
Burns My Bacon: Encouraging Cheating
Judging from my friends’ and family’s pantries, I know packaged foods are really all the rage. I know “semi-homemade” solutions are even more popular. I’m only knocking these products a little bit, because you know, if a pre-made sauce gets you to actually cook a meal instead of ordering take-out, so be it. But you know what I don’t like? I don’t like the commercials for these products shitting all over the idea of cooking.
I was laying in bed last night watching re-runs of Friends when I saw a commercial for Progresso’s new product, Recipe Starters. Except in the commercial, some woman is trying to fire-roast her own tomatoes (with a blow torch, but whatever), and some chef-like character comes along and LAUGHS AT HER FOR DOING SO, asking sarcastically “Do you churn your own butter?” and hands her a can of fire-roasted tomato sauce. You know what, bitch? I make my own mayo. Leave the poor girl alone! She’s alone, single, and if she wants to fire-roast her own tomatoes with a blow torch, LET HER!! She has the time, so get the fuck out of her (my) kitchen. Don’t make fun of her (me) just because she’s doing something she doesn’t have to do. She wants to make her own damn sauce from scratch; yes its difficult, yes its time consuming, but how does this affect you? That’s right, it doesn’t. LET HER DO WHAT SHE WANTS.
I know not everyone wants to cook, but for fuck’s sake, don’t shit on those of us who do, or those of us who are trying. Don’t discourage them. I miss the days when boxed dinners were marketed as alternatives to fast-food and take-out, not alternatives to from-scratch cooking.
a. men.
if I had a kitchen like that I would probably just live in it.
Totally agree! Who says from-scratch cooking has to take a long time? I will not be trying Progresso’s starters anytime soon.
I’ve seen that commercial before and it totally inspired the same reaction! “Who has time to cook these days when we have crappy packaged products? Ha ha, so stupid to do something healthy and positive!”
Love this rant, girl!
If that chick is single, and she owns a house with a kitchen like that – and she’s trying to roast a tomato on the counter top with a BLOWTORCH – then Progresso starters may be the perfect thing for her. Provided she can figure out how to open the can…
Ugh, I hate those commercials! I hate the product and I cringe every time I see it! I agree with you completely!
So glad to hear I’m not the only one who feels this way. I feel similarly about semi-homemade products, like “just add beer!” beer bread. Beer bread only has 4 ingredients anyway! What’s wrong with cooking from scratch?
Good grief, it’s just a commercial. These ladies didn’t write it, and wtf cares if someone gets a bit of help in the kitchen every now and then, i.e., with Progresso Recipe Starters. At least they’re making an effort, rather than sitting in a drive-thru. Get over yourselves.