124 replies to this topic

[Jason Perlow]

For what it's worth, I have eaten in Mulate's in Breaux Bridge, but not the one in New Orleans or the one in Baton Rouge. It's a pretty touristy place, but what I mean to say is "what they hell were they thinking?" I guess they've just been laying in wait for the chance to sue the first guy to come out with a moolatte drink.

Actually the name of that place is pronounced "MOO-LOTS"

[FistFullaRoux]

For what it's worth, I have eaten in Mulate's in Breaux Bridge, but not the one in New Orleans or the one in Baton Rouge. It's a pretty touristy place, but what I mean to say is "what they hell were they thinking?" I guess they've just been laying in wait for the chance to sue the first guy to come out with a moolatte drink.

Actually the name of that place is pronounced "MOO-LOTS"

Actually it's MEW-lots. Like a cat. A hungry, irritating cat.

And it's the owners last name. I wouldn't call it a common last name, but it doesn't raise an eyebrow.

[sequim]

I don't think there will be any outrage over it.  It's a quaint term.  When's the last time you heard anybody use it?  It's not, as someone suggested, part of "common parlance".

Unless you are in Alabama....

Really, oops. I'm from the northwest, I guess we're more sheltered here from people using racist terms.

[Fat Guy]

Moolatte story picked up by the Houston Chronicle's Kyrie O'Connor in the July 14 "MeMo," which in a bizarre coincidence also quotes me on a totally unrelated issue.

http://www.chron.com...pl/memo/2681202

[FistFullaRoux]

I don't think there will be any outrage over it.  It's a quaint term.  When's the last time you heard anybody use it?  It's not, as someone suggested, part of "common parlance".

Unless you are in Alabama....

Really, oops. I'm from the northwest, I guess we're more sheltered here from people using racist terms.

Yeah, there are times it can go weeks or months without someone being an ignorant skidmark around me, then some stranger in an elevator wants to tell you a joke.... Stupid.

I work in a university hospital. We have people from all over the world working here. And we all get along with each other, until some out-of-town bumpkin walking the halls starts yelling at the Chinese doctor to "speak english!" when he already was. I am constantly amazed at how stupid people are.

Sorry for the somewhat offtopic ramble, but this is mostly to say that these incidents are so rare that they stand out that much more. Like a Model T in Manhattan.

[mamster]

I thought it was delicious, and we tried 2 of the 3 available flavors: mulatto and choctoroon, and we're looking forward to trying decafro.

Dammit, I've been trying to come up with a joke along these lines for like three days. Also, I haven't tried the drink yet, but I will probably grab one tomorrow. Quick, before they get smart.

[Atomic Lunch]

Come to think of it, I got royally chewed out once, when I was working in retail, because I used the phrase "rule of thumb."

You're boss should have been beaten with a stick. I suppose he or she expected all his/her employees to carry around dictionaries of cultural literacy. Next time that manager sees someone hold a door open for a woman, perhaps he/she will chastise them as the origin of that was to let the woman walk into a possible attack first in order to warn the man.

I wonder when they're going to reach the point of omitting coffee and just mix up a syrup, whipped cream, and half and half with sprinkles.

Now you're just talking about starbucks.

I thought it was delicious, and we tried 2 of the 3 available flavors: mulatto and choctoroon, and we're looking forward to trying decafro.

FG - Funniest thing I've ever seen you write.

When I hear "moo," I think "cow," when I hear "latte," I think of "milk." "Latte" is the Italian word for "milk."

Cow milk. What a concept. A lot sweeter than that chipmunk milk, and a lot faster to harvest.

I think the real story here is about the corporate culture at DQ. One guy didn't plan and launch this whole campaign. The idea must have come from some marketer, been approved by all levels of management, focus group testing, art review, advertising campaign planning. In all that time it is inconcievable to me that NO ONE had ever heard the term mulatto. And even if they weren't personally offended, in these hideously PC days they must have known someone might be.

I can't believe that DQ is full to the brim with white hood wearing racists who get their jollies naming milkshakes as near rhymes with dated terms. Rather, probably all of them enjoy being employed in this lousy economy and feared questioning a decision that had been made by some upper brass. I imagine a lot of people saying to coworkers "moolatte? seriously? huh, whatever. If the old man wants moo-lotto, let 'em have it."

The whole concept of dairy queen offends me as I am lactose intolerant. And the letter P offends me as well. I wish you would all refrain from using it.

[andiesenji]

I think they could solve the whole problem by simply sticking two more oo s in the name to make it MooooLatte.
There could be no mistaking that it meant Moo as in cow and Latte as in milk.

