I haven't actually walk on the beach since last September. Just as last time, it was a gloomy day, perfect for a sulky stroll upon the sand.



Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena


"Retail Therapy" doesn't usually work for me, but browsing the books is always a good time. Vroman's is an independent bookstore, with one of the finest selections that I've ever seen. They have great history, science fiction, horror, science, and gardening sections. I could spend all day planning my selections. ;-)

Cheese and Profanity

Schubert Dip by EMF

Twenty years ago today, "Unbelievable" by EMF topped the Billboard Hot 100. I wasn't a fan at the time. It had a good beat and fresh vibe, but I didn't feel that it was worthy of the extensive airplay that it received. Seriously, you could hardly put on the car radio without hearing it a couple times before making your destination, even if you were just traveling a couple of miles!!!

I later became a fan when I found out that the chorus is a sampling from the "comedian" Andrew Dice Clay saying "What the f--k was that?" Now, I'm not one to exult in vulgarity, but I absolutely loved the fact that the dreaded "f-bomb" has slipped past the repressive US censors and got played on public airwaves a bajillion-mczillion times.

But to make things even better, in 2005, Kraft decided to use this song to promote their nasty pseudo-cheese substance, Cheese Crumbles. "It's Crumbelievable!!!" I think it was totally appropriate because, once you taste these gruesome orange-yellow globs, you'll want to say "What the f--k was that?!!"

They're Crumbelievable!

Wretched stuff for certain!

Fat Americans

Taste the Patriotism!!!

Alright. This is going to be another rant post. Be warned. . .

In my youth, I was an avid reader of superhero comic books. Captain America wasn't my favorite character, but I had a fondness for his style and personality. He was totally square, but honest, hardworking, and responsible. He was a paragon of good ol' American virtue, with very little of the jingoism or provincialism that one might expect in an overt nationalist icon.

Since the days of WWII, the USA has experienced amazing prosperity. This material abundance has led to Americans becoming both figuratively and literally fat. The US is the most obese nation in the history of the world!!! Therefore, I find the Dunkin' Donut ad campaign totally annoying! Our national superhero is shilling the lowest of junk food. Even a McDonald's or Wendy's hamburger has a better nutritional value. Seriously!!!!!



Fat Captain America (2010) by eimrehs


Given our obesity epidemic, I can't see that it would be in character for Captain America to do a promo for Dunkin' Donuts. Yeah, I know he's not a real person, just a fictional figure from the comic books. However, this character embodies certain principles of national virtue. Those of us who care about the integrity of character have a right to complain.

I Was Good Today, I Deserve it

Recently, there has been a bit of a stir regarding a Yoplait Yogurt ad. The commercial features a lady (Emily Tarver) opening an office refrigerator and seeing a raspberry cheesecake. She is instantly struck with a desire for the cake and begins to mentally negotiate with herself to create conditions by which she will feel justified in eating it.

A co-worker arrives and grabs a Yoplait Yogurt "Cheesecake" container, expressing great desire for the yogurt. The first lady notices that her co-worker had "lost weight" so immediately decides to have a yogurt herself instead of the actual cheesecake. She is later shown to be enjoying her selection.

That sounds rather harmless. However, the National Eating Disorder Association protested the ad, claiming that it encourages a behavioral pattern utilized by women suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia. The extended mental negotiation portrayed in the ad is symptomatic of someone suffering from negative body image, at the least. Therefore, this ad is transmitting a meme to women who are either suffering from such a disorder or who may be susceptible to such disorders, encouraging them to use Yoplait yogurt as a way to placate the impulse towards mental bargaining.

In short, this ad posits an unhealthy mental disposition as a typical state. Given such a state, this ad suggests its product as way to appease the disorder. That's problematic.