WTF Stuff: For The Kids Again
Posted: September 1st, 2010 | Author: Dariane | Filed under: WTF Stuff | 5 Comments »As I declutter, I often come across items that make me wonder: Why the frak do we have this? Why would anyone pay for this? Other times it’s: What the Eff IS THIS? I’ve also got some awesome, “Wow I can’t believe you have this” stuff. Some of this stuff is so WTF it’s actually pretty cool. I’d like to showcase both of these types of items today on WTF Stuff Wednesday! Take a look…
When people think of comic books they usually think of superheroes. I didn’t read those kinds of books as a kid. Instead I read Classics Illustrated and these:
And apparently I read this:
And this?!:
I didn’t even know boy bands, let alone New Kids on the Block, could have comic books! Then again they did have their own dolls.
A little while ago I posted this picture of a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy from 1993. It’s an anthropomorphic female milk carton with dumbbells and a headband:
Since then I’ve found a few more of the toys that were in this whole “Mickey D’s is so healthy” Happy Meal set (before Super Size Me and the toy bans) including a rollerblading sandwich:
… a muscly-armed steak…:
And a tennis-playing apple:
Then in 1996, McDonald’s decided to anthropomorphize in toy form a food they actually served:
There’s no fooling anyone here; that chicken nugget doesn’t do anything fun except look pretty.
Meanwhile over at Burger King, their good-looking burgers…:
… turn into ROBOTS!:
UPDATE: After writing up this post I did a bit of research and discovered that I actually own the entire Happy Meal set of March 1993′s “Food Fundamentals.” Their names are Milly Milk, Otis Sandwich, Slugger Steak, and Ruby Red Apple.
I think I remember something like the Chicken Nuggets toys – they had hats and stuff to dress them up in.
Secondly, I like how the BK Transforming Burger looks like a McDonalds Big Mac. That’s some minor fail right there.
3rdly… HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NURSE! Animaniacs was such a good show.
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Ah, Dot Warner. The feminist voice of reason. I loved that show *so much.* I even got a kiss from Yakko, for reals.
I went to a signing with Rob Paulsen (who did both Yakko and Pinky) and Maurice LaMarche (who did the Brain), and Rob gave me a kiss because I gave him a very pretty velvet Yakko I’d made. Only one in the world, too, that thing, since I never made one for myself.
Anyway back to the post. WTF was McDonald’s thinking by giving out toys of healthy food that they then didn’t offer themselves? Except for the Nugget, which honestly I thought was a potato. Does marketing ever make sense?
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Dariane Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Oh Em Gee. Rob Paulsen is one of my favoritest voice actors ever (and I’m a huge voice acting nerd). I would totally squee if I got to meet him let alone getting a kiss from him! Jealous!
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Oh my gosh! That Burger King transformers toy! I HAD THAT!
Mostly a big deal because we went to Burger King and McDonald’s twice a year at most when I was a kid (much more frequently than I go as an adult, I can tell you), and I friggin’ treasured my paltry collection of fast-food toys for years!
Literally, the picture of that toy accelerated my heart rate just now. Oh memories.
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Dariane Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Aww I’m glad it triggered a fun memory for you! :]
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