text:
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kids These Days
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
"I mean, first Holly was asking for thongs for her 8th birthday, and now her very own Playboy-themed party at 12. Wow. Can you believe it? I'm just so...so... proud.
[blowing nose] "I mean, every parent wants her little girl to grow up dreaming big dreams, padding her trainer bra, and looking to attract men as a means of personal validation, but to see it actually happening...[sniffle] I'm sorry, it's just a dream come true. Why, in another 6 years she could even be on The Girls Next Door - not that I want to get her hopes up too much, of course; there's no telling how much longer Heff's gonna be around, after all.
"I know, right? It IS unbelievable. You know, the Smiths over there made their Jenny wait until she was sixteen to have her playmate party. Isn't that awful?
"I mean, geez, how stifling can some parents get? Although, to be fair, I hear they had a great pole-dancing instructor come in for the girls. In fact, I need to get that number for Holly's party, if you'll excuse me..."
Now, Karen P. & Sarah G., remember to keep everything in perspective: these cakes still aren't as bad as this one.
UPDATE: Apparently the prosti-tot pole-dancing class includes an age-inappropriate audience. Check it out, and don't miss all the priceless expressions on the kids in the crowd!
175 comments | Post a Comment
Holy Cow!! I'll just hope the first one was a mistake. Can't really hope that on the second one, I guess.
- February 25, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Ahh, art imitates life yet again. There's a girl down the street from us that's the same age as my daughter. We can't stand her and my daughter usually tries to avoid her (long story there).
She brought up a present for my DD's 12th birthday...DD thought it was really nice of her until she unwrapped it - it was a HUGE Playboy pillow. (it's actually the same colors as that second cake) DD kinda looked at me and said, "Oooookay" and promptly hid it in her closet. It hasn't seen the light of day since.
The same girl is now inviting the DD to go down and work out with her - she got Flirty Girl Fitness...you know the one that comes with the pole for $1?? Yeah. She's 13 and pole dancing her way to a flat belly. I can only guess how proud her father must be. *confused stare* - February 25, 2009 at 9:39 AM
- Moominmama said...
Here in Britain Playboy bunny-themed items (clothing, bed linens, etc.) are very popular and are marketed for young girls. Parents, inexplicably, seem happy to buy them. I'm glad you had the good sense to at least be offended by these cakes. (And we wonder why 13-year-olds are becoming parents...)
- February 25, 2009 at 9:39 AM
- minerva1822 said...
WOW...as a parent I find this completely disgusting...no wonder kids these days act the way they do..their parents teach no morals what so ever.
- February 25, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Arlynn said...
Ahhh. hahahaa.. this one's rich. And the comments are to die for.
"Pole dancing instructor..." - hilarious. - February 25, 2009 at 9:41 AM
My first thought was maybe they meant bunny cakes but these girls are 12 and 16. Maybe Daddy ordered the cakes??
- February 25, 2009 at 9:43 AM
As a mom of two girls, I am deeply, deeply disturbed. And strongly considering putting my hat in the ring as a foster parent.
- February 25, 2009 at 9:44 AM
- Kashmir said...
I would love to know what the parents were thinking when they ordered these obviously expensive cakes for their 12 and 16 year old daughters.
And when they find them on the street corner wearing a spandex mini skirt and neon green tube top, those parents are going to wonder where they went wrong.... - February 25, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Is it possible that those parents don't know what the playboy bunny is?? And just thought it was a cute bunny picture for a kid?
- February 25, 2009 at 9:46 AM
- Boozy Tooth said...
Yeah, whassup wit all dat up in thur? My daughter's friend Tori got a Playgirl tattoo on her nether region when she was 16. WTF?
Cakes are well done tho. - February 25, 2009 at 9:48 AM
The second one, for the 16 year old, actually has the word "playmate" on the side, so I don't think even an innocent mistake has been made.
- February 25, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- Sara Jo said...
Wow. Just, wow.
Great commentary! "...looking to attract men as a means of personal validation..." Priceless. :) - February 25, 2009 at 9:54 AM
- the ginabean said...
What is this world coming to?
- February 25, 2009 at 10:01 AM
- Hyena Overlord said...
*wonders why my foreMothers fought so hard for equal rights*
- February 25, 2009 at 10:02 AM
The cakes are actually pretty well-made. I wouldn't call them wrecks...
- February 25, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- Rachel said...
Agreed, your commentary is amazing. How sad that this is actually happening. Oh, Hef. Is he still alive? Wow.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- Doublebanker said...
I should get my 3 year old to be a playboy birthday cake! Why didn't I think of that...
Don't forget to swing by my Daily Gif Blog, today is the Final day to get entered in my $50 giveaway!
DB - February 25, 2009 at 10:03 AM
- Alberta Art Classes said...
Aack! I almost can't believe it...
- February 25, 2009 at 10:03 AM
I think I'll be nice and just sigh here, then go shed a tear in private.
I agree: at least the cakes are well done. That's something, right? Right?
Word verification: illital, which is what cake decorators should do in cases like these instead of taking their orders so literally. - February 25, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Miranda said...
This makes me want to cry...and then smack the parents around, like hardcore. - February 25, 2009 at 10:07 AM
- Jade said...
In all fairness though...when I was 12, I was a C-cup, so well out of the training bra (I graduated to a "real" bra at 9). ;)
But, that didn't mean I got to wear Playboy clothing...my mom made me wear polka-dots. lol - February 25, 2009 at 10:08 AM
- The Happy Medic said...
Hilariously inappropriate! I love it. My daughter turns 3 next week...hmmm
HM - February 25, 2009 at 10:09 AM
- Meg said...
I'm not a parent and I'm totally offended! Yikes. These parents need their head examined!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:09 AM
You have to admit, those cakes are spot on. On the other hand, I hope those moms are ready to be grandmas soon.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:10 AM
- Nicole said...
And the oversexualization of pre-teen girls continues... Hideous, and I don't mean the cakes.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:10 AM
- Christine said...
Good Lord!! That's just a whole new type of cake wreck... that's a train wreck!!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Oh YES, the parents knew exactly what kind of cake they were getting for their kids. My (then) 13 yr old niece had a huge P.B. bunny poster in her room. Her mom thought is was funny. Now at 16 she's drinking booze with her mom. :/
- February 25, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- The Fat Dietitian said...
OMG... I am going to be the sucky mom that doesn't let her daughter do anything. My husband is always furious when there are 12yo in Victoria's Secret holding up thongs, he is always whispering "where are their fathers?"
- February 25, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Isn't Holly the name of one of the girls on "Girls Next Door"? Maybe Hef was interested in her long before we knew about it...
WV: reducl
Playboy cakes for kids under 18 are reducl-ous. (ridiculous). - February 25, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Ick. Extremely inappropriate.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:16 AM
In fairness, the cakes themselves actually look quite nice. It's just the parents who are retarded.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Bunny ears and g-strings as favors! Woot!
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - February 25, 2009 at 10:24 AM
- Bibi said...
The spelling is perfect!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:24 AM
I have to admit, I'm terribly disturbed by this. However, I did own a Playboy shirt and a multitude of sparkly, Playboy stickers when I was in elementary school and had no idea what it meant. I just liked the bunny. D:
- February 25, 2009 at 10:26 AM
I could not have asked for a better CakeWrecks post on my birthday. Think it's too late to change the originally planned birthday cake?
- February 25, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- karina said...
For once, I didn't laugh. That a parent would allow that is appalling.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Hehe. Admittedly, the cakes are very cute, but... maybe more bachelorette party kinda cute?
- February 25, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- jmcleod76 said...
To be fair, though, these aren't really cake wrecks so much as parenting wrecks. The cakes, themselves, are actually really nice.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- Lisa Chin said...
unbelieveable. . . I'm stunned. . .
- February 25, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- Wendy said...
My daughter is going to turn 7 this year... I wonder if it's time to start shaping her to become a bunny...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! - February 25, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- S'mee said...
I usually just grab a look and the fabulousity of the wreck, read the hilarious commentary and move on to the next blog on Google Reader...
Now that I am in the comments sections, wanting, searching for something profound to write...nuttin'. My brain is exploding and I can't find the right words to describe what I feel about parents who would think this is a great idea.
As a decorator at a bakery (a while back) there were limits to what we would decorate. I think these cakes would have been considered as "accessories to the crime" and would have been denied. It's amazing what people will do in the name of making another buck. - February 25, 2009 at 10:39 AM
- BellaLovesPink said...
I'm at a loss for words
- February 25, 2009 at 10:39 AM
- Jana said...
There's no mistake. There isn't a man alive that doesn't know what that symbol is. I live in Utah,land of downright sexual stupidity. Even we know what that symbol means.
Also, The 2nd one just says it's her "16th Party" it doesn't say it's her 16th BIRTHDAY party. Maybe the 16th sex party has some kind of significance or something. I know, I know... maybe.... it means that she finally gets some antibiotics for that burning itch that she picked up at party #12. - February 25, 2009 at 10:40 AM
- HorribleLicensePlates said...
It's amazing that there is more than one of these floating around...
- February 25, 2009 at 10:40 AM
- Unknown said...
I 100009876% agree that these cakes, as they portray something in our culture directly related to sexuality, for children and teenagers. However, I would like to point out that just because an adult chooses to pose in the nude for a respected male-centric magazine does not mean she is a stripper or streetwalker, or has the aspirations to become one.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:41 AM
This makes me sick to my stomach. And the really sad thing is there are girls as young as 10 giving birth hello out there!!! Why don't some parents get it! What happened to being innocent and wanting the coveted sleepover party?!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:46 AM
- Elleah said...
Seriously, what are people thinking?!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Unknown said...
Good Grief! People are sexualizing kids so much these days.
Unless poor Jenny asked for a "bunny cake" and that's what she got.
~Amy B - February 25, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- Etiquette Bitch said...
ugh. all i can think/hope is that the cake orderer said, "bunny cake," and this is what he/she got stuck with...but somehow, knowing how many parents these days think that they are their kids' "friends"...i somehow doubt i got it right.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:54 AM
- Angie said...
Klasseigh. I can't imagine getting my daughter a cake like that. Wait. I have sense. That's why.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- Marie said...
I'm laughing too hard to even concoct a witty response. I wonder what those girls got for presents. Go-go boots and a pole?
