Fowl play at the cricket
Sometimes cynics complain that the marketing industry isn’t important.
They are of course wrong. To demonstrate marketing’s essential role in the national psyche simply watch this video for the KFC chicken dance at the cricket…
Feel better about working in marketing now?
Yes it warmed my heart to know I work in an industry where setting a world record for the chicken dance will make a world record. And all this time I had been so myopic in how I viewed my role. All hail the great KFC spiritual leader of numb nuts.
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It brings a tear to my eye.
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Cringe…..
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So dubious on so many levels…..but at least 50% of the claimed record breaking number seemed to be having fun.
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There’s chicken in KFC?
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Meanwhile, the chickens are far from dancing about anything.
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Creating movements.
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I liked the “Most amount of people to do the chicken dance … in a sports stadium.” disclaimer.
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It is truly sad that ‘obesity causers’ are involved with sport. I know it is a worldwide thing, however no wonder there are loads of fat little kids in the stadium… Fat little chicken dancing, burger eating gluttons – what has our society become?
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ha ha!
They should’ve squeezed them into tiny crowded cages pumped them full of drugs first!
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Yes, fat kids are the fault of KFC. Not the parents, oh no.
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I would say that parents have their share of responsibility for sure. Many parents are are quite simply cr@p and allow their kids to watch TV 24 / 7. KFC, Coke, Macca’s etc are plastered all over the television, so what do these poor unfortunate kids want to eat?
Now AdGrunt, please do not say that advertising does not create desire…
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Unless your kid steals your keys, jumps in the car and drives themselves to (insert fast food chain name here) then don’t balme the advertisers who are running a business. If you didn’t go there they wouldn’t exist. I have lost count at the amount of times I see people at the supermarket with trollies loaded full of junk food and soft drinks. Here’s a thought, try some fruit. If you don’t buy it they won’t eat it. It’s a treat food not a couldn’t be arsed cooking food. Are alcohol companies to blame for drink drivers, are drivers to blame for running over people crossing the road when they shouldn’t? FFS take some responisibility, say no, too many parents are trying to be the ‘cool’ parent or the childs friend instead of a parent that enforces boundries for fear of upsetting the kid.
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@Shameful – a bit fast and loose with that populist tell-tale, the Improbable Sweeping Generalisation.
In this case that Fast Food advertising is “plastered all over the television” so rendering both children and their parents powerless to consume anything other than Fast Food for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
How exactly is Fat Freddie, aged 8 and all-round “poor unfortunate kid” getting from his televisual advertising mesmer machine to KFC? He ain’t waddling there by himself and paying with his own money, is he?
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@Shameful – aside from the occassional health condition, people get for a very simple reason; they eat more calories than they burn off. The 4 kilo’s I put on over the Xmas break were 100% my fault, not KFC’s, not my mother’s for her amazing cooking and no one elses.
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@shameful Advertising only exists to allow Marketeers to remind you of the things you know you already love!
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Another boring stunt that could have been thought up by a monkey on a rock, which everyone will forget by this time next week… yawn
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Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun…
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I think we should modify the disclaimer … “Most amount of people to do the chicken dance … in a sports stadium … on January 14, 2011”.
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34,000 doing the chicken dance??? I barely saw 3.4 kids!!
But then again, this is the exact MediaLies that fast-food companies can spin-doctor to the masses – with the help of a desperate PR agency!….
Can’t believe that Cricket Australia is living off the profits of chicken fat and an obese and gullible Australian population.
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That one x 3min chicken dance burnt off the equivalent calories that one chicken nugget put on – so it stands to reason that 30 minutes of chicken dancing every day will allow you to smash down a 10 pack without any guilt.
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On the positive side shows the agency has good selling skills to get the client to sign off on this one. Most clients I know would have stopped us the minute “Chicken dance” was mentioned
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“Shameful” got tolddd
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@Ad Grunt
Ha ha – what would be the point of your existence then oh obesity promoter? Why bother marketing junk food, because kiddies and parents alike will buy it all the same…
I would love to launch into the junk food space; kids and parents would just find me and buy my stuff(.)
Brilliant.
