Thursday, January 22, 2009

right in my backyard


Today Jack and I stopped in the bakery down the block from his school (Lafayette French Pastry), something we often do on our way home.

As we paid for Jack's rainbow sprinkle cookie, the owner told us he had been interviewed by Arnold Diaz of Fox 5 the day before, over the name of a cookie and an upset customer. Apparently, in honor of MLK day, he iced cookies with chocolate ganache, put red cherry eyes on them, and called them "drunken negroes." He changed the name to "Obama cookies" for the inauguration.

He thought the interview would bring him publicity and more customers. I told him I was horrified and he explained he was just being creative, that his cookies were art.

Shocked as I was, it was even more shocking to see him interviewed tonight, seeing a big tray of his chocolate glazed cookies in the display case, each decorated with thick lips, wide noses, and red cherries. Equally shocking was the story's teaser, that this situation was directly related to our new president. As they launched into the segment, images of Obama flickered across the screen before we saw the baker or the cookies. Nothing like escalating drama for ratings. Or making inappropriate cookies to get attention and more business. I have to say the cookies won this round, but the shameless shock value of the Shame on You production team was almost as tasteless.

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