Friday, August 8, 2008

Extra Terrible

Friday, August 8, 2008


What the customer said:

“So we’re throwing a going-away party for our friend, and we’d like you to write “Good luck at U.C.”, since that’s the college she’s going to. Also, she’s a big E.T. fan – you know, from the movie? – so we want to incorporate that somehow. I’ll leave it up to you; we just want something E.T.- related on it. Can you do that? Yeah? Cool! Thanks!”


What the decorator heard:
Blah blah blah, write blah E.T. blah blah on it. Blah.”


What the decorator was thinking:
“Okey doke, easy peasy, now I’ll just write 'Good Luck'... oh, wait: does 'good' have two 'o's or two 'd's? Dang. Oh well, I’ll just make this letter look a little like both. There! No one will notice anyway. Ok, and then: 'at…U.C…'...thank goodness that doesn’t need any periods; those are so hard to do with this icing! Ok, let’s see here…you know, I think I'm going to go the extra mile for these folks and write E.T. on it THREE times. And I’m pretty sure just the 'E' has a period… yeah, that looks right. Dum dee dum…. There! All done! Aw, they are just going to love me.”
Mary T-Allen said...

That's a mighty fierce-looking cake knife over there. I am also distressed that the whole going to college and "phone home" thing was passed over in favor of having godd luck...

Dea said...

80

And let's not forget the completely at-odds icing colors - the flowers and border do NOT go with the word color....EEEEK!

Yeah, this one is all sorts of wrong...

Rockstarbride said...

hilarious. Who would pay for that?

Actully, I prob. would cause it's so ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

If I used those silly emoticons I’d post one blinking and scratching its head.

readsalot said...

Are people actually expected to pay for these cakes when they turn out like this? I would be so mad!

Anonymous said...

I thought ET may have been the person's initials until I saw the movie character on the napkin.

So painfully sad, it's hilarious.

Unknown said...

Dea - I think the icing is a nice shade of E.T. grey. That was part of the incorporation! Yeah... We'll go with that.

Anonymous said...

Is E.T. flipping the bird on that napkin?

Willard Fairy Tale... said...

I LOVE YOUR BLOG!! I can always rely on you to lift my spirits and give me something to giggle about!!
Thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

It would extra satisfying to cut it up with the knife, you have to admit...

Anonymous said...

Love this. Moving on from the hideous WRONG cake.. *this could be because I am a photographer* but who decided.. to get a rose for the photo and lay it at the top (very cheesy) and then.. add the knife (which they could STAB you with if you refused to eat the cake).. and then.. put it on the table join/captured it off centre AND included someone's hands!

no doubt the person couldn't be moved.. they were desperate for the delicious looking cake. Mmm..

Anonymous said...

Maybe the one who made the cake thought "I can't draw E.T., that's too difficult." ...
But I suppose it wasn't so hard to draw the outline of the flying bike.

Tsukiko said...

*facepalm*

This is just...oh dear.

Well, at least it wasn't a cake shaped like E.T.'s head, right? I can imagine that a cake shaped like E.T.'s head would be fun to cut, but imagine having to actually eat it. Eww.

MaryO said...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. The cake, the rose, the knife (!) and the note (We love you) all seem to be at odds with one another. This is a majorily subliminal message...

Let's not go there!

Hilarious, as usual!

Anonymous said...

I hope they didn't have to pay for that cake. I would've been all shades of mad!

Anonymous said...

"I’ll leave it up to you"

famous last words

Laura S. said...

I recently stumbled on your blog and just love it. This cake had be falling out of my seat I was laughing so hard.

Anonymous said...

I just want to say that it is all to easy to just start making fun of everyone when you see one thing that is poorly done, but you shouldn't make fun of the picture. It's a home photo of what was supposed to be a fun night. Give them a break. At no point did they profess to being professional or even charge for that photo...unlike the cake.

Melanie said...

This is too funny! I can 100% see the blah, blah E.T. conversation. I've been there and wondered if my cake would come out right.

Cool idea for a blog - I'll keep checking back for more funnies!

Anonymous said...

The decorator WAS joking... isn´t it?
LOL!

Soggycarrot said...

I'm betting the people picked the cake from a case of blank ones and had a decorator (or other bakery worker) scrawl something on it.

That, of course, doesn't excuse the bad color (unless the customer chose it), poor grammar, and spelling. But it may explain why there are roses on an E.T. cake (if you can call it that).

beth said...

love-love-love your blog.
i'm laughing so hard the baby just bounced off my boobie...er...wachunga. i learned a new word today!!
sorry no caps, typing one armed

Walk On said...

