Friday, April 24, 2009

SHAME On Del Taco!

Del TacoImage via Wikipedia
Yesterday, I was out and about with my two daughters, mid-afternoon, and they had the after-school munchies, so we stopped at the first fast-food haunt we saw – Del Taco. We order, pay, and drive off. Ten seconds later, my 11-year-old in the back seat asks, “Mom, what does ‘I bagged a hottie’ mean?”

Come again, sweet little girl who shouldn’t be saying such things?!

She handed me the bag that contained all our food, and printed in BIG, bold letters on the Del Taco bag, it said, “I bagged a hottie.” Oh . . . I get it. Del Taco must have just launched a new advertising campaign. Well, aren’t they clever?? I was so impressed by their wit. My daughters and I laughed all the way home.

Um, I don't think so.

What is wrong with you, Del Taco?! Are you telling me that there is not ONE parent in corporate headquarters or at that thoughtless advertising agency that came up with this campaign who might have thought: “Hmmmm . . . maybe this campaign isn’t real appropriate for families who have young children.”

Unless your marketing department decided that hungry mothers and children aren’t in your target demographic group, then you have made a huge mistake taking this recent ad campaign of yours public.

Imagine how uncomfortable I felt, as a mom, trying to explain to my daughter what “bagging a hottie” meant. What’s next, “Eat My Taco”? Or “Lick My Hot Sauce.” Or perhaps you might consider selling hot dogs so you can emblazon your bags and wrappers with, “Grab A Weenie.”

I am pleading with all moms in the blogosphere to put pressure on Del Taco to yank this shameful ad campaign and put every single brown paper bag printed with “I Bagged A Hottie” right where they belong . . . in the trash!

And they may want to dispose of their advertising agency while they’re at it, too.
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89 comments:

HeyJoe said...

I giggled at "Eat my taco." Sorry.

But you're right, our kids don't need to feel as though this sort of talk is normal or appropriate. Our girls are worth more than that and our boys need to learn to treat women with respect.

Lynn said...

Joe,

Glad you giggled. I would expect that out of you, of all people! (And I must thank you for keeping your response fairly G-rated this time.) Yep, I'm going to be getting my taco fix elsewhere. And I may finally lose those extra inches off my hips while I'm in boycott-mode. Spread the word up there in NoCal! Tell Lisa I said hello, and I'll never forget "B-11! B-B-Eleven!"

Anonymous said...

You are right, this is a poor choice for an advertising slogan. I will use the links you posted to complain to Del Taco! However, you had me 100% until you wrote "buying your crappy food? It’s making our children fat, anyway." You did choose to stop there! It was the advertising on the bag that offended you, not the food.

Lynn said...

Anonymous,

Thank you for the activism. Fast food usually is crappy food. But yeah, I stop there because it's convenient, the same reason everyone else does. When your kids are hungry, anything will do in a pinch.

Anonymous said...

Get over yourself

Craig said...

why not recycle the bags? why make earth suffer too?

Juan Isidro Acevedo said...

LynnThank you for the activism. Fast food usually is crappy food. But yeah, I stop there because it's convenient, the same reason everyone else does. When your kids are hungry, anything will do in a pinch.Too bad you somehow didn't say that before stopping there.

I say you should stop doing what's "convenient" and do what's right instead.

You're calling Del Taco out for putting a witty slogan on their bags because it will somehow "hurt" your children...well, I think you're even worse than DelTaco because you knew about their crappy food beforehand but still went there and subjected your children to that horrible and fattening fast food.

FMX said...

It's the 21st century?! I am APPALLED. Aren't there any parents in this world?! Doesn't anyone realize that socially moving forward and throwing away ridiculous restrictions and taboos on sexuality might NOT BE SAFE FOR MY PRECIOUS UNIQUE LITTLE SNOWFLAKES?!

Lady, you're insane.

FMX said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I would totally eat there if their slogan was "Eat my taco".

FMX said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FMX said...

Sorry for all the comments, I kept making mistakes.

I just figured it out.

