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08/11/2003: APPLE JACKS HAS BLUE CARROTS.

It’s a mad, mad world. Mad, mad worlds need something to personify just how mad they really are. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Hey wait, I know! LET’S ADD BLUE CARROTS TO APPLE JACKS! BLUE CARROTS IN THE JACKS! KALE COUSIN IN THE KELLOGG! Folks, against all rhyming reasons and better judgments, I proudly present the most inane and obscene “hey, we’re still here” promotion since Pepsi made their syrup invisible. Without further ado, with a heavy heart, with jacks and apples, here it is: Kellogg’s Apple Jacks cereal…with blue carrots!

Okay, so it’s weird. So what? I would’ve went insane for something like this as a kid, which takes us back to my theory about kids being attracted to pretty much anything they can’t understand. It seems odd that Kellogg’s would work something like this into Apple Jacks, though, as despite its sugary content and attention to being candylicious, that’s still one of their more “natural” kiddy cereals. I’m not sure if the blue carrots came into play to spark flailing sales or just because someone high up in the company has a fetish, but…uhh…they’re here. If you’ve seen the commercial for this sickening display, there’s no way you’ll ever forget it. A bunch of kids in blue carrot costumes going absolutely batshit over the new cereal. It’s the kind of thing that skips past your CD-RW memories and burns itself so far in that it’s only classifiable as CD-R. If you don’t understand what I mean, that makes two of us.

Still, there’s an issue at play, having to do with flavor, and having to do with blue carrots. Despite the old advertisements touting Apple Jacks’ penchant for actually not tasting like apples, people still regard ‘em as such. A quick look at the ingredients confirms our beliefs: there’s real, honest-to-goodness apple bits in there. So when you’re adding carrot-shaped entities to a cereal previously established as having real fruit flavors, there’s going to be a fairly large chunk of consumers staying the fuck away in fear that those blue carrots make the Apple Jacks taste like — you guessed it — carrots. THANK GOD FOR LABELS THAT EXPLAIN ALL.

“Same great Jacks’ taste! No apple taste! No carrot taste!” I’d argue that they do taste a bit like apples, but it’s nice to know that I can find my traces of beta carotene flava elsewhere. They say it’s available for a limited time only, which makes sense considering that it’s probably the stupidest idea ever conceived by large corporation. I kid; I love blue carrots. Not sure if the rest of the world will, though. Guess we’ll find out when Kellogg’s goes through with something even stranger than adding blue carrots to Apple Jacks: polling people to see if they like the blue carrots they added to Apple Jacks. Again — it’s a mad, mad world.

And that’s what they look like. Blue carrots. Actually, they look more like microwaved buffalo wings someone dropped behind the couch and forgot about for months. I’d say that they don’t taste the same, but really, I’ve never tasted moldy buffalo wings, and presumption is 9/10ths of what’s wrong with the Internet. If nothing else, they add some much needed color. You know, blue. BLUE. BLUE CARROTS.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 65 comments

what next orange onions, purple corn, pink peas, green apples????

Ghosted by slap happy jack @ 08/11/2003 10:53 PM EDT


I, for one, am happy that you can’t taste carrots in that stuff. Imagine the disgustingnessationism.

SPeaking of McGriddles (scottish accent implied), Matt, you should tell us your thoughts on that crazy Slim Goodbody character that was so prevalent years ago. Remember him? That guy who ran around in skin tight leotards with his insides on the outside, explaining healthiness to children (who were no doubt eating Apple Jacks of Frankenberry as he did).

Ghosted by SilvaKrown @ 08/11/2003 11:11 PM EDT


He’s no Macho Man, but hey, it’s always nice to pretend you’ve got someone living inside you just by eating salted cow.

