DorEm Answers

Dorigen & P/O,

While Dorigen is in the process of moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn, I thought I’d take a look at another question submitted by P/O:

“What is the relationship between TV’s Benson and Kudos candy bars? Provide links.”

Initially, I assumed that this was a nonsensical question, like Alice in Wonderland’s “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”  This is something with no answer, but the question itself implies some specific response.

And then I saw this:

This Kudos commercial reads like any 80’s sitcom with a cast of exaggerated / unrealistic characters that deserve to be mocked.  Benson, the straight talking butler, would have had many an off-handed comment to say about these “Krazy” for Kudos people / off-off-Broadway musical understudies.

Also, is this question about race?  Is this another instance of the “white people are crazy” comedy standard, with the African American being the voice of reason?  It’s often hard to argue with this stance.  I mean, have you seen Lawrence Welk?!

In the case of Benson, he seems to be the most capable and human of the bunch, yet he is not the head of the household of crazies.  Sitcoms and advertisements may not be realistic portrayals of our everyday lives, but they point to conventions that wide audiences can understand.  Benson and Kudos are not afraid to serotype into hilariously ridiculous proportions, and perhaps that’s why they’re both so offensively delicious.

Emily