I am simply one mother who is fed up with all this pop-culture crap, who is trying to keep our children innocent for as long as possible.You're one of those people who thinks it is best to completely shelter their children, because you think of them as precious little snowflakes who need to be protected. But you don't realize that when they get into the real world, their lives are going to be hell because they'll be completely unsocialized and their main interest will be "Mother Approved Books".

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this is not how the world works. If anything, sheltering your kids like this will just make them more likely to rebel. You can't just hide reality from them.

Dont like violent video games? Don't buy them for your kids. The only people who can buy them are adults. Explain to your kids that you don't want them playing such games, at least not until they are older, and tell them why. Don't just hide it.

Don't like your kids watching americas next top model? Don't let them. Not to mention the show in no way implies you're 'fat if you aren't a size 2'. It's a show about MODELS. Of course there won't be people who are bigger than a size 2! They're MODELS! Models make things look GOOD! Fat, quite frankly, does not look good. Humans are not attracted to those who are larger, but we ARE attracted to those who are skinny or fit. This is a fact.

You want to protect your kids from the supposed "horrors" of reality, but you'd sooner tell them "It's ok to be fat." than actually tell them what they're seeing and why? That's not right.

You realize that the problems you have with these things can all be fixed by sitting your kids down and talking, right? Explain to them that what they are seeing isn't meant to make them feel bad. Explain to them that it doesnt mean you have to be skinny. EXPLAIN things to them, don't hide it from them.

Your children are going to end up socially retarded and entirely sheltered because you refuse to tell them the truth and subject them to reality. It's going to hit them like an 18-wheeler when they get out into the real world, and it won't be pretty when their delusions, brought about by YOU, splatter all over the road. By trying so hard to protect them, you're going to screw them up. Everything you listed on your little rant to the side over there explaining the purpose of this blog is stuff you can explain to and keep away from your children without sheltering them from reality! Would it not be easier to explain things to your child than to try and hide it from them?

You say you can't afford a therapist...but you're going to need one if you don't stop what you're doing. Your kids will be royally screwed, for lack of a better term.

I can only assume that your parents did to you what you're doing to them. This is the 21st century. You need to come out of your 1920s mindset and move along and develop socially like the rest of us, and so do your kids. Most especially your kids. You keep hiding things and they're only going to rebel. But if you explain reality and don't keep it from them, they'll be fine.

I only say this out of concern for them, honestly. You're ruining them. Keeping your children "Innocent for as long as possible" is going to destroy them.

Anonymous said...

MMMMmmmmmmmmmMMMMMM, TACOS

Anonymous said...

So, basically, you're cranked because Del Taco put you, as a parent, in the uncomfortable position of having to educate your children?

Unknown said...

I agree with you, Lynn. Too much sex and double entendre beign employed by Del Taco and others to market to us AND our kids. Best news of last year was discontinuation of obnoxious Bratz dolls.

Canti's comments that you are "sheltering your kids" and "you can't hide reality from them" is nonsense. I took my (then) seven-year-old to the fair, and as we got out of our car, a women talking loudly on a cell phone said the "f word" seven times in under a minute. I asked her politely to please not use that word around my daughter, and she replied with another half dozen f-bombs that if I didn't like it I shouldn't leave the house.

So I guess what people are saying is that seven is an appropriate age to learn four letter words and 11 is a good age to learn about sex. Oh, and you don't get to decide when your daughter learns about it, Canti does.

Anonymous said...

You sound fat.

Anonymous said...

"Mom wharrgarbls after snowflake notices Del Taco's "I Bagged A Hottie" slogan."
Fark headline

"Imagine how uncomfortable I felt, as a mom, trying to explain to my daughter what "bagging a hottie" meant. What’s next, “Eat My Taco"? Or "Lick My Hot Sauce." Or perhaps you might consider selling hot dogs so you can emblazon your bags and wrappers with, "Grab A Weenie."

