I’m not sure why I’m posting about a social-media storm, except that it’s a pretty good example of corporate insensitivity, and besides, it’s a slow day.
Somebody screwed up big time, for on the day Carrie Fisher’s death was announced, Cinnabon—the chain of cinnamon-bun stores—issued this tweet:
I mean, seriously: “best buns in the galaxy”? That refers in part to their product, but is also salacious, since female “buns” can have two meanings (one is not hair!). At any rate, according to CBS News, the tw**t was quickly deleted (their site shows a bunch of angry Twi**er reactions).
To get the taste of rank cinnamon buns out of your mouth, Ranker has a selection of 24 pictures of Carrie Fisher from the Star Wars series (you’re supposed to vote them up or down). Here are four (there’s lots of hugging and smooching):
The look:
The famous costume:
Carrie seemed very direct in the interviews i’ve seen. I don’t think she’d have been offended.
I agree…I think she’d laugh at that. She never took herself seriously.
I actually thought it was cute, after I saw which buns… I think Carrie Fisher would have like its double entendre, too.
I just watched that “8 out of 10 Cats” video, filmed in London, the place Carrie Fisher was returning from when she suffered the cardiac incident. There were morbidly prescient jokes in there! And Carrie’s own talk of vibrators and Star Wars suggest she’d have been totally on board with the Cinnabon text. I’m glad it was preserved before it was taken down. Carrie was cool.
“Carrie’s own talk of vibrators and Star Wars suggest she’d have been totally on board with the Cinnabon text.”
She also literally discusses people holding donuts to the side of their heads, and saying “look I’m princess Leia”, and sarcastically says “I never get sick of that at all, I beg people to do it, I love food hair jokes”. So I think it’s fair to say, were she able to see it she would have moaned, and rolled her eyes at it.
Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree with you more about this. Princess Leia was famous for her hair buns, and this tribute was entirely appropriate based on that reference. Not to bring this right back around to politics, but this is kind of thing that really fired up the Trump voters.
Even if you refer to her hair buns (and I’m sure somebody would have thought about that), it’s still using her death to sell cinnamon rolls. Tasteless.
Ah, so you have an issue with capitalism AND potential references to female anatomy. I thought it was just the anatomy part!
David Broome, you seem a bit confused. Calling a particular advertising slogan “tasteless,” does not in any way suggest “an issue with capitalism.”
I think it does, because the objection — once any salacious reading is set aside — is to using the occasion to sell their product.
It’s a bad idea to drink alcohol just before driving a school bus. That doesn’t mean I’m anti-alcohol. I’m enjoying a nice Pinot Noir right now.
Context matters.
I can disagree with the firebombing of Dresden without condemning the Allies overall involvement in WWII. I can believe that police brutality is a problem that should be addressed, but that murdering random police officers is not an appropriate way to do it. And I (and perhaps Jerry) can have no problem with capitalism as an economic system, but still believe that using Carrie Fisher’s death to sell baked goods is in poor taste.
I don’t think the people at Cinnabon saw this as an ad. They probably think of buns a lot, and assumed other people do, too — especially if they’re already on Cinnabon’s twitter feed. It wasn’t funny enough for them to assume it would go viral.
“I don’t think the people at Cinnabon saw this as an ad.”
Yeah, my first thought was that this tweet was the invention of a well meaning fan.
I agree. I think was meant as a tribute, not an ad.
In any case, those things are way too tasty to boycott.
“Tasteless” says it all.
Cinnabon buns always seem to smell better than they taste. Sugar overload.
I have a vague recollection of sweet buns in the shape of Princess Leia hair being a semi-regular menu item — if not at Cinnabon, then some other bakery I’ve been to.
I really don’t think this was an “advertisement,” but just a tweet. It was pretty clear which buns they were referring to, and it seemed like a very nice tribute.
I mean seriously, are we supposed to shy away from using perfectly acceptable/descriptive language purely because it *might* be taken in a way that offends someone’s delicate sensibilities?
Certainly not. Are people supposed to shy away from saying that something is tasteless because some people like you might be offended?
He doesn’t seem offended. He was asking whether he got the point right here. I agree with him, especially since it was very clear which “buns” they were referring to.
I disagree with your interpretation of David Broome’s comment. He was making a statement, not asking a question. He was also being sarcastic, somewhat hypocritical and making a false equivalency. All of which I am fine with. I’m also fine with pointing those things out.
