My immediate thought: Messy.
March 28, 2012 4:11 PM   Subscribe

The West Virginia Surf Report is picking up where they left off [McDonald's McSkillet burrito] (previously), Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality has recently been updated with picture comparison and comedic review of: Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco Supreme

.... I went the Supreme route, and had them add sour cream and tomatoes. Yum.
As you can see in the Ads vs. Reality comparison, it stacks up pretty well.
Reality isn’t far removed from the advertisement pic. I was impressed.
.....
posted by TangerineGurl (42 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I did not expect this to make me hungry (looking at reality pics!)

I haven't craved taco bell in years.
posted by vitabellosi at 4:16 PM on March 28, 2012


And the winner is: the McDonald's Fillet O Fish.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 4:20 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]


By winner, I mean the one that looks most like the ad.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 4:20 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


I hadn't consciously noticed before that they so frequently show cheese that isn't even melted in the ads.
posted by XMLicious at 4:21 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Good heavens wtf is a KFC Famous Bowl? I have no idea I can't even.
posted by mochapickle at 4:27 PM on March 28, 2012


Food styling for photo and video is such an arcane art. I interviewed a couple of food stylists for a little article back when dinosaurs walked the earth (so long ago that I can't remember who it was for) and shadowing them each for a few hours made me all o_O about food ads forever more.

A photo of soup usually has a bunch of florist's rocks at the bottom, with the soup poured over it, is something I'll never forget. Also the spraying glycerine on things to make them look juicy.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:32 PM on March 28, 2012


It's a failure pile in a sadness bowl.
posted by Fleebnork at 4:32 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]


KFC Famous Bowl. America has spoken! (The aforementioned failure pile, swears, possibly NSFW, definitely hilarious)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 4:33 PM on March 28, 2012 [5 favorites]


Sidhedevil, do you remember why the food stylists put florist rocks at the bottom of soup? I'm curious.
posted by mmmbacon at 4:35 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


I bet the rocks are to keep all the noodles and bits of vegetables and stuff from sinking to the bottom.
posted by aubilenon at 4:39 PM on March 28, 2012 [4 favorites]


Jesus...this is still around? What a classic. I remember showing this to my to-be-husband...about 15 years ago, quoting:

One of the main requirements for being a basketball coach is the ability to act like you just can't fucking believe it.

and

If the flyer shows the band standing on the railroad tracks, the band is shit.


I've been around a while. *shudders*
posted by The ____ of Justice at 4:39 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]


I haven't craved taco bell in years.

After a recent visit, I think I've been cured for life.
posted by malocchio at 4:41 PM on March 28, 2012


Ain't that the truth, malocchio?

I mean, all of the fast food places. After years of not going, it just takes one visit to remind me why I stopped in the first place.
posted by jabberjaw at 4:44 PM on March 28, 2012


They just built a Taco Bell two blocks from my house and I'm amazed at how constantly packed it is. There's always a line of cars wrapped around the building waiting for the drive-thru. I've only ever eaten at one once and thought it was pretty gross but people seem to love it.
posted by octothorpe at 5:00 PM on March 28, 2012


Food styling for photo and video is such an arcane art.

Reminded me of an interesting, although potentially paywalled article on food ad directors from the NY times.
posted by SomaSoda at 5:03 PM on March 28, 2012


I've seen this a couple times before and I'd love to see the comparisons done with similar lighting. The product shots are always well-lit and (generally) on a seamless white background. I wonder how much better the real version would look if photographed in a similar manner.
posted by caphector at 5:05 PM on March 28, 2012


I worked a major network morning show where they were "debuting" this. One of the anchors tried it and looked less that thrilled. I asked how he liked it and said "It was a soggy dorito." Gave me a whole new respect for the guy.
posted by nevercalm at 5:07 PM on March 28, 2012


The one fast food item that I will always crave--no matter how gross I know it really is--is Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme. It's basically a flattened-out Double Decker Taco, but damn, it's delicious.

I haven't had fast food at all in at least three or four years, and haven't had it with any regularity in at least twice that long, but if I decided I needed food from a drive-through, there's no question about what it would be.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:09 PM on March 28, 2012 [2 favorites]


What aubilenon said, exactly. The florist's rocks push the delicious vegetables/meat/alphabet noodles/whatever up through the broth.
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:10 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


The weird thing is, after maybe 5 years without eating at fast food restaurants, all of these pictures, ads and "reality," just leave me with a slightly queasy feeling. I feel vaguely Unamerican....
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:18 PM on March 28, 2012


all of these pictures, ads and "reality," just leave me with a slightly queasy feeling

I'll be honest, even the "casual dining" ads for places like Chili's and Red Lobster look a little gross to me.

I do love those biscuits from RL, though. Damn.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:28 PM on March 28, 2012 [2 favorites]


I had one of them Doritos tacos last Friday. I have to say, it was exactly what it said on the tin.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 6:06 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


caphector: "I've seen this a couple times before and I'd love to see the comparisons done with similar lighting."

If you mean you've seen this done on other sites then it's important to note that Mr. Kay was the originator of this idea. It's been ripped off many times.
posted by Bonzai at 6:35 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Bonzai, I think I've seen this site before. What I wish he'd done is to try and photograph the purchased food items in similar conditions, like having the white background and having good even lighting.