Ghosted by Matt @ 08/11/2003 11:12 PM EDT


it was a contest that kids could vote on. the other choices were, brown bananas and orange discs. how is a disc a fruit. i think the carrots are mini smurf carrots. only way to make sense of the blue

Ghosted by corinthian @ 08/11/2003 11:19 PM EDT


The carrot and ring shapes are very good at creating little edible visual allegories for sex.

I was surprised to see these in my friend’s pantry. I thought I had heard something about this development but passed it off as a dream. Nothing THAT weird would happen outside of my sub-conscience. But then, GASP! Creepy cereal shapes from my dreams!

Ghosted by David @ 08/12/2003 12:04 PM EDT


Did you know that Pepsi is now making VANILLA PEPSI!!!!!
Why does Pepsi always have to rip off the sweet goodness that is coke. First the Lemon twist, now this. Geez. Well I bought it, cause I’m apparently a sucker for Vanilla sodas and it tasted EXACTLY LIKE VANILLA COKE!!!
I wouldn’t be surprised if they just ordered a whole batch of Vanilla Coke under the guise of a distributor and then just switched the label. Damn you pepsi!!!!

P.S. Does anyone know where to get those Vanilla Coke Bobbleheads?

Ghosted by Big Will @ 08/12/2003 12:48 PM EDT


I can count the number of companies that haven’t come out with 263 varieties of their prize drink on one finger. No, maybe on one hangnail.

Ghosted by Daniel @ 08/12/2003 1:28 AM EDT


If what corinthian wrote above is true, just be glad the blue carrots won. I’m not sure what you could do with orange discs, so they’re obviously less fun than blue carrots and brown bananas. But just think, per David’s suggestion, in addition to the depictions of sex involving tiny apple-flavored orifices (a quote from From Dusk Till Dawn comes to mind…) and miniature brown dicks, kids could also squeeze the brown bananas through the jacks and pretend that the cereal was shitting in the bowl (hah, bowl)…

Yep. Be glad the blue carrots won.

Ghosted by Wes @ 08/12/2003 1:40 AM EDT


I think Pepsi was the first to have the lemon twist added to there cola. And only the Diet Coke has the lemon flavor. But Pepsi is a business, so you can’t blaim them for hopping on the vanilla success.

Ghosted by Patrick N @ 08/12/2003 1:43 AM EDT


I just bought applejacks today at the grocery store(of all places), but I DID NOT buy the blue carrot kind. Only the regular was on sale, probably to make room for the carrot stuff.

Ghosted by candybar @ 08/12/2003 2:59 AM EDT


I think Pepsi beat Coke to the Lemon Punch, too, but I’m not sure, either. But one thing is for sure. Coke changed their entire formula to compete with Pepsi in the 80s. If that’s not the be all and end all of copycat ripoffs, I don’t know what is.

Oh, and blue carrots sound delcious.

Ghosted by Stan @ 08/12/2003 4:32 AM EDT


Patrick, as far as here in NYC, Diet Lemon came first. I think Coke was smart by not making the regular on Lemon as I can’t see it being as much of a flavor enhancing as Vanilla.

Ghosted by Big Will @ 08/12/2003 4:32 AM EDT


you can make any soda vanilla! all you do is add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to every 16 ounces of soda. i’ve heard that vanilla dr pepper is pretty good. As for blue carrots in apple jacks………….WTF were they thinking??? strange people out there…and why are apple jacks orange to begin with? shouldn’t they be green or red like apples?? all these weird colors to appeal to people. And every body knows that if there is a contest for a new color of this or that, that blue or green always wins because kids like their food blue, and they like all kinds of green things like boogers and slime and ECTO COOLER!!!

Ghosted by heeloyd @ 08/12/2003 4:33 AM EDT


Will – Don’t you mean Vanilla Pepsi bobbleheads? ;D

Ghosted by Omni @ 08/12/2003 6:16 AM EDT


I ate Apple Jacks for breakfast yesterday. Coincidence? I think not…

Ghosted by Paul @ 08/12/2003 7:22 AM EDT


Blue carrots in Apple Jacks. No apple taste, no carrot taste…

Ok, Matt my mind is officially blown and it’s all your fault. Happy now?