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Something topical to add to the debate
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyl.....rom=smh_sb
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I’m embarrassed for you quoting SMH as an intellectual response.
Make a cogent support for your point instead of stumbling around grasping at populist straws.
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Looked like the crowd couldn’t give a fuck.
And I thought before the stunt they were saying they needed 72,000 to get the record?
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@Ad Grunt
Are you saying that the marketing and promotion of junk food does not in anyway influence it’s purchase by the masses?
p.s. Don’t be embarrased oh intellectual one…
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@Shameful
No. You are saying that.
In a poorly disguised attempt to move the goalpoasts from your daft and apparently baseless “post hoc” assertions about Fast Food advertising causing childhood obesity.
Provide some *credible* support to your assertion and we can take it from there.
ps – It’s becoming increasingly clear that you have never been near an agency or marketing department if you truly believe what you say.
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@Adgrunt, go live on your clients junk food diet for a week and then come back and argue your case. Dated; Tuesday 18th January 2011.See you here Tuesday 25th January 2011, ok? [If you are not dead]
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Is it Strawman Fallacy Day in the Mumbrella Monkey House?
@ K Watson – Don’t fall into the same populist fallacy trap as Shameful. Where in any of this has anyone said it’s wise to eat Fast Food continuously, for a week? Only a sensationalist twunt would do that, or suggest it…
We’re still trying to find some credible support for Shameful’s flimsy assertion directly linking Fast Food advertising and fat kids. Do keep up.
ps – I have no relationship with any food company, fast or otherwise, as a client or agency. I do however, know a blisteringly bullshit argument when I see one.
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@AdGrunt.
So you believe that it is a good thing to use the power and credentials of sport to promote junk food?
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@Shameful
Your leading Strawman questions are not helping anyone get a better grasp on how you link any advertiser or advertising medium with fat kids.
This thought may focus your thinking:
I see ads “plastered” over TV for Weightwatchers, Jenny Craig, abstruse fitness devices, and that wierd zumba, etc. Presumably indolent couch potatoes see more of these than most. Yet Australia remains full of fatties. Please explain how this fits with your claims.
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@AdGrunt So you are saying that advertising does not work then?
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@ AdGrunt. Weightwatchers is now sponsered by a junk food provider, why? And why do you call junk food fast food?
Why so defensive of the junk food industry?
The cynic suggest you are a front for such.
Prove otherwise @AdGrunt.
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You two are fucking mental.
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Looking at the SMH article (eek … what a source!) it says “In March McDonald’s New Zealand began selling three Weight Watchers-approved meals.”
There is a BIG difference between Weight Watchers being sponsored by McDonald’s (which hasn’t happened), and Weight Watchers approving some of McDonald’s products (which has happened).
If you don’t understand the difference between sponsorship and endorsement/approval then give up now. It’s not like Weight Watchers have said all Maccas meals are fine – they are saying just three of the Maccas meet their standards of not being HFHS (and clearly therefore Maccas other products don’t). But I gather you would rather withhold this important information from consumers so you can continue to peddle your evangelical crusade.
And no I don’t work for Maccas or on their account and have never worked for them etc, but I occassionally eat Maccas when I am in a hurry and want some “fast food’. Put simply, it’s an apt non-pejorative name.
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AdGrunt – back to your best! Excellent
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@AdGrunt- hit a raw nerve? Bit touchy sensitive? You clearly lost the argument so what does a loser resort to…abuse.
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Mr Differentiator, my liege. Long time, no see.
Fuck me dead, if Shameful doesn’t fail the Turing Test and K Watson seems to be working through an exhaustive list of logical fallacies based on a Today Tonight level of intellect and marketing knowledge.
I’m prepared to lay money that neither have been closer to an actual marketing campaign than the ad breaks in The Circle.
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AdGrunt – thank you for entertainment, just glad it is not at my expense for once!
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@K Watson – the only nerve you’ve hit is the one of sanity. How can anyone respond when you are *making stuff up* to distract from your invalid point.
How exactly do you propose I prove I’m not a front for KFC? Come and tap you on your tin-foil hat whilst wearing my “Stuff the Colonel” t-shirt?
