December 9, 2001

The innuendo that is "Dog Food"

December 9, 2001

www.dog.com, yesterday Okay, so I'm watching "Clifford the Big Red Dog", and am just begining to come to grips that the theme song is NOT sung by Evan Dando of the Lemonheads!

This has got met thinking about dog food...okay, so I was thinking about dog food already, as I just got some food for my two dogs, and realized that "they" don't call it "dog food" any more. Taking a look at the newly redesigned square bags of Pedigree (I know, I know, but Pugsley boycotted Iams, Eukanuba, and Science Diet several years ago in favour of a much cheaper brand, and has been quite content with it, thank you very much!), I wonder what the deal is with the new shape.

A quick discussion in a checkout line gives the Paperless One the answer he was looking for. A woman tells me that her dogs charge into the dog food whenever they're hungry. With the newly redesigned shape, these "quarterback canines" have a much harder time tipping over the dog food. That, she claims, is the REAL REASON why the Pedigree "cube" was introduced.

Now on to the other issue. Nowhere on the giant Pedigree cube does it state that the giant block contains "dog food". If aliens who knew English (or French) showed up and found Aspen and Pugsley's cube of "Pedigree", they may be a little confused as to what is contained within the interesting plastic structure.

Okay, so there is a giant graphic of a dog on the bag, and the words "Meal For Dogs" in a font smaller than the one you are reading now, but I thought that DOG FOOD was called "DOG FOOD". Foolish me!

Apparently "dog food" is one of those items that we surround in innuendo - possibly out of political correctness associated with the myth that "poor" people eat the stuff (sure they do - it's not like it's more expensive than "people food", har har), or the assumption that the giant dog on the bag implies that the food is FOR dogs.

Just remember that in China, product packaging depicts what's IN the container. This is why Gerber baby food failed so miserably in that country!

Now, speaking of "dog food" and "innuendo"...