2/09/2007

Play Dumb

There are video screens on the train I take to work and they play ads and the weather mostly, a perfect combination for a captive Canadian audience. Today, one of them caught my attention and surprised me a little.

It featured one of those Play Doh sets with a meat grinder which reminded me of how much I wanted one of those barber shop Play Doh sets but never got. In this ad, a teddy bear is shown sitting waiting for his food while a child prepares it. The kid puts the Play Doh through the grinder, makes a meat patty, puts it on the bun, adds plastic cheese and serves it up. The bear doesn’t say a word.

The copy on the screen says something about how many people die or burp or something every day from improperly cooked food. The real issue somehow gets ignored. I prefer a little truth in my advertising thank you very much. Hey kid! Where the fuck are the fries? What the fuck is wrong with you? No timing, no coordination, no future.

21 comments:

Gifted Typist said...

Or what about the number of child fingers lost in meat grinders while teddy bears stand by and do nothing. Nothing!
The teddy bears are the realy issue here.
Hang the damned teddy bears!

Anonymous said...

It sounds very "Sweeney Todd!"

Johnny Yen said...

I was at a gas station in suburban Chicago and there were screens with ads at the gas pumps! My wife, who works in the advertising industry, told me that this is the trend. And indeed it is-- the grocery store check-out at my little produce store I shop at, and the supermarket near my house have them as well. Yuck.

Jill said...

Aren't you a little bitter, Dale??

X. Dell said...

Hmmm. Considering what they serve at my school's cafeteria, ingesting Play Doh doesn't sound quite that dangerous. And the plastic cheese makes it seem almost appetizing.

Moderator said...

You can have my Play Doh Barber Thingie.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

God damned kid'll probably end up working at Subway, ripping people off for pickles.

Coaster Punchman said...

Damn lazy bear.

Knitty Yas said...

i had that barber shop one and it was the coolest thing to me until i saw pink floyd's the WALL and i never played with it again. freaking meat grinder scene.

nouseforaname said...

Yeah, my monkeys eat playdoh all the time, no one gets sick... I don't think you are supposed to cook it are you?? am I getting easy bake and play doh confused??

Dale said...

They're a close second to clowns who are all pretty much evil Gifted Typist, thanks for your support at this difficult time.

It does doesn't it Bre? You never see more of the child though than their evil little hands. Spooky.

Hard to escape the onslaught isn't it Johnny Yen. It's not the kind of overstimulation I'm looking for.

Maybe a little bit Jill.

I can fix you something if you're a bit peckish X. Dell.

Is your thingie covered in Play Doh Grant? I'm sure you were just trying to be nice but now I'm scared.

Exaclty Barbara, nobody wants to mention the pickles but you were strong enough. I'm so in love with you right now.

He didn't even raise an eyebrow CP, just sitting there waiting to be stuffed.

Maybe it was best I didn't get one then Yas now that you mention it. Although now I want to get stoned and play with clay and watch videos. You busy?

Maybe if you improperly cooked once in a while Shroomy, the junior monkeys might learn something? I dunno. I'd like an Easy Bake cake right now though.

Old Lady said...

I am with Shroomy, Play Dough is best raw, kinda hard and cruchy cooked.

mellowlee said...

You have video screens on your trains!! How fancy!!!

SlayGirl said...

I put the words "would you like fries with that" in my own post today.

PS: the barber shop play doh set is on its way.

Knitty Yas said...

no im not. not at all. gimme directions and i'll hop in my invisble jet and we'll have a grand old time. ;D

Dale said...

I'm going to make some special for you Old Lady!

Very fancy Mel, it's a test I think, they aren't on every car all the time. They're a bit distracting when I'm trying to sleep though. What if the weather changes? I need to know that stuff!

Thank you Slaygirl. Would you like fries with that Vagina Monologue? How was the show?

Are you Wonder Woman Yas? You're invited either way.

SlayGirl said...

lol. The show was good thanks for asking Dale.

RC said...

ugh...

this commercial sounds really depressing...

i do like play-dough...and i can't imagine how many people have died eating undercooked play-dough.

how sad.

Dale said...

Glad you liked it Slaygirl!

It would all be very tragic, if we cared wouldn't it RC?

Valerie said...

I think I'm going to write a post about all the toys I wanted as a child and didn't get...

Dale said...

My post on that would be really really long Valerie! And then you could do one on all the toys your kids aren't going to get!