Rap Cat
I just caught wind of the Rap Cat controversy, re: the carry-out bags that double as ghetto fabulous street duds for your tabby. First of all, I want to say that I totally support Rap Cat. He’s completely idiotic, yes, but I think that’s the point. He’s supposed to be idiotic. It’s absurdist parody. Don’t you think if Checkers/Rally’s was serious about Rap Cat they would have, oh, I don’t know, made him look a little bit less like a goddamn puppet?
Anyway, the bags. I don’t know if the people who are complaining about this promoting animal cruelty have ever been in a room with a cat and a bag. If there is some inherent danger in this equation, cats don’t seem to give a shit - they’ll get in that bag every time (especially if it smells like greasy french fries). And they usually go head first, which seems much more dangerous than what Checkers suggests (legs first, but only after you cut out leg holes so Puss in Bag can still maneuver). If anything, Checkers/Rally’s is trying to prevent animal cruelty. They even print a warning to over-eager pet owners that reads “Caution: Not all cats will be down with wearing this bag. Do not harm or endanger any cat.”
Sounds pretty responsible to me. Checkers/Rally’s knows that cats like bags. They’re just making it slightly safer and more fun for their owners. Look, it may not be a perfect idea, but you have to admit it’s better than Colonel Sanders’ Rooster Torture & Preperation Kit.
P.S. I have no idea why Checkers isn’t pluralized and Rally’s is. I also have no idea why they don’t just pick one name for the entire country.
March 24th, 2007 at 8:51 am
“I don’t have a problem with the rap cat parody, however, I am
concerning about the narrative associated with the description of the
big value meal. The creators of the ad campaign are aware of the
association of the 40 ounce beer with African-American youths so I
think to subliminally play on that in your ad with the narrative
emphasizing ‘40 ounce’..pause..and then ’soft drink’ is irresponsible
and was purposely done to play off of the reference to the 40 ounce
beer that African-American youths are so fond of. I live in an
African-American community where alcoholism is a problem among our
youth and we do not need for even the vernacular to be reinforced
through the media as an innocent ad campaign. It would be far less
offensive if they were to at least correct the pause to remove the
emphasis from the ‘40 ounce’ reference”.
Pay attention to the way this is done in the commercial where they
describe the big value meal.
March 24th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Interesting.