What will me eating KFC for a week demonstrate about the point here, fat kids and advertising?
What do you define as junk food?
Crisps and their high fat content? Fruit juice and its high sugar / acid content? White bread and it’s high GI? Cheese, butter and mayo with their high fat?
Now you’re bringing down every sandwich shop in the world into your sensationalist definition.
Advertising does not force you to enter any shop to eat. It is all your choice. As a parent one makes that choice for the children, too.
If a parent is truly unable to take the inputs of advertising and overlay common sense, then getting fat from KFC is likely the least of their and their children’s worries.
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@ AdGrunt- You watch Today Tonight? Logical fallacies? I rest my case.
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@K Watson
I refer you to my comment at 12.38am
It may benefit you in life to read this http://www.logicalfallacies.info – it’s like a bible for sniffing out bollocks arguments and you’re ticking quite a lot of boxes.
Do let us know if you get stuck on applying this to your random / paranoid statements about myself, KFC, fast food, fat kids and the clear involvement of the Bilderberg group.
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@DdGrunt. What the hell is the Bilderberg group? Tell me more? I’ve got to google this. Renaming Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC…why? Cause if you can’t I’ll answer it for you. Go for it. Give your explanation.
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@Ad Grunt
So you are saying that advertising does not work then?
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I suspect that most marketers and ad-people realise that advertising per se is a ‘weak force’. That is, while it can work in spades for stand-out campaigns, over the long run it is a ‘weak force’ compared to things like price cuts, promotions and distribution. This doesn’t mean that advertising doesn’t work.
What it does mean is that if you show a truck full of fast foods ads on TV (as TV appears to be the bete noire here) kids don’t automatically become fatter. For example, the volume of HFHS food ads seen by kids in Australia on FTA has been declining over the past fifteen years. (Based on Nielsen spot-data and Nielsen and then OzTAM TV ratings – I haven’t tracked the STV data for the 30+% of homes that have it).
Now, IF the hypothesis is that the volume of FTA TV ads for fast food is correlate to changes in kids BMI, then the empirical evidence (in a nutshell) is reduced ads but higher BMI leading to the conclusion that the LESS fast food ads kids see the fatter they get.
However, no-one in their right mind would accepy that conclusion and I sure don’t.
What it DOES mean is that the hypothesis wrong and that there are other forces at play. There has been some excellent work by a professor at the University of South Australia t(whose name escapes me) hat has investigated this and the strongest correlation over the past 15 years has been internet access (decreasingly so) and volume of internet usage (increasingly so) which makes sense.
So if you guys want to actually do something about this ‘BMI epidemic” start a campaign to get kids off the computer, XBox, PS2 or Gameboy and get them out in the yard exercising and playing games like we did as kids.
To quote one of the previous commenters … I rest my case.
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Once again, I refer the pair of you to my comment of 12.38am.
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Is this intellectual enough for you Ad Grunt?
http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201.....dvertising
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I eagerly await the results of Professor Pettigrew’s hypothesis – for indeed all it is at the moment is an hypothesis. She appears to be approaching the issue with rigour and robustness which over the past few decades has been sadly missing from this debate.
I also hope that her research looks into “the causes” of childhood obesity with a broad eye – i.e. that she considers a broad palette of reasons in a multivariate way, because when you have univariate analyses you tend to find the answer you set out to look for.
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@intellectual responder
It’s a study outline. For the study to be considered suggests that no direct causal evidence currently exists.
So great, but that’s no confirmation of any link.
I have yet to see any direct causality – and I searched pretty hard.
All international studies I found cited loose indirect links, ie as John G says, those who live sedentary lifestyles and eat poorly are more likely to watch TV and hence indirectly any and all advertising.
You could describe this as “People with poor diets watch a lot of TV (and so fast food advertising)” The inverse is not true.
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Correction: “All international studies I found cited loose indirect links” would more accurately read “Any international studies I found with links, cited only loose indirect links”
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@ AdGrunt, I’ll try again. Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change it’s name to KFC?
Your defensiveness is akin to the tobacco industry.
Are you by any chance related?