[Atomic Lunch]

Or maybe "cow squirtin's caffe"

[Pan]

I think they could solve the whole problem by simply sticking two more oo s in the name to make it MooooLatte.

Hire this woman for Marketing Director! Brilliant! Sometimes, the best solutions really are the "obvious" solutions no-one else can see in front of their faces. Are you listening, Dairy Queen?

[jhlurie]

I think they could solve the whole problem by simply sticking two more oo s in the name to make it  MooooLatte.

Hire this woman for Marketing Director! Brilliant! Sometimes, the best solutions really are the "obvious" solutions no-one else can see in front of their faces. Are you listening, Dairy Queen?

Nope. It doesn't accomplish what Jason (who trust me, is much shaper than he appears ) points out has to be a secret part of their agenda /planned reaction--avoiding having to throw away millions of dollars of existing promotional materials, cups, etc.

They are still thinking they can save money. And I imagine there would also be a huge wrangle between the central DQ corporation and the owner/operators of the franchises over who PAID for a recall of millions of promotional cups and signs.

They'll do it if and when it becomes clear that they HAVE to. Not before.

[redfox]

I think they could solve the whole problem by simply sticking two more oo s in the name to make it MooooLatte.
There could be no mistaking that it meant Moo as in cow and Latte as in milk.

I don't think the problem is that anyone is mistaking what they have in mind! It's just that the resemblance is highly unfortunate. It's not an insult on DQ's part; it's a gaffe.

[jhlurie]

I think they could solve the whole problem by simply sticking two more oo s in the name to make it  MooooLatte. 
There could be no mistaking that it meant Moo as in cow and Latte as in milk.

I don't think the problem is that anyone is mistaking what they have in mind! It's just that the resemblance is highly unfortunate. It's not an insult on DQ's part; it's a gaffe.

I don't think this suggested "fix" is assuming any fault or intent from them. But I don't think it changes the fact that you'd have to spend money--swimming pools full of money--to recall all of those cups and posters. The extra O's won't just magically appear on the old materials. It's a "PR" solution which answers critics, so it might work for that, but it won't avoid the cost. And no doubt provoke a barrel-full of lawusits between DQ Corp. and franchise owners if DQ doesn't swallow the whole cost.

[redfox]

I don't think this suggested "fix" is assuming any fault or intent from them.  But I don't think it changes the fact that you'd have to spend money--swimming pools full of money--to recall all of those cups and posters.  The extra O's won't just magically appear on the old materials.  It's a "PR" solution which answers critics, so it might work for that, but it won't avoid the cost.  And no doubt provoke a barrel-full of lawusits between DQ Corp. and franchise owners if DQ doesn't swallow the whole cost.

I totally agree that it would fail to fix the cost problem. I just think it would also fail to fix the PR problem!

(Because the problem isn't that anyone is mistaken about the fact that it means "moo" as in cow and "latte" as in milk. It's that it also brings "mulatto" to mind, gaffe-ishly.)

Edited by redfox, 15 July 2004 - 08:55 PM.

[Atomic Lunch]

In all seriousness, I'm sure the DQ strategy is ignore it and hope it will go away. Because there is a good chance it will. Likely the majority of their customers don't know the word or don't care. The ones who will get mad and shake their fists probably won't affect sales that much. And there will probably be some media attention, but I'm sure DQ is hoping it won't be much during this, an election year. There's lots of real news going on, there's a good chance this will blow over.

Who wants to take bets?

[patti]

I thought it was delicious, and we tried 2 of the 3 available flavors: mulatto and choctoroon, and we're looking forward to trying decafro.

Does it make me a bad person if this made me laugh so hard it brought tears to my eyes?

[andiesenji]

I had a chat a short time ago with a friend who just happens to be half African-American and half Norwegian.
When I mentioned the debate about the DQ MooLatte, she broke up with laughter. She said she would never have thought of it as being non-PC on her own. Her mother is originally from Mississippi, a high school teacher who met her father while on sabbatical in Europe in 1962.
Liz told me that she has never heard the word spoken, has only seen it in books. She assumed it was pronounced mew-latto and so did not associate it with the MooLatte when she saw the commercial. She just thought the woman in the commercial was a little ditzy. She said that if someone is going to get upset about this they have too much time on their hands and are indeed a little too PC, i.e. politically constipated. (Liz is an attorney.)

[scrumdiddlyumptious]

So really, seriously, the majority of the people posting here would rather see the tons of cups and materials needlessly go into a landfill (not to mention all the replacement cups, banners etc. that would need to be reproduced for the newly named drink), just to avoid possibly offending a few people's PC sensibilities? That's nuts to me- you're trading one definite negative affect on the environment for the possible PC benefits of seeming sensitive to the concerns of a small group of people, most of whom don't even see the perceived slight until it's pointed out to them. *Shrug* we all have our own priorities, I guess, but if I worked in DQ marketing I know what choice I'd be advocating- lay low and let the PC storm blow over.

