McDonald's is Sneaky

This is a subject that is near and dear my to heart; fast food. My friend, Jae, tipped me off to this story he saw this morning. The Associated Press is reporting that when given a taste test with identical foods, kids almost always think the food in McDonald's wrappers tastes better. I say, "duh," but let's see some of the evidence.

"The study included three McDonald's menu items - hamburgers, chicken nuggets and French fries - and store-bought milk or juice and carrots. Children got two identical samples of each food on a tray, one in McDonald's wrappers or cups and the other in plain, unmarked packaging. The kids were asked if they tasted the same or if one was better.

McDonald's-labeled samples were the clear favorites. French fries were the biggest winner; almost 77% said the labeled fries tasted best while only 13% preferred the others." -Associated Press

The article goes into depth about the exact results and the kids that were tested, but I think the info isn't that surprising. When I was a kid (and probably still today) McDonald's was a treat. It was a fun place that I didn't get to go to all the time so I was always excited to go. Not only is the mascot a clown, but the restaurants are brightly colored, smell delicious, sometimes have a playground with a ball pit (!!!) and the meals come with a free toy. It was basically kid heaven.

The fact that the study also targeted "low-income" children probably also enhanced the results. Chances are that if you come from a low-income household you probably don't go out to eat that often, so that in itself makes kids happy.

The study goes on to say that the children's preference is just proving the point that marketing to the younger demo is a powerful branding strategy. Kids as young as 3 and 4 are getting the golden arches planted into their psyche, making them life-long customers. After learning the results, McDonald's officials say they will only advertise Happy Meals that feature healthy options, like fruit and milk, in future campaigns. Food for thought.

Outting of a Nerd, Vol. 2

I hate to do it (although I do kinda like it, actually) but I have to point out another instance of severe nerding that I have recently experienced. You may remember the first time I had to publicly point out someone's geekhood, but this one really ups the ante. Today's post goes out to my buddy, Matt, who recently asked me to borrow a piece of clothing for an extremely nerdy event.

"Okay...
I'm leaving to San Diego tomorrow night, and while I'm there, San Diego is having their annual Geek Week a.k.a. The San Diego Comic Convention... Anyway I was thinking of what I'm going to wear/what I need to pack tonight, and I remembered that I wore my Batman and Robin t-shirt at last year's Comic-Con... and then I remembered you have a different one. So in case you haven't figured it out yet, I am not only a geek, but a geek that wants to represent and also look hawt.
So yeah, can I borrow your Batman and Robin shirt?"

Comic-Con?! That's about as nerdy as it gets. Now, again, this post also shows that I'm a total geek, too, because I do have a Batman & Robin shirt... but it's pretty sweet, so I'm not ashamed.

Until next time... stay geeky.

Thing of the Week: Amber's Crying

I'm starting another new, weekly post on the blog called the Thing of the Week. I tend to write about a lot of things (clearly, that's what the blog is all about) but I'm going to start singling out one thing each week that deserves special attention. So, the first ever Thing of the Week is:
Amber's Crying on Big Brother 8

If you watch Big Brother this season you know that single mother, Amber, cries at the drop of a hat. She cries when she's happy, she cries when she's sad, she cries when she votes and she cries when people say mean things (or nice things) to other people in the Big Brother house.

If you go to YouTube.com and search "Amber Big Brother Crying" there are 30 clips of her bawling her eyes out. If you are unfamiliar with show, please check out some of the clips and experience her tears of joy... or sorrow... or Tuesday...

Black20 News

It's Thursday, which means it is time for your weekly dose of Black20 News with Jessie Cantrell... who I might have a crush on... just saying.

This week's update has info on the new Batman movie, finding free wifi in your area, and the murderous power glove! Check it out.

Where Y'all From?

I swear that my coworkers and I should have some sort of reality show, or at least a podcast of sorts, because we always talk about the most random things. Yesterday, while we were brainstorming about something, we started talking about what to get for lunch. My boss couldn't think of the word for a middle eastern dish made of dough that's wrapped up and fried. None of us could help her, either. Turns out the word was falafel (which we all should have known,) but that got us talking about different dialects and colloquialisms, because I brought up the word "hoagie."

I am from Pittsburgh, PA, which has some pretty unusual regionalisms. For the most part I have shed any of these weird phrases and words, but some still slip through every now and again. For instance, we refer to a submarine sandwich as a hoagie. My coworkers, who are from Long Island and Rhode Island (which is neither a road or an island- discuss) say sub and grinder, respectively. People from Pittsburgh also say "gumband" instead of "rubber band" and "sweeper" instead of "vacuum." There's also the issue of pop v. soda, but I am not even ready to start that war.

We then starting talking about how people pronounce certain words, depending on where they live in the country. Caitlin found this quiz on AlphaDictionary.com asking if you were a Rebel or a Yankee. We took the quiz and found most of the answers to be directly related to where we live or came from, but some of them were just odd. Check it out for yourself and see if you speak like other people in your area.

We also came across this other test from PBS.org which has the user listen to a clip of someone speak and then associate t hem with the right part of the country from which they came. We took this one, too, and only missed 4 in total. Try this quiz and see how you do!

Do you say some unusual phrases or pronounce certain words in a way that makes everyone around you say, "huh?!" Tell me about 'em...