Lady, it's only suggestive if dirty minded people make it to be. If a person has a clean mind, there's no problem, it's not suggestive at all. And yeah, I'm saying you have a dirty mind. A lot of people wouldn't even think of it as suggestive unless they hear someone else saying it is/making it to be

Anonymous said...

What idiot thinks 11 is too young to learn about sex? There are 11-year-olds giving blowjobs in school now. If you've waited until 11, you've waited too long, because I can assure you that your kids have already gotten the information you don't want them to have.

Anonymous said...

Good job "mom".

Instead of explaining the slogan in a rational, mature way, you decided to freak out and teach your children to never ask you another question.

Now your children will have their questions answered by their friends and urbandictionary.com.

Once again, good job "mom".

Anonymous said...

Good luck explaining the filth spewing from your keyboard in this post to your children!

"Eat my taco?" "Weiners?"

Well I NEVER!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I work for Bear City Fudge Company.

To help you overcome the trauma of the Del Taco incident, we've set aside some fudge for you. If you'd like, we could send the fudge to you, AFTER WE PACK YOUR FUDGE.

Eric Jacobson said...

I agree with the others here who've said what needs to be said to "moms" like you:

You can't keep your children innocent forever.

It'll just screw them up and render them unable to deal with adult life in a rational manner. Hiding them from the real world instead of teaching them how to deal with it head on is only going to lead to them being social outcasts who live in your basement.

So yeah, time to take some responsibility. It's not DelTaco's fault at all - It's yours. You freaked out and overreacted to a stupid marketing slogan.

Before they hear it on the bus, they should hear it from you. Try being a REAL parent for a change.

I'll bet the farm my son will grow up more well-adjusted than your precious little snowflakes - He'll know what sex is, and how to deal with it in a mature manner. And that includes any and all innuendo-based marketing slogans. While your daughters are saying "Oh no, mommy said that's bad," my son will say "Hey, that's pretty clever."

I'll be by to pick up my farm in 16 years, after my son turns 18...

Anonymous said...

"keep kids innocent as long as possible" wow, you must have made some serious mistakes when you were young huh..smoked a little pot. lost your v-card too early. got used by the college qb. women like you never stop complaining about anything! why couldnt you have explained the literal meaning del taco gave to the slogan meaning "you have a hot food in the bag, honey" and be done with it. instead you have to make a huge deal and rant and rave the fast food company is corrupting your kids. if you keep this up when your kids hit their late teens theyre going to rebel so hard. theyre going to become great liars and sneek behind you and do unthinkable, unmentionable acts! keep it up, mom!

Anonymous said...

newsflash lady your kids are what 10 and 14, I can guarantee they already knew the answer, just wanted to put you on the spot. btw you are also quite a hottie ;-)

Epsilon72 said...

Mad Mom needs to get a clue. Why is "I bagged a hottie" a dirty phrase? Maybe it refers to the hot tacos or burritos in the bag in which Del Taco served them to you.

Instead, Mad Mom decides to make an instantaneous and astoundingly illogical leap in judgment to presume that Del Taco is trying to communicate some nasty message to children. But as she said herself, her child had no idea what it meant, which means her child certainly didn't feel it was a nasty or offensive message. It only became so after Mad Mom awkwardly made the decision to explain it that way to her child.

To illustrate the absurdity that Mad Mom has demonstrated, imagine taking a child to a grocery store where the child sees moist cake. Child: "Mom, what does moist mean?" Mom: "That's a word many people use to describe a vagina."

See? It didn't have to go that way. Mad Mom decided in her own mind that this was inappropriate, so she communicated it that way to her kid, disregarding the fact that it was quite inaccurate.

Anonymous said...

If God hadn't ever meant for man to eat tacos, he'd never shaped them like a vagina.

Joshua C said...

So stuffing your kids with 'crappy food that is making them fat' is ok until you are offended by tongue in cheek advertising? Great parenting there.

At least beg your mommy brigade to recycle the bags instead of putting them in trash.

JC said...

