Ben & Jerry's may have made Saturday Night Live fans happy with the announcement of its newest ice cream flavor: Schweddy Balls (inspired by the classic 1998 sketch with Alec Baldwin and Molly Shannon). But a group of angry parents has no patience for the tongue-in-cheek flavor reference. In fact, this feisty group has even gone so far as to call for a boycott of Schweddy Balls ice cream because it thinks it's offensive and in bad taste.
And I for one can't help but AGREE!
It's very, very rare that I find myself on the same side as the group behind the boycott: One Million Moms. In fact, this might be the first time in the history of my conscious existence. (One Million Moms is an offshoot of the conservative American Family Association that rallies around many issues, including the recent boycott of Dancing With the Stars after it was announced that Chaz Bono would be involved.) But the group does make a good point with respect to the boycott of Schweddy Balls:
The vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive. Not exactly what you want a child asking for at the supermarket.
As someone who appreciates food -- particularly ice cream -- I couldn't agree more. Ice cream isn't just innocent: It's lovely and magical and therapeutic after a bad day. Why in the world would we take something as marvelous as ice cream -- especially one that consists of vanilla ice cream with rum flavor, mixed with fudge-covered rum and milk chocolate malt balls -- and give it a horribly gross name no matter how clever?
I have a sense of humor and still I don't want to put Schweddy Balls into my mouth -- there I said it! Just because it's funny doesn't mean people will want to eat it. Sure, I'll watch the clip over and over again and laugh; but I'll be eating Chubby Hubby when I do it.
Do you think Schweddy Balls is offensive?
Image via Ben & Jerry's
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Comments 32
Good Lord, you don't have to tell your child the name if it's that big of a deal. "Ice cream" is sufficient enough. But people will always complain when they can. There really are more important things to worry about people!
I don't let my children watch "crap" on tv or listen to things that are inappropriate for their ages either (4 and 1) but here's the thing....I'm not going to be rushing to the store and pointing it out to my children and say "look kids! It's schweddy balls ice cream! it's a joke, get it? it sounds like sweaty balls? your dad has sweaty balls sometimes." Please. I think it's hilarious...FOR MYSELF.
My kids won't even notice it, mostly because they can't read yet, partly because we don't spend that much time in the ice cream aisle. If they were old enough to read but not old enough to be told the joke behind it, I'd just say it's the name of a guy who makes these yummy candy balls that are in the ice cream. Just like the clip. No mind is corrupted. My children are still innocent. I get a good hearty laugh at an adult joke.
The overlap between this group and the kind of people who screech about the free market is the most ironic part. If prudes don't like it, they can buy vanilla. The market will work it out, right?
Quit crying, its not that bad.
I don't know, but I think its hilarious LOL
The thing is, ice cream is not marketed only to adults. Why should parents have to be on their guard with every-dang-thing now? I'm so tired of hearing the old line, "If you don't like it, turn it off/don't buy it/don't read it/ don't look". Those with the humor muscles of an adolescent boy aren't the only ones who are in the consuming populace. If this was a drink in a bar, I think a lot of people would find it hilarious.