Thursday, July 11, 2013

Zesty and Hot Commercials

Since this blog gets the most pageviews when I talk about interracial relationships on TV commercials--here's another one with an ambiguous message. It's for a Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwich. Have you seen it? A very attractive African-American young woman and an average-looking white guy are driving in a car. She's eating the sandwich. It's early in the morning--breakfast time, get it--and they're dressed for work. She says in a flirty voice "This Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Sandwich is like you. It's kinda hot...but it's not too hot." To which the white guy replies in a suggestive voice, "Bingo." So what are they saying and who are these people to each other? Are they dating? Co-workers sharing a ride? Casual acquaintances who just picked each other up at the Dunkin Donuts? Is she suggesting he's safe enough to date but not to sleep with? And why would that please him? Is she saying, If you were too handsome, I'd be scared off, but you're just right for me. And is that why he says Bingo? And what has any of that got to do with a fattening sandwich? Will they get together and brave possible negative YouTube comments and maybe buy other Dunkin Donuts delicacies?

So far they has not been a storm of controversy over this one like there was about the Cheerios commercial with the multiracial family. But that depicted a married couple, here it's not even clear if these two have hooked up yet.

I've had the most all-time page clicks for my blog on the Jingos ad featuring a possible match up between a white slacker store clerk and an African-American teenage girl. That was in September of last year, since then this DD spot and the Cheerios ad are the only ones featuring an interracial couple. There was that Kindle commercial with the gay man vacationing with his husband. I notice One Million Moms has not protested about any of these. They did get bent out of shape over a Kraft salad dressing print ad that featured this really hot guy who's nearly naked except for the product placed in a strategic position. That must have been an interesting photo shoot. The conservative group wants to boycott Kraft unless they drop the campaign which includes ads with the model getting his clothes removed by the zestiness of the salad dressing. These Moms need to find something else to do if they think their kids will be warped by a hot guy exposing his chest. Are they afraid some of their sons will get as excited by Mr. Zesty as the Moms themselves?

Unfortunately, the commercial that's been sticking in my head the most these days is that Tena Twist one for adult diapers. The jingle will not get out of my brain. Maybe it's because I've been watching too many Golden Girls reruns.

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