Proclaim Yourself -- With Fast Food!

Yes, I've been watching food ads again. This time it's Popeye's Fried Chicken. Honestly, I find the actress on these ads so appealing that it's too bad the content is so... well, stupid.

How stupid? The current ad campaign has the charming, friendly lady urging you to "Proclaim yourself!" -- by choosing either Spicy or Mild fast food fried chicken. I find myself wondering whether anybody is so dim and so desperate for any kind of personal acknowledgement that they fall for this ridiculous suggestion.

I proclaim myself by writing on this blog and at CarbSmart, by writing books, by posting opinions on Facebook, by writing letters to the editor, by posting responses on other people's blogs. I proclaim myself by writing my elected officials. I proclaim myself by voting. I proclaim myself by telling my loved ones how I feel about them. I even proclaim myself by occasionally giving a speech at my Toastmasters Club. Heck, I've been known to proclaim myself by a sudden outburst of personal opinion to a total stranger, usually in the form of a wisecrack.

But it has never occurred to me that my choice of fast food -- which I do eat occasionally -- was a proclamation of anything beyond "I got hungry while I was out running errands." Oh, and I suppose "I'm that strange person who actually orders the grilled chicken salad." Never struck me as an important form of self-expression.

Makes me think of immortal movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, who famously said "If you want to send a message, call Western Union." If you want to proclaim yourself, speak up! Because I'm pretty sure no one but Popeye's corporate office gives a damn what kind of fast food chicken you eat.