Comments on: Annoyed by the oven mitt

Annoyed by the oven mitt

tb0n3 — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 19:41:39 -0800

Everybody loves to hate the Arby's oven mitt. A slightly crazed version of mitt-hate. An editorial on how the commercials could have been amusing, but instead fell flat. Finally, scary stuff you can buy from Arby's (link on the left nav, can't link directly).

By: davidmsc

davidmsc — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 19:55:39 -0800

Sure you can link to the swag! But yeah, I really, really don't like that freakin' mitt. One of the worst ad campaigns that I can recall. I love the "hate the mitt" site -- fire, rottweilers, etc -- a fitting end to that foul mitt.

By: Arch Stanton

Arch Stanton — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 19:57:16 -0800

Ever since Grimace, all fast food mascots and pitchman have been terrible. The Taco Bell dog, Jared, Oven Mitt, The Hardees (Carl's Jr.) Star, Mr. Wendy. I'll make a small exception for the Japanese Sexy Ronald McDonald. In my book, Grimace is still the shit, yo.

By: svenvog

svenvog — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:03:11 -0800

All hail Grimace the prophet of obesity! never mind

By: Kleptophoria!

Kleptophoria! — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:07:33 -0800

Has anybody seen Grimace lately? I haven't. But I'm sure he still lives. Did he get carried into Heaven by God, where he lives with Elijah, waiting for his chance to return to earth?

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:15:43 -0800

The post-1980 Grimace is a total wuss. The evil 70s Grimace was a *real* mascot. And oven mitt sucks. Arby's would be better off with commercials starring David Puddy wearing his 8-ball jacket.

By: Alt F4

Alt F4 — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:16:26 -0800

I like Oven Mitt.

By: undule

undule — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:27:47 -0800

alf f4 said: I like Oven Mitt. I spraypainted just that on the underpass only yesterday.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:34:54 -0800

bitch gives great palm.

By: argybarg

argybarg — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:36:07 -0800

I came in here just to hear someone say yes but you're talking about it, so the ad campaign is working!. Since no one has written that yet, I don't have to attempt to generate a horrible screeching noise using only text.

By: asbates2

asbates2 — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:45:20 -0800

What about the Snuggles bear? I hate that thing too!

By: stevil

stevil — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:52:08 -0800

I enjoyed this NYT article when the ads were first launched in Feb 03, because they referred to "Mr. Mitt." I really don't like the newer ads because I thought Tom Arnold's voice added a certain attitude that the wimpier and desperate-to-please current ones don't show.

By: undule

undule — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:53:53 -0800

Asbates2 interjected: What about the Snuggles bear? I hate that thing too! OMG, yes, the snuggles bear deserves some deep hurtful . . lovin', I guess. The kind that'd make him frowny. Fire with Fire and all that.

By: philcliff

philcliff — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:00:33 -0800

When the oven mitt first came out I called and complained about it. I told them that it was annoying and a ripoff of the hamburger helper. The guy who took my called just sort of laughed off my complaints. That bastard.

By: stavrogin

stavrogin — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:01:18 -0800

What about the Snuggles bear? I hate that thing too! There was a skit from The State with Beth Littleford playing a housewife in a detergent commercial. A snuggles lookalike suddenly starts talking, she screams and starts beating it to death with an iron. I need to see that again now.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:03:02 -0800

Sweet Jeebus, Galvatron! I never knew Grimace used to have four arms!

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:07:23 -0800

Grimace probably met the same fate as Mayor McCheese, Big Mac, The Professor, Captain Crook, Birdie, and the other characters who have disappeared over the years--no doubt a McSerial Killer or the McCIA is working quietly in the shadows of McDonaldland.

By: raysmj

raysmj — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:07:50 -0800

stevil: The Times once referred to Meat Loaf as Mr. Loaf.

By: jennyb

jennyb — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:10:32 -0800

Countdown to mascot hatred ground zero: 3. Oven Mitt 2. Snuggles Bear 1. Any Welch's Spokeschild Wretched little monsters. On preview: stavrogin, I remember that skit. High-larious.

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:17:21 -0800

You can't kill Snuggle, but Snuggle can sure kill static cling. (4MB WMV)

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:33:25 -0800

On the first link, I notice a "Ukraine Support Ribbon" in the bottom left-hand corner that links back to MeFi.... what's that all about? Is this a MeFite's site? just curious.

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:55:18 -0800

Mascot Hatred Ground Zero is owned by Bad Andy and The Noid.

By: Ufez Jones

Ufez Jones — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:59:21 -0800

Has anybody seen Grimace lately? I haven't. But I'm sure he still lives. Did he get carried into Heaven by God, where he lives with Elijah, waiting for his chance to return to earth? One of my coworkers told me that several years ago he went to the Big XII baseball tournament here in Dallas. One of the games he saw was Kansas State vs. someone. Apparently the third base coach for K-State was rather...rotund, and the fans of the opposing team started chanting "griiiiiiiimace....griiiiiiiimace" at him when he came out on the field. It's a mean story, but it still makes me laugh.

By: stevil

stevil — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:02:35 -0800

What about the wannabe Snuggle mascot, the porcupine who said in a near-Harvey Fierstein voice "But I'm snuggly soft!"

