Why America Eats Shit
If you’re a tv junkie, you may have seen it.
It may have burned your corneas.
TLC has paired up with Ragu “sauce”, endorsing the product through the above pictured Hayes family. The Hayes star in the new series “Table For 12” (you know, the Jon and Kate replacement, now that shit hit the fan). There’s even a commercial with the busy family, with the tagline “more of the good stuff,” conveying the message that you can eat well for less if you buy Ragu sauce.
I admit, I eat jarred sauce from time to time. But not this shit. Personally, I think Ragu tastes like canned tomatoes covered in sugar packets, which is no surprise considering its third ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. It also contains “spices” and “natural flavor”….what??
Sure, I get it. Ten kids, busy mom, blah blah blah. But is Ragu really that affordable compared to homemade sauce, and is it really easier? I think opening just one of those jars is a bitch, more so if I was feeding twelve fucking people. I’d rather just throw some tomatoes and spices in a pot and let it cook. But of course, the media is endorsing the “moms (or dads) are too busy to cook” doctrine. Again.
Bottom line: if my roommate and I could make a batch of her family’s sauce while hungover (or still drunk) in between classes in our college apartment, so can anybody. Families don’t have to be subject to this torture, not even the big ones.
Who wants to film a public service announcement?
I’m in! This is the easiest sauce there is. You don’t have to stir it, and it’s even Corn Syrup free.
http://www.districtplates.com/?p=56
I’m so down for the cause!
Yes!
That’s pretty much my roommate’s secret family recipe, minus the oven (we just set it on the stove and didn’t really stir it)
I didn’t want to post it though, in fear of being killed by the Italian mob, or her dad’s airline pilot posse.
according to rick, there is no mob. just people who dont like italians.
another point. when did TLC drop the “learning” and what does it stand for now?
I think I’m going to have to recuse myself having just used cookless bacon in a recipe but I am down to remove all “too busy to cook? Feed yourself and your family processed nutrient free crap!” ads. I’m looking at you hamburger helper.
I won’t bash the cookless bacon,only because yesterday I attempted to nuke bacon and it disintegrated into a paper towel.
Yes, you heard me.
I agree that Ragu is pure bottled red crap but do any of you come from a family of 12? Being the oldest of 10 kids I can tell you there is almost no chance she can find the time to make her own sauce with 6 of those kids being the same age (the one on her lap needs constant care as she has cerebral palsy).
@Tia,
I think the problem we have is not that the Hayes mom uses Ragu, rather that she is being used to market it to moms all across America with the “healthy and easy” bullshit philosophy.
Seriously, what boggles my mind the most is that the easiest shit to make from scratch is the stuff that people tend towards the pre-made crap. I mean really… really… even starting with canned tomatoes and dried herbs and all of that… you could make better sauce in 15 minutes. If you really want to go all out and make the sauce that takes 6 hours, that’s fine, too, just make sure you jar some of it up yourself for those nights you really have no time. I mean… seriously.
PS It stands for “Lazy”, it is now The Lazy Channel.
Ragu is disgusting. I mean come on, if you have to go canned at least rock some classico. I am also grossed out by their commercial when they are all slurping their spaghetti. Noone wants to see that, really.
I agree. Their marketing is adequate though, because kids are picky, and tend to have a sweeter tongue. If they haven’t started stuffing carrot and celery sticks in their childs mouth as soon as they could choose the stuff, then they are going to have a hard time feeding their kids food products that have less sugar in them.
Just a thought. I prefer handmade sauce. I mean, just buying the canned sauce and cooking it for a while is cheaper and feeds more.
As with most marketing, the idea is to make the “we’re just like you” message validate a crappy product. This is the old trick of making some tired excuse – usually in the name of TIME and/or MONEY. So, if the Hayes family (you know, they are just like EVERYONE) uses Ragu, then shucks, so can we! It’s the equivalent of fooling the eye, except with this type marketing, it’s OK to be fooled because “it’s for the good of the family”, right?
No.
Again, instead of accentuating the good qualities of a product, the ploy here is to make someone watching think “Gee, even tho this Ragu sucks, I’m saving time, money AND getting my damn family fed!
If you buy this stuff knowing it sucks, then at least you know your brain’s rationalization process is working.