May 21, 2004

Hey, Taco Bell! Yo quiero up yours!

Taco Bell has just openly declared war on conservatives.

They've got a new contest (don't they always?); this one is for contest entrants to put their "sauce wisdom" -- quick little sayings & witicisms -- on their sauce packets.

Sounds good, right? But get this.

From May 19 to June 18, customers can enter the national contest by registering their “sauce wisdoms” at www.tacobell.com. Taco Bell defines a sauce wisdom as a humorous look at reality through the eyes of the Taco Bell brand. The message should be simple, left of center and provide insight on the little things in life – anything from going on a date to eating a meal -- and it should not exceed 70 characters. All sauce wisdoms will be judged according to humor, originality, length and suitability of use.
Hmmmm. I guess it's OK to exclude conservatives, huh? Perhaps conservatives should excluding going to Taco Bell to partake of their artery-hardening meals, too.

They are going to have to come up with an awful lot before I and a lot of other conservatives darken their doors again...

UPDATE (3:45P): Amy Ridenour at The National Center for Public Policy Research (parent organization of Project 21) dropped a note in the talkback; keep in mind that Taco Bell's parent company is also the parent of KFC, Long John Silvers, A&W and Pizza Hut. (damn! I just had some fish from Long John's first of the week; and I was about to order pizza tonight!)

Posted by: mhking at 07:44 AM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
Post contains 265 words, total size 2 kb.

1 I only ate at Taco Bell once, in Fresno CA in the late 1970s (showing my age here), from which I got such violent food poisoning I thought I was going to "buy the farm". Ever since, no quiero Taco Bell!

Posted by: Fausta at May 21, 2004 07:54 AM (WhoVr)

2 Whoa. That's ... something. Well, I used to enjoy a cheap taco now and then, they've just cured me though. My arteries thank them.

Posted by: Deb at May 21, 2004 08:55 AM (f6cjG)

3 Amazing. I've just picked up the story on my own blog (credited you for the pointer, of course) and I telephoned Taco Bell for their side of the story. They said they'd call me back.

Posted by: Amy Ridenour at May 21, 2004 10:39 AM (JJhRX)

4 Obviously they meant it as 'out in left field' or 'offbeat' and chose their words poorly. The requirements if you try to submit one specifically prohibit ideological advocacy: === • SUITABILITY FOR USE: The Wisdom may not be used as a marketing tool to promote non-Taco Bell products or services, or any individuals. The Wisdom may not be gender biased, have any religious or sexual overtones, ***support or endorse a position, or be offensive in any manner.*** === So don't boycott Yum! Brands because they want leftist propaganda on their sauce packets. Boycott them because they don't let delivery drivers pack heat.

Posted by: Sloth at May 21, 2004 11:03 AM (V3f49)

5 Actually, I refuse to have a pizza delivered from Pizza The Hutt simply 'cause they have screwed the order up the past three times I've tried. I'll stick with Dominos and Papa John's. (If only Uno's were around here! No one in Atlanta -- not even Fellini's -- knows how to make GOOD pizza!)

Posted by: mhking at May 21, 2004 11:10 AM (bJyKS)

6 "left of center" means off-kilter or quirky. Are you a super paranoid conservative or do you just have no concept of English colloquialisms?

Posted by: Harvey at May 21, 2004 11:14 AM (BHNvD)

7 I'm sorry, but did you stop to ask them what they meant? If that is actually what they meant, I'll apologize. Happily. Wonderfully. But 'tis better to be wary, than to have this bite me in the ass.

Posted by: mhking at May 21, 2004 11:50 AM (bJyKS)

8 "left of center" = quirky? Guess I need one of those newfangled slang dictionaries. I vote for hanging due to extraneous verbosity anyway. )

Posted by: Deb at May 21, 2004 11:53 AM (f6cjG)

9 Thanks for the tip. I never eat at Taco Bell so I can't boycott them, but my husband likes KFC. We'll boycott them until I hear that they only use the right side of the chicken.

Posted by: erp at May 21, 2004 12:43 PM (A9yNh)

10 Taco Bell called me back. They mean "quirky," not left-wing in the political sense. Amazingly, they've been using the term for three years without anyone thinking they meant it politically. I must have been in Washington DC too long, because I didn't even realize before today that the term could mean "quirky." Live and learn. The lady who called me back friom the Taco Bell press office was very nice and forthcoming about the whole thing. So, tacos for everyone! Or gorditas. Whatever.

Posted by: Amy Ridenour at May 21, 2004 01:28 PM (JJhRX)

11 Does seem like they mean something else by "left of center"; the examples shown certainly did not indicate any political leanings at all.

Posted by: Brainster at May 21, 2004 01:30 PM (PJWdB)

12 I guess I'm bizarre or something. I didn't take it that way. [shrug] OK. I guess I can go to Long John Silver's or Taco Bell for lunch again...[g]

Posted by: mhking at May 21, 2004 02:03 PM (/m7km)

13 hehe *sends hubby out for Taco Bell sauce* Michael, I'm getting messages bounced to me that I think are supposed to be going to your email? Are you getting notifications of messages?

Posted by: Deb at May 21, 2004 03:38 PM (f6cjG)

14 I'm not getting any mail right now -- Bellsouth hosed my e-mail account first of the week; I'm sure I've got stuff bouncing over half the planet. I've got a temporary account set up at mhking@gmail.com -- things shouldn't bounce for the time-being (while I'm in the process of going off on Bellsouth)...

Posted by: mhking at May 21, 2004 04:06 PM (/m7km)

15 The word "Left" is also frequently used in a derogatory sense i.e. a left-handed compliment ("My, that dress helps you look thin...")

Posted by: Tuning Spork at May 21, 2004 06:57 PM (YNIZ7)

16 Your email is really messed up. I keep getting emails telling me that mhking is refusing my emails. I haven't sent you an email, so I naturally put you on the Block Message list as a kook. I've been using Bellsouth for years and now have a DSL line with them. Best service we've ever had. I hope your problems are geographical. We're in Florida.

Posted by: erp at May 22, 2004 03:26 AM (p9Or0)

17 I haven't eaten at Taco Bell in years. Anything that uniformly entered and exited my digestive system at the speed of sound can't be good for you.

Posted by: Juliette at May 22, 2004 09:40 PM (aJw7h)

18 I'm sorry I brought you into this world.

Posted by: Your Mom at May 11, 2005 07:27 AM (g2bpN)

19 everything's a 'war' with you conservatives. and you wonder why 'neocon' is synonymous with 'paranoid'.

Posted by: troll at May 11, 2005 07:58 AM (Kp3JP)

20 I've seen it all now. You can't even use the word "left" anymore without getting a conservatives panties in a knot. You guys are STU-PID. Signed, the pinko bastard from Canada

Posted by: Chris Sherwin at July 13, 2005 05:31 PM (EOMUY)

21 Isn't this a Baha Blast??? = 0

Posted by: are you gonna eat that at July 24, 2005 07:34 PM (RJwNb)

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