Coffee Mate’s ‘Latin-Inspired Products’ Include Hot, Steamy ‘Abuelita’ -Of Course

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Not to be outdone by the likes of Mattel and Oscar Mayer with their Latin-inspired dolls and Hispanic-targeted cold cuts, Nestlé’s Cofee Mate is launching a series of “Latin-inspired products” and promoting them on Twitter with a super inventive Latin handle: #LatinTouch.

Here’s one of Coffee Mate’s pitches on Twitter.

Coffee Mate’s Latin Touch thing includes Nestlé’s popular Mexican Chocolate Abuelita, featuring the great Sara García, who is having, posthumously, a second life as a “hot, steamy” Latina.

Because, aren’t we all?

Hat tip: @latinorebels

The National Pork Board Wants Hispanics to be Inspired by Pork

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The national organization known as the National Pork Board this week launched a Spanish-language version of its popular Pork Be Inspired website, inexplicably called Pork te inspira.

And I say “inexplicably,” because as any bilingual person will tell you, cerdo or puerco would be the correct Spanish translation of the word “pork.” See? Pork is NOT Spanish for Pork, thus the weirdness of the whole Pork-te-inspira-business.

I have no idea why they decided to go that route, but I’ve already sent them a VIT (a Very Important Tweet) asking for a comment or -in the worst case scenario- a clarification.

I suppose El puerco te inspira or El cerdo te inspira would be slogans better suited for the National Porn Board, but we’ll never know for sure until they get back to me (which very likely will be never.)

I will keep you guys posted, though.

Taco Bell’s $10 Taco Does Not Come in a Tortilla -Of course

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Taco Bell this week opened its first store of U.S. Taco Co., a spin-off that “seeks to satisfy Americans’ growing hunger for higher-quality food” than, say, everything else available out here.

And of course because this is America, people, U.S. Taco Co’s menu includes ‘The 1 Percenter,’ a $10 taco that contains lobster, garlic butter, roasted poblano crema and cilantro… because, as everybody knows, that’s what really rich people eat.

Oh, and in case you were wondering: This beauty does NOT come wrapped in a tortilla, no, señor! it comes on top of flatbread. You know? for the rich.

Excuse-me?!

via: Huffington Post

Oscar Mayer Courts Latinos With -What Else?- an Abuela

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From Oscar Mayer, the company that brought us the disgusting sausage flasher, now comes Lola: The Abuela Who Tells it Like it is, a Facebook fan page featuring a bilingual, annoying abuela that has managed to amass almost 18,000 likes.

When she is not peddling recipes based on Oscar Mayer products, Lola spends her time sharing advice on family gatherings, laundry, married life and other mundane things while speaking her mind and saying things as they are “wether we like them or not.” She even takes the time to give us Spanish lessons -in English- and at least as far as I could see, she has better grammar than the Procter & Gamble abuela.

I don’t know you, but I can only imagine the meeting behind Lola’s creation:

Creative # 1: Let’s create an abuela to share recipes and stuff online, ’cause Latinos are online and love their abuelas and food and stuff…  

Creative # 2: Yeah, but you know, Latinos are going to go up in arms because of the tired, abuela cliché, etc. You know how they are (I’m looking at you, @miblogestublog)

Creative # 1: Oh, I get it! Let’s make her fun and irreverent. That’ll do it.

Done. Budget approved.

Honestly, between these two, I kind of prefer the flasher (At least he did not try to be funny, nor show his face, only his cold cuts.)

Hat tip: Julio Varela

I Want to be Friends with Whoever Translated this Thing

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After almost eight years of blogging about the wonderful world of Spanish-language media, marketing and pop culture, I’ve come across all kinds of weird, poor, lazy, bad and terrible translations from English to Spanish and viceversa.

Some are plain silly, others are just hilarious. But this one above (whose origin is still shady) takes the cake -or should I say ‘se lleva el pastel?’

NOTE: In all honesty, I think the above might just be a case of very witty Photoshop. But… oh, how I wish it were true!

Hat tip: @tropicarlitos

Brooklyn ‘Mexican’ Cantina Serves Mix of Stereotypes & Typos

Mad Dog & Beans, Brooklyn, NY
Mad Dog & Beans, Brooklyn, NY

Mad Dog & Beans, a new eatery in Brooklyn, has found inspiration in the Mexican Revolution to peddle upscale Mexican food to a local crowd. The eatery, first spotted by a non-Mexican colleague of mine, features on its door the image of a bandito holding a guitar, because even Mexican outlaws are a musical, cheerful bunch.

According to the restaurant’s website:

Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina is a casual-upscale Mexican restaurant featuring a traditional Mexican menu. The theme is based on the Mexican Revolution. The decor features vintage black-and-white photos of banditos and scenes of Mexico printed on canvas and displayed throughout the restaurant. 

The menu, while not especially original, does feature some interesting spelling, including “molcajeta” and “pica de gallo.”

Now, that’s revolutionary!

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Photo and sombrero tip: J. Falcone

It’s Cinco de Mayo! Time to Mix Drinks That Make no Sense

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I hate Cinco de Mayo in the U.S., not so much because it’s a reminder of how clueless people are about Mexican history, but because it is also the time to market some of the stupidest, senseless food & drink concoctions of all times.

Well, actually I think Bud Light’s Lime-A-Rita and Straw-Ber-Rita are kind of OK. The name is cute and hopefully the mix will give a little taste to such a tasteless beer. But Corona’s “CoronaRita” wins the prize of the silliest, most senseless concoction (and moniker) ever.

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Really, Corona? CoronaRita?

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo: Taco Bell Eatery Will Serve Mexican Car Bombs

ImageSpeaking of Mexican things that make no sense, this blog’s Gringo West Coast Correspondent just informed me that Taco Bell is testing a restaurant concept that -among other things- will be serving Mexican Car Bombs.

See? I had to learn about this by a non-Mexican person, because last time I checked, my people had no idea that a Mexican Car Bomb is simply a vanilla shake with Guinness, tequila caramel sauce and chocolate flakes.

The concoction is sure to please those already clueless enough to believe Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s celebration of Independence and just one more excuse to stuff themselves with made-believe Mexican fare.

So, go ahead. Visit U.S. Taco Co., get bombed and puleeeze  stay away from real Mexicans.

Click below for a quick trip to some of the silliest Cinco de Mayo gimmicks.

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