I think some of you are missing the point. Forget the woman's kids. That's not the real issue. If Dell Taco is using irreverent sex slang on the bags of their products, it is a sign that we as a nation are not nearly reverent enough of sex, its rewards and risks anymore. I LOVE sex, and don't mean that people should never talk about it. But it is a private event that happens in my bedroom, and Del Taco needs to stay the hell out of it.

Anonymous said...

"I LOVE sex, and don't mean that people should never talk about it. But it is a private event that happens in my bedroom, and Del Taco needs to stay the hell out of it."

You don't know what you're missing until you invite a taco into the process. It's like a three-some with cheese!

Anonymous said...

Why, exactly, would a taco joint using "eat my taco" be offensive? After all, isn't that the point of the taco joint in the first place?

Anonymous said...

Seriously, this kind of activism is pointless. Think about it for a second. To an innocent person "bag a hottie" means get a bag with a hot taco in it. For it to be offensive, you'd need to already know what was offensive about it!If your kid doesn't know what it means and you don't want them to know what it means, then don't tell them. When something is a double entendre you have the option of telling them the innocent side or the suggestive side. You actually have the option of sheltering your snowflake from the world. What are you complaining about? It's not like they're saying "drugs are cool" or "losing your virginity is great".

Get a grip

Anonymous said...

'bagged a hottie'
Hmm, its a hot taco in a bag... interesting, how could I explain this to my child to keep them sheltered from the woes o' the world that they have n'ere been exposed to on a public school playground? Foul fate smite me now!

C'mon, when when the passings of entertaiment include the musings of Jack Bower on '24' re: torture and the ends justifying the means.. yet ZOMG a natural act that our children should be educated is taboo.. there's something wrong.

Where was your outrage at the poorly researched 'I'd hit it' marketing attempt by McDonolds earlier? I mean if we're going to seriously invoke the 'blogosphere' and the rest of a series of tubes, at least go for consistency.

Xodar said...

Just tell the little beast it's a cute sounding slogan that's easy to say. The question doesn't require discussions of genitalia and bodily fluids.
If you snotty, self-righteous broads would give your husbands and/or boyfriends what they really need you wouldn't obsess over such inane trivia because you'd attain personal happiness and satisfaction.
Your kids would be happier because of it, too, and you'd all probably not be as obese as you obviously are.

Phil Atio said...

I wish we had Del Taco in my neighborhood. All we have are Pink Tacos

Anonymous said...

Wow. Almost everyone is overreacting.

The ad slogan isn't completely horrible, but neither is Mad Mom's blog. Her kids aren't going to be screwed up because of the slogan, and they're not going to be screwed up because their mother cares what they see, either.

The one thing I agree with: If you care about what your kids are eating, don't take them to Del Taco, unless it's for a treat. I know, hungry kids are tough to deal with, but "anything will do in a pinch" is bad nutrition philosophy.

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing you don't have a Wahoo's Fish Tacos near by...

Anonymous said...

So how is it a valid reason to give your young children crappy food "When your kids are hungry, anything will do in a pinch." What was the pinch? Laziness? To obese to walk around a grocery store? Child dying of starvation they can't wait for you to cook them dinner? So you bad parenting choice ok, someone mentioning a possible sexual act ohh my god they are ruining my children!!!! Face it you do worse to your children on a day to day basis, stop whining. We do not have to suffer because you can not parent your children.

Anonymous said...

"...bagged a hottie..."

On the one hand, while I think DelTaco must be going with some discount ad house with some sort of package scheme (buy one slogan, get two free and 10% off our branding analysis!) and a loft full of ping pong playing recent graduate state college frat boys who changed their majors after watching an episode of "mad men," I'm with the "it's a hot taco in a bag, precious sweetheart."

Although, fun will ensue when that phrase starts showing up at the school cafeteria; "I burned my tongue on the meatloaf! Whoo-hoo - bagged a hottie!" or book reports (i.e. "I really bagged a hottie when I pulled this book off the library shelf!") and inevitably, the playground...in it's proper usage. Which is the kind of thing that makes school administrators completely over-react, causing headlines, and more fodder for the fark league.

