Friday, October 15, 2010

Unwrap My Monster

Ah, Freebirds!

Freebirds was the center of my undergraduate universe. There are so many stories there that could fill so many posts, and maybe someday when I'm done dissertating and parenting I'll get around to writing those.

I wanted to put one particular story down for posterity now, though, mostly because I have an uncredited piece in what turns out to be a growing meme: "Unwrap My Monster," and while I have claimed this in conversations for years, I've never made any permanent claims. Not that claiming to originate the phrase on my blog counts for much, but at least its here. So, here's the story.

Sometime in 2002 (I think, the memory is hazy) Alan Hixon, then the head of the Freebirds Business Office was working brand image and marketing. They brought in a marketing guru (I forget who it was, but I remember them plugging Flight of the Buffalo) who, in addition to suggesting a focus on the burrito as Freebirds signature item (which eventually led to the demise of preparing tacos and quesadillas on the grill-grr!), suggested a two-tiered marketing program. One tier would be store-specific and each store got a budget to spend as we saw fit. James Crane headed up the Rock Prairie initiative which was a one-off music festival in the Kroger parking lot (I was out of town on the day of--I think for a funeral--and really regretted not being there). The second tier was to be a company-wide initiative.

I forget whether or not the idea of a customer loyalty program had been adopted before our big meeting, but that was the strategy that was adopted for the whole company. All of the GMs and Assistants were called to a meeting at the corporate office and were asked to bring ideas to workshop. Crane and I did some research on innuendo-based marketing (e.g. In-and-Out Burger, "Make 7 - Up yours") and brought a t-shirt concept to the meeting with a stylized burrito bearing the slogan "Eat Me!" In the course of our presentation, someone piggybacked and shouted out "Eat My Monster!" (maybe Jenny O.?) and then I responded with the slogan that is now famous, "Unwrap My Monster."

Click here see the widespread impact of "Unwrap My Monster.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Obama's Memorial Day "Vacation" in Context

Earlier today I started noticing a the following poll (sponsored by the "Being Conservative" page on Facebook) showing up in several Facebook friends' statuses:

Do you approve of Obama's decision to skip the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to go on vacation?
1:No
2:Yes


In response to which, I posted the following:
I don't have a problem with political disagreement. I think it is healthy and essential to a working democracy (or democratic republic, as the case may be), but the deliberate spread of misinformation and the willingness of most of us to uncritically pass it along really gets under my skin and makes me cringe for the future of our nation.

This is in response to the hubbub over Obama's Memorial Day trip to Chicago.

Well, in recent memory, Reagan skipped the ceremony in 1983, Bush41 skipped it in 1992, and Bush43 skipped in 2007. Do those matter, or is this just a problem because Obama is a Democrat (or something else)?


Unfortunately, "shoot first, fact-check later" has become the modus operandi of the Washington establishment. I think we can thank Karl Rove and 24-hour news channels; Rove's particular genius was to establish a nasty, dual-edged politics of deception during the Bush43 administration and the news establishment is constantly looking for anything to fill time, the more salacious the better. The Rove political game goes something like this:

1. Offense: Throw the nastiest, baseless accusations you can. The news media will run with the speculation, and your opponent will waste valuable time and resources denying and disproving whatever is untrue. By the time they manage to vindicate themselves, the viewing public is tired of the conversation and no longer cares. The only thing they will remember is the scandal.

2. Defense: Deflect, Distance, Dismiss. When the mud gets hurled at you, downplay the importance of the news. If possible, create something bigger to catch the news media's (and viewing public's) attention. Look for any and all ways to place blame outside of your immediate locus of control. When the public has tired of the scandal, act as though it is old news and not worthy of anyone's time.