Do you think the OP’s opinion that the tweet was tasteless is equivalent to the behavior of the “Illiberal Left” when they take issue with something? Do you think someone who thinks that something like this tweet is tasteless should not say so for fear of firing up Trump voters? You don’t think it is as obvious that the buns reference in the tweet was a double entendre as that the primary meaning of buns was her hair buns?
I don’t have any issues with the tweet, though unlike you (apparently) I think it is very likely that the tweeter who composed it was aware of the double entendre and intended it as such. I think the only problem Carrie Fisher may have had with the tweet is that the humor was more at an eye roll level than a laugh out loud level.
I only thought of her iconic buns/ear muffs hair style from Star Wars. Sorry.
I find the Cinnabon tweet far less distasteful than the “excessive overreaction” to the death of someone who’s claim to fame is a single role, and one that IIRC was largely panned by critics when the movie was released.
Once the movie gained iconic status, and an obsessed fan base it become illegal to point that out. I’ll go even further, and say Cinnabon bun is better. :p
She was pretty good in “Blues Brothers” playing the same character. She has a mad crush on Belushi and she keeps trying to kill him because he broke her heart. His way of fighting back was to give her a passionate kiss then allow her limp body to fall to the ground. I don’t think they showed her buns, except those in her hair.
“She was pretty good in “Blues Brothers” playing the same character.”
It’s probably criminal to admit this but I’ve never watched the Blues Brothers. I’ve seen parts of it on cable, but it never interested me enough to watch the whole thing.
I only saw The Blues Brothers maybe 10 years ago and found it hilarious!! Not a Star Wars fan otoh…ducking…
You best get thee on a mission from god.
I am not a fan of the blues, but I have a sneaking liking for the Blues Brothers movie. Not least because it has the most impressive pile-up of police cars ever filmed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMagP52BWG8
It also takes pot-shots at Country & Western and the American Nazi Party – what’s not to like?
cr
Loved Belushi down on his knees singing Stand By Your Man.
It’s not the best movie ever made, but it’s watchable the first time if you give it a chance. Parts of it are very funny and the concept of “Jake and Elwood Blues from Joliet, Illinois” is pretty funny itself. When Belushi and Aykroyd sit in desks made for 5th graders in front of the principal of their old Catholic school, whom they call “The Penguin”, the scene gets funnier and funnier as it goes along. There’s great music throughout too. From John Lee Hooker playing “Boom Boom” at a street festival to Ray Charles playing the organ in his music shop along with Aretha Franklin doing a terrific music video of “Think”, the music never lets up. And the Blues Brothers band is comprised of nothing but Blues greats playing with Aykroyd and Belushi. By the way, Aykroyd has a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist that he calls his “Briefcase full of blues”. When it’s unlocked, he pulls out his harmonica.
This is not a criticism of your apparent distaste for pop culture celebrity, taste in movies or anything else in your comment, but I wanted to point out that Carrie Fisher is known for much more than the role she played in Star Wars.
Among the several things that garnered her public attention, she is considered by many to have been a pretty good writer in several genres from books to screen plays, and particularly to have been very witty. Not just by starry eyed fans of her as Princess Leia but by people who take writing seriously.
“I wanted to point out that Carrie Fisher is known for much more than the role she played in Star Wars.”
Admittedly I knew her for more than that. I knew her for a tell all book she wrote about her very talented mother, and her drug addiction, and fairly recently her talking about having slept with Harrison Ford, but unless you were a fan I suspect most people knew little else.
For sight of a very young, new to movies Carrie Fischer stream
“Shampoo”, witten and produced by the same team (except for Polanski) that made “Chinatown.”
Sorry for the misspell: “Fisher.”
Interesting that Cinnabon’s CEO is a woman, Kat Cole. I’m sure there’s no connection to the tweet unless she micro-manages the company, but she may have been responsible for deleting it. Another example of my brain’s collection of mostly useless knowledge. I learned about her because she appeared on the show “Undercover Boss”, which I deny watching.
So what. Good lord. This has to fall under the category of people going out of their way to find reason to be offended.
I’m as anti-capitalist as anyone can possibly be, and I encourage a peaceful revolution to a non capitalist system but so long as capitalism is here, nothing wrong with that tweet. That’s the least harmful capitalist thing I can imagine.
Is Princess Leia SACRED or something?
