Screenshot from Chipotle's 'The Scarecrow.'
Holden: So. While much of America was holding its breath waiting to see who — Barry or Boehner— would buckle first, something truly notable came to light.
Nathan: What? Did the situation in Syria escalate?
Holden: Not quite. Similarly explosive, though.
Nathan: Did talks between Iran and the U.S. break down?
Holden: Guess again.
Nathan: They brought Firefly back on the air?!
Holden: No idea what that is. But I’m talking tits, weed, Biz Markie and Hot Pockets. Groundbreaking stuff in a 21 year-old male’s life.
Nathan: I’m listening.
Holden: Just watch:
Holden: Your thoughts?
Nathan: 
Holden: Mine too. It touches on everything our generation, and our particular subset of the population (see our byline), gravitates toward: objectified breasts, soft drugs, hip-hop, 90s nostalgia, melted cheese, processed meats and a pronounced — if not contrived — weirdness. While on first viewing the commercial is nothing short of brilliant, something about it rings hollow.
Nathan: What you can’t look past the corporate greed and calculated demographic targeting and focus on Kate Upton getting ‘baked’ with Snoop Dogg? Who cares if Hot Pockets taste like molten diarrhea?
Holden: Not I. It’s the roots of this advert that bug me.
Nathan: What, the idea that males our age will buy anything that is seen with tits and weed?
Holden: No, no, I am an ardent supporter of both breasts and pot and their respective commercial appeal. My particular discomfort revolves around the ad’s source. Nestle, this monolithic transcontinental corporation — with dubious morals — can identify superficial cultural ticks and, all of a sudden, be cool — be fun, hip and contemporary. Fuck that.
Nathan: I’ve got more issues with Nestle than I can count, but here I feel the fault lies with us, the consumer. We need to look closer and see the conglomerate for the monster it is. We can’t expect it to incriminate itself, especially when there is money to be made.
Holden: No doubt. I guess that’s what we’re doing today.
Nathan: Yup. I won’t be buying Hot Pockets — or any Nestle products for that matter — until they can prove themselves to be a responsible corporate citizen.
Holden: Preach. An interesting juxtaposition — both aesthetically and ethically — is Chipotle and their recent Pixar-esque ad.
Nathan: Nice. One part creepy, one part thought-provoking, and two parts heartwarming. All with great animation.
Holden: It’s downright beautiful; it’s a (commercial) piece of art. And you’re right, there is no underlying lie; we’re not being tricked by tits and weed. Chipotle is, by all accounts, an ethical entity that produces a good, relatively healthy product through truly decent means.
Nathan: Better than Nestle maybe, but not perfect.
Holden: Oy.
Further reading: The New Yorker's Elizabeth Weiss' take on the Scarecrow advert. And, of course, if you agree, disagree or DGAF about this topic let us know.
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