I look forward to it. :-)

Austin said...

Me thinks thou dost protest too much.

Anonymous said...

I heartily concur

when i want to fill my kids with fat laden D grade "beef" made from cow snouts, hooves and anuses , beans and pork lard for less than 3 Dollars - I don't want some suggestive double entendre about mexican food sex clogging my kids hearts and minds. Thats what the food is for. Enough of these chinese food mindgames.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately; It's a done deal. The slogan is out there & being used. The best recourse is to boycott. Don't eat there! You've put the word out & hopefully (for your cause) other concerned parents will do the same. If they lose enough buisness, perhaps they will re-think the use of sexual innuendo in their advertising.
Then again: Sexual innuendo is relative & not read into by all. Translating the slogan literally would have been the best explanation to give your children. Why encourage 'reading between lines' that may or may not be there?

Anonymous said...

You think that's bad? Go to Safeway. Look at the Safeway brand of peanuts. The slogan reads: "Have nuts. Have a party."

Anonymous said...

what kind of parent feeds their children del taco?

Anonymous said...

Poor choice in advertising on the part of Del Taco.

Poor choice of food on the part of mom.

Del Taco: Please consider changing your advertisement to something that might be more appropriate for families with young children.

Families with young children: Please stop feeding your kids dinner from the nearest fast food joint.

SnatchTease said...

Submitter sounds like a fattie.

Anonymous said...

With all of the sexual references your precious little snowflake is bombarded with on a daily basis, THIS is the one you choose to whine about?

1) You're the overprotective twit mom that everyone else is laughing at.

2) Do you REALLY think your snowflake doesn't know what "bagged a hottie" means? Damn you're naieve.

Panties. Unbunch. Repeat. (Then get a life.)

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
CrispyLogic said...

You do realize you've probably driven more people across the internet to go to Del Taco in response to your self-obsessed suburban soccer-mom bullshite, than will join you and little Ms snowflake in the boycott.

Dave said...

So, of all the things wrong with the world, and the future of your precious little child... this is what you spend your time on? It's not even that sexually suggestive. The Disney branded teen-boy-band music she was listening to on her iPod while you ordered was probably worse.

Anonymous said...

Really, you're angry about what a fast food place has as a advertisement and not the fact you're feeding them crap? You could, you know, make it yourself. But I guess you're too bus to make food for your kids.

Plus I think any normal person could explained it to a kid and not make it sexual. It sounds like you're a professional victim.

Unknown said...

Dear Mad Mom - the largest problem in your angry life is where you live.

SoCal is such an angry and dysfunctional part of our country.

As for Del Taco, you're wound too tight and could easily explain it the slogan to your kids.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Lynn, it must really be terrible for you to live in the real world.

If you get your panties in this much of a twist over 'bagged a hottie' it would be absolutely hilarious to see your reaction to something really offensive.

Stop being such a over-protective idiot. Your little rant to Del Taco will amount to nothing and your comments to your kids just established the foundation for the age old childrens tradition of "things we don't tell Mom" for when they're older and actually getting in trouble. And let me tell you, you set the bar pretty low.

At the rate you're going, they'll be pregnant at 14 and be addicted to meth.

Anonymous said...

Wow, have you looked into working for the Republican Party? They use this kind of faux outrage all the time.

But seriously, get a grip. Your 11-year old is mature enough to handle a double entendre.

Anonymous said...

shut it, you fat piece of shit

Anonymous said...

So,you aren't concerned enough about your kid to actually make a nutritious meal rather than get her what ever drive-thru is closest. With that in mind, you aren't really in any position to complain about what's on a bag from said fast food place even if it is suggestive.

And frankly, it's only suggestive if dirty-minded people make it out to be. If a person has a clean mind, there's no problem, it's not suggestive at all. And yeah, I'm saying you have a dirty mind. A lot of normal people wouldn't even think of it as excessively suggestive unless they hear someone else saying it is/making it to be.

Also - there is no way that you can be a fun lay.

Anonymous said...