Apples to apples, rather than 100% pro shot with food styling to taking a snapshot.
posted by caphector at 6:44 PM on March 28, 2012


Yes. This thing I ate just now (ham & turkey on whole wheat) is probably pretty healthy. But, without a "pro's" guidance, it wouldn't win any beauty contests.
posted by SPrintF at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2012


Good heavens wtf is a KFC Famous Bowl? I have no idea I can't even

Well, it seems to look like a bunch of nuggets with cheese melted on them. They should then chuck that in the rice maker/slow cooker as they did with that Japanese re-heated Mcdonald's meal. Couldn't look less appetizing!
posted by bquarters at 7:05 PM on March 28, 2012


I was lecturing recently about alienated labor to a pile of dazed undergraduates with eyes like glazed donuts, and invited them to relate the concept to the fast food jobs many of them have held. A student mentioned his job at Taco Bell, and why he hated it. Another student said, "But now you have those AWESOME Doritos tacos!" Excited laughter rippled across the room, as students shared their enthusiasm for this earth-shattering new culinary development.

I dragged the reluctant batch back to the topic, saying, "Many Americans knock Marx for saying that religion is the opium of the people, but if he were here today, maybe he'd revise that to fast food."
posted by DrMew at 7:06 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]


I know I shouldn't like Taco Bell but, lords, do I ever. The absolute best item was the Chicken Baja Chalupa. Now that's an off menu item but you can still get one made for an additional fifty cents. These days I usually just get 3 crunchy tacos and 9 packs of Fire sauce. Man, do I love that shi... stuff.
posted by Edogy at 7:09 PM on March 28, 2012


I know I shouldn't like Taco Bell

Like whatever you like. Obviously, you don't want to eat anything so exclusively or so much that it impairs your health, and you want to be aware of the potential environmental costs, etc., of some of the megacorporate Big Food decisions.

But I have never laughed so hard at a professional event as at the time I was at a food writers' symposium, and we were eating motherfucking foie gras on toast, and someone was up at the podium talking about how terrible for your health and terrible for the environment and terrible for the animals fast food was. And people were nodding their heads as they shoved the foie gras into their mouths.
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:40 PM on March 28, 2012 [8 favorites]


Now, if you're wondering what a macro-furry erotica artist thinks of the fast food available in Frankfurt, Germany, then Wolfman Al is your guy.

(Come for the burger reviews, stay for the European classic-car photos, the museum explorations and the low-budget comfort-food recipes. Just don't go to his Deviant Art account.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:45 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]




I'd never heard of West Virginia Surf Report before. I like! Thanks for pointing towards it.

And why am I still fat even though I haven't eaten fast food in years?

Oh yeah, because I drink a fuckton of beer.

posted by slogger at 8:43 PM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Is it just me or did that Wendy's thing look tastier in the 'real' picture? The "real" picture is restrained, a respectable amount of Swiss cheese, with holes. In the he "Real" picture the sandwich is overflowing with swiss cheese and bacon, with lettuce poking out as an afterthought.
posted by delmoi at 11:28 PM on March 28, 2012


No, I'm with you, delmoi. I hate unmelted cheese on my burger.
posted by Harald74 at 11:54 PM on March 28, 2012


(Is "unmelted" even a word?)
posted by Harald74 at 11:54 PM on March 28, 2012


It might not be a real word but I'd start the world and unmelt with you.
posted by Drumhellz at 1:01 AM on March 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


The mayor of Calgary gets the Doritos tacos there because he is the mayor they need, not the mayor they deserve.

I wish that was real.
posted by zennie at 8:12 AM on March 29, 2012


someone was up at the podium talking about how terrible for your health and terrible for the environment and terrible for the animals fast food was. And people were nodding their heads as they shoved the foie gras into their mouths.

Some, even most, fois gras, is produced under pretty awful conditions: as is most other meat produced in the U.S. But the production of fois gras is not necessarily cruel in all cases (setting aside the -- admittedly large and difficult -- question of whether slaughter is cruel).
posted by gauche at 8:31 AM on March 29, 2012


Taco Bell. When I went low carb, my runs to the border ended. It's one of those things, the more you eat of it, the more you crave it. Conversely, when you quit, you don't even think about it.

Intellectually, I know its garbage. But lets face it, if I were living in Phoenix, I'd go to my favorite restaurant, Ponchos, in mi barrio on the South Side! I'd eat a red chilli burro, enchilada style (with extra sauce and extra lettuce.) If I could swing it, I'd sit at the table with the mural that memorializes President Clinton's stop there for a plate of nachos.

But, I don't live in Phoenix any more so Taco Bell was my go to alternative. It was cheap, and you get what you pay for. Avoid the meat, stick to the veggie items. That mitigates a lot of the 'ick' factor.

Now that I'm low carb, I find myself enjoying a lot of salads at places. Is there pink slime in salads?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:41 AM on March 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


with lettuce poking out as an afterthought

Lettuce is pointless on most sandwiches and tacos. It's usually iceberg lettuce, which is flavorless and boring, and the amount is so small the nutrional value is likely very low. Unless you need it for texture, what's the point?
posted by kirkaracha at 11:32 AM on March 29, 2012


Man, now I have to check and see if the KFC across the street from my work sells Famous Bowls. Hrmm, from their online ordering page it looks like they do, except they call it a "Chicken Bowl" - not very original. But check out this description:
A 16 oz bowl with layers of your KFC favourites - starting with a generous serving of our creamy mashed potatoes, sweet kernel corn, seasoned Popcorn Chicken, topped with our homestyle gravy and 3-cheese blend
Seeing that "reality" picture only made me crave one even more. Basically poutine, but instead of fries it's popcorn chicken. And mashed potatoes and corn. YUM.
posted by antifuse at 6:33 AM on April 17, 2012


Patton Oswalt : KFC Famous Bowl
posted by Bonzai at 6:03 PM on April 17, 2012


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