- February 25, 2009 at 10:56 AM
I'm appalled by these cakes also (the underlying message, not the craftsmanship). However I now remember that somebody, I think the wholesome next door neighbor mom, gave me a "playboy bunny" tank top and shorts outfit for a birthday, probably 13th. A plain white tank top and moderately short navy shorts with the little playboy logo on the side somewhere. These garments weren't particularly outrageous, especially on my slouchy, doughy body. This was back in the 80's.
I think the Playboy brand has stretched the original meaning somewhat so it symbolizes a general sexiness, and not subservience to Hugh Hefner. Still I have to wonder what parents are thinking.
(Incidentally on the grand scale of things, Playboy is really not that bad. I mean I wouldn't put the brand on young girls, but really there's a lot of worse stuff out there now than busty Barbies posing in various positions.) - February 25, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- Kami said...
Sadly, I could imagine some of my friends getting cakes like that. At 12. And that was 10 years ago.
- February 25, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- jengersnap said...
When parents set the bar low, it enables the kids to belly up. Or some apendages go up. Or something like that...
- February 25, 2009 at 10:59 AM
- Eagle Archambeault said...
well, kids do like fluffy bunnies....
- February 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Jeez. And I couldn't even wear makeup until I was 15.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:13 AM
- Dea said...
SO SO glad I have boys...
- February 25, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Aw, a Playboy cake for a 12 year old. How classy.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Gag! :(
Yet, you can do everything right, insist on decent, modest clothing, try to foster healthy relationships & *still* the girl has a taste for trash. :( - February 25, 2009 at 11:27 AM
- Kara said...
i blame the Bratz dolls.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Derelict said...
Giggity, giggity, gi-ga-ty!
- February 25, 2009 at 11:37 AM
- JK_in_KC said...
I was really hoping these were for Leap Year birthdays and the women were actually 48 and 72...Somehow I don't think I'm right.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:40 AM
- Dani said...
Okaaaaaay? Wow that really is inapropriate. I admit I have a playboy purse but I'm in my 30's & I put it away in my closet since I now have a daughter who I'd like to grow up to have a job where she keeps her clothes on.
I guess the cakes were pretty well done though. - February 25, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Someone should call Child Protective Services. Certainly inappropriate birthdays cakes are a good enough reason to remove these girls from these stupid parents, right?
- February 25, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- Sally said...
Good heavens. I hope there is more to the story. please tell us that she asked for a bunny on her cake. Or than the party was for someone 21 not 12.
I love Cake Wrecks! And today's post was social commentary in disguise. - February 25, 2009 at 11:45 AM
- Unknown said...
That. Is. Priceless.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- Dorci said...
Well that explains a lot.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- jen bryner said...
yeah. that's just...not ok.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:57 AM
- Tuldas said...
I must say this is the first post where I haven't seen the humor, and have been outright appalled by the comments.
It's a logo, and many girls think it is a 'cute' logo. I had a friend in school that loved the logo, and hated what it stood for, mostly because she had to explain to everyone that it was just a freaking design, and it didn't mean she was a whore.
There is a very, VERY large line between thinking a stylized design of a bunny is cute and being a street-walker.
You're all making out as if the only reason for liking that design would be if you wished to become a whore.
Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself. - February 25, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Good lord! Nothing like a playmate party at 16...whoopee! Now we must ask, did they have strippers too??
- February 25, 2009 at 12:09 PM
"Uh, Child Protective Services? I have to make a report..."
- February 25, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Let me get this straight....kids can't watch Bugs Bunny cartoons because they're deemed too violent, but we can wear a symbol of a concept that does nothing but objectify, demean and define women by their physical atributes. I guess violence is a pretty flexible term....
- February 25, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- the un-bride said...
Two of the seven signs of the Apocalypse ...
- February 25, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Tuldas, yes it is just a "stylized design of a bunny" but it was created for and completely associated with a magazine known for it's nude photographs if women. And while I agree that simply liking the design does not make you a whore, I also think that a parent or even the bakery should step in and not allow a child's cake to have such a well know ADULT logo on it. I have nothing against Playboy it's self,… for adults. Clearly 12 is not adult. Even 16 isn't adult enough.
- February 25, 2009 at 12:47 PM
- Kae said...
Sometimes, you have to make the sacrifice of not having the cute design because of the loaded message behind it.
Still so sad about not feeling like I can have my "flaming cross on a lawn" tattoo because of what people would think I meant--it's just so kewl, but then some people had to make it all racist and stuff... - February 25, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Tuldas I feel the need to respond to you. I think this is one case where you simply can't divorce the logo from the brand. And if you have middle-school and high school aged children, as I do, (and as the ages on these cakes would suggest are for children in these demographics) I can GUARANTEE you that they don't think this is a "cute logo" and they know full well that it's a marketing symbol for an adult magazine. For fun one time my husband asked a girl on my older daughter's dance team, "Hey, what's up with the rabbit on your jacket" at which she rolled her eyes and said, "Duh it's Playboy. It's sexy." (she's 14 incidentally)
I'm not trying to demonize Playboy here, and I have to say I get a real kick out of the old ones my husband still has. I'm also not saying that appearing in it or reading it is in any way directly proportional to your level of "street-walkerishness".
What I am saying is this logo is universal enough that even young children will recognize what it is and when you hit the age where the hormones turn on (think 6th grade or younger) they aren't regarding it as a "cute bunny". Trust me.
I'm also saying I would, personally, prefer my daughters find other outlets for their self worth other than the need to be "sexy". If they want to do it when they're 18 then that's certainly their prerogative but until that time I don't think branding themselves with a Playboy logo sends an appropriate message. - February 25, 2009 at 12:53 PM
- Jean said...
Tuldas -- its not just a cute bunny -- it is a symbol of a sexually oriented business. The bunny is inextricably linked to Playboy Enterprises. That is fine if an adult wants to participate or patronize the business but we are talking kids here. I suggest your friends find another bunny to wear if they don't want people to make the sexual connection. If you detest the company -- why buy items that the company profits from? Plenty of other bunnies out there that really are nothing more than cute little rabbits.
- February 25, 2009 at 12:54 PM
- Angel said...
For those of you that are offended by those of us that are offended by a 12yo getting a Playboy Bunny cake.. It is not that people think Playboy = whore. Women in playboy pose naked. NUDE. For Money. Nothing wrong with nudity. If you are an adult. I do not care how cute the logo is, it stands for Naked women that got paid for getting naked.
It isn't appropriate for a 12 or 16 year old girl. EVER. - February 25, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Those are just beyond ridiculous! What parent in their right mind would get those cakes?
And for Tuldas,it may just be a design, but it does have overtly sexual conotations, and is recognized around the world as a "sex" symbol. Hooters is just a restaurant, but if 10yo son asked to go there, I know it wouldn't be just for the burger and fries. - February 25, 2009 at 12:57 PM
- Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...
Admittedly, my first reaction was "Oh, what a cute Miffy cake." My second reaction was "WTF? It's Sunday?" (since that is the Day o' Good Cakes. Then, I remembered that Miss Miffy does NOT wear a bow-tie. Heh.
What next? A Pussycat Doll Cake for a little girl's 1st birthday? - February 25, 2009 at 1:07 PM
- Lisa said...
What is with the.... after "Happy Birthday" in the first cake? Is Holly and afterthought?
- February 25, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Some people shouldn't be procreating. - February 25, 2009 at 1:25 PM
These are hardly primm (my verification word). Seriously, just...ugh.
- February 25, 2009 at 1:28 PM
- Sharon said...
Kamity's comment reminded me of the first year of middle school in the early eighties and a 6th grade classmate named Holly (one of the rich daddy girls)came dressed in a playboy bunny outfit for the Halloween costume event that took place in the gymnasium in front of all three grades.
She wasn't sent home or anything, but the next year, the costume thing was pretty much limited to temporary spray-on hair color, face glitter, and odd, but dress code abiding clothing. - February 25, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- Ace said...
Never in a million years. I have no other words.
- February 25, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Unlike most cake wrecks, these are well executed. I also subscribe via RSS to Failblog and for a second that's what I thought this was since it is more of a parenting fail than a cake designer fail.
I have daughters and I work with junior high and high school aged youth. Inappropriate clothing on people under 18 is my biggest pet peeve in life. Now it just gets extended to cakes.
Diana - February 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM
This is what happens when parents try to be "friends" with their kids...
- February 25, 2009 at 2:06 PM
- Scritzy said...
I once read about a man who saw a girl wearing a t-shirt with the words "porn star" emblazoned on it. The girl and her mother were shopping for the girl's birthday party.
Her 9th birthday party.
The man was horrified. So am I.
And so am I by these cakes. - February 25, 2009 at 2:10 PM
- *~*Lis*~* said...
Wow - guess I shouldn't worry about the little mermaid theme being too sexual. what with the naked midsection and seashell boobies and all!
- February 25, 2009 at 2:27 PM
- WM said...
UHMMM...well, they ARE nice cakes.
The commentary rocks, tho! *Snorts coffee through nose*
WV: I almost had topope I was laughing so hard. - February 25, 2009 at 2:28 PM
- SONGER said...
i hope it was carrot cake.
Holly was Hef's #1 ex-girlfriend, so that makes sense. Kind of. - February 25, 2009 at 2:47 PM
I agree with jmcleod76 - these aren't really cake wrecks so much as parenting wrecks. I watch The Girls Next Door, but I'm 40. The shocking thing is when the girls and Hef are out in public, and little bitty girls run up to them because they recognize them and are "huge fans". What kind of parent lets their daughters under 16 watch that show???
- February 25, 2009 at 2:53 PM
- Unknown said...
Since I was ten everyone's been into Playboy D:. It's a label thing - Playboy stuff is ridiculously expensive and they like looking as though they have MEGA amounts of money. Ah, kids nowadays . . .
- February 25, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- yamiryu990 said...
it's sad but i know when i was in elementry school loads of my classmates would have loved to have these kind of cakes, the sad thing is that was only back in 1998. i'm in college now and it's very sad how many of the people alive today really shouldn't be procreating at all. and yes the playboy bunny is very closely associated with sex. i personally don't wish to associate it that way but it is and that isn't going to change anytime soon. i find no reason to buy their overpriced crap. although some of their stuff is cute looking but i don't like the associations and must get something else done.
- February 25, 2009 at 3:06 PM
I can only hope that the first one was a misunderstood request for a bunny cake, and on the second the 16 stood for something other that age (it did just say "16th party", after all). But that might just be wishful thinking. I am only 13, around the age of these cakes' recipients, and I still think this is in bad taste (not to mention awkward to present to your friends!)