Ghosted by Kev @ 08/12/2003 8:15 AM EDT


My name is Photog,
I’m universally loved,
Where are my pictures?

Ghosted by A Photog Haiku @ 08/12/2003 8:47 AM EDT


The contest wa great,
Matt please do not forget me,
Photog pictures rule!

Ghosted by Another Photog Haiku @ 08/12/2003 8:49 AM EDT


That supposed to be "what we all want."

Finally,
I’ll never give up,
As long as I’ve still got breath,
‘Til I see Photog.

Matt, I’ve tried begging, pleading, cajoling, yelling, screaming, pleading, cutting and pasting, all to no avail. Could we please see all the runners-up in the Photog art contest that was promised so long ago? Please?

Ghosted by Whoops @ 08/12/2003 9:00 AM EDT


That whole "Doesn’t taste like apples" campaign always threw me for a loop. As a kid, I remember having Apple Jacks once (per requirement that a kid try every kind of kid’s cereal at least once) and I do remember them having little dehydrated apple bits on the rings. They would soak up some of the milk and you’d have globules of pseudoapple clinging to the O’s. Maybe they didn’t add much apple flavor to the whole thing. Perhaps Apple Jacks intended to taste like apples but realized they just couldn’t get the formula just right and said "Ah, to hell with it!" sparking up the whole "Yeah, we weren’t REALLY trying to taste like apples to begin with…" campaign?

As for the brown bananas? What kid is not repulsed by finding the forgotten bananas fermenting in the pantry? Ech… Maybe brown banana bread, but not brown bananas.

Ghosted by Nachokhaki @ 08/12/2003 9:30 AM EDT


So, does ANYONE prefer Pepsi to Coke? It’s pretty popular, so I guess there’s gotta be a couple of you out there… I don’t know, stuff always tasted terrible to me. Can’t beat the real thing, for my money.

Ghosted by The Lucky One @ 08/12/2003 9:55 AM EDT


For some reason, the "carrots" look more like Fred Flintstone’s necktie to me. Here’s a thought … the blue carrots are from a busted cereal line. Do you think Kellogg’s had silos full of these taste treats and had to dump ‘em somewhere before they went stale? Apple Jacks are already strange enough as a cereal goes … add something from the prop table of "Lost In Space" and see if anyone cares or notices!

Ghosted by POP CULTURE DEBRIS @ 08/12/2003 10:37 AM EDT


Just give me a frosty mug of A&W Root Beer (not that shitty Barq’s crap) and my need for dark carbonated beverages is sated.

And just when I thought cereals couldn’t get dumber (they give away CDROMs now. Very lame), they add blue carrots that don’t taste like carrots. In an apple cereal that doesn’t taste like apple. Of course, I don’t think Apple Jacks taste much like cereal, either. More like sugary cardboard.

Ghosted by Sean @ 08/12/2003 10:39 AM EDT


I’ve had orange disks before, they tasted… orange. What I think they meant was "slices of orange." Still, orange disks sounded a bit cooler, despite the confusion.

Ghosted by Mr. Mr. Mr. @ 08/12/2003 10:56 AM EDT


Apple Jacks always did taste pretty much like apples to me. It wasn’t like any of the other cereals were really supposed to taste like the things they represented. It’s like how jelly bellies freak you out because they taste so much like buttered popcorn…but the texture’s so off it screws with your head. So I guess cereals have to taste a certain amount different. Besides, with that much sugar, I don’t think it would be possible to taste like anything but sucrose.

and as for the contest, I’m pretty sure it was fixed. Orange discs, brown bananas or blue carrots? Brown bananas won’t be chosen because they’re ugly and orange discs are just plain stupid. Blue carrots had the unfair advantage. I’m pretty sure they already started mass production of these carrots before the contest was even published.

