Monday, March 9, 2009

Magically Delicious?

Monday, March 9, 2009

These days you can't tread too lightly when it comes to cakey depictions of holiday icons. After all, many of these age-old characters perpetuate negative stereotypes of entire people groups, and therefore risk offending said group and others.

Take, for example, leprechauns.

When I say the word "leprechaun", what comes to mind? No, wait, don't tell me. Let me guess: a short, red-haired, pasty-white man with an out-dated fashion sense, penchant for pranks, and a mentally unstable obsession with the acquisition of wealth (particularly in the form of gold).

I'm right, aren't I? Yeah, that's what I thought. [shaking head] You should be ashamed of yourself, you...you... perpetuator of negative stereotypes, you!

Fortunately, bakeries are fighting back:

See? Much better.

Not only is this multi-cultural leprechaun a conglomeration of all earthly ethnicities, he's also part alien, as evidenced by those ear-knob antennae. You can never be too non-offensive, after all, and we wouldn't want any extraterrestrials feeling discriminated against.

It's also important we fight against the "happy leprechaun" cliche. People need to realize that leprechauns have feelings, too, and sometimes those feelings aren't all shamrocks and rainbows, mmkay?

They've got layers, I tell you, layers. Like an onion. Or, I dunno...a...cake. Yeah. So maybe it's time we considered their feelings for once, hmm?


Michelle P. & Callie H., I'm totally itching for some Lucky Charms right now. Don't tell anybody.
wegrit said...

Are those flames falling from his face (or possibly climbing up it...)?

jengersnap said...

Aye, he be stealing me pot o'...self tanning cream? Sigh. Diversity strikes even the little fellas.

Anonymous said...

Those leprechauns are just plain wrong. The first one needs a good barber.
And the second one has been eating too much catsup and forgotten to wipe his mouth. (Oh, no! Maybe it's a vampire leprechaun and it's blood. Don't want to leave out too many minorities here.)

The Imaginary Reviewer said...

I had no idea that leprechauns were considered offensive...I guess the horror films about the murderous little Oirish person did nothing to help this.

Actually, I think the Irish people I know are more offended by the tendency of Americans to consider themselves "Irish" when they're actually 1/256th Emerald-Islander.

mamagotcha said...

That first one's not a leprechaun... it's clearly an Oompa Loompa.

Feisty Irish Wench said...

The first one looks more like a teddy bear with a policeman's cap and flames on the chin.
And thankfully I really AM 50% Irish, I'm not TOO diluted.

Kara said...

I was thinking that the first one was an animal of some kind, but your description works, too.

Anonymous said...

A post related to my St. Patrick's Day! I love it! (that's also my birthday). Those poor.....leprechauns?

Amy Siegert said...

The first little guy looks like he's wearing a police hat. Be he Officer O'Malley or Sheriff Seamus??

Unknown said...

Those are the weirdest Leprechauns I've ever seen..
~Amy B

Anonymous said...

I don't know, the first one is kind of cute. Not necessarily appetizing, but cute.

Anonymous said...

Wow. They just can't leave ANYTHING alone!



WV- mensmist. I'd write a sentence, but I don't think I need to.

Beppy said...

Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions. Cake! Everybody loves cakes! Cakes have layers. You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits. Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Hell no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious. Parfaits may probably be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!

Unknown said...

That first one is just so wrong I don't even know where to start!

On the second one, I can't get past the obscene blobs they used for a border...they remind me of multicolored intestines or something. The "filler" on the hat actually looks like shallots/green onions. And those eyebrows.... !!!

Anonymous said...

OMG, the cookie totally reminds me of Conan O'Brien! I miss Late Night already. Maybe if the producers pick up on it, it will be featured on the Tonight Show when he takes over in a few months.

The Courteous Chihuahua said...

More like "Magically Demented"...

Benjamin said...

Looks like somebody needs a hot towel and a splash of Barbasol...

The CCC strikes again!

-Benjamin

the ginabean said...

ick.

it's pretty neat how the decorator covered ALL her bases on that first leprechaun. wowzer.

i'm frightened of cake #2...

Viewtiful_Justin said...

Oh my. That second one looks miffed. I guess I'd be too if I knew I was gonna be eaten...

Doublebanker said...

Flaming face....or a beard?

Daily Gif blog

DB

Scott Family said...

How about that magical uni-brow?

Scott Family said...

shag carpet beard!!

Pilgrim said...