- February 25, 2009 at 3:17 PM
- Nonna said...
You reap what you sow...these parents are in for a real bumpy ride with those girls !!!
- February 25, 2009 at 3:18 PM
- Christine said...
Those are actually really lovely cakes. I particularly like the pink one. It's the fact that they're for pre-teen birthday parties that is so alarming. Ugh.
♥ xtine
http://stuffbyxtine.blogspot.com - February 25, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- FreedomFirst said...
That actually sickens me. I think it should fall under some category of Corrupting Minors.
- February 25, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Ummm, your own comment about getting the phone # to the 12-yr-olds party is creepy. And waaaaay inappropriate. Maybe you meant something else, but it sure sounds like you're excited to get over there and watch young girls dance. Care to clarify?
www.sugarplumboutique.blogspot.com - February 25, 2009 at 4:14 PM
- Peeser said...
Okay, so maybe the Bunny IS just a logo, and maybe people who buy the products morally oppose the man behind the logo, but HELLO- buying the products is a passive way of condoning everything the logo stands for. I don't care how much you hate the magazine/Heffner/nude modeling/etc... Buying the product is still throwing support their way via money.
I can only hope the kids are ignorant of the meaning behind the symbol, but the parents should be aware enough of the world in which their children live to know better and should act accordingly...
I will concede that liking the logo doesn't mean they want to be street-walkers or strippers, but supporting a magazine that encourages men to lust after women other than their girlfriends/wives is one of many reasons that families end up so dysfunctional these days.
The fact that so many of you are equally appalled and disgusted is a ray of hope in such a discouraging situation. - February 25, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Nicely executed cakes for the Little Miss Sunshines. So what was the party song? Super Freak?
As for the 'Logo' defender -- oh, I agree. It's all harmless, pretty pictures -- like the pentagram, the swastika, Enron, the star of david, the crucifix, Mr.Yuk, a blue or red cross, the middle finger ... Each a thousand words of something. :(
Give you two-bits or the going rate to guess Playboy's - February 25, 2009 at 4:55 PM
- Mad Izatie said...
and they say rock music is evil....
playboy bunny aged 12... wrong!!!! so bloody wrong! - February 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Guess my husband and I just aren't the cool parents. He blocked most of the video-music channels because he didn't like the way they objectified women to our teenage sons.
Yes, our SONS. It's not just about teaching our daughters.
(and no, the cake wasn't mine and I'm not a rich girl and I never dressed up as a Playboy Bunny!) - February 25, 2009 at 6:09 PM
The first one, 12 is a bit young. 16? I had Playboy bunny stuff... it was funny BECAUSE it's inappropriate, and plus that logo is just too cute!
So whatever, I don't see these as wrecks. At 16 you can do whatever. - February 25, 2009 at 6:24 PM
When I was 13 one of my friends got one of those cakes with the plastic stripper male on the buttercream bearskin rug for her birthday party. Her family and everyone at the party thought it was hilarious when she wanted to lick the icing off of his backside (Ok, yes, including me. Hey, I was 13! Besides, it ended up being the closest I would get to seeing a naked guy for the next 10 years) The next year she had to drop out of middle school cause she was pregnant.
At the time I didn't think anything of it, but it really should have been a sign of things to come. I feel bad for the girls who got these cakes. It's not funny or cute. - February 25, 2009 at 6:34 PM
- Girl Who Can't Cook said...
When I was an innocent little kid, I thought that a pair of playboy bunny earrings for my sis would be pretty cute (until my mom told me what they actually stood for!! WAY TO GO, MOM!!!)
- February 25, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Logos are just logos and they don't stand for anything.
If I see the logo for Hooters or Playboy it stands for something the same way a Neo-Nazi walking around with a swastika and the words white power isn't just a nice young blond man in a cute t-shirt.
It's like those little t-shirts that say Porn Star or Jail Bait or Slutty. Oh, but it's just words on a t-shirt. It doesn't mean the girl wearing them *really* is a Porn Star or a Slut. But why would *anyone* want to be identified as a Porn Star or a Slut?
Why is it OK for a 10 year-old to have her Playboy cake and her t-shirt that says Hot Stuff?
By that same token, maybe we should dress boys in Man-Whore t-shirts and Future Gigolo outfits. Hey, they're not really male prostitutes. It's cute!
Girls are sexualized at an earlier and earlier age. But boys ... oh boys are just boys but an 11 year old is a mini-adult in sexy minaturized clothing. - February 25, 2009 at 6:56 PM
If you walk around a Jr. High, there are play boy shirts everywhere! Do the kids just buy them and NEVER wash it I in hopes their parents won't see? I mean seriously girls! No wonder hundreds of teens are getting to be parents at a a young age!
UGH!! - February 25, 2009 at 6:58 PM
At first, I thought the first cake was supposed to be a 21st birthday cake and the numbers got transfixed. The second cake, however, saw my hopes fade away.
- February 25, 2009 at 7:24 PM
My second thought on seeing these: I can't wait to see playboy bunny cupcake cakes!
- February 25, 2009 at 8:28 PM
- Unknown said...
This brought tears to my eyes, too...
My heart breaks for those kids and the thousands like them!
Going to read Dr. Seuss to my children...
-Susie - February 25, 2009 at 9:29 PM
- Calamity Cookie said...
I remember when I was 20 I saw a 'cute' bunny t-shirt. I didn't buy it at the time and when I went back to buy it it had gone. I described the t-shirt to my husband who then explained to me the meaning of 'the bunny' and I almost died! Thank heavens I didn't buy it (it's just wrong), and to think I was going to wear it to a church function!
- February 25, 2009 at 9:35 PM
I love your blog! Have you ever seen Food Network: Challenge. They have amazing cake challenges sometimes that have featured at least 3 of the people you have cited for your sunday sweets!
You're hilarious, never stop, i will die. (A little over-dramatic? Nah.) - February 25, 2009 at 9:37 PM
I love the social commentary and food for thought that supplement today's bit o' humor. People insert their own connotations into meanings, which is why the Playboy bunny is so risque when it's technically just a bunny and a bowtie.
I wouldn't let my hypothetical teenage daughter have a Playboy bunny cake, but Playboy logo doesn't necessarily equal future stripper either. When I was in high school, we put on a class play that required "party people." One of my friends got a conservative (non-revealing) Playboy bunny shirt for the play from another friend, which turned out to actually be owned by another girl in our class who ended up attending a pretty snazzy East coast school for college. - February 25, 2009 at 9:39 PM
- MJS said...
OMG! I'm going to totally ignore the playmate cakes because I only just now realized the stripper cake was doubly wrecky since it was for a 14 yr old. I didn't catch it the first time around (being so horrified by the male stripper).
It's stuff like this that makes me start to contemplate parochial school or homeschooling. - February 25, 2009 at 10:08 PM
I think I'll go cry now...
- February 25, 2009 at 10:28 PM
- Jen said...
I'm happy to clarify. The character who is speaking (it's a fictional dialogue, so that's not meant to be me personally) is saying she needs to get the # of the pole-dancing instructor, presumably so she can book the instructor for her own daughter's party. I think if you'll re-read the post you'll see there's nothing creepy going on. Well, nothing creepier than a parent booking a pole-dancing instructor for her daughter's birthday party, that is. - February 25, 2009 at 10:35 PM
okay seriously those parents need to be taught some parenting lessons!
- February 25, 2009 at 10:57 PM
- Jo-Momma said...
Oh my goodness, I thought the cakes were bad until you posted the parenting fail! Holy cow!!! Got to love all the young boys with gigantic grins on their faces though.
- February 25, 2009 at 11:48 PM
- fleeting said...
I can see this being intentional... I was horrified when my evil step-cousin showed up to a family Christmas party with the Playboy bunny professionally manicured onto each of her fingernails. She was 12 at the time - I was 17 or 18. The worst part is that her mother a) knew about it and b) thought it was perfectly OKAY.
This girl knew perfectly well what the bunny symbol meant and prominently displayed it from a very young age... what a message to be sending. I'm not foolish enough to think it will turn her into a prostitute, but I'm damn well sure that this sort of validation of objectification of women, this sexualization of pre-pubescent girls, simply because it's now a "pop culture symbol" is going to come back to haunt her later in life.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that this girl's older brother is 15 years older because her mom had a teenage "oopsie" herself? - February 26, 2009 at 12:24 AM
- In the Meantime said...
Oh. My. Gosh. That is DISGUSTING.
Seems like exactly the sort of thing my sister-in-law would do for her nine-year-old daughter's birthday. These girls are going to turn out really well, aren't they... Ugh. It's days like this when I'm all for parenting licenses. - February 26, 2009 at 1:17 AM
I recall on one of my perusals of the Sears catalogue seeing Playboy bunny merchandise aimed at younger girls. I think it was bed sheets, comforters, pink cute furry pillows, etc. Totally inappropriate in my opinion! Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore...seems like they are adults shortly after leaving the womb!
- February 26, 2009 at 6:38 AM
Obviously no fathers in those homes. Dads know that goal number one in raising a daughter is "Keep her off the pole." Way to go mom. Way to go. The cake decorators obviously have no scruples either. I'm sorry, you CAN refuse to make a playboy bunny cake for a 12 year old. Yes, you can.
-Nikoli - February 26, 2009 at 7:35 AM
- Denise said...
I find these cakes disturbing on some levels (especially as the parent of a pre-teen daughter) - but I'm likewise disturbed by some of the (over-)reactions in here.
There are A LOT of assumptions going on without knowing any back-story. The "bunny" in question - that many of us identify with Playboy - was chosen by Hugh Heffner for very specific reasons - and not all lewd. I wonder that people who make assumptions have worse dirty minds than the makers of the magazine being assumed as the source of these wrecks.
Bunnies also symbolize many other things in addition to the Heffner/Playboy identification here. Granted, this particular symbol is not something I would allow on my daughter's cake - nor on my son's for that matter - but neither am I going to just jump to some ill-gotten conclusion that the parents are bad or irresponsible in ANY way. What if that 12 was supposed to be 21? What if the 16 yr old in question is already emancipated (and yeah, newsflash, it DOES happen)? These parents could very well be guilty of all the things assumed by so many here...but they also might not be.
As a parent, I would never want ill-gotten assumptions made about me...since EVERY parent has made mistakes. There's no such thing as a perfect parent.