As for breakfast, I’m gonna stick to plain Cheerios with a pile of sugar dumped on them. At least it looks like I’m eating healthy.

Ghosted by Omni @ 08/12/2003 11:47 AM EDT


I’m just glad Apple Jacks doesn’t have some retarded mascot. God I hate that "Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs" bird. Never really liked Apple Jacks, or Pepsi for that matter.

Ghosted by Saithe Verity @ 08/12/2003 11:48 AM EDT


Vanilla Pepsi is AWFUL. It tastes fake and metallic. Don’t really like Vanilla Coke either; but I DO wish they’d bring back the -real- Cherry Coke from circa mid-90’s. That was good stuff, that.

Ghosted by fnu @ 08/12/2003 11:50 AM EDT


Talking of things Matt has forgotten about…

*cough* Advent Calendar *cough*

Ghosted by JJ @ 08/12/2003 12:53 PM EDT


I love Pepsi, because I drank so much Coke growing up. Since it was an addiction, I eventually had to step up the sweetness and move on to Pepsi. It feels good to be part of the ‘New Generation’ with Michael J. Fox and Michael "Burning Curls" Jackson.

Just did a Goodbody search and it turn out that Mr. Slim is still going!
http://www.slimgoodbody.com/
Here is Matt Stone as Slim:
http://laurenharman.tripod.com/halloween/images/photos/stone.jpg

Ghosted by Michael @ 08/12/2003 12:56 PM EDT


I just realized something else–Has anyone else "experienced" Pepsi Blue (you can’t just taste it)? That was another marketing fiasco brought about by a marketing company that figured out that young people want excessively sweet beverages with a blue colour. I’d bet that the Blue Carrots are part of that same research.

Too bad the Pepsi Blue had all the appeal of blue laundry detergent. Of course, it could never get as dumb as New Coke (someone had to say it).

Ghosted by Sean @ 08/12/2003 1:26 PM EDT


Let Me Holla At Cha Playa!!!!
First of all to Saithe Verity about Apple Jacks Mascot. Don’t you think them crackin ass cracka kids was mascot enough?

And now fo a Photog Hi-Ku

Where In Da Heezy
Is Photog Whtitey Beelee
Dat Holdin Him Back

Beelee dat playa

Ghosted by Theodore R. Long @ 08/12/2003 1:42 PM EDT


All I see are penises and vaginas.

Ghosted by lilmisstramp @ 08/12/2003 2:08 PM EDT


When I first heard of this promotion, it didn’t really surprise me. It seemed to fit wonderfully.

It wasn’t until I thought about it that I realized how strange it is. This means that Kellogg’s has some deeper understanding of my subliminal mind than I do, which is disturbing.

Ghosted by Ubu Rex @ 08/12/2003 2:37 PM EDT


For a real good "Vanilla Coke" add Stoli Vanilla Vodka to regular Coke. A great tasting way to get drunk! I’ll let you decide on the ratio….

Ghosted by Brewthos @ 08/12/2003 3:38 PM EDT


I find pepsi and coke both the same , i don’t think i’d consously (i know the spelling is way off)pick one over the other.
Has anyone had some of that orange mountain dew? Is it delicious as it sounds?

Ghosted by Hoss Leg @ 08/12/2003 3:43 PM EDT


That orange mountain dew tastes like generic Orange Soda. So, it depends, does it sound delicious?

And I, for one, prefer Pepsi over Coke, and I prefer Apples over Jacks.

Ghosted by Stan @ 08/12/2003 4:24 PM EDT


I’ve always been partial to Coke, mostly because I was obsessed with the old style glass bottles they released around Christmas every year. It’s the Christmas Cola. :)

The Pepsi Twist is pretty great, though.

Ghosted by Matt @ 08/12/2003 4:25 PM EDT


Mah mama tol’ me dat ‘em blue caruts just ain’t naturl. God don’t wan’ us to ha’ no blue caruts.

