17 January 2010

Guess Who's Coming To Stab You In Your Sleep

I get so offended/put off by the strangest of things. Target has this new ad campaign for a line of cookware, bakeware and yes even FOOD by this TV "chef" lady, moon-faced Giada de Laurentiis. I was disturbed when I saw the subject of the marketing email from Target, and I had the most visceral reaction to the content once I opened it and was slapped in the face/punched in the gut with the visual of Giada grimacingly smiling over a spoon of something or other (paste made to look like something delicious, I imagine), and the campaign catchphrase floating beside her mug: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" Come on, Target! Appropriating the title of an important Civil Rights era race relations romantic dramedy? Said email delivered to my inbox ONE DAY prior to the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday?!? So so wrong! Granted, it's a phrase that's come into common enough usage, but using it in a marketing campaign for a line of (low-quality) Target cookware reallllly grinds my gears. I'm tempted to write Target a strongly worded letter to this effect. Sidney Poitier, where are you!

1 comment:

  1. No, I think you're pretty much on point. You should definitely write that letter. And besides, all that anorexic lollipop ever "makes" is sandwiches.

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