To the guy with the neighbor with the pole-dancing daughter...THAT is profoundly disturbing, and the bunny pillow in THAT context is frightening. I can certainly understand and identify with that concern there. *nod* - February 26, 2009 at 8:57 AM
- TheDitzyQueen said...
My, my, what a controversy you started, Jen!
Thought I might put in my two cents...
So I'm of the Gen Y as well... and I have seen all these girls of my youth flaunting their sexuality at a very young age...
and to people who say it's harmless.... Yes, bunnies are cute and harmless; Playboy Bunnies aren't bunnies at all: They are WOMEN who market their sexuality.
I just don't think it's right to encourage young girls to be more sexual. They grow up too fast as it is. Why can't they be innocent and naive for just a few more years?
Bottom line is: Parents, shame on you for making your daughter think that being sexy is the same as having confidence and high-self esteem.
Alright, soap box is over. lol. - February 26, 2009 at 9:36 AM
I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Insane!
- February 26, 2009 at 10:06 AM
- CappuccinosMom said...
Those cakes are disturbing.
What's even more disturbing is that I'm aquainted with the type of people who would think those cakes are "cute" and "funny" and would absolutely order such things for their own little girls (and by little I mean even 6 or 8 years old) - February 26, 2009 at 11:10 AM
- Sara said...
It is no wonder kids think they are adults by age 13 these days... media is ridiculous. My husband and I were flicking through channels on tv the other day and came across a music video on MuchMusic that looked more like a porno than anything. When I was young watching MTV and MuchMusic was for watching music videos, not porn. Not that we were innocent as teens, but it is so much worse these days. I would not at all be surprised if both of those cakes were definitely on purpose... why do parents think stuff like that is "cute" or "funny" for their kids? 13 year olds should not be thinking about sex. But yeah, for an adult party, those cakes are well done :p
- February 26, 2009 at 11:17 AM
While the cakes are extremely well-done, like 99% of what's been already said, those are fine for adults. NOT 12 and 16 year-old girls. And trust me, even kids younger than 12 know what the Playboy symbol is.
---Bree - February 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM
- Sonya said...
I love your site and am a hobby cake decorator, and have had some "wrecks" myself!
Now to the "wreck" at hand:
Yes, we reap what we sow. Yes Mr. President, that cigar thing wasn't sex.Connection - Now you see elementary school girls doing these things and it "isn't" considered "sex", the Pres said it wasn't.
If you like the logo but hate the meaning behind it why promote it? I wouldn't purchase or promote anything that I knew was inappropriate, morally wrong, hated the message, etc. How would the avereage person who did not know you, know that you hated the message behind it? By seing it on your clothing? I'm not trying to be sexy by wearing this, just trying to fit in with those who are. That is acceptance of it.
People continue to buy clothing that is "sexy" for their very young children and wonder why they are considered sexual objects. And think it is ok. Why do we have more pedophiles? We are marketing our children to them by helping them dress, act, speak and think the part. We help little boys desire it and grow into young men who take adavantage of it.
It's not just the younger ones either. All you hear is "sexy" now a days. Is that all a young girl or woman is? Something for a boy or man to use? I am appalled that these girls and women want that kind of attention.
Young girs (16) who think it is ok to have sex, many times. Octo mom in the making, Paris Hilton in the making. Small steps of saying it is ok, leads to more steps that lead to a lifestyle. It is easy to say something is harmless and then it leads you to say, oh, this isn't so bad either, and so on and so on. desensitisation. It is not harmless.
Society tells us that morality is is being "narrowminded", "religious right", "republican", "antiquated thinking", "backwards", "not for today", "is uneducated", etc. etc. Most of these posts don't seem to think so, but, I am sorry to say a lot of this world does.
Yes, I feel very strongly about what this has done to women in general and what it says about our worth, same story just years (centuries) later.
Ok, getting down off my soapbox. - February 26, 2009 at 11:58 AM
i hate hate hate playboy
im 19 and i have never worn, and will never worn anything with playboy on it...
not just because its slutty, but because its cheap,and tacky- sorry but i have a bit more class than that!
on contrary to that, my boyfriends little sister had a stripper at her 17th birthday party... oh and she was arrested for drinking underage with fake id 2 weeks later...
i think theres a moral in there somewhere! - February 26, 2009 at 1:49 PM
- Tatersmama said...
I can't think of a thing to say.
Not a thing.
*cringing mightily* - February 26, 2009 at 2:05 PM
These ARE cake wrecks. Remember the definition proudly displayed on the home page:
"A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. "
These certainly qualify as "inappropriate" and possibly "creepy" as well. - February 26, 2009 at 2:06 PM
nice cakes. Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded two years ago by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan. http://www.fredjsmilek.com
- February 26, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Oh my... *facepalm*
I'm not surprised though, as I once had to make a pimp-themed cake for a 10 year old. Boy, I wish I had a photo of that for you... - February 26, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- Pilgrim said...
Wow, at 12 I was still playing with Barbies and Holly Hobbie...
guess I was really missing out!
Michelle - February 26, 2009 at 3:19 PM
In response to Marie who said :"I would like to point out that just because an adult chooses to pose in the nude for a respected male-centric magazine does not mean she is a stripper or streetwalker, or has the aspirations to become one."
You're right Marie, However it DOES mean that she is willing to allow her body to be used for exploitation and sexually derived pleasure another at a level that demeans her credibility as an intelligent socially acceptable functioning woman. - February 26, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Tuldas wrote: "You're all making out as if the only reason for liking that design would be if you wished to become a whore.
Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself."
Tuldas you're talking out of both sides of your face which is why you are leaving others confused.
You cannot use someone elses recognizable trademark symbol to represent your own agenda. It will be seen for what it is intended to represent and will conjure up the feelings it was intended to . That is called marketing and business's pay millions to have that occur effectively. - February 26, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Kristin said:
"I'm not surprised though, as I once had to make a pimp-themed cake for a 10 year old. Boy, I wish I had a photo of that for you..."
Kristin what do you mean you HAD TO????
I have been a cake decorator for over 30 years and have refused many cakes that had been inappropriate. And, Please don't try to tell me you had a boss that insisted, because what you put your hands to is YOUR responsibility. Put your integrity first girl! - February 26, 2009 at 3:59 PM
My man is a HUGE fan of Hugh Hefner and the OLD Playboy (he collects vintage copies). His "groom cake" at our wedding will be a Playboy logo. I buy him vintage Playboy memorabilia as gifts. I have no issue with Playboy or the ADULT WOMEN who choose to pose in it while making money doing so.
What I DO have a problem with is adults allowing 7 years olds, 12 year olds, etc. WEAR PLAYBOY MERCHANDISE. Hustler is now putting out purses, shirts, etc., and I'm seeing young girls (7-16) wearing that stuff too.
I also have an issue with the marketing towards teens by Playboy (but that end is run by Hef's daughter....things that make you go "hmmmm"). In fact, I got my man a cell phone for Christmas, and wanted to get him a Playboy cell holder, but they are all PINK and GLITTERY! I have to get one CUSTOM MADE by a leather worker, because Playboy only makes them for "women" (ahem...."girls").
I figure you can have Playboy items as soon as you are old enough to go into the store and purchase the magazine. Period. - February 26, 2009 at 4:02 PM
I find Playboy to be empowering for women. Whether you like those careers or not, Playboy bunnies are extremely successful career women. They're making more money than any of you will probably ever see. They have a lot of power, a lot of fun, and hey, they're gorgeous. More power to them.
I had a Bunny necklace and a couple shirts at 16. I'm 20, engaged to a lovely man, I've never been pregnant or even been afraid I was, and am attending one of the best colleges in the nation.
Seriously, untwist the panties, people. - February 26, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Alright, let's put it this way: I AM a stripper, and HAVE posed nude for magazines, and even I wouldn't get these cakes for myself, LET ALONE my pre-teen to teenage daughter.
What I choose to do, at a legal consenting age, is one thing. I know the risks of my job(s), along with the knowledge and acceptance of the taboo of it. I am well aware of general society's opinion of me based simply on my job.
However, a 16 year old girl (don't even get me started on 12), much as it is biologically natural to want to emulate sexiness, simply does not have the life experience to understand what these professions and/or labels mean BESIDES "sexy". Nor do they have the mental capacity to deal with the attention, wanted or not.
I just hope nothing bad happens to these young girls who clearly are not ready to handle that kind of sexual attention. And I sincerely hope the parents realize the difference between a playboy bunny or a stripper (with experience and being a legal age) and their TEENAGE DAUGHTERS. - February 26, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised.
I see twelve-year-olds running around with the Playboy logo on their clothes and such all the time. - February 26, 2009 at 5:45 PM
- Kara said...
Holy crap, seriously this was for a 12 year old? No wonder the little tramps are kissing my son in first grade!
For those interested in participating in a great little competition, visit http://www.annakarli.com It's an all out blog war between spouses and I love it! - February 26, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Hehe, I actually love the cakes. When I was 16, I collected Playboy items, although not the actual Playboy magazines. They sold Playboy stationary supplies in one store geared towards teens and that's where I used to buy my notebooks, pens, etc during my junior and senior year. I also owned a Playboy Bunny necklace and two shirts, one of which I found in the kid section. But alas, that's Japan. I'm 21, in college, well-adjusted (I think), oh, and childless :) The Playboy Bunny symbol IS cute. You really can't deny that.
- February 26, 2009 at 6:53 PM
- February 27, 2009 at 1:09 AM
Is it possible that it wasn't ordered by a parent? Maybe (at least the 16-year one) was ordered by a friend, not the parents?
- February 27, 2009 at 1:23 AM
- Ms Unreliable said...
Such high hopes for such young girls. How will they ever live up to their parents expectations? I suspect the breast implant surgery is already booked for their 18th birthdays too!
- February 27, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Hannah said: "I find Playboy to be empowering for women. Whether you like those careers or not, Playboy bunnies are extremely successful career women. They're making more money than any of you will probably ever see. They have a lot of power, a lot of fun, and hey, they're gorgeous. More power to them."
My response to you Hannah is simply this: Define Success.
Mine does not include taking off my clothes for money regardless of the amount. - February 27, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Isn't it possible these cakes were not ordered by the parents. Friends,perhaps? Just a thought. Still this is ridiculous.
- February 27, 2009 at 8:04 PM
- Melanie said...
Tuldas... Hmmm a logo is just a logo?? Sorry i wouldn't let my daughters have this cake (because its cute) any more then I would let my sons get a Marlboro Man cake (because he's cool!)
