I'm not a huge fan of Burger King now that I've re-discovered food, but I usually stop there if I want to get a quick dinner in town on Wednesdays.

(That's my reality show night: has anyone else noticed the growing prevalence of Tyra Banks' pet adjective, fierce? I heard it on Project Runway.)

As you'd expect given Corporate America's current infatuation with language play, this B.K. had some very odd signs.

First, breaking news: our nation's top engineers have finally invented the Frypod.


(Photo by Hawaii)

Other bloggers have wondered if Apple can sue Burger King for leeching off its cred — I'm guessing the answer is no. For my part, I'm just amazed at what seems like an excessive amount of promotion for a new shape of fry carton.

(Also, in 2007 the iPod is no longer the hip new thing: it's an institution. There's nothing fresh about the word frypod.)

As a Minnesotan, I found another ad far more irritating. The first sign in this set says "This burger is stocked full of good stuff." The second says "Just like our 10,000 lakes."

Our 10,000 lakes, Burger King? You are a corporation from Florida, worldwide maybe but not Minnesotan. Multinational fast food chains aren't local just because they're found locally. I feel like the King is sidling up to me in a bar, asking for a favor, all calling me buddy and pal.

Labels: semantics, vocab

Fierce is one of my fave Tyra words! She uses it on America's Next Top Model all the time -- I have no idea what it means but the models all seem to know exactly what to do. Secret language?

posted by  mighty red pen at November 23, 2007 2:46 PM  

They must be working on some level we can't understand... that would also explain Tyra's ability to demonstrate what to do and what not to do with what sometimes look like identical gestures.

posted by  Dan at November 23, 2007 4:36 PM  

[snort] I think it has to do with the number of times she blinks.

ps: we got a nice mention on Mr. Verb today if you didn't see it yet.

posted by  mighty red pen at November 24, 2007 7:35 PM  

Never mind the lakes, I'm not sure I'd want a burger that was 'stocked full' of anything. Just doesn't sound very appetising (like eating something that was 'assembled', or 'manufactured').

posted by  JD at November 26, 2007 6:53 AM  

Oh, and the Mr Verb mention was a result of me pimping myself out for publicity...

And you're both welcome...

posted by  JD at November 26, 2007 6:54 AM  

Thank you, JD, for our submentions to your mention :-)

posted by  mighty red pen at November 30, 2007 10:36 AM  

Well-pimped J.D. — and we're complementary goods! I feel like one of those fancy condoms from Pretty Woman.

I like your point about "stocked full" — it is oddly artificial. I wonder if the other state-specific advertisements are as strained.

posted by  Dan at December 1, 2007 8:16 PM  

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