We as information consumers bear a great deal of blame in this game, as we are not willing (or able?) to critically evaluate what is being fed to us. So, when I was challenged by my uncle about whether or not Clinton had made the date every year or what Bush and Reagan were doing when they did not make it, I had to admit to myself that I, too, had simply passed along information (thanks to Politics Daily). I now present, for your review, criticism, and discussion, the location of the president on each Memorial Day going back through Nixon (and who stood in when he wasn't at Arlington National Cemetery) along with news sources. I will also admit that these sources may not be the most authoritative; in most cases I chose the first available source with relevant information available in free preview. (With apologies for my ugly table code).












































Memorial Day Presidential Wreath Laying
Year

President Memorial Day Location Source(s) At Arlington for Ceremony
2010

Obama Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery - Elwood, IL Source Biden
2009

Obama Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Obama
2008

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2007

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2006

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2005

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2004

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2003

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2002

Bush43 Normandy American Cemetery, France Source Source Wolfowitz
2001

Bush43 Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Bush43
2000

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1999

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1998

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1997

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1996

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1995

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1994

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Clinton
1993

Clinton Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA & Vietnam War Memorial Source Clinton
1992

Bush41 American Legion Post 149 - Kennebunkport, MN Source Quayle
1991

Bush41 Yale University Commencement - New Haven, CT Source Source Quayle
1990

Bush41 Kennebunkport, MN Source Source Quayle
1989

Bush41 NATO Meeting - Brussels, Belgium Source Quayle
1988

Reagan Moscow? Source Turnage
1987

Reagan Washington? Source Webb
1986

Reagan Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Reagan
1985

Reagan Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Reagan
1984

Reagan Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Reagan (Wreath? Internment of unknown Vietnam casualty)
1983

Reagan Summit of Industrialized Nations - Williamsburg, VA Source Thayer
1982

Reagan Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Reagan
1981

Reagan Santa Barbara, CA Source Bush41
1980

Carter USS Nimitz Homecoming
Source Alexander
1979

Carter Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Carter
1978

Carter Camp David, MD Source Source Brown
1977

Carter St. Simon’s Island, GA Source Source Claytor
1976

Ford Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Ford
1975

Ford Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA Source Ford
1974

Nixon Key Biscane, FL Source Ford
1973

Nixon Key Biscane, FL Source Source Schlesinger
1972

Nixon Moscow, USSR Source Scott
1971

Nixon Camp David, MD Source Rogers
1970

Nixon San Clemente, CA Source Tower
1969

Nixon Florida Source Agnew


Counting this year, 19 times out of 42, someone other than the President has laid the ceremonial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 15 of those times, the President has been Republican. Only Clinton and Ford have been at the ceremony every year of their presidencies; Bush43 only missed once; Bush41 (as president) and Nixon never made the ceremony.

Thanks to commentor "Grey" who noticed the error I had made, listing Reagan as president on Memorial Day in 1980...that was probably why I had so much trouble finding a reference to his whereabouts that day. Also thank you to commentor"Budd" for pointing out the sloppy language I used; Bush41 did in fact attend the ceremony, just never as CIC.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Adventures Through the Looking Glass

The political landscape continues to get curioser and curioser. Living and working at Texas A&M during the first year of Obama's presidency provides plenty of opportunity to see and hear white folks find new ways to dissemble, believing all the time that the fact that we have a black president is a cosmic mistake that will soon be righted. Most days I get to leave that strange world outside my door.

I just sat through a phone call, however, which might have been a telemarketing campaign for Dick Morris' new book. The call, which was represented by the woman who placed the call as a one-question survey, consisted of a monologue by a breathy Dick Morris congratulating me on being one of the biggest conservative supporters in my area (!) and describing his book not only as the
most important work
he's ever done but also as a battle plan for a Republican recapture of congress in 2010.  

After listening to Morris rehash canards such as "death panels" a male operator got back on the line, inquired whether or not I had been able to hear the recorded message and then posed the survey question: "Do you support Obama's expansion of health care, withdrawal of troops from the middle east, and biggest expansion of government in history?"

I responded "No, but mostly because I think he's not gone far enough on healthcare, drawn down the troops fast enough, and that President Bush's presidency saw the biggest expansion of federal government in history. " The flustered pollster sputtered a thank you and hung up. My questions are 1) what misguided intern put my name on a list that was obviously intended for an uncritical sample and, 2) this seriously can't be anything else but a marketing ploy for Morris' book, right, or is this characteristic of the work he does? I wonder if I'll actually get the free signed copy promised in the recorded message?