- February 27, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Not surprised, actually. You'd be shocked at how obsessed young girls are with Playboy (I have a coworker whose goal in life is to be a bunny. That's it.)
- February 28, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Come on maybe these people just love the show the girls next door which is pretty tame if you ask me... some people are so uptight about nudity these days and out of all the magazines out there playboy is by far the classiest
- March 1, 2009 at 1:23 AM
Oh boy...
When I was a young girl there was a supermarket that had a sticker vending machine. One of the stickers was the Playboy symbol. I didn't know what it meant, I thought it was just a cute bunny. I bought some with my own quarters. My mom was pretty upset, but she let me keep them and stick them on the doors of the house. :P
When I was 7, I actually looked at my brother's Playboy magazines out of curiousity.
Guess what? I didn't start wearing revealing clothes at age 12. I didn't start putting out at 14. Hell, I'm 21 and I'm still a virgin (not entirely by choice, mind you... *grumble*).
I guess the point of this story is that the bunny symbol... hell, the magazine itself, will probably not warp their minds. It didn't warp mine. I will say I was probably naturally smarter than most girls, but anyway... As for sexualization of children... What can I say? Girls that age do want to look pretty for boys, you probably did too at that age. Companies are trying to cater to that, but they are going WAY too far. ("Porn star" shirts are tacky at any age.) - March 1, 2009 at 2:28 PM
- cygirlkat said...
"Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself."
Sorry, no. Even though others have made the same point better than I, I still have to comment.
If you buy something "just for the logo", you're supporting that company and its agenda as surely as any of its committed fans.
Money is money, and it doesn't care how it comes into someone's hands.
Telling a young woman, overtly or covertly, that her sexuality is all that makes her valuable is so prevalent, and so sad.
(Yes, I was one of those horrible party poopers who thought that baby dolls in thongs and sexy clothes were...gasp!...inappropriate! How conservative, and judgmental, and all that.)
Word verification: scersin. Huh. - March 1, 2009 at 11:50 PM
Maybe, maybe, maybe the parents wanted cakes with Happy Bunny & got this instead because the bakery was clueless? Happy Bunny seems to appeal a LOT to girls that age.
- March 2, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Maybe it was supposed to be 21st and they messed up....I hope.
~Hillary - March 2, 2009 at 7:09 PM
- Chelle said...
- March 2, 2009 at 8:42 PM
There is a boy in Britain that was 12 years old when he impregnated his 15 year old girlfriend. Now they have a baby to raise.
Gosh, wonder how that happened????
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece - March 3, 2009 at 9:40 AM
AAGGH! First off--scary! Second, WHY did Playboy have to go and make such a DARN CUTE LOGO stand for something so... uh... you know. Anyway, if it didn't mean that I would be PLASTERED with that cute lil' bunny.
word verification: rebolure; Jenny was a real rebolure, as she rebelled against her parents (they wanted to hold the Playboy party off a LITTLE longer.) AND managed to lure some young boys @ the party to the pole-dancing lesson. - May 24, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Hello, My name is Kat.
This is the first time a cake wrecks has made me cry.
I am 20 years old, and when I was sixteen, I went around to my boyfriends house and he was naked, on the couch, with a hooker in playboy underwear. (I knew she was a hooker, guys, cause she told him it would cost more if I joined in) then, after he noticed me, standing in the doorway with my school uniform, he told me that if I had put out, and was beautiful like the women in the playboy magazines, he wouldn't have to do this sort of thing. I spent five years trying to make myself beautiful, treating myself like crap, and finally spent six months in a mental institute in NZ where they force you to eat and regulate your water.
I am still recovering, with my current boyfriend. We look at the old vintage playboy mags, the ones with the georgeous, less exposed curvy women, back when they thought that when the models wore underwear it was more sexually mysterious. I gotta tell you, those women were hot, not like the top-heavy stick figures you get today.
Anyway, when I went to the pool the other day, with my class, I noticed two pregnant girls in their last year of primary school. I couldn't help staring. They noticed, and yelled at me, saying that I was going to waste my life, not having direction, and they were going to be moms, and make a difference.
I got owned by twelve year olds. :(
Later, in my five year old class, we had news (Where a child brings an item from home) and one little boy had bought in a car magazine, with a two page centrefold playboy ad. We had to speak to the parents, but boy, what a kick in the metaphorical balls!
I do not agree with the people who say the symbol does not change children, of course it does. Something with such a strong message it impossible to ignore.
I have no problem with adults getting naked with their partners, but taking money to let hundreds objectify you and all women? That is not success. I am happy a a teacher, and I have to try and undo the damage teenage parents inflict on their children. For a long time I could not earn money, and I still did not give up my principles to dance or pose naked.
But maybe that's just me. Maybe I should give up and let the wave of obsessive over sexuality take our children.
At least the cakes are well made. Mmm, Cake. - May 29, 2009 at 5:38 AM
- dance teacher said...
happy 12th birthday!.. surely a typo :S
- June 19, 2009 at 6:45 AM
In all fairness, I'm HOPING that Holly said. "Mom, for my birthday cake, can it have a picture of a bunny on it?" and her mom went and google bunny on google, and found the image without bothering to look for what it stood for , gave it to the baker. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know what it means. For example: I couldn't remember the name of a Gameboy. So I searched playboy (I got the 'game' and 'play' confused), and only then did I find out what it was. So there is a good chance that the first one was a bunny cake gone wrong.
or maybe the mom said to the baker, "....a bunny cake" and the baker, 9who was extreme;y perverted or himself did the innocent googling) chose whatever bunny that he thought looked cute.
But the second one is just appalling. I can only hope that it was the girls FRIENDS playing a joke. Or maybe it's just her friends who are sexually explicit, and decided she would like it. Either way...APPALLING! - January 10, 2010 at 9:10 PM
- funny t shirt said...
look good enough to eat to me! do seem a little wrong though
- March 10, 2010 at 5:30 AM
- alspencer said...
I find it incredibly ironic that the add on the right of my screen when I read this today was for a Holly Madison Movie (She was one of the original Girls Next Door)I think that made me laugh more than the original hilarious post.
- May 31, 2010 at 7:08 PM
- Merideth said...
this is exactly why i ride horses
horses have kept me out of so much trouble, mostly because i have better things to do than this, like feeding my 1,000 pound animal and obsessing over every single aspect of her daily care - July 6, 2010 at 10:09 PM
The sad thing is, when I was in second grade I went to an 8-year old's birthday party where her mother gave her a thong that was "just like her older sisters."
- July 24, 2010 at 5:34 PM
The cake was well made??? Gimme a break. Any company that would agree to make a sexualized symbol w/inscription meant for a young girl is far from proffesional. That's the wreckage. The only funny thing is that they are stupid enough to take ownership in some way for this garbage.
- August 10, 2010 at 3:46 PM
- Elizabeth Maxson said...
I have a comment to Tuldas regarding that it is "just a logo." I just ran across this website today. (Love it by the way!)
As far as Playboy only being a logo and that it is only a symbol and nothing more, that is not true.
You said that you had a girlfriend that loved the logo but hated what it stood for (she thought the logo was cute) but she hated that she had to explain that she didn't want to be a whore...
Obviously, then, the logo DOES SYMBOLIZE something to a lot of people, otherwise your friend wouldn't have to explain herself.
Marketers are paid a lot of money to come up with logos and logos are copyrighted and protected for a reason. They have equity built into them.
Logos SYMBOLIZE and ignite a feeling, thought, reaction, or even action in some cases. They are not just lines or graphics or cartoons.
Nike, McDonalds, Apple Computers, Mercedes, Pepsi, they all have symbols that we would recognize without the company name next to them.
But like Playboy's symbol, some symbols create strong feelings other than just marketing:
The Cross: To most it automatically means Christianity and salvation. And yet, a few (the KKK) could turn it around and burn it as a warning filled with hate.
The Swastika: This combination of lines put in a certain pattern usually means hate, murder, oppression and the holocaust. But to a few, it means new order and would wear this symbol proudly.
So Tuldas, it would be naive to think that logos are merely "cute symbols." They are designed with a PURPOSE. Individuals may choose to view them as they wish, but as a general population, the logo's purpose is intentional, otherwise it serves no purpose. An individual may choose to personalize a logo but it does not lessen its intention.
And the Playboy Playmate's logo intention is it symbolizes that women are sexual playmates for men who identify themselves as a BOYS who still play and have not grown up to become men yet. It's that simple.
Elizabeth - August 11, 2010 at 11:04 AM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
Its only a cake people, catch a grip. xx
- October 13, 2010 at 9:51 AM
I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, the baker who decorated Holly's cake was dyslexic and meant "Happy 21st Birthday".
Not that it really makes it that much better.
(Blech.) - October 28, 2010 at 3:42 AM
I'm 11 and I was thinking that i might get a cake with a rabbit on it for my next birthday...I really hope I don't get that.
- February 27, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Good Lord... that was disturbing.. I may never get that vision out of my head.. oh well it can replace the vision of my uncle pete on the toilet.. YAY
- July 13, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Wow. Freakishly inappropriate! Wish I had time to read all these comments, because some of them are cracking me up! I wouldn't buy one of these cakes for my 25 year old, let alone a kid!
- July 21, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Playboy is EMPOWERING to women? Not in the slightest. You must be a man. I find it very VERY degrading to women everywhere. As far as my personal experiences, I had a boyfriend buy me a Playboy purse for Christmas when I was 16. I was embarrassed to even own the thing and then he asked me why I didn't carry it around. I used it a couple times to make him happy, but it was not a symbol I wanted to affiliate myself with at all. That was 3 years ago. No, I'm not married & I'm not a virgin, but I don't think sex & your nude body is something that should be flaunted everywhere. It really sickens me that men eat that up.
- July 28, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Search This Blog
Wreck the Halls
NEW! Pre-Order Today!
Barnes & Noble
Borders |
Buy the Book
Buy the NYT Bestseller
What's a Wreck?
What's a Wreck?
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)
- Fan Faves
- The Classics
The Classics
Praise for the Book
- "Will have you laughing so hard you'll forget to eat!"— Washington Post
- "a hilarious winner" — The Oregonian
- "a fantastically gut-busting book"— NPR
- "It's all here, each wreck a disaster of hilarity." — BookPage.com
- "Hysterically funny!"— Epinions.com
- "laugh-out-loud funny"— The Times
- "Yates' sharp humor makes the funny even funnier." — The Dallas Morning News
- "an amazing laugh-out-loud book"— The Book Triblog
What the fans are saying
- "I was laughing so hard, I couldn't catch my breath."
