So . . . what is Denny's' problem?
(I realize that creating the possessive of "Denny's" is, itself, a problem.)
They have all these commercials about "serious breakfasts," as I assume you have seen, but I will offer exempla:
Complaint 1: As Neal pointed out, Denny's is applying the irritating truck commercial shtick to . . . pancakes. You know, the terrible truck commercials best exemplified by Howie Long demeaning the manhood of anyone who drives a truck of a competing brand. Basically, it's the mentality, "You should buy our brand. Otherwise, you're a weak little girl."
Complaint 2: Have you seen the one (which I couldn't find on YouTube, though "nanerpus" and "nannerpus" combined have 247 listings) they show during almost every Wheel of Fortune with a grating, terrifying music-box-style song playing over a stack of pancakes that's being covered in a frightening, viscous red fluid that threatens to drown chaotic sprinkles and an actual twirling toy ballerina (and then there's an inset with the same thing except it's a boy ballerina)? For me, that terrible seven seconds of grotesque music is a nauseating experience. It makes me feel like there are spiders crawling over me, or perhaps inside of me. I can't explain why, but it is viscerally hideous. I'm sure they intended to make it unpleasant, since that is the sort of thing they are against, but I feel it goes too far.
Complaint 3, and this is the most annoying one: Who are they making fun of? This applies especially to the nanerpus and ballerina ones--who does that? Who makes the pre-parody version of those pancakes? Does IHOP have a reputation for putting toys on breakfast foods of which I was unaware? Is it Village Inn? I don't understand! At least Howie Long makes obvious reference to which truck brand will leach away your very masculinity. Denny's is battling some weird, whipped-cream obsessed straw man.
Again, I ask you--what is Denny's' problem?
Monday quickies
19 hours ago
1 comment:
An alternate title for this post could have been "Gendering Breakfast."
It seems to me that Denny's is trying to distinguish their, well, undistinguished products. Denny's, and places like them, built their reputation on being the same everywhere. When these sorts of restaurants began to pop up, fifty to sixty years ago, that is what people wanted.
That's not what they want now, so companies have to go for new demographics and a new "hook." I think of the "angry" Whopper here; I am not sure what the draw of angry food is, but that's just me.
Apparently, Denny's settled on the fragile male ego, although if one's gender identity is threatened by animated breakfast food, one has bigger issues.
Really, it seems like an attempt to sell the same old crap to new people.
Oh, and the phrase "whipped cream obsessed straw man" cracked me up.
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