I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Every Rose has it's Thorn

Last week I was in Sam's Club, and I was looking at their Member's Mark Milk. Something was bothering me about the label. It took me a while to notice what it was. The cow on the label has no udder. Hello. Earth to graphic designers, cows without udders typically become hamburgers. Cows with udders produce milk (given the right circumstances, and then stand back). What does it say about the milk they're selling when the cows have no udders. No sure I'd want to drink it.

Conversely, there's this cartoon called Back at the Barnyard. One of the main characters, Otis, a boy cow (we call 'em bulls where I come from), has an udder. Um. And they say gay marriage will confuse the kids.

Now, since I normally criticize those in my profession, let me give a shout out to someone doing it right. Those wonderful people over at TCM have some very good visual designers working for them. I love their cut scenes, the monthly focus blurbs, and just in general how the non-movie visual of the station. It's fabulous.

4 comments:

mattw said...

I've often been confused about Otis on B.T.T.B.Y. I've even seen an episode where he volunteers to hook himself up to the milking machine because the animals need to save the farm while the farmer's away or something.

Your Sam's Club milk situation reminds me of that scene in Kingpin when Woody Harrelson "milks" the bull and then takes a big drink out of the pail. Gross.

Steve Buchheit said...

Yep Matt, that milk just isn't very appealing to me. And I haven't seen the cartoon yet (except for the promos).

Oo, and now that you said Woody Harrelson, a canonical list of Norm Peterson greeting retorts.

Anonymous said...

Just today, I found out this interesting event occurred on my birthday in history (my birthDAY, not YEAR):

"[February 18,] 1930 - Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft."

Go, Wikipedia!

Steve Buchheit said...

That would make her the first member of the mile-high dairy club.