I'm starting to think I'd make good money as a pro cake decorator.

1) I can spell hard words like "good" correctly.
2) I am able to tell what colors go w/ what other colors.
3) I have common sense.

I can't actually *bake* but ya know, somehow I still feel miles ahead of the "pros" featured here!

Anonymous said...

Phew! Wiping my eyes as I'm laughing hysterically! Love love love your cake commentary!

Kearsie
http://soundsliketomatoes.wordpress.com

Mary said...

Bonus points for spelling "good" as "godd"!

Anonymous said...

how bout a burger cake?

I especially like how the "cheese" resembles a large tounge.

http://www.mcqn.net/mcfilter/images/cake/Burger/BurgerCakeFinal.jpg

Anonymous said...

Oh that's just horrible.

Bet said...

Just wanted to let you know a friend directed me here about a week ago, and you've never failed to crack me up yet. Love this.

Aristan said...

@walkon:

I used to work in a bakery myself. Most bakeries (Grocery Stores at least) don't actually bake their cakes. They come pre-baked in a big box and you just let them sit overnight & defrost and then you... well... frost them the next morning.

The frosting comes in either a pail or if you get the fluffy butter creme, it comes in a big milk carton and you have to run thru the big mixer.

I left for another department after the assistant cake decorator got mad at me. Apparently it's bad form to tell her that if she wants to airbrush on a super dark blue, she should use the bottle labeled "Dark Blue" and not just add layer after layer of light blue until it looks dark. I'm sure that cake tasted fantastic.

it also could because I put a big strip of masking tape on the wall over the decorating station that said "Congratulations!" and "Anniversary" so they'd remember how to spell.

Steve said...

A friend sent me a link to your blog, and this E.T (no final period, right?) posting was the first I read. Hilarious! I can't wait to catch up on what I've missed!

Unknown said...

The grocery store bakery I work at makes their own cakes. And buttercream.

Anonymous said...

So the flower is there for what...in memorial to the dearly departed for greener collegiate pastures?

colorisnteverything said...

It's clear that this decorator went to Purdue.

Anonymous said...

E.T godd yuck at E.T UC!! E.T

Jacq said...

Every time you post a new cake I find myself thinking, 'yep, that's the WORST one so far'. And then each new cake takes the ... cake, as it were.

But really - this one is the WORST!

Anonymous said...

"Godd" comments "everyone" I'm wondering if there's another "ET" under those "Flower" thingies in the corner. And oh by the way: Thx for "sending" me to Kollege "Dad".

brista said...

HA! 10/10! Gold medal!

Chase said...

I just laughed my face off.

Movie Maven said...

I was literally crying after reading this (and your whole site, which I just found via seriouseats.com). My face hurts.

Angela said...

That is hil.ar.ious!

AFROTHUNDER said...

Funny pics

Lorie said...

Oh, my goodness...your blog is hilarious!

Pea and Pear said...

I am trying really really hard not to comment on every photo. But this is so special, and you in that cake decorators head.. you nailed it!!!
Ali :)

Jaclyn Morgan said...

Wow!! I love the extra exclamation points---it just makes me so much more excited to eat that cake!!

Sorry, we middle school Comm. Arts teachers get a little irritated with the over-use of !! The only thing better is a smile under them or hearts instead of dots.

Etiquette Bitch said...

many of these cakes, esp. the Literal LOLs, make me wonder why ALL cake decorators, even the grocery stores, don't make the customer fill out a *written* form with spelling, words you want, etc.

these are too funny, though. thanks for the laughs, Jen!

Anonymous said...

As a student at Utica College, I was immediately reminded of the "interesting" mix of people I attend school with.

(I hope that this cake can be attributed to my UC...I would hope to be able to hold the University of California in higher regard.)

(I LOVE YOUR BLOG!)

Anonymous said...

I know I'm a little late - but maybe the cake decorator was not familiar with E.T. (gasp) and thought it was a sorority.

They, of course, were also unfamiliar with greek lettering.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the college was E.T E.T E.T UC.

peewee said...

What? Don't you remember the part where he turns on the "heart light" and it's all red and those are RED roses I see on that cake. Picky much?

Pattie said...

I laughed until it hurt!!

Milstead said...

I am wiping tears away from my eyes. I can't even read this because I am laughing so hard. Oh, this website is my favorite. Thanks for the laugh.

Judy said...

Truly, I almost just choked to death because I was laughing so hard that I ran out of breath. The picture is funny, but the commentary is hysterical!!!!!!!!!

My tears are all over my face! Thanks for the hearty laugh.