Raisin Raising Raison

I'm not a huge Bobby Flay fan, but I do enjoy watching his Brunch with Bobby series on The Cooking Channel (or is it the Food Channel? I forget). Why? Because he makes brunch dishes that include breakfast favorites done up in a more creative style.

A little while back, I had to stop the show, back up, freeze frame, and read what was on it, just to make sure I wasn't having vision problems.

The intro graphic that they showed promoted his rum raisin pancakes. Only they called it "RUM RAISON PANCAKES." Now, I only had two years of high school French, but I do know that "raison" is French for "reason" ... as in raison d'etre, or "reason for existence."

Is Bobby Flay trying to tell us that rum is the reason to have these pancakes? Huh? Huh?

I can't believe they made that mistake, that nobody caught it in proofreading. But there it is, forever indelibly stamped in my mind ... and now, yours.

A Moving Commercial

Everytime I see the Pepsi commercial where University of Nevada, Reno, student Ivon Padilla-Rodriguez is awarded $100,000 by Dr. Pepper for her tuition, it just chokes me up.

You can just see how emotional she got when she won the first-place prize for throwing a football most accurately in a 30-second period at the 2011 Southeast Conference (SEC) championship game between Georgia and Louisiana State University.

What a wonderful accomplishment ... oh, not for being able to toss the football, but for ensuring she will be able to ease her family's financial burden and handle college tuition on her own.

I'm with you, Ivon. Congratulations.

And plaudits to the Dr. Pepper Million-Dollar Tuition Giveaway, which is again underway. If you or anyone you know wants to enter, the deadline for this year's competition (you have to submit a video telling why you deserve to win) is Thursday, Nov. 15.

‘Alouette’ is a Mean Song

Have you seen that new Target commercial celebrating the joys of color as young people jump out of a balloon and magic-touch everyday items as The Delta Rhythm Boys sing a lilting French song?

That song is ”Alouette,” a song I learned when I was in grade school. Which in itself is a little unusual because who’d-a thought a little boy in Hawaii would be singing a song about plucking a bird in the French language?

Not just any bird. A lark. A beautiful bird with a beautiful song. And the singer wants to pluck it. I’d thought it was a dove when I was a kid. And that the dove was gentle and beautiful. Why? Because the lyrics begin with Alouette, gentile Alouette (“Lark, nice lark”).

But … the next line is Alouette, je te plumerai (Lark, I shall pluck you). Good Lord. And THEN, you have to sing, Je te plumerai la tête (“I shall pluck your head”). The verses that follow advise the lark that you’re going to continue plucking – la bec (beak), le dos (back), les ailes (wings), les pattes (feet) and la queue (tail).

Oh, how gross. I’ll never be able to look at the Target ad again without thinking of a naked bird posing in the middle of the bull’s eye logo.

Two Does Not Equal Three

The most recent Oceanic Cable internet service television commercial just goes to show that no matter how careful you are, if not everybody is vigilant, something will go wrong.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

The commercial makes quick cuts to various people – many of them well-known to Island residents – touting the speed of the cable company’s Road Runner internet service: “Fast!” “Twice as Fast!” and so forth.

But the problem is two of the exclamations used just don’t jive. One person says “Two times faster!” and another says “Twice as fast!” The two phrases don’t mean the same thing.

At the risk of sounding horribly didactic, let me explain: “Twice as fast” means just that. Something is going at double speed.

“Two times faster,” on the other hand, actually means something is going at triple speed. If something is one time FASTER, then it’s twice as fast. So it stands to reason, grammatically speaking, that TWO times faster means something is traveling THRICE as fast.

So I ask, which is it? Is Oceanic’s internet speed three times faster? Or is it only twice as fast?

I wonder if heads should roll over this major (not to mention embarrassing) faux pas that people can make fun of?

Cutest Kid in a TV Ad

Have you seen the Capital One Money Back Card commercial on television yet? The one with Jimmy Fallon talking to a baby in a high chair?

That kid is the cutest thing on television today ... so much personality!

Looks like a boy to me, but I can't really tell. Does anybody know for sure? Here ... take a look:

The Cutest Kid in a TV Commercial

TV Ad Spokeswomen

They are strangely alluring, capturing your attention as they pitch the products on the tube. I’m talking of course about product spokespersons, specifically attractive spokeswomen. Because … well, just because.

Two commercial series in particular come to mind since I see them practically every day:

Progressive Insurance

Stephanie Courtney plays Progressive Insurance cashier Flo; she’s attractive in a weird sort of way. Flo sports a strange raven hairdo and lips are as red as beets. And, she’s the epitome of chipperness (is there such a word?). She’s usually dressed all in white.

An American comedienne who’s been in a few television shows (mostly episodic appearances), Stephanie has appeared in Mad Men, Men of a Certain Age., ER, Everybody Loves Raymond, and more recently as Claire in an episode of House.

Mini Babybel Cheese

The cute brunette Laura Ashley Bishop asks us, “Have YOU laughed today?” during her Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Cheese commercials. Her unnamed character is seen approaching people on the street and in malls, offering them a sample of her snack cheese.

A former Arkansan, comedienne Laura appears in various other advertisements, including Arby’s “Birthday Surprise” and Popeye’s “Mama Chicken Slap.”

There are a couple of others, but strangely enough, I don’t recall the names of the products as I’m writing this, so they’ll have to wait for another time.

Hey! Gimme a break. I’m retired.

Favorite TV Commercials

Once in a while I’ll see a commercial on television that just tickles me.

I’m talking about ads like the Stanley Steemer spot featuring the dog Toby and his “new trick,” where he’s sitting on his butt, rear legs spread out, and front paws dragging him across the carpet.



Another is the Jack in the Box commercial with the “Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich” jingle featuring a dancing Jack, kids, and regular people like you and me (okay, younger than me).



These two just crack me up.