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:09:46 -0800

stevil- YES! "Please Leave."

By: 4easypayments

4easypayments — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:20:45 -0800

I have a theory about The Mitt. Arby's logo has long been a loopdeloop illustration representing a cowboy hat, to associate the restaurant with beef, I suppose. Now that Arby's is branching out into other types of food, they were looking for a way to keep logo recognition, but lose the cowboy-beef-thing, so they have decided that no, it's not a 10 gallon hat-- it's an oven mitt that represents all that stuff we're always, uh, baking and whatnot. You can see this leap being made at the end of each commercial, when the oven mitt spins/morphs into the logo.

By: HoJu

HoJu — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:26:42 -0800

Arby's mascots have been going downhill ever since R-B the robot. Pass the Horsey Sauce...

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:37:19 -0800

The partners wanted to use the name "Big Tex," but were unsuccessful in negotiating with the Akron businessman who was already using the name. So, in the words of Forrest, "We came up with Arby's, which stands for R.B., the initials of Raffel Brothers, although I guess customers might think the initials stand for roast beef." Huh. Reminds me of Esso--one of the companies formed in the wake of the breakup of Rockefeller's Standard Oil monopoly. Esso--as in, S.O.--Standard Oil.

By: rafter

rafter — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:47:01 -0800

Ever since Grimace, all fast food mascots and pitchman have been terrible. What about the Quiznos Spongmonkeys? (Really, watch the spot. They're great.)

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 23:24:20 -0800

Apparently Twinkie the Kid organized his own cult and Punchy is doing a nickel up in Attica for assault and battery. Sadly Mr.Zip died of amphetamine abuse. Although things seemed to work out for some pitchmen, Mr.Clean finally "came out" and started wearing the earring on the other side. ...ok, I stole those jokes from Evan Dorkin

By: gompa

gompa — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:42:59 -0800

With all due disrespect to Oven Mitt, my vote for Worst Fast Food Mascot Ever goes to one Iam Hungry, McDonaldland's short-lived VP of Snacking. If memory serves, this ridiculous green go-go '90s spokesthing dates from about 1998, and the annoying little Flash animation duplicated on the Geocities site in my link was prominently featured on McDick's own website. Alas, Mr. Hungry was soon downsized out of his job, like so many go-go '90s spokesthings, and never reached the level of mass loathing that Oven Mitt has apparently inspired. (And yes, I'm as amazed as anyone that I actually managed to find the crappy Flash animation preserved out there in the digital ether.)

By: undule

undule — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 02:44:09 -0800

gompa, is that . . . real? Someone will sleep heavier this evening.

By: blacklite

blacklite — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 03:49:15 -0800

That was totally unsatisfying and unfunny. Kind of like the commercials, I guess.

By: macadamiaranch

macadamiaranch — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 05:32:29 -0800

all fast food mascots and pitchman have been terrible. No way! Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey for Taco John's is awesome!

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 06:05:08 -0800

I nominate The Pillsbury Doughboy for mascot I would most like to see drawn and quartered. Ugh that giggle...I can't get it out of my head. I read somewhere that Mr. Doughboy remains unmarried-- to make him more attractive to housewives. Cause, you know, we're all about fat white boys who giggle.

By: Otis

Otis — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 06:07:21 -0800

I'm so hungry I could eat at Arbys.

By: escorter

escorter — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 06:12:15 -0800

I really don't like the newer ads because I thought Tom Arnold's voice added a certain attitude that the wimpier and desperate-to-please current ones don't show. I thought there was something different about the newer ads, but wasn't sure what. (Tom Arnold is funny. Tom Arnold-imitator is not.)

By: trharlan

trharlan — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 07:53:56 -0800

Tom Arnold is funny. You must be fucking kidding.

By: geoscott

geoscott — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:09:25 -0800

Recalled! "To our valued customers: We have decided to voluntarily recall the $1.99 oven mitts sold in our restaurants. These mitts were a part of a charity fundraiser and are being recalled due to product quality concerns. We encourage you to return your oven mitt to the Arby's restaurant where you purchased it for a full refund." The oven mitts purchased directly from this web site are NOT part of this promotion or recall.

By: Tubes

Tubes — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:37:47 -0800

Galvatron - thanks for the link! ("Agh, my button eyes! You crazy bitch!") Awesome.

By: rainbaby

rainbaby — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:41:54 -0800

Ok. It kinda sucks, but I like that they just call it Oven Mitt, and didn't give it a sick, cutesy name, at least.

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 19:06:35 -0800

Tubes, I recall a similar commercial parody (SNL or MadTV probably) that was even better executed. It had a family drinking a Sunny Delight clone, and the sunshine mascot came to life and started talking about how great the drink is. They all ran away screaming, and the sunshine was chasing them yelling something like, "Wait! I've got 14 different vitamins and minerals!" No luck so far finding this one on the internet.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 19:23:21 -0800

gompa, many thanks for re-introducing I.M. Hungry into the public consciousness. But who was the President of Snacking? Ronald, I guess.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 05:45:26 -0800

I have come to this thread awfully late, but I wanted to give a shout-out to the Burger King Kids Club, whose exploits I followed on placemats and bus shelter ads in Kingston. Best of all is the member in a wheelchair, amusingly named "Wheels".