- "As funny as the blog that started it."
- "WAY better than I expected!"
- "Cake Wreckery at its best!"
- "Wrecktastic!"
- American Mensa:Top 50 Websites of 2010
- Amazon: Top 10 gift books of 2009
- The Orlando Sentinal "Orbbies": Winner Humor
- 2009 BlogLuxe Awards: Funniest Blog
- 2009 Bloggies: Best Writing of a Weblog, Best New Weblog, Best Food Blog
- The 2008 Weblog Awards: Best Food Blog
- Blogger's Choice 2008 Awards: Best Humor Blog
Where's the book?
We don't have any copies of Cake Wrecks for sale here, autographed or otherwise. We decided the shipping and handling costs would be too high to make it worth your while. So instead, buy your copies locally or online and then order personalized bookplates: it's cheaper, easier, and I think even looks a bit nicer.
Ordering Info
Payments must be made through Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. Sorry, but that means no checks or MOs or barter-based chickens.
We ship everything first class USPS, and will do our best to have your package in the mail within 2 days of your order.
Popular This Month
Popular This Month
- You Gotta Admit: That's Way Better than "Good"
- Willy & Wally, the Cake Wreckers
- When Common Sense Isn't
- Kids These Days
- Guess Who!
- "Hey everybody, thish cake ish from Holland. Ishn'...
- Sunday Sweets Visits the 80s
- Phonics Has Failed Us
- Passive Aggressive Cakes
- THIS is How You Show Hungry Who's Boss
- Come On Barbie, Let's Go Party
- For Me?
- The End of Sweetness
- It's a Form of Flattery. Honest.
- Ace of Cakes Gets Lost!
- Valentine's "Winners"
- President's Day Cupcake Mosaic
- What's Love Got to Do With It?
- Valentine's Variety
- Heart Expressions
- Show and Tell
- A Healthy Appetite
- This'll Cure that Freaky Fetish
- Sunday Sweets: Valentine's Treats
- The Pink-Haired Puppet Master
- Wreck-Slingers, Part 2
- Head Check
- Tensed Up
- Phony
- Wreck-Slingers
- Come to the Dark Side: We Have Cake


text:
Moving towards the 2.0 release with monthly increments of
improvement-goodness, the KOffice team has once more honoured
its promise to bring out beta releases of KOffice until the
time is right for a release-candidate release. So, before the news of the previous
beta has had a chance to scroll off the Dot news page,
we bring you this beta with many, many improvements across
the board. Incremental as it is, we think it is a genuine
and important step towards a final release. So here it is: full
announcement and changelog.
Some highlights in the release announcements: loading of text
styles in presentations saved by OpenOffice.org is fixed, inserting an
image in a document becomes possible again and the first set of results
from the Berlin meeting
become integrated into KOffice. And, of course, plenty of bugfixes all
over! And the translation teams have been really busy, and many bugs in
the localisation support have been caught.
It's now possible to paint on mask in Krita:
It is really, really time to start helping the developers, by testing
and finding bugs, by writing documentation, by helping out with the
website or even by helping to get KOffice release ready by writing code
and fixing bugs. We intend to release the very first version of KOffice2
in a few months: so let's pull together and make this a great platform
for productivity software!
And... Next month you'll get another one!
Krita is great. Such a shame that Kbuntu cripples it due to missing support for GIF and other file formats. This is so annoying (especially because this is going on for years and multiple releases without neither any attempts to fix this nor any information on whether they plan to do so) that I'm considering switching to SuSE after years of Ubuntu just because of this single bug - as ridiculous as it seems. I don't want to compile Krita all by myself - installing scores of missing dev-packages. This is why I use a distro in the first place. They really should have managed to do this in over a year. They just don'T care I suppose. Unfortunately switching isn't that easy - especially with only a single hard-drive at-hand. Nevertheless - looking at the minimal progress in contrast to say SuSE I have the feeling I'm riding a dead horse.
I know many will perceive this as trolling, but if you love KDE, you really shouldn't run Kubuntu. Run a distro that puts out good KDE packages such as PCLinuxOS, Arch, Sabayon, Mandriva, Arch, openSUSE, etc.
Arch is so good you mentioned it twice?
Well, I tried Arch few weeks ago but my KDE experience was so horrible I switched back to good old Kubuntu 8.10 :)
Did you try kdemod?
First off. I don't want to offend, I really honor all the work of the developers.
But, the movie shows more the sluggish GUI of KOffice instead of the nice new features. Either the machine of the director is very old and slow or Krita really consumes a lot of calculation power while rendering in the background. Nevertheless which one is the real cause of the sluggish desktop, both are definitely not a good advertisement for KOffice ;-)
low frame rate? no acceleration? I don't think this is sluggish.
Very nice feature addition though. Very very nice... GIMP has just dropped down a notch on my most used app list.
Yeah I also noticed this in the video. It could also be a capturing problem. Judging from the video alone makes it look like the krita UI is blocked, but I guess we'll have to see it in practise how well it works ;-)
It *is* a beta application. And the video was made by someone running it in full debug mode (making it *lots* slower)
Plus, video-capturing software generally exacerbates and slowness.
I don't think he meant the slow frame rate.
The video shows (in its second halve) that the filter dialog is wrongly designed (the preview is shown but you cannot press until the complete image shows a preview of the filter). There will always be slow filters and this won't become better simply by stripping debug symbols.
Also the blur filter is extremely slow - I don't think that this can be caused by debug information.
Hi, do Krita developers have a problem to get sub-pixel precision tablet events from Qt? It worked perfectly with openSUSE 10.3, but I have never been able to get sub-pixel precision with 11.0, so it may be an X.org, linuxwacom, or Qt problem. What xorg.conf do you use?
Well... It's very much OS dependent it seems. We do some trickery to get smooth curves from tablet positions. On X11 it seems to work fairly well, though it could be better. OSX is a complete tragedy, and I haven't been able to test Windows.
Last I checked tablets worked fine on MacOSX. Please report bugs if you have problems.
Forget what I wrote... I just updated to openSUSE 11.1, and I have my subpixel precision back! :)
I love how this video isn't encoded in an open source codec so I can watch on my fresh install of Fedora 10.
Not a nag on my part cause the first thing I do is install multimedia codecs but is for many else.
At least MPEG is a published standard (ISO, even) instead of some esoteric format few people have ever heard of. There is plenty of open-source software that can play it back. It takes an extra step to install the software to play it on Fedora 10, but consider that .MP4 files (the ISO followup to the mpeg container format) require Windows Vista users to install a little extra software too. That's also a newer ISO standard format.
You can play it back with Free Software only, and it is available easily for Fedora 10 without fearing installation of malware, BigBrotherware, adware, etc. Be happy! We probably have it even better than the Windows users.
The Beta3 has no different viewstyle than the same what latest 1.x seris has.
Is there something planned to be on "View > Display Mode"?
Is there change to get a space between sheets? To top of the first sheet and around too. More like OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office. That just makes better visual understanding how does the document look when printed when the toolboxed and other panels ain't touching the sheet.
The current view could be just one style, but default should be one where there is about 20-40px space around sheet.
I agree and hope that this gets addressed soon.
> Is there something planned to be on "View > Display Mode"?
> Is there change to get a space between sheets?
> To top of the first sheet and around too.
The view->display mode menu is empty now, it just has one view mode indeed. It is planned to expand this to at least the view modes that KWord 1.6 had, but not for 2.0.
I liked your suggestion for extra space so I added space above and around the pages to kword. You'll see that show up in the next beta.
Thanks for your feedback!
ps. I used 10 pixels on both sides; which looks like a nice balance between having a clear page border and not wasting space.
Yep, I'm bringing up my main issue again. Still unable to save flake shapes in a document. Really hard for me to test and provide feedback with this critical feature missing.
It took a bit more time than I thought and there was a more real life than I'd liked this month, so I was a little too late for this beta -- but right now, the Krita code in svn saves shapes. And I'm really close to loading them again. Unfortunately, editing shapes in Krita is broken at the moment. But I'm fairly certain that editing, loading and saving of shapes will work in Krita in the next beta.
Thanks Boudewijn. I'll await the next beta. How about the other apps, KWord in particular? Do you think they will have save ability in the next beta as well? Thanks for all your efforts.
You guys are doing an amazing work. KOffice has amazing potential. I hope some big companies eventually realise this and pour some money into your project and hopefully into your pockets too because you guys deserve it.
Keep up the good work! ;)
Can you make the text flow _around_ a shape??
Yes you can, as shown here: http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2593
It seems you can only have the text run around a shape on either the left or right side, not both sides...
I was hoping that too. The feature where text goes _around_ (both sides) would be very nice. But at least the "one side" is enough first.
I found that making to text boxes, you can get text go around on both sides of the shape. But it is not so nice thing.
So the shape is not just "one side around" (because multiple text can avoid it anyside) but the problem is somewhere of the text itself.
Maybe for KOffice 2.1 ...
Maybe for KOffice 2.1 ...
Too bad... I really liked the DTP-feeling of KOffice.
I mean no offence but I have to express my self. I hope that video was a joke.
I think you should look at this:
I will say no more and good luck.
Well... PhotoFiltre isn't open source is it? And Paint.net doesn't have effect masks, does it? So, why should we look at those?
"but I have to express my self."
See, what I don't understand here is that someone would be so compelled to speak their mind, and then go on to say absolutely nothing at all.
Let me help you out there. It's quite possible there was nothing really on/in his/her mind. So you see, if there was nothing on/in their mind to begin with and they spoke it, then it stands to reason that nothing was really said.
Ok, you asked me to speak.
1. Interface is sluggish (not it is not the bandwidth) - at one stage it even froze, I hope this is only because it is a beta but knowing KDE based apps, I fear it will continue this way.
2. There isn't anything in the video that made me say "wow" that's nice. The free hand drawing is not the best thing to do when demoing a new product to the public especially if you want to be taken seriously by the business market.
3. I am yet to see how fast it would run when you open up high resolution images with rich colors, 3D graphics. Paint.Net and PhotoFiltre do this very well.