Makes me want to watch Darby O'Gil and the Little People now.
Oh wait... they're not little people.
Oh wait...are they? Are they just short? No...I'M short.
Were Darby O'Gil's friends true leprechauns?
Great...now I've got to go Google it.
While eating some Lucky Charms. Magically Delicious, you know.
I'm so confused. Its hard to be politically correct ALL the time....

Anonymous said...

The first one is clearly one of the Black Irish.

Squidley said...

Maliciously Delicious? :)

Unknown said...

What, no rant about how terrible CCC's are? :P

Katharina

the un-bride said...

"ear-knob" is now officially my favorite word.

Anonymous said...

I agree, the second one looks more like a veggie tray with that lumpy border & the shallots for a hat! :P

The first one looks more like a Smurf than a leprechan.

WV: hagge - not much more I need to add to that. LOL.

Hungarican Chick said...

I had no idea chef hats came in a St. Patty's day theme... Maybe that first flamey-faced one will whip us up some erin-go-bragh potato alien plantain cupcakes.

Scritzy said...

If I were presented with such a horrible excuse for a leprechaun cake, I would tell the giver to kiss my ...

Blarney Stone!

SexyIrishLeprechaun said...

I gotta say, I can appreciate wrecked cakes in the shape of Leprechauns, maybe more then most :P

Heidi D said...

I think I'll pop on over to my neighborhood bakery and see what creations they have. Maybe I'll get lucky. ; }

I think I need lunch too, I am not so concerned by the way they look today...I just want to eat them...yup, definitely hungry.

Anonymous said...

I think my wordver says it all: bulucch!
heh heh.
-Deb

J said...

Sadly, the worst thing about the first one was NOT that it was made of cupcakes.

Valerie said...

I thought only ogres have layers! ;)

Valerie

Bee said...

"They've got layers, I tell you, layers. Like an onion."

Was that Shrek reference intentional or not? XDD

Anonymous said...

the first is not only ethically diverse, but also symbolizes interfaith dialogue. Why else would you see earlocks on a Catholic icon? I wonder if it's kosher...

Anonymous said...

That first one appears to be hiding behind a piece of the orange shag rug from my first house. Perhaps he's just embarrassed that he overslept on the tanning bed this morning.

sendingtheclowns said...

Now, where have I seen ears such as those on that first thing before??? Oh, yes! NOW I remember--they were on old Clementine, the cow. (She was a good old girl, that one...)
So I see that as long as Leprechauns are purely legendary /mythical, or what-have-you, pretty much anything goes as far as exact descriptions and such...but, Holy sheep sheet(!!!)--that second "cake" is 100% pure pitiful. There is no imagineable excuse for its existence whatsoever. Plug-ugly! I cannot even imagine anyone paying actual money for that hideousity!!
>^!!^<

SimsAI Curator said...

..AND he's wearing Goofy's hat! ^_^ I wish it had the long, black ears hanging down the side.

Christina (BookTasty) said...

The first one is obviously Turk from SCRUBS in the episode where he was an "Irish Brotha'"! hehehe

Anonymous said...

They need to work from quality source art for accuracy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8

Nonna said...

Both are hideous, but they probably taste good...

Unknown said...

thought you'd like this. i'm not sure what it is? but i think it's a diaper cake. i mean, i hope, for your sake, and the worlds. oh, and it's for st. patties day, and i'm irish and my captcha right now says gumbo and i live in louisiana. isn't that cool?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ST-PATRICKS-DAY-DIAPER-CAKE-WITH-SIZE-2-DIAPERS_W0QQitemZ380109356374QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item380109356374&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A200

Anonymous said...

the first one has a goofy hat:D

Helen + ilana = Hi said...

Colm Meaney...........
well you asked what I think of when I think Leprauchan

twinkle teaches said...

I love the mean leprechaun. :)
tina

Anonymous said...

The second one is a lecher-chaun. Ba-dum-bump. Thank you folks, I'm here all week.

Susie said...

What about that last one makes me think of a vegetable platter? It's all carrots and celery and broccoli to me. Very appetizing on top of a cookie, no?

Ellie... said...

HAHAHAHA !!!! I thought the first one too was an animal

Anonymous said...

The non-titular one of the two protagonists of the Artemis Fowl books by Irish children's author Eoin Colfer is a dark-skinned leprechaun, but her hair is auburn, not carroty (leprechaun is only a profession in those books, her species is elf). Not that that excuses the first one's beard or ears, or the second at all.

Jacalyn said...

My husband thinks the second one looks genocidal...not just homicidal, but genocidal...

-Jax

Anonymous said...

That one on the bottom looks like Mr. Mxyzptlk with a beard (sort of) and a green hat.

http://ezeeg.notlong.com

--
Bruce T.