Maybe I'm Becoming a Prude
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Puppet
Mannequin American views and guidelines on marketing/PR trends plus bits of humor and interesting but useless information. For information on Chip's performance schedule, go to http://www.dale-brown.com/.
Fator's New Puppets
In a previous blog, I mentioned that Terry Fator's "Winston the Impersonating Turtle" and two other new characters are being created for Terry's new show at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Here's a photo of Terry with his new custom puppet and below is a photo of our friend Steve Axtell working on creating the mold for the character.
I'm going to be spending some time with both Terry and Steve at the Vent convention this month. I'll try to get someone to take photos for inclusion on this blog. But I've learned that drunken ventriloquists make terrible photographers.
Cookie Monster Defends Himself on The Colbert Report
Sesame Street's Cookie Monster made a very special guest appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" on June 19, 2008. After learning that cookies are no longer the number one snack for children under six, Colbert attacked Cookie Monster for abandoning cookies in favor of fruit.
To defend the beloved snack food, Cookie Monster appeared to share his love of cookies and also defended the eating of fruit. Cookie Monster seems to have an "adult edge" to his comedy on this show. You can watch the interview online at ComedyCentral.com. It's funny!
I'm A Puppet, Not a Prude ... But Again, an Ad Surpasses Even My Limits
I think everyone knows that I'm no prude. In fact, I pride myself in being able to say what others are often are thinking, but for fear of being politically incorrect, remain silent.
But this commercial for J.C.Penny goes too far ... even for a Mannequin American. In the commercial, two teenagers, a boy and a girl, are seen timing themselves while putting their clothes on. Later the two teenagers meet at the girl's house and the girl says to her mother, "We're just going down to the basement to watch some TV." At the end of commercial we see "Because for J.C. Penny, Every Day Matters."
Are you kidding me?! They may as well have ended it with, "Today's the day to get away with it." In fairness, J.C. Penny claims that it never approved the commercial which is now all over the internet via YouTube. But still, an agency created the commercial thinking that it would be approved.
I'm only a puppet so it's probably beyond me to understand just what the he** they were thinking when they came up with the idea for this ad. Can someone please explain to me:
1. What are they selling?
2. What possibly could have motivated them to think this was a good idea?
3. How could they not see that this would be offensive to parents and puppets alike?
4. Why wasn't I included in the casting call for this commercial? (Get my agent on the phone.)
Do you agree or disagree? Am I the only one who thinks this was a terrible idea? Am I turning into a prude? Email me at chip.martin@bmpr.com or simply make a comment by clicking on the comments section at the end of this blog.
Okay, Maybe I am Becoming a Prude
Just to prove to myself that I'm no prude, I decided to highlight some new ads for alcoholic beverages. After all, no one uses sex to sell more than manufacturers of spirits. But again, I have to say that I must be turning into a conservative puppet, because if I owned a beer or liquor company, I would have said "No," to two out of three of the following ads.
To introduce their new naturally-flavored vodkas, Skyy apparently decided they needed to be "ballsie." Any questions about what they're suggesting here?
Here's an ad for Bud Lite. It says, "Be Yourself." And hold your "bottle" suggestively. This makes me glad that I'm a puppet and not a "Yourself." Not that there's anything wrong with that.
And finally, I didn't even realize that Salma Hayek was in this ad, at first. I saw cleavage and a bottle, and a bunch of guys' hands ... then more cleavage. Because when I think Campari, I think ... oh, what the heck, I don't know what to think.
Blogging Note
There will not be a blog on Friday, July 4th. I will be appearing on the Family Stage in Franklin, WI that day at 4:45 p.m. Family Stage? Get my agent on the phone!