4. I am serious, this video reminds me so much on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxx2KcPWWZg (MS Paint parody) - Please look at it, it is quite funny and only then you will what I mean. I just cannot believe it is actually true. (It is an MS Paint Parody, trust me you will laugh)
5. It doesn't matter if it is closed source or open source software as long as it performs. Yes, Open Source IS better but I don't choose software by its license.
To add to this, I am quite impressed with KDE 4.2 (the latest) but it still needs work. I completely skipped 4.0 and 4.1 and I run from it as if it was Vista and I am waiting for 4.2 to come out. So please don't take criticism bad. You get it because someone likes and appreciates your efforts and wants you to succeed.
Sure. Negative comments with totally unspecific and useless criticism is the mark of someone who wants to help...
How about live preview? You set the effect in a dialog and it previews it as you set it?
Yes, Krita does that.
Don't tell me you're evaluating just by looking at the screenshots.
So let's have a look.
Try to perform a simple task:
-add a blur effect mask to a CMYK image or a 16 bit RGB image
As far as I can see Paint.NET does not have masks, color management or support for more 8 bit RGB. It's simply comparing apples and oranges.
Of course an app that does only 8 bit RGB can always be faster than an app that does a lot more.
Also note that this is still a beta, so there will be further improvements.
If you want performance and open source doesn't matter buy Photoshop.
Well Ok but in my opinion the video should be showing a nice art work which would already be done with Krita - as in, "lets see what it can do" (just like Tux and the GIMP). Currently it is only showing a few lines drawn loosely and that is what triggered me off a bit to post the comment above. It is like using MS Paint. Show me some gradient fills, texture fills in "selected areas", image resizing, adding borders, adding transparency (just select which color to be transparent), transparant image pasting, water marks etc. I hope you have seen that YouTube video I posted.
Now in relation to Photoshop, well, we all have limits don't we? :) There are cheaper alternatives to PS, you have PhotoFiltre Studio, Paint Shop Pro but nothing beats free.
Most of the above mentioned features are already implemented in PhotoFiltre free except for the texture fills (PSP does this). Just select an area and fill it with a texture.
I have not used Krita but that's why we have demo videos so we can see the cool stuff.
The thing is, we wanted to show of _new_ stuff. Gradient fills, texture fills, image resizing, adding border, transparency -- all that stuff was already available in 1.4. Been there, done that, still got the code and the functionality.
Oh that's great then! As soon as KDE 4.2 gets released or the developers of KUbuntu, PCLinuxOS or Mandriva create a Live CD, you can be sure I'd be giving this a try. I didn't know about Krita before. It's good to see there is an alternative to the GIMP. If it really has all the stuff I mentioned and of course I believe you then this is just great! I am a C++ developer for Windows but for business software only and I am clueless when it comes to graphics and canvases etc. I use PhotoFiltre primarly when it comes to editing/drawing toolbar icons. I really to try to do some work with QT/KDE, develop some type of open source database program with MySQL support.
I meant "I want to try" and also thanks for addressing my concerns. I really believe in KDE and I know it has a great potential.
The video is pretty cool; it shows a really cool set of features in a short time, and in a playful way too :)
The fact that the blur-filter is added to the layer-stack is pretty darn cool. For those that didn't get it; you can add a filter and instead of applying it once, it will be remembered and any further modification to the layer will also be blurred.
Same with the invert.
I have to admit I can see the points of poster with the nick "Observer". Creating a screencast is pretty darn hard; having a voice over or some helpful text on screen. As well as having a couple of pictures prepared helps. I think the hand drawn thing is funny; but we all know that people like pretty things and this hand drawn distracts :)
That's a bit misleading. Krita always seemd to me as not supporting the baseline features very well but concentrating on fancy new stuff.
Basics as image resizing had severe bugs in stable versions and filters like unsharp mask were (are?) very slow for large kernel sizes.
Even selecting basics like "Filter"-"Adjust brightnes/contrast" makes the interface freeze for several seconds. (Krita 1.6.3). Filter preview also takes very long. And that's with a simple Canon 5D JPEG. I don't want to know how slow it will be with 16bit/channel images.
My recommendation:
If you want that people use krita (and some of them to become developers) then make sure that the basic functionality works extremely well.
If the basic functionality does not work well, everyone will use gimp, Digikam, Bibble, etc.
I completely agree and have been put off by Krita because of this exact reason, enough though I would love to use it and have donated money towards it.
1. "knowing..." Ok. Troll
2. Ah? You know of other Free apps with effect layers? "Business market..." Yup. Troll indeed.
3. Apples, oranges. choice os an MS product for comparison... Trollish.
4. Non sequitur.
5. Ok. Failure to apply logic. Exists B not null such that B = A AND (NOT A). Interesting.
Basically, you are a troll, and not a very good one. Work on it, you'll get better.
Alternatively, try to grow up.
I really like the look and feel of the new KOffice in comparison to OpenOffice, and I would like to give KWord a try, but there is a big obstacle for me:
For my profession I have to insert lots of special characters, partly even not implemented in Unicode.
In most cases I can use the keyboard - in fact, this is the main practical reason for me to use Linux -, but sometimes I need the pop-up, and I must be able to select some definite signs form definite fonts.
And the solution of KWord is quite horrable, the window shows signs form different fonts, and it took me ten minutes to find a special character, in some cases I would have to click me through three pull-down menues and after that scroll down to the sign needed.
The search field is useless: I don't know from which font the signs displayed come from - and if can type the sign for search, I don't need the pop-up anyway, because I can type it in the document.
Is there any possibility to switch the special character view to something like in M$ Word or OOo?
I don't follow your usecase; for most people the new font finder is a definite win as being able to type 'euro' or 'pound' to get that glyph is very useful.
Knowing where in the code tables your wanted glyphs is, as required by the previous dialog, is not so useful. (who knows that the euro is in table 31!)
So, while I understand you don't like our change, I'm afraid your usecase seems quite special and we have to accept that one solution doesn't work for everyone.
Naturally you can create or ask others to create a docker-plugin using the koffice plugin structure to do exactly what you want. Its quite trivial to do, actually ;)
Find me on #koffice if you want to find out how to do this. A good start is at http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/KOffice_Overview (topic Dockers specifically)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. I'm Neal Conan. Remember the months-long controversy over pink slime? By now, pretty much everyone knows that if you treat beef trimmings and fatty tissues with antimicrobial ammonium hydroxide, you get what markets label as lean, finely textured beef, also known as pink slime. The uproar over the cafeteria hamburger additive raises the question: Why do we add ingredients to our food in the first place? To answer that question we've asked Robert Gravani to join us. He's a professor of food science at Cornell University and joins us from the campus there in Ithaca, New York. Welcome to the program.
DR. ROBERT GRAVANI: Thank you, Neal. It's nice to be here today.
CONAN: And I understand you teach a class called Food Choices and Issues. So why do we put additives in our food?
GRAVANI: Absolutely very important. If you think about what these substances are, they're really added to foods for very specific purposes. And certainly one of the things that we're interested in is maintaining and improving nutritional value. Clearly, we want to enhance the quality and maintain the freshness of foods. We want to reduce waste. We really want to make more foods readily available to consumers. And when feeding 310 million people in the United States, we really need to think about how we can transport this food from place to place and make sure that it's available when people want it.
Additives are also used to improve consumer acceptability, and they also aid in facilitating the production processing and preparation of foods. There are thousands of them. They're in about 12 major groups. And clearly, we as a society wouldn't be where we are today without food additives. Think about the things we take for granted in our foods. We have no major nutritional diseases that we can think of because of the nutrient addition to various products, like - we've eliminated, basically, the nutritional deficiency disease called pellagra by adding niacin to our bread products and our flours.
We think about iodized salt. I doubt anybody has seen in the United States a case of goiter, that we've eliminated that by adding iodine to our salt. So there's a lot of very good reasons to add these substances to foods. And many times the scientific names of them are very disconcerting to consumers. But I think today in our conversation, hopefully we can provide some perspectives about these products that will shed some light on why they're there and the importance that they play, the function that they play in our foods and in our food supply.
CONAN: And these are most present, I would think, in processed foods. And we've sent you a list of some of the ingredients. And the packaged lunch that one of our colleagues ate earlier today, this is a rice dish that cooks in 90 seconds, no washing, no refrigeration needed. And she reports it tastes pretty good. Nothing scary in the ingredients, but a lot of things that I just don't know what they are. What is ferrous sulfate? What is that doing? It's, I think, the fourth ingredient.
GRAVANI: Well, ferrous sulfate is an iron compound. And clearly that is there to enhance the nutritional quality of that product. There are some names that most people can't pronounce. And I think, certainly, manufacturers and companies around the world are trying to simplify their labels and providing some of these ingredients in plain English terms whenever available, so people have an understanding of why that particular ingredient is there. I think it's very important to look at the reasons we add them.
Companies don't just add products or substances just for the sake of adding them. They have some functional purpose in the production or preparation or the appeal of that particular product to consumers. And I think we need to keep those kinds of things in the back our mind as we look at some ingredients that are maybe difficult to pronounce. But hopefully some of these clean labeling designs are going to help consumers understand why a product like, let's say, citric acid is present in a product to provide some flavor. There may be some antimicrobial nature to it. We've got to preserve our foods to allow that shelf life to be maintained over time.
CONAN: Well, we...
GRAVANI: Again, it's not about adding products, substances to foods to make bad foods good. I think that's an important perspective to share. We want to make sure that we start off with excellent quality materials and use these additives to maintain that quality, to maintain the microbiological safety of the products and move forward in that regard.
CONAN: Sometimes the confusion is not in the terminology of the additive but the modifier, for example, modified cornstarch. We know what cornstarch is. Modified makes us a little nervous.
GRAVANI: Or, for instance, hydrolyzed, which means breaking down a particular product. If you look at an ingredient that says hydrolyzed wheat protein, it just means it's broken down into its amino acid components, and it could be added as a flavoring for that particular product that we're looking at.
CONAN: There was something in this lunch that's called autolyzed yeast extract.
GRAVANI: These are yeasts that are grown, and they reach a stage in their life that they then die and they autolyze. That is they break apart, and that yeast extract is used as a flavoring agent for this particular product.
CONAN: Let's see if we got some callers in on the conversation. Do you read the list of ingredients on the side of the package? 800-989-8255. Email us: firstname.lastname@example.com. Julie is on the line with us from Fort Collins in Colorado.
JULIE: Hi. I'm Julie. Thank you for letting me speak today.
CONAN: Go ahead, you're on the air.