God help you when your kids see the new Quiznos commercials with the guy and the talking oven.

Better get that Zoloft ready to go!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nwimi said...

you sound like a person who's emotional development ended at 12.

I'm assuming you have fake breasts to go along with your fake outrage and fake life.

Lynn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jouda Mann said...

Hey, I have this great idea. How about you NOT speak for other parents? People like you speaking for others is what has caused me to lose my rights a little more each year.
Yes, reading something like what's on the bag can objectify women, but if you will just teach your little snowflake that even though she's objectified on the bag, she doesn't have to gobble weenies, and she should have respect for herself, she will be fine. And, if you teach your little male snowflakes that it's wrong to objectify women, other little girls won't blame him when they feel that they have to gobble weenies for some self worth.
I have an answer for your daughter: It's just a stupid turn of phrase, and people who respect other people don't use it.
YOUR child's health and happiness is YOURS. NOT MINE.

FFS said...

"mom, what does bun in the oven mean?" "omg it means i better boycott this bakery, snowflake"

Anonymous said...

Parents like you are the reason the millennial generation has the negative reputation that it does.

Anonymous said...

FTA: Imagine how uncomfortable I felt, as a mom, trying to explain to my daughter what “bagging a hottie” meant. Why did you? Why not just blow it off by saying it means a hot taco in the Del Taco bag? My kids think a Cleveland Steamer is something they clean boats with. Great parenting here lady. I think you NEED to be offended by something. just as the rest of us need air.

I will drive 5 miles out of my way today, just to buy some Del Taco.

PS, you sound fat.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Way to fail as a mother. Good job!

Anonymous said...

Well, not that it hasn't already been said, but it bears repeating:

Lady, you are a first rate moron.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on making it to Fark.com!

Anonymous said...

I thought you sounded kind of fat from the post, but then I took a look at your pic and it seems your look decent enough. I would let you take a bite out of my burrito and suck down a load of my hot sauce any day.

Christopher MacTaggart said...

1) "Bagging a hottie" is only as sexual as its listener believes it to be. It's obviously a play on words, but it's hardly a dirty one.

2) "Hottie" is gender neutral, so this is not a direct offense on the over-parented young girls of the world.

3) Please do not speak for other people until they invite you to.

4) Stop overreacting to problems that don't exist.

Anonymous said...

Ugh.....seriously, just tell them it means there is hot food in the bag. Good grief. Hopefully Del Taco is busy writing down your other suggestions, those were pretty funny.
As a father of two young daughters, I promise not to make my kids socially inept by hiding every little offense in life from them. It is the only right thing to do.
Seriously, why dose everyone go around looking to be offended? Why give others that power over you? We live in a world of the offended and they are bent on making everyone else's life hell.

Brian Norwood said...

I'm always amazed by people who think that children should be exposed to the same things as adults. One little problem. They are NOT adults. They don't have the maturity, the experience , and the rational powers of an adult. Sure, I can read the bag with the stupid slogan, think it's mildly amusing and throw it away. A child ascribes value to that. Thinks that it has meaning. So, I'm performing a little experiment (to your way of thinking). I'm going to shelter my daughter completely. I'm going to expose her to more and more only as she gains maturity and experience. I'm going to love her, spend time with her, and be available to her when she has questions. And I'm going to share my values with her, and explain to her why I think way I do. And then, we can compare her to the kids that our society is producing, and we'll see who is screwed up, and who isn't.

And hopefully you folks who don't want socially inept daughters are cool with raising your own grandchildren when somebody's socially skilled son "bags a hottie". Good luck.

FMX said...

One little problem. They are NOT adults. They don't have the maturity, the experience , and the rational powers of an adult.AND THEY NEVER WILL IF YOU DONT FUCKING LET THEM GROW UP YOU STUPID FUCKER

GOD DAMN YOU PEOPLE ARE SO RETARDED

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Maybe you should try cooking at home for your children instead of taking them to Del Taco?

Anonymous said...

What does "eat my taco" mean?

- A 9 year old reading this page

Unknown said...