P.S. Aggressive foul language doesn’t help your side of the debate, ok.
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Q. Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change it’s (sic) name to KFC?
A. To get to the other side?
And surely that should have been “fowl” language!
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Surely K. Watson, you’re not pushing the urban myth that it was to get rid of the word “fried”. Or the other urban myth that the couldn’t call it “chicken” because of genetic modification.
It was because in 1990 the state of Kentucky was after royalties for the use of the word Kentucky – a dispute finally resolved in November 2006.
Yes – inconvenient facts aren’t they. Any other shibboleths you’d like cleared up?
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@John Grono
Are you Ad Grunt?
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No. He isn’t.
Though I’m sure we’re both flattered.
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@Ad Grunt
he he
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@ john Grono/AdGrunt. Stop peddling the ‘Kentucky’ royalties myth.They got rid of Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC because of its racist overtones.Got that! Believe it or not.
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@K.Watson.
I refer you again, to my comments of 20 Jan, 12.38am.
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Hey Shameful I was wondering that myself so I ran a SpellCheck on both our names and it confirmed that we’re not.
Mind you, I think we could combine our posts under the moniker of “Grunt & Groans” …. whaddyathink?
And K. Watson, so does your theory also explain the KFC ad controversy during the Windies tour. I’ll also do you a deal – I’ll let you believe what you want to believe and I will stick to the facts – that it was the issue of proposed state royalties behind the KFC rename that occurred around about the same time that the Kentucky derby was named The Run for the Roses (after the “people’s name” for the race name based on the winners rose garland) for a short period of time until the issue was resolved.
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Some more content to add to the debate.
“However, the bigger problem in relation to obesity, and the more difficult one to counter, has been the growing sophistication of all facets of marketing to create an environment where highly processed and energy dense food is easily available to those living in developed countries.”
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/42796.html
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@Shameful
You don’t seem to realise that when you keep posting mass-media opinion pieces that feature no reference or support, you’ve kinda answered your own question, really. That being No, the link has not been credibly demonstrated as causal. Anywhere.
Deeper, credible studies are in train, as you note. But their existence only goes to reaffirm that there is currently no causal link, otherwise the study would be based on some firm aspect of that.
I suspect it may never be found…
So overall a gold star for entertaining tenacity, but a chocolate starfish for making your point.
This video should help crystallise this http://youtu.be/EK2tWVj6lXw
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@Ad Grunt
Why has junk food advertising to kids been banned in the UK then? Just because ‘they felt like it’…?
I might be wrong here, however it sounds like you feel that it is fine to market killer, obesity causing food to children?
What a ‘madman’ you really are!
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AdGrunt , I think Shameful has got you there with the “killer, obesity causing food to children” bit.
Just the other night I was at Maccas and these kids came in with their parents for a Happy Meal … well, it was sad … they had barely got back to the car before they started getting all obese and swelling up before my very eyes and within minutes … BANG … they were all dead on the pavement.
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@Shameful
Why not have a look at the Ofcom website and tell us what they did and why?
You will get bonus points for outlining the causal details, the consultation process, the three recommended plans and the benefits / flaws of the chosen solution.
You might also trot over to http://www.logicalfallacies.info (No Rick this time, sorry)
Pay particular attention to syllogism and strawman fallacy as well as complex question fallacy. This will save you future embarrassment when posting assertions and rhetorical questions that make you sound like a Today Tonight presenter, ie, very stupid.
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Shameful, k. Watson: stop typing. You are embarrassing yourselves.
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@AdGrunt
So I am guessing that if there was an ‘improve our society evening’ I should swerve sending you an invite then? I will leave you in the ‘needs to be cleaned up area’. You know; the part of society who try to get away with murder, until they are eventually reigned in by legislation… The dregs of society, who simply couldn’t give a sh1t about the consequences of their actions.
Watch this space Grunter; junk food advertising to children will be banned in Oz(.)
The reasons will be clearly highlighted and all of your nitpicking arguments will be floored.
I look forward to reading one of your self opinionated, arrogant, selfish mumblings anytime soon.
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Take your lithium, dear and go outside to watch the Streets Ferrython.