JULIE: I have a question on all the additives. The question is, if you can - I read labels all the time. My son has food allergies. So the question is, if you can find more natural products that are fresher and not use - or organic or other things that use less ingredients for additives, and you can find the same kind of food with a ton of ingredients that have, you know, so many additives that the list is more than a dozen different names, like the lunch you were explaining. So I don't understand why the need for all of those when there's clearly a market out there, and there's the desire for foods that have less additives, and they're still delicious and fresh and healthier as far as nutritional value.
CONAN: Robert Gravani?
GRAVANI: Yes, Julie. I think I agree with you totally. I think that, in our country, we are - we have a multitude of choices available, and certainly with your situation of a child with a food allergy, it's very important to make sure that those products do not contain that specific allergen that your child is allergic to. Just as an aside, I hope that you've touched base with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network in Washington, D.C., suburbs. They have an outstanding website and some very, very good information and materials for food-allergic consumers. And you can reach them at FAAN, F-A-A-N, and an excellent resource if you haven't already checked it out.
CONAN: Well...
JULIE: Thank you.
CONAN: Julie, thanks very much for the call. But just to expand on her point, some people believe that these additives are there to increase profits of shelf life and to make products more attractive, nevertheless that they're really not that good for us, and we'd be better off eating those fresher and more natural ingredients.
GRAVANI: Well, remember, too, that these serve a specific need. And when we look at the level of use of these additives, their level of use is relatively insignificant in our total human diet. And, again, choice is a great thing. If we're looking for convenience, if we're looking for products that fulfill our needs as consumers, we can, indeed, go to these products and have those, the taste appeal, the quality, the safety, the nutritional components, et cetera, in these products, as well as other alternatives that are on the market. So choice is a great thing. And, again, I think once people kind of think about what some of these products are and how long they've been being added to foods back in the 1800s, 1700s, where we're extracting things from algae and gums to add stability and thickening to our foods.
Let me give you an example. The use of gums in foods. How do you think are poppy seeds stick to our bagels? Use of gums. Gums are extracts from trees or from seeds, and they provide thickening. Some of them are from algal sources, algae in the sea, that they're extracted from. They provide a thickening, products that have been used for a long time in various cultures around the world. So, again, these weren't necessarily new, synthetic additives. They're - there's a wide variety...
CONAN: They look like that on the label, so...
GRAVANI: Yeah. Well, sometimes, it's hard to find a term, a non-scientific term to describe it, and I think that's an important perspective as well.
CONAN: Let's go next to Robert. Robert with us from Vacaville in California.
ROBERT: Good afternoon, gentlemen.
CONAN: Hi.
ROBERT: I'm an attorney and I read a lot, and I read a lot of labels. And I think I'm a savvy consumer. But one question is, when we are inundated with two sides of the same story - for example, the high fructose corn syrup, one group says it's bad, one group says it's good - how do we know which is - which to believe and, you know, who is the advertiser? I mean, how, as a consumer, do we resolve those kinds of questions when...
CONAN: You know...
ROBERT: ...with the profit margin?
CONAN: ...every one of these gets advocates on both sides, yeah.
GRAVANI: Absolutely. Great question, Robert. I think you have to go to credible sources. And I may be a little biased in this answer, but I think you go to university professors and professionals who do research in the area, who don't work for companies, who have no ax to grind either way, to get solid, sound, scientific information. You can certainly also go to a number of scientific societies, and I know there are people who would criticize some of those as well.
But, clearly, an organization like the Institute of Food Technologists, where 18,000 food technologists around the world address many of these issues in chemistry, in microbiology and product technology, and new product development, clearly have some unbiased answers for some of the questions that consumers have. Also, land-grant universities, cooperative extension associations in various counties around the country are all very, very important and credible sources. With our Internet situation and the ability to get a lot of information very, very quickly, I think we all recognize that some of that information is opinion, is personal perspective, is not necessarily scientifically sound.
And everybody's entitled to an opinion, and certainly, you know, we respect some of those opinions. But clearly, there's some scientific inaccuracies in many of those perspectives, and we need to take this all into consideration. So I think credible sources are important. And again, if you look at some of the consumer survey information out there, people highly regard university professors who are independent and do research in many of these areas.
CONAN: Robert, thanks very much for the call.
ROBERT: Thank you.
CONAN: Our guest is Robert Gravani, professor of food science at Cornell, with us from a studio there in Ithaca, New York. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. And here's an email from Anne(ph) in Edina, Minnesota, following up on the allergy call earlier: Our family has to completely avoid MSG and corn syrup and the other high-fructose ingredients that we all read the contents between migraines and our inability to digest high fructose. This is very important. And this follow up from Ruby(ph): I've heard that autolyzed yeast protein and other such products are the same as or release the same chemical as MSG. Can you tell us all the ways that MSG might show up under other names?
GRAVANI: Certainly can't tell you all those things. As we said, there are thousands and thousands of additives, and all of them have very specific functions, so I apologize for not being able to address all of those. But clearly, when you autolyze the yeast, the contents of that yeast enhance some flavors. There are various compounds in those yeasts that do that. And while I'm not exactly familiar with the specific structure or substances in those, they do contribute to the flavor of the product.
CONAN: Let's go next to Kevin, Kevin with us from Plymouth in Michigan.
KEVIN: Yes, hi. I'm a self-entitled foodie, and I always read the label on my food, looking to avoid any artificial flavoring or sweeteners or genetically modified foods, which I studied as an undergrad, and the like. And the reason why is because when I was a child, my doctor used to keep a jar of just peanut butter on his desk, open and uncovered. And as I remember, it was there for about seven years and still looked and felt like the day it was opened. And the lesson was how something so obviously altered from its original state is going to react with our bodies and, you know, my thought is, well, why risk it?
GRAVANI: I'll bet you that some of that product that was wide open for that many years was awfully rancid and probably - maybe it looked OK, but clearly, would not taste very OK because of the oxidative rancidity that probably occurred in that product.
KEVIN: Yeah, I certainly wouldn't eat it.
GRAVANI: No, and I concur.
CONAN: And I bet he didn't either.
KEVIN: No, no.
GRAVANI: I think that was - perhaps, he left that there as a conversation piece to stir some interesting discussions.
KEVIN: Indeed.
CONAN: Kevin, thanks very much.
KEVIN: Thank you.
CONAN: Here's an email from Matthew: I recently compared two major brands of cottage cheese, each with similar prices and expiration date. Why does one have three ingredients - cream, culture, vitamin A - and one have 33 ingredients?
GRAVANI: Well, you know, I think it's very important in a case like that that consumers contact the company who makes the product and ask them that very question.
CONAN: Oh, none of us are going to do that.
GRAVANI: Oh, no, I think that's very important. I think that's - the consumer's ability to ask the company that produces that product, the answer to that question, which is a very good question. I think they need to go to the source and say, OK, how come you've got this many ingredients in this particular product?
CONAN: Well, won't most of us simply look at that and say, similar price, three ingredients versus 33, I'm going for brand X?
GRAVANI: I think that's the choice aspect that I talked about before. That's the beauty of where we live, and we can certainly make those choices based on our own feelings and knowledge of the issues.
CONAN: This email from Michael: Why aren't food companies listing things including the pesticides they use on nuts and produce or the gas sprayed on commercially produced tomatoes as part of the ingredients? I'm currently eating some raw almonds from Trader Joe's. They're not organic, if that makes a difference, so I assume some type of pesticide was sprayed on the tree. I also assume some residuals from those sprays end up in the final product.
GRAVANI: I think if you look at pesticide residues in foods and you look at - and you live in California, I believe. If you look at the California Department of Agriculture and the other departments that regulate pesticides, you look at the FDA's pesticide residue report every year, you look at various states that test produce and other products, you will see that the violative rates of pesticide residues in foods are very, very, very low. And again, they do multi-screens. They look for a multiplicity of pesticides and their analytes. And if you look at the data over time, the residue levels are very low.
CONAN: Thanks so much to Robert Gravani, professor of food science at Cornell for joining us. Tomorrow, Celeste Headley is here. We'll see you again on Wednesday, with Political Junkie Ken Rudin. It's the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
6 Ways to Spot a Fake ID
Getting a TABC certification will certainly help you learn methods for spotting fake IDs at your workplace. Here are 6 tips:
1. Know Your State's Card Features
Every state has its own set of security features for its driver's licenses and identification cards. Common features may include:
- Watermarks
- Holograms
- Specially printed images
- Unique font colors or sizes
You can even order a copy of the I.D. Checking Guide online to learn what to look for in each state.
2. UV Light (Or Tilting the ID) Is Your Friend
Many licenses and ID cards have security features that are visible under ultraviolet light. You may also be able to see them by tilting the ID to view it at an angle. On the Texas Driver License, you'll see the state seal and three stars on the front of the card.
3. Feel the Surface of the ID
By simply running your thumb over the card, you might be able to catch a fake. If any portion of the ID is particularly thick or bumpy, this could be a sign. If the edges of the card are peeling or rough, that could be a sign as well.
4. Misspellings
Many fake IDs are made in a hurry, and this is another reason why being familiar with the Texas DL and ID cards is vital. This knowledge will help you spot spelling errors or other mistakes that would be a sure sign the ID is fake.
5. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions
If you have any reason to believe an ID is fake or has been tampered with, then don't be afraid to ask questions. Most people don't use their real names on fake IDs and won't remember the information on the card. Don't hesitate to ask the customer for their name, date of birth, or address. If they hesitate or get it wrong, then refuse the sale.
6. Watch Your Customer
Every time you check an ID, take a good look at the person's face and compare it to the photograph and physical description on the ID. Of course, the photo isn't required to match the person perfectly because certain aspects our appearance change over time, like our weight, hair length and color, etc., but the photo needs to be consistent with the person giving it to you. If the photo and physical description are not consistent with your customer's appearance, then you should refuse the sale.
Also, examine their body language. If they seem nervous, bite their lip, or refuse to make eye contact with you, it should get your attention. There's no reason for a legal-aged adult to be nervous when buying alcohol.
Learn More About Fake IDs with TABC On The Fly
If your job requires you to sell or serve alcohol, knowing how to spot fake identification is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting TABC certified is the best way to ensure you are legally and properly performing your job duties. Getting TABC certified is simple. With TABC On The Fly, you can get certified fast for only $10.99 on any device, even your smartphone.
Register for our online course today and learn everything you need to know about selling or serving alcohol in the great state of Texas.
Back to Blog