I am anon and I disapprove of this message. Let sexual innuendo in marketing stand, for the children!

Lynn said...

Dear 9-year-old,

Did you finish your homework before you started surfing the Web? I sure hope so. Well, welcome to “A Mad Mom.” I’m really not surprised to find you here because your mom or dad probably didn’t set up any parental controls on your computer and let’s be honest. They probably don’t even care that you’re on the computer anyway, do they? I wish I could answer your question for you. But really, if you want to know what “Eat My Taco” means, you really should go ask your mother. After all, you shouldn’t be learning these things from complete strangers. Haven’t you learned anything from reading all these comments? I’m sure your mother would be happy to discuss this with you and tell you everything – and I mean EVERYTHING! After all, you’re 9 . . . you’re plenty old enough to know about these things!

Do me a favor, Sweetie. After you’re done having “The Talk” with your mom (probably best after your bath and before your 8:30 p.m. bedtime), please write back to me. I’m sure you’ll be anxious to act on all this newfound knowledge and my friend has a 10-year-old daughter who I can hook you up with. You’ll like her. She’s REALLY hot!

TheDevil said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SnatchTease said...

Where do you think I got the link? Don't Fark my squirrel nuts.

Jouda Mann said...

Look, this all comes down to Freedom of Speech, and whether my rights as a human and citizen of the United States and a marketer of goods takes precedence over your delicate sensibilities and your right not to be offended. The answer is, YES, in most cases, it DOES.
There is nothing vulgar about the packaging. This is not a can of Cocaine, the short-lived energy drink that by almost any standard had taken the concept of Free Speech in marketing over an admittedly arbitrary line.
Your sensitive nature takes a back seat to my freedom. If your child is coming to my movie on opening day and whining, expect me to tell you that as far as I'm concerned, your little snowflake should have been swallowed before conception. Yes, it's offensive. IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE. Perhaps next time you're about to take what should have been crust in a sock to a movie theater, you will think about how that might be rude to others.
Does that sound hypocritical? Well, maybe it does. But the fact of the matter is that you have a right to bring your child to a theater on opening night and offend people. I will keep bitching about it. And you will keep bitching about how a phrase on a bag that was invented to keep the grease in your mouth, and not on your hands offends you. Even though it's going to be in your hand for probably two minutes.
My bitching shouldn't affect your right to bring your snowflake to the theater, and your bitching shouldn't affect my right to put offensive phrases on a fast food bag.
And we will both be alright tomorrow. Because this is one dead horse. Lets please stop beating it.

Lynn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lynn said...

Lynn said...
If it's such a dead horse, Jouda, why are revisitng it? And you made my argument for me in the first sentence . . . it DOES come down to Freedom of Speech. I have the right to say what I please on my blog, and to speak out against Del Taco if I so choose, whether or not you agree with me. So why all the vitriol if you also believe in this basic freedom? Thank you for admitting the campaign was designed to be offensive. That was precisely my point: The creative team behind the Del Taco campaign didn't take into consideration the very wide age range of their consumers. Sure, a bunch of 20-year-old frat guys think it's brilliant and hilarious. But what about all the other people who buy their food? They should have been concerned about offending the rest of their target market: moms, dads, kids, WOMEN, to name a few. Very poor marketing strategy, if you ask me, to pour millions of dollars into a campaign that appeals to such a small segment of the marketplace. I'd really like to know what went on in that creative stratgey meeting. They must have ordered in pizza and beer. Scratch that. Just beer.

Jouda Mann said...

