Flat Burgers, Empty Tacos, and Stoned Aliens

If I could eat an advertisement, my life would be so much happier. Every time I see an ad for food, fast food specifically, I think, "Wow. That looks fantastic." And every time I look at my meal, my heart sinks.

I'm not sure who to be disappointed in, the restaurant for their false advertising, or myself for continuing to get my hopes up. We all know that what you see on an ad is not always, or sometimes, or ever what you get. I learned this sad fact of life first hand the last time I ate at Burger King and was left with a full stomach and an empty heart. I've chronicled these tough times in my post, Reality is a Cruel Mistress, and you can read about that after I finish explaining the real problem.

Sex sells. Even when it comes to food, the appeal is where the money is found. Advertisers know this. We know this. And even though we understand that the product in the picture is a lie, we still imagine eating the ideal burger, taco, frozen pizza, or whatever floats your individual boat. 

For the sake of the post, lets refer to this image as "Exhibit A." 

Exhibit A is a rather morose, but accurate depiction of all of the fast food I've eaten in the past week. Please reserve your judgement. 

Burgers are flat, and dry. Tacos are empty. Have you ever had an empty Taco? Taking it out of the wrapper is like (SPOILER ALERT) watching Bambi's mother get shot all over again. 

I'm not a huge fan of Disney movies, though I am a big fan of deer meat, however, nobody can be sure which type of meat does not fill the empty shells of Taco Bell. 

Now let us be realistic for a minute. These advertisers are doing their job and we continue to buy in. Score one for you, advertising agencies. 

If you're anything like me, this image saddens you, and I'm sorry to have to kill the mood. As consumers we must learn to separate image from reality until the day that the product on the package matches the product on the inside, which is a less that likely expectation. Until the day that happens, we will have to continue to deal with flat burgers, empty tacos, and Tweety Bird looking like a stoned alien.