My Fiance is a Cranky Old Man
Matt and I joke about how we're going to be cranks when we're old, but truth be told, we're already cranky.
What started our latest round of grumpiness? A commercial on the Food Network. If you're not familiar with the programming on the Food Network, there's currently a horribly offensive commercial they're running in the NYC area for the French Culinary Institute. In it, a chef talks about how he came to the school because he'd "rather be homeless than work behind a desk." What? What entitled bullshit. No one wants to work behind a desk, but that's what you do. And he'd rather be homeless? No. That's obviously someone who has never known anything close to poverty. I've been pissed at this commercial before, but tonight was the night for Matt to start shaking his fist at the tv. After I told him how wrong I thought the commercial was, he sent off the following email:
Just wanted to write to you about your commercial on Food TV. Both my fiance and I found the commercial offensive. The chef or student in the commercial goes on and on about how working behind a desk sucks, if he had to work behind a desk he'd die, he'd rather be homeless than work behind a desk. I bet that 95% of the people who watch this channel, and your advertisement, and who eat at the restaurants where your students work, work behind desks. Many, I'm sure, find their jobs satisfying. If there's really someone at your school who would rather be homeless than have a desk job, I suggest you have that person seek serious psychological care, because that's really not healthy. The whole thing is demeaning both to homeless people and to people who work in offices for a living. I'm sure your school is very nice. But your advertisement is deplorable. You should fire whoever is responsible for it, immediately. Perhaps that would give them some perspective on how bad homelessness is in comparison to working behind a desk.
posted by Jen at 10:34 PM
7 Comments:
The lady doth protests to much. The ad is directed at those who are sick of working behind a desk and have the ability to change. Look at the demographics that watch the Food Network. I presume they know their market and I suspect an ad for an automotive repair school is not likely to appear. If it did you would probably sneer and chuckle at it.I have not seen the ad but I think you need to get a tougher hide and stop being so naive.
On the other hand your letter was so annoying that I will continue to read your blog. It helps me wake up.
10:53 AM, April 13, 2008
I certainly see why you thought I "protest[ed] to (sic) much;" of course they're catering to a more creative demographic. I just thought it was funny that Matt not only wrote an email but sent it and got a response.
I LOVE that you're reading my blog because it's annoying. Seriously. You had me laughing at your comment. Come back and I'll do my best to annoy you more.
11:55 AM, April 13, 2008
Loose Stool, if that is your real name, lets get a few things straight. First, it wasn't Jen's letter; it was mine. She just reprinted it because she likes to share my quirky antics with the rest of the world. Second, I understood the purpose of the ad as well as the demographic to which it was directed. It was not the choice of the ad that I had a problem with, but the execution. I think it would have been more effective without the over-the-top hyperbole. Third, I don't think you know what naive means. Fourth, to your credit, it is very possible that my letter was incredibly annoying. Although, in my defense, it wasn't written for publication.
Oh, and congratulations! You have just been on the receiving end of yet another installment of "Matt writes cranky letters." Man, I don't know what gets into me sometimes.
3:24 PM, April 14, 2008
Dear Matt, (if thats your real name). Sounds kinda white and elitist.
Do you really think there is someone at the school who would rather be homeless than work behind a desk? Please, give me a break. Its an advertisement. Do you think protesting the ad shows you "care". Over the top hyperbole is what 30 second spots are about.
Oh yea, I googled "naive" and there's a picture of you next to the definition.
8:00 PM, April 16, 2008
Loose Stool - What exactly sounds "white and elitist" about what I wrote? Was it the big words? I am actually white, though I'd probably call me snobby rather than elitist.
In answer to your question, no, I don't really think there is someone at the school who would rather be homeless. That's why I called it hyperbole. And, no again, I don't think protesting the ad shows I care. Protesting the ad shows that I didn't like the ad, nothing more. And again, no, 30 second spots are not about hyperbole, they're about selling whatever it is they're selling. Over the top hyperbole is one method for doing that. I generally think its a poor one.
While we're on the topic of hyperbole, your statement that you "googled 'naive' and there's a picture of [me] next to the definition" would be a great example of hyperbole if only I could figure out what you think I'm being naive about. I could give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you know what the word means, but in that case, I'm forced to accuse you of writing without precision. So which would you rather I accuse you of, bad writing or not knowing what "naive" means?
I'm happy to keep our little dialogue going as long as Jen will let me. Your turn.
9:12 PM, April 16, 2008
Its Okay, its getting boring now, I see you sold out and got a free meal anyway. Now your a real New Yorker! I wished I thought of that. Did they stop running the ad or does the free meal solve the problem for you.
Still like the blog, I moved here from Indiana on July 4, 1976. It was the Summer of Son of Sam, a very different city back then.
5:54 PM, April 17, 2008
You don't make a lot of sense, Loose Stool, but you're a good sport. Perhaps we'll meet again in the comments section of some other blog post.
10:45 PM, April 17, 2008
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