OK, Lynn, if that's the direction that you're gonna take it, let's take that line of reasoning.
For the most part, I would assume that their marketing strategy targets exactly the demographic you mentioned. Young, single people between the ages of 16-29. Which, by the way describes the lion's share of the demographic in Southern California. Furthermore, tacos are a ubiquitous food. Tacos don't have a racially based demographic, nor a socio-economic demographic in particular. So the only way to pin it down is by age group, and those of that age with the disposable dollars in their pockets are the group that will get the marketing.
The others, like you (and myself too) are parents in a hurry to get something in their child's mouth that isn't completely sugar, and that you won't have to fight to get them to eat, and that will give them some bit of nutrition, even if it is bad for them. They're young, we tell ourselves, and they have years to worry about whether this will go to their thighs or even their heart or blood glucose count.
In the end, YOUR demographic doesn't matter all that much, because you're the one who will eventually break down and buy their kids tacos, and at least once at a Del taco in the next six months, statistically speaking. Their bread and butter is the college age kid who needs something to soak up the effects of a keg stand after an all night hog party. And even better, if they make food that doesn't absolutely make your stomach turn, those keg standing jackasses have two dozen friends that are also hungry and full of beer, and would love nothing more than a wheelbarrow full of tacos to come walking in the door. So let's say it's YOUR business, and you have a limited amount to spend on marketing anually. Who would you go after?
It's totally disgusting, I know, that the college kids matter to the company more than you, and to a lesser extent, me. But in this case, that's where the numbers lie.

Jouda Mann said...

It's also important to say that you and I are not of differing opinions about this marketing campaign. It IS, offensive - IF you let it be. Overall, this is a very small thing for me to get riled over.
What scares me about this is that you, as an indignant parent, just might get it in your head to be seriously butthurt about this. You might decide to take DelTaco to court because they hurt your precious snowflake. Then next time anyone wanted to be creative, it would be stifled because DelTaco had to pay you for a frivolous lawsuit.
And in that moment, your freedoms are encroaching on mine.

Lynn said...

Jouda,

You make some good points. Some good markteing points. Just a wild guess, but you wouldn't happen to work for Del Taco or their ad agency, would you? Sue Del Taco?? Never even crossed my mind. But thanks for the idea. Maybe with my settlement money, I can hire a personal chef and my days of drive-thrus will be over! BTW . . . why do you and the Farkers refer to children as "snowflakes?" It sounds denigrating. Is it supposed to be?

Jouda Mann said...

For the first question, I live in Texas, and I have never even seen a DelTaco. But I do have an analytical mind, and I know that the figures I cam to might not be accurate, but they're close.
As for snowflakes:
The Urban Dictionary defines "Precious Snowflake" thus:
Child of extremely overprotective and/or self-absorbed parents. Coddled from birth, their mommy and daddy will get stupid, ludicrous rules added or changed because they cannot fathom the idea that their kid might have to learn humility. Often turn out to be stuck-up, spoiled pains in the ass because they get everything they want.
We Farkers, as you have labeled us, use that term to indicate our disgust with people who seem to show us these traits.
I think that the reason you have garnered this attention from the Alt community is because many of them know how to read words, but they do not know how to read the correct inflection in the words. They just assume that you are another butthurt loud mouthed mom who's gonna raise a big stink.
However, in your case, I will admit that it's unfair. I took the time to read some of your blog posts, and while you do come off as somewhat standoffish and a little uppity, one can see that you have taken up these blogs as a way to blow off steam. I can also tell that while you are concerned about the welfare of people in general, and your children and their friends in particular, you don't take yourself as seriously as it might appear on the surface.
Actually, since you and I got over jabbing at each other, and talked to each other as human beings, I can tell that we would probably have some very interesting conversations. You be Shawn Hannity, but with less Crazy, and I'll be Kieth Olberman, but with less smug attitude and condescension.

Palymama said...

As ever,Lynn, your wit in responding to (probably a few) commenters leaves me laughing. I think it's great you have a comic, satiric look at raising kids. So what if you take issue with things? That's your job as a Mom. That's always been the case. Always will. Look at the mom who's on the run with her 13 year old son who needs chemo. I don't agree with her but I do understand her (perhaps mis-placed)desire to mother her children the way she wants. I love your view of life, doesn't mean I have to agree with you. We aren't clones for god's sake.

Lynn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I don't think the world should be taylored to kids. It doesn't do them any favors in the end, just makes things easier for you as a parent. Don't make a big deal out of nothing.