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!!!

Oh, A Wise Guy, Eh?

Detail from The Three Stooges' Columbia Intro Card

With the upcoming Three Stooges movie coming out this weekend, it's got me thinking about my childhood enthusiasm for the Stooges and their crazed antics, outrageously violent. It's weird to imagine the outrage that would ensue nowadays, if the television broadcasters scheduled such "antisocial" material, intended for child viewing. ;-)

Well, I'm not such a fan of "slapstick" or buffoonery any more, but, sometimes, I'll come across old reruns of these films. There's a guilty pleasure when I pause to give a quick viewing. I'll appease my shame over the lowbrow enjoyment by exclaiming it to be unbelievably imbecilic, mind-numbingly stupid.

But, I have to admit, though my complaints are perfectly justified, there's something authentic to physical humor. Buffoonery is an ancient form of comedy, transcending culture and language.

"Don't worry! I got it!"
Three Little Beers (1935)

I guess that the lack of sophistication makes it easily accessible. The physical mishaps, the pratfalls and slaps, these all speak directly to us in a visceral and inarticulated manner. Yet, there is certainly an art to setting up the joke, managing the expectations, building comedic tension.

"Ok, buddy, it's your tooth."
All the World's a Stooge (1941)

When the Stooges are left to their own devices in a dentist's office or stacking barrels on the back of a truck, you know something both absurd and atrocious is going to happen.

I Would Have Gotten Away With It. . .

Scooby Doo, Where Are You! episode 15 "Spooky Space Kook" (1969)


On Saturday, September 13, 1969, Scooby Doo Where Are You! debuted on CBS. As a child, I spent countless hours watching this and subsequent Scooby Doo shows, even into the horrible Scrappy Doo era. Although the simplistic plotting and horrible jokes are not to my adult tastes, I still have a warm spot in my heart for the gang of Mystery, Inc.

Wikipedia has a solid synopsis of virtually every Scooby Doo episode:

Each episode featured Scooby and the four teenaged members of the Mystery, Inc. gang: Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma, arriving to a location in the "Mystery Machine" and encountering a ghost, monster, or other supernatural creature, whom they learned was terrorizing the local populace. After looking for clues and suspects and being chased by the monster, the kids come to realize the ghost is anything but, and - often with the help of a Rube Goldberg-like trap designed by Fred - they capture the villain and unmask him. Revealed as a flesh and blood crook trying to cover up crimes by using the ghost story and costume, the criminal is arrested and taken to jail, often saying something to the effect of "...and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"

The formula is a classic. ;-)

"Jeepers, It's the Creeper!" Episode 21, 1970


Those meddling kids!!!

"Hassle in the Castle" Episode 3, 1969

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.

And Where Are the Clowns?

Photo: Ben Hider / Getty Images

I've got to admit it. Although Ronald creeps me out and I loath eating McDonald's "food", reports that he's being phased out make me a bit sad. He's an American pop culture icon, along with Mickey Mouse or Superman or Snoopy. Yeah, the aforementioned characters are entertainment-based while Ronald is advertising-based, but his image-identification is just as strong. I guess that's the problem.

According to a Bloomberg article, "Ronald McDonald Sidelined as Chain Touts Lattes", McDonald's is trying to shed its fast-food image. And Ronald is inseperable from that image. Money quote:

“He kind of represents the old McDonald’s, with the high- fat content foods that are kind of falling out of favor.”

Oh well, at least Ronald still has Japan. ;-)

(ht: Slashfood, Is Ronald McDonald Getting Phased Out)