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New Ben & Jerry’s flavor sparks boycott
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:10 am
by sgt.null
OneMillionMoms, an organization affiliated with the American Family Association, announced a boycott of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream over a new flavor called “Schweddy Balls.” The group said Friday on its website: “The vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive. Not exactly what you want a child asking for at the supermarket.”
The idea for the ice cream flavor’s name came from a 1998 Saturday Night Live comedy segment featuring Alec Baldwin, Molly Shannon, and Ana Gasteyer. In the sketch Baldwin plays Pete Schweddy, a baker who brings his best-selling holiday treat to share with two public radio hosts. “No one can resist my Schweddy balls,” Baldwin famously said in character.
The new Ben & Jerry’s flavor consists of vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum flavor, mixed with fudge-covered rum and milk chocolate malt balls.
The AFA-affiliated boycott group objects to the Vermont ice cream company’s use of the “Schweddy balls” name and its sexually suggestive pun. “It seems that offending customers has become an annual tradition for Ben & Jerry’s,” the organization added on its website.
Ben & Jerry’s has a history of embracing political activism, including an ice cream flavor — ‘Hubby Hubby’ — that serves as an endorsement of same-sex marriage.
“The name is irreverent,” said Ben & Jerry’s spokesman Sean Greenwood of his company’s “Schweddy” flavor. “But we’ve always been about having some irreverence and having some fun … We’re not trying to offend people. Our fans get the humor.”
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:11 am
by sgt.null
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:51 am
by deer of the dawn
I'm kinda grossed out by the name, but really, who expects Ben and Jerry's to be a staunch defender of polite taste? Find a real cause to make noise about. I'm sure there are a few thousand Somalian kids who would gladly suck down some Schweddy Balls about now. Get a life, MillionMoms.
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:16 pm
by DukkhaWaynhim
They have to have *something* to boycott - so why not pick something that is so far removed from necessity that no one outside their group will really care, except for the starving media outlets that need an outrage story to fill out their copy? Meanwhile, they still get to exercise their (self)righteousness, generating that warm feeling that only comes from being safely indignant about unimportant $#!t.
dw
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:42 pm
by Damelon
Re: New Ben & Jerry’s flavor sparks boycott
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:40 pm
by Zarathustra
The group said Friday on its website: “The vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive.
Repulsive? What, are they lesbians or something?
The new Ben & Jerry’s flavor consists of vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum flavor, mixed with fudge-covered rum and milk chocolate malt balls.
As a totally straight guy, I can say with a totally staight face: that sounds awesome. I'd love me some Schweddy balls.
My kid thought it was hilarious when we saw it in the grocery. But maybe it's a boy thing. I'm not sure he'd be laughing at some ovary-pun titled frozen treat.
Cherry Ovulation Jubilation? Ovarian Cancer Crunch?
Okay, I kind of see their point now. Yuck.
Re: New Ben & Jerry’s flavor sparks boycott
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:40 pm
by lorin
Zarathustra wrote:
Cherry Ovulation Jubilation? Ovarian Cancer Crunch?
Cherry pop?
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:02 pm
by Hashi Lebwohl
Boycotts never work. All they do is give free advertising to the company being boycotted.
Re: New Ben & Jerry’s flavor sparks boycott
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:21 pm
by stonemaybe
lorin wrote:Zarathustra wrote:
Cherry Ovulation Jubilation? Ovarian Cancer Crunch?
Cherry pop?
You're bad
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:25 pm
by Harbinger
It says limited batch right on the package. They won't have to boycott for long.
After reading the description, I'm thinking maybe they should be Chocolate Schweddy Balls.
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:20 am
by Cameraman Jenn
To me, the name is funny and the ice cream sounds scrumptious. I think I may get me some schweddy balls tomorrow.
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:38 am
by Obi-Wan Nihilo
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:03 am
by Savor Dam
Cameraman Jenn wrote:To me, the name is funny and the ice cream sounds scrumptious. I think I may get me some schweddy balls tomorrow.
Sounds like the perfect dessert after a meal at
Dick's Drive-In...
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:51 am
by sgt.null
Cameraman Jenn wrote:To me, the name is funny and the ice cream sounds scrumptious. I think I may get me some schweddy balls tomorrow.
i want to hear how that turns out.
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:25 am
by deer of the dawn
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:12 am
by sgt.null
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:36 am
by Sorus
Was your mission a success, Jenn?
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:42 am
by Cameraman Jenn
Yes, today I consumed a waffle cone full of schweddy balls and it was delicious. Heavy on the rum so be forewarned I think I got a tiny buzz off of it. I shared it with BGB by asking him, "Do you want to bite my schweddy balls?" Yes, I had to go there. I was grinning when I asked the girl at the counter for a waffle cone full of schweddy balls. She was grinning back. I'm not sure that joke will ever get old. Sadly though, yes, I had to go to the actual Ben and Jerry's on Haight and Ashbury to find it. But I did it. I had several mouthfuls of scweddy balls today and LOVED it!!!!
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:42 am
by sgt.null
the hippie ice cream on the hippie avenue? awesome...
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:19 pm
by Cameraman Jenn
I also tried a new experimental flavor they were trying out in the stores, Coconut seven layer delight. It was essentially vanilla with all the layers of coconut seven layer brownies. It was delicious but almost too much. They need to cut down on the add ins and have more base vanilla.
