Random
Really, Burger King? Really?
Jul 20th
I’m not Team Edward OR Team Jacob. In fact, I don’t even know which one is which. I’ve never read any of the Twilight books or seen the movies. And I don’t plan on it. Ever. But all of that is really beside the point that I’m about the make here.
This past weekend we were on a road trip and stopped at Burger King for a quick, unhealthy lunch. Of course the entire restaurant (if you can even call it that) was plastered with Twilight and Eclipse posters and paraphernalia. I understand that big chain places like BK are going to market hot movies and do promotions based on them. It’s always been that way. It’s a money maker for both parties. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that Burger King continued the Eclipse marketing in the form of their kid’s meals. WTF!
To me, kid’s meals are just that, meals for kids. And when I say kids I’m implying someone under the age of 12, most likely even younger. Most teenagers I know can and do consume much larger quantities of food than are given in a kid’s meal at Burger King. So, if kid’s meals are geared toward kids under 12 then why would BK put an Eclipse “prize” in the kid’s meal? The movie is rated PG-13 due to some violence and scenes of sexuality (according to IMDB.com) so it seems very counter intuitive to me for BK to do this. I know all they’re doing is seeing dollar signs but still. It’s not like there aren’t any other big blockbuster movies that they could use in their marketing. How about Toy Story 3? Of course, I’m not a marketing expert or anything and I’m sure one has to offer the other the deal. I’m sure they don’t just get to choose what they want to use for prizes, but I simply can’t understand this.
After bringing this topic up with some of my family and friends I have heard that some Burger Kings offer an alternate “toddler prize” for the kid’s meals upon request. However, I was unaware and the cashier who took my order at BK clearly saw that I had a 3 and 1 year old in tow. Obviously they had no idea what Eclipse was. I was never offered a toddler prize and I didn’t see any signs anywhere that they were even available.
In reality I know that BK and [whoever produced this movie] do not care about whether or not my child actually likes the prize. I know they just care about the money, but really Burger King? Really? (a la Seth Meyers on SNL)
Image borrowed from www.bellasdiary.com
The “prize” we received was the mini tote bag. Seriously? It’s a little piece of fabric with a handle on it. It’s not even big enough to hold a pack of gum. Oh and I love how the poster says keepsakes for girls and guys. It’s clearly not targeted toward kids, otherwise it would have said girls and boys. Ok, rant over.
The Odd Couple
Jul 9th
Last night I went grocery shopping. Alone. It’s amazing what is considered enjoyable alone time when you’re a mom. I was only gone about an hour, but it was an hour free of whining, begging, and melt downs. I could completely focus on the task at hand – filling my cart with food! There was no one asking for candy or cookies or needing to go to the bathroom half way through the store. I didn’t have to pay attention to anyone else. Yet, for some reason, I found myself thinking about the people around me. It’s amazing what you notice when you don’t have two nagging kids in your presence.
It started as I was getting out of the car. A woman was exiting the store. I’d guess she was in her late 20′s or early 30′s. She was tall, wearing a pencil skirt, a blouse and cardigan, peep toe heels and shiny jewelry. She had her long blonde hair perfectly straightened and just enough make-up on to be noticed. She walked toward the parking lot carrying a cardboard box. Walking toward her was a man who was probably around 40 or so. He had on stonewashed Levi’s, a light yellow polo shirt and sneakers.
The woman noticed the man and said to him, “Oh, hi! I was just going to bring this out to my car.” He said to her, “Let me get it for you.” And he took the box from her. They walked together, pretty closely, to a mid sized sedan and he put the box in the trunk. Then they turned and walked into the store grocery store together.
For the remainder of my time in the grocery store I kept trying to think of what their relationship could be. They didn’t seem close enough to be married. And she seemed a little young for him (in my opinion). They seemed very mismatched to be a “couple”. She was well dressed, tall and looked important. He was dressed very casually and was much shorter than her with salt and pepper hair. He definitely wasn’t old enough to be her dad. Maybe he was her brother or a coworker? But they’re initial encounter seemed on the awkward side, almost like on a first date. Maybe it was a DHG (disproportionately hot girlfriend) situation. ( If you are unaware of the DHG situation, please click here.) But who would go on a date to the grocery store? I still can’t figure it out. I have no idea why I even care about this, but it’s just one of those things. What’s your guess? Have you ever encountered a “couple” like this?