Oh yeah, and count me as the lone Pepsi fan. Coke can jump up my nether regions.

Ghosted by Cubicle Monkey Extraordinaire @ 08/12/2003 4:57 PM EDT


what next orange onions, purple corn, pink peas, green apples????

Posted by slap happy jack @ 08/11/2003 10:53 PM EST

well…green apples arnt just part of your imagination..they are real.

Ghosted by TJ @ 08/12/2003 5:24 PM EDT


I tried Pepsi Blue. Pepsi Blue=Blue Poo. In more ways than one. It’s awful.

What was I getting at? Not sure entirely. Oh yeah. I’ve seen Cereals with better than CD-ROM’s. I’ve seen ‘em packed with DVD’s. Kid’s movies (Air Bud type crap) and Olympic memories thingamabobs. Not bad deals for kids. I still remember getting a Dino doll in a box of Coco Pebbles when I was a kid and that was a HUGE cereal prize.

PS. Review WCW Thunder

Ghosted by Nate-o=mac @ 08/12/2003 8:05 PM EDT


Ok just one thing to say MOUNTIAN DEW OWNS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Ghosted by mmg2000000 @ 08/12/2003 8:12 PM EDT


well i hated apple jacks cause they tasted like shit. As far as the Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi has this taste like it’s a diet soda, makes me sick. But coke has a taste that gives an all around good feeling. As for the vanilla coke bobble head i was unable to find one at the coke store in vegas.

Ghosted by Westside_Paintballa @ 08/12/2003 8:21 PM EDT


This is how I equate Pepsi Blue, to me it taste like Soapy Blueberry Seltzer. I hated it. Orange Mountain Dew aint bad, just nothing special although Code Red is pretty good.

Ghosted by Big Will @ 08/12/2003 8:22 PM EDT


I fear the world has gone mad…… DELICOUSLY MAD!!

Ghosted by Steve @ 08/12/2003 9:34 PM EDT


I should add that although my love for Pepsi is deep, Coca-Cola is still great when mixed properly in a fountain. I have to be eating and really thirsty to drink Coca-Cola from a bottle or can, while I have to just be eating to enjoy a Pepsi.

Ghosted by Michael @ 08/12/2003 10:27 PM EDT


Blue phallic symbols in my cereal. Lets dig in.

Ghosted by Doug @ 08/13/2003 12:03 PM EDT


I guess I’m strange because I gave up sodas altogether about a year ago because of stomach problems and now I can’t stand them. They taste way to sweet and the carbonation makes me burp all night.

Ghosted by Tikibob @ 08/13/2003 12:06 PM EDT


Oh, and slim goodbody was the man on Captain Kangaroo back in the day

Ghosted by Tikibob @ 08/13/2003 12:07 PM EDT


I refuse to eat Apple Jacks because the cartoons are friggin obnoxious. Smarmy kids and there "We eat what we like!" bullshit. Why don’t parents in commercials ever beat their snotty little children?

As for the new soda variations lately (or pop or tonic for our friends in other parts of the world), Pepsi Blue was by far te worst. It was like Pepsi, mixed with berry juice, mixed with the Devil’s ass. Vanilla Coke has an odd aftertaste that I don’t like. The Lemon variations are both ok, think I prefer Pepsi’s to Coke (I’m a Pepsi drinker for the most part). Montain Dew Code Red is so sweet it burns my mouth (course regular MD does that too). The Sprite Tropical Remix isn’t bad, but I think you could just add a dash of orange soda to Sprite and get the same result.

Personally, I say they can all go to hell, I’ll stick with IBC Root Beer.

Ghosted by Hellpop! @ 08/13/2003 12:22 PM EDT


Definitely avoid the cherry Dr. Pepper, whatever it’s called, I forgot. Holy shit, that stuffs like drinking melted candy.

Blech.

Ghosted by Stan @ 08/13/2003 1:49 AM EDT


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