The Pringles Rant No One Was Waiting For

Apologies that this entry and the last are laced with what appears to be anger and bitterness. I'm really, really, having a good time here. I still can't get over the high of last Thursday night. I like my friends new, old, and really old, and you guys actually make it really hard to write frustrated entries because y'all are so nice, even if you don't read this. With that said...

I don't think this can design would survive in the United States because of the reaction it would provoke. Maybe I'm placing too much faith in activist groups and their sensitivity when I say this, but I think folks would protest the heck out of this depiction of the Thais. Now, cultural caricatures are fine to an extent. And there's nothing I love more than to make unPC jokes and sweeping generalizations about other people's cultures. I can't find any one thing in the picture that is straight up offensive. But I believe the picture is borderline enough in the grey, murky area, that someone could find beef with the chili crisps. In fact, part of what bothers me about seeing this can isn't so much that the picture insults or offends me, but that no one else seems to have been offended. No one has raised concerns yet. No Thai groups here has resisted being depicted like that. Is that really how you would like to be portrayed? When your country can look like this?



Now, the juxtaposition with the Texas BBQ flavour. Am I being fair in wanting people to be upset about the Thais and not Texans? I actually think I am. Are cowboys not just another cultural caricature? Why don't I want Texans to be in uproar? I think it's because of the cultural connotations implied. What's being compared here isn't exactly trailer trash (which are apparently, all over American movies?) or Texas redneck farmers versus Thai small-eyed, bad-teeth, innocent farmers. In that case, I'd say both sides should cause an uproar. But this isn't the case. The pictures look drastically different. As false as the cowboy, wild west myth is, as much as they are part of a dying breed, they are a glorified dying breed. They are positive, glamorous, strong- it's actually in the title, it's wild. The Texas BBQ was introduced as part of a special promotional (and apparently short-lived) series called Taste the World. The Thai one was not. And similarly, the myth of the rice paddies, shanties, and simplicity give off quite a different impression. Thai sweet chili.

(Sigh) I know, I am an oversensitive soc major. I am reading too much into a can of what used to be my favorite potato crisp brand. And I am causing too much uproar about poor advertising depictions that have gone on for far too long and I am coming into the game much too late. I know. But these rants overtake my mind because I have so much free time here it's not even funny.

And yes, Mr. Pringles's hair, upon closer inspection, is starting to creep me out and yes, it's a shame that we don't get such nice flavors. I thought it was just my good ol' Taiwan that had the really savoury, awesome ones but no, good crisps can be found all over the world except in the US. But whatever, if I don't whine in my blog, then who will?

BTW, did you know that Snap, Pop, and Crackle look different here?