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Shameful, is there any reason why you won’t use your real name?
Are you part of one of these faceless lobby groups that is hell-bent on banning things that they personally don’t like, such as advertising completely legal products (McDonald’s, KFC, Dominos et. al.) despite there not being one scintilla of evidence demonstrating causality between the advertising HFHS products and the reported increase in BMI (which itself is a pretty flawed metric dreamed up in the mid 1850s)?
Of course advertising is a contributory factor, but it is just one of many – I’m not stupid enough to think it isn’t. But why on your mindless crusade don’t you target outlawing ALL contributory factors – such as the rise in usage of PCs and the Internet to choose just one. May I also remind you that HFHS advertising on TV to kids 5-12 has DECLINED in the past 15 years while BMI has increased – pretty much showing that there are other much more powerful societal factors at play.
So, why not ban the products all together. Why aren’t you zealoulsy promoting that? Let’s also have gaol sentences for parents who allow their kids to eat Maccas. Let’s have a rule and regulation for everything … and why not put you in charge!
Also, why don’t you crusade against other “killers”. I notice the national road toll for 2010 was 1,368 deaths. I know … let’s ban cars and trucks … well at least let’s ban the advertising the sale of cars and trucks. Tick. Another problem crossed off the list.
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I like when the government bans things, they know what’s best for me.
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@ John Grono/AdGrunt.
Why are all your links directed to sites funded by the junk food industry?
Please explain.
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Huh K. Watson!?! Links?
While I can’t speak for AdGrunt (and as you now know we’re two different people and we don’t even know each other – though that may grow into another of your urban myths) I haven’t posted any links and I have made no reference nor called on any sites funded by the junk food industry (your words not mine).
I suppose it’s just further evidence of reading into things, things that aren’t there.
*** … subconciously starts to whistle The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel … Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest … ***
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Hold on a second, Groans.
I did post this link http://www.logicalfallacies.info/ though I’m pretty sure K Watson hasn’t clicked on it.
I also posted http://youtu.be/EK2tWVj6lXw which is, erm, amusing.
Overall, a week later, I feel vindicated in my comment of 20 Jan, 12.38am.
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John Grono/AdGrunt.
You quote from the pop group Simon and Garfunkel?..How profound.
Just downloaded early esp of Get Smart.[Project Free TV.com] Mel Brooks at his best.
Good luck to your positive junk food fronts. I believe the going rate here in Australia is 5 cent per responce. So reckon that makes about …50 cents owing .About as much as junk food outlets pay their employee’s.
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I noticed that AdGrunt.
But Watto seems to think that we are the same ghoulish beast. So, I was just pointing out that we are two different people and that I have not used any links. Having worked in research for 34 years I tend to do my own hard yards (hence the comments regarding declining TV advertising to kids 5-12) rather than relying on urban myths (I’m still chuckling over the KFC one- had a talk to a Professor at Morehead State University, Kentucky today and she killed herself laughing over the racism theory, – and yes she is African-American.)
Now Watto. What are we going to do with you? I think if we had to have a wager as to who wins in the two-horse Profundity Stakes then it would be Simon Garfunkel over you by the length of the straight at Flemington. And yes, to the best of my knowledge they have written no songs relating to junk-food, BMI, advertising or obesity – though Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme may have something subliminal that I missed. Should I maybe get out the vinyl and play it backwards at 45rpm?
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@ John Groco.
Go watch Gourment Farmer [SBS,Tuesday,8.01pm] Chill out sunshine.
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Not a bad show – but I much prefer River Cottage.
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@ John Grono, River Cottage, is that not a Simon and Garfuckupmyname number?
I once caught the duo arguing at a junk food outlet in Lakemba with a 9 year old senior staff member stating that they ordered frys not flys with that. Apparently it happens all the time. It got quite heated there for a moment but the 6 year old apprentice assistant manager calm things down. Thank god. Whats this older generation getting up to these days?
I’m off to watch Get Smart.
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‘Who ate all the pies’ Shane Warne (notoriously porky) advertising Macca’s at the cricket.
I suppose Warney is an appropriate fit for the promotion of junk food…
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