Nothing is sacred on the alter of mammon.
Whoa. That’s some poetic contradiction.
Not as written; now if it read, “altar”…
😉
It’s an altarnate spelling.
😛
It’s interesting that you’re “anti-Capitalist”. What is your motivation for going to work? Don’t you do it to gain capital in the form of money? What would motivate anyone to start a business if not to try to make a profit? How can a business expand so it can hire more workers unless it earns capital from its endeavors that the business can reinvest in itself to continue to grow? In a socialist or communist system do people start businesses out of the goodness of their hearts? Or does all industry come from the government as it sees the need for businesses to provide the people with necessities along with the occasional luxury? Good luck trying to get a government sponsored business to compete successfully with capitalist motivated business. Even if you’re in favor of intense government regulation including limits on profits, you will still have capitalists running your most successful businesses.
“What is your motivation for going to work?”
Like virtually everyone else, I have an evolved drive, desire, and willingness to put my unique talents to work in helping my tribe succeed and flourish. Working together for the greater good is much better than a dog eat dog system which brings out the worst in us.
I assume I have won you over now and you see it as I do. 😉
You put a smile on my face.
I did? That’ll be $10 please. I don’t do anything for anyone unless there’s profit in it.
Just kidding. Putting a smile on people’s faces is worth more to me than any amount of money. You made my day.
🙂
Seems harmless, and a bit funny to me. Actually, Fisher had a good sense of humor. She might have appreciated.
Spelled her name right, didn’t make her look fat — I think she’d be fine with it.
And it was very difficult to offend her!
“Is Princess Leia SACRED or something?”
To hard core star wars fans I would say yes she is.
I somehow don’t think she would have been bothered much by the tweet. After all, this is the woman who said “I hope I slept with you to get the job. Because if I didn’t, then who was that guy?” at a George Lucas roast.
🙂
I’m getting to like her more all the time.
I was utterly unimpressed by her as Princess Leia, not least because that god-awful stupid hairstyle made her look as sexy as cold spaghetti. And the more Star Wars fanbois idolised her the more I went ‘meh’.
Which is sad, because it seems there was a genuine person behind the Leia hype.
cr
I hadn’t heard that one before – thanks! 😀
Brutal! Anyone reading that tweet and getting all offended is wrapped way too tight!!
Males have buns, too, last time I checked:-)
Harrison Ford’s weren’t bad, come to think of it.
Chewbacca had the best buns.
I had a friend that whenever we would watch Dtar Wars, she’d say “mmmmm Harrison Ford at 35” 😀 When I saw Star Wars I was 7. My favourite characters were the droids and i had a crush on Luke. Like Tina Fey, I seem to like white boys and I’m still inclined to befriend tech over humans.
I’ve always thought that “buns” applied only to males. The female counterparts have always been viewed (sorry) collectively.
These days they do. If they’re hipsters.
Aaarrrggghhh, not those manbuns😖 Self-designated hipsters or soccer/football players….
A recent New Yorker had a great cartoon of a barber cutting off a man’s bun with hedge clippers.
lol
Marketing Maniacs are known to be publish tasteless stuff, it’s what they do.
Hope their buns have better taste than their tweets.
Shaping up to be a banner day for cosplay fetishists.
This tweet may be more palatable, even though it’s from a d*g:
https://twitter.com/Gary_TheDog/status/813842004488634368?lang=en
sniff
(sorry, didn’t realize that would embed)
lolz oh please.
get over it.
you’re getting more and more SJW-sensitive in your old age.
PCC(E) has some reasonable grounds for criticism.
I did not find that tweet offensive or tasteless. Less advertisement than thematically appropriate tribute.
Debbie Reynolds just died.
I think Fisher was an atheist, so she probably does not care. I do not find the ad useful though.
Now they’re going after Steve Martin for saying she was beautiful. If you ask me it’s turning into a “troll trigger”.
Le dessin du jour
Princesse Leia
L’inventrice du Pain aux raisins
nous a quittes.
https://charliehebdo.fr
(Unfortunately, I can’t link the “dessin”)
The Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Princess Leia wearing spiral loaves of bread with raisins over each ear, add a layer of Yiddishkeit to all this. Each loaf of bread looks like a Rosh Hashanah challah. Carrie’s father, Eddie Fisher, was Jewish, as was her ex-husband, Paul Simon, so maybe that special touch was added on purpose.