[sequim]

Not me. I find it a play on words. That's it. Reading things into it is liking playing a record backwards to find the hidden meaning...

[andiesenji]

I am not advocating DQ scrap everything and start over. I made a rather offhand suggestion of a slight name change, adding two oo s, but it was rather in jest.

I also can't understand why some "Native Americans" want sports teams, etc., to stop using Amerind names. I always thought it was an honor, not an insult.

I can understand why they would not want to see a product named "squaw bread" in a market but that is very different, that is an insulting term. I have cousins who are half Choctaw and they refer to themselves as "indians" and think the whole name business is ridiculous.

[Mabelline]

I too sometimes get tired of the Native American label, which I use here simply as a way to distinguish and as an honorific for the TRUE Indians who post. What I really wish for is something faster to type.
I agree with the names crap. Carrydown P.C. crap. When the music awards were on this year, Outkast did a SUPER job of this 25th Century tribal-version of Hey-yah, and the next morning three of my serious N/A webs had memos calling for an apology and a free concert at the gathering of tribes. Eeesh.

[Fat Guy]

Not every reaction to offensive speech is motivated by "political correctness." Sometimes when you have a light-brown drink and you accidentally name it after light-skinned black people, changing the name is just the decent thing to do. Those who are obsessing over the political correctness of other vocabulary challenges are missing the point of this one: it's not just that the word sounds like mulatto; it's the sound of the word coupled with the color of the drink. The cups will wind up in a landfill anyway, but DQ's corporate reputation doesn't have to as well. Hopefully they're made of politically correct biodegradeable, recyclable material that wasn't tested on animals.

[Mabelline]

I am with you for changing the name. It can upset people and what is worse to me, little sprouts who have no idea of word meanings could be running around being unintentionally annoying. I do agree that SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE should have cut this in the project stage.

[mamster]

Okay, I tried the mocha flavor, and it was pretty tragic. I'm fond of the Frappuccino and the Tully's milkshake, and I felt this drink was in a dangerous no-man's-land between the two. It's got the ice crystals of the Frappucino, but the richness of ice cream. I wasn't impressed, plus I had to say the word "MooLatte" into the drive-thru menu. I still drank most of it, of course.

[dumplin]

I didn't notice the double meaning at first... I was completely stunned that she preferred that MILKSHAKE over a real iced coffee. Then when she ran into the door, I kept thinking, "It can't be that good." I don't even like Starbucks Frapuccino, so I don't think this would appeal to me at all...and then there's the name. I think a lot of the people that come up with these names really hate their jobs...or something. Is there any excuse for MooLatte or those awful weight loss hormone commercials with that really annoying man??

[joiei]

I grew up in the South and because we always pronunced it "mew- instead of moo" i completely missed the similarity when the ad first came on. I probably will not make a special stop at the DQ to try one so all of the fuss is about more than I am willing to waste time on.

[cakes]

Southern cows go mew?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Southern cows go mew?

Sure thing because they are cat-tle ....

[arkyrich]

changing the name is just the decent thing to do.

DQ's corporate reputation doesn't have to as well.

Why is changing the name the "decent thing to do"? How will DQ's corporate reputation be sullied? Your reaction seems overblown.

I can hardly imagine that Al Sharpton or any other important black personality is going to organize a protest over this, given that they've more important things to do in light of the coming conventions and elections. And do you think that they would really care?

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[monkeyc]

Ok i might be missing the point but I am an aussie and from where i sit as a disinterested person it seems like theres a little bit of political correctness gone mad here - frankly I dont see it as the slightest bit offensive at all, i think theres just some people who lilke making mountains out of molehills..

Mind you one of the most popular cheeses here is called Coon which is australian slang (and offensive slang) for an Aboriginal Person (and the cheese has been around for decades) - yet when a self serving activist tried to get it banned he failed completely because no one, not even the aboriginees who were supposed to be offended, cared. As more than one person put it - Its just cheese.

We can be far too sensitive to this stuff and frankly political correctness in all its forms has gone way too far, its about time we all stood up and said enough is enough.

EDIT : and apparently the New Zealanders arent offended by the Kiwi shoe polish either nor are the Japanese by the Jap pumpkin but im told theres some concern over the use of the 'American' hot dog label because people might think theyre made with real americans.....

Edited by monkeyc